Who Do You Get To Do The Work?

[Mac the Knife]

As I mentioned a short while ago I'm trying to put together what amounts to an in-house design team for a potential sports league launch I've been kicking around for several years.  Not that I've abandoned that idea (in fact, I'm far from it), but presuming that in the end I find that it's necessary to "farm out the work" to an outside branding partner.

 

I have my own opinion on this but would like to hear what others have to say to this simple question:  Who do you hire, and why do you hire them over others?