SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
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Home GAMEPlan An Event's "Most Vital" Factor Transportation is the first—and last—thing spectators and participants experience at an event, so it's important to get it right. In fact, most industry experts call transporta- tion an event's most vital factor. "Transportation is critical," said John Anthony, president and CEO of Anthony Travel, voted North America's Leading "Green" Transportation Saving time on routes isnʼt the only way TMS is working to be more effi- cient. The company is also an indus- try leader in green initiatives. In addi- tion to being environmentally con- scious on the curb during events and enforcing a green policy in its offices, TMS has initiated a Carbon Offset Shuttle Program, which com- pensates for any carbon dioxide its buses emit by donating to Carbonfund.org on behalf of its clients. Such donations help nullify the carbon footprint TMS buses create at each event by helping fund refor- estation and avoided deforestation projects (which sequester carbon dioxide emissions from the atmos- phere); renewable energy and methane projects (which reduce the use of fossil fuels like coal and oil); and energy efficiency and carbon credit projects (which promote cut- ting back on energy consumption, thereby saving money and helping the environment). ■ Travel Agency in 2007, 2009 and 2010 by the World Travel Awards. "It has the most chances for something to go wrong. You've got a lot of moving parts. Things can get off-schedule. Not go as planned. Transportation demands more attention than any other aspect of an event." Typical services provided by transporta- tion management companies include bus shuttles, parking, on-site transportation management, and, sometimes, flights to and from the event. "Other than the event itself, transporta- tion is what attendees remember most," said Ryan Mead, a senior sales representa- tive for Transportation Management Services (TMS), which specializes in major sporting events. Event planners all have horror stories they like to recount to remind themselves how one mishap can ruin a whole event. Like the time one top NFL executive got caught in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam of event buses on the way to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii and missed the first half of the game along with thousands of other atten- dees. "We had to walk along the highway for miles in the blazing heat to get to the stadium," Mead said. "This was years ago, and we're still talking about it as a caution- ary tale." How well you execute your transporta- tion strategy, Anthony said, determines how attendees ultimately perceive your event. "People spend three or four hours at a sporting event—whether they're running a marathon or rooting for their favorite team—but they often spend 72 hours or more in the destination city," he said. "Our job is to make sure those other 68 hours go as smoothly as the event itself." In the transportation game, "no news is good news," Mead added. "The bottom line is, you've got to get people where they're going on time and safely. There's no other alternative." Choosing The Right Provider Selecting a transportation management company is as simple as matching an event's needs with a provider, according to Anthony. Some companies offer only on- site management, while others, such as Anthony Travel, offer air transportation services as well. Of course, experience plays a big part in whether or not a company is right for a specific event. "It's all about capability and efficiency," Anthony added. "You're talk- ing about moving the most people in the best way, overlaying a schedule of multiple stops and multiple pick-up points, provid- ing security and police clearance, and everything else that goes along with a big- time event." Larger companies like Anthony Travel and TMS have offices from coast to coast and are familiar with running events in every major city in the country. "That experience has really helped us avoid some hurdles," Mead said. "Going with a small- er, less-experienced company might save money in the short term, but it can also create more challenges in the long run." Hiring strictly on cost, Mead said, might not be the wisest way to select a trans- portation specialist, either. "The lowest bidder doesn't always understand the scope of what's required," he said. No matter which company a planner picks, creating a detailed, well-organized strategy is key. "Some events are planned Subscribe Contact S.P.O.R.T.S. 2012 Anthony Travel Anthony Travel US Naval Academy 14 August 2012 www.sportseventsmagazine.com ▼ US Naval Academy