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Beijing 2008: a logistical marathon

Added October 29th, 2010

Just as athletes themselves prepare for major events, so does EFM. Planning began for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games back in 2005, beginning with regular research trips and meetings in Beijing, Hong Kong and Qingdao, as well as Macau, where the British team were to be based for pre-Games preparation camps.

The first shipments began arriving in China throughout 2007, with test events for sports and media, and in early 2008 containers of temporary overlay equipment departed from various locations in Europe and North America.

EFM’s clients at the Games included NOCs, future host organizing committees and bidding cities, media, rights-holding broadcasters, sponsorship and marketing agencies, sports teams, Games and team sponsors and Olympic and Paralympic suppliers. This resulted in a vast array of equipment arriving from all corners of the globe by air, road and sea and then distribution within China itself.

Equipment in the care of EFM included:

  • Portable kitchens and catering equipment for athletes, media and sponsors.
  • Bikes, canoes, rowing boats, sailing boats, physiotherapy and medical equipment.
  • Broadcasting and photographic equipment for official media and broadcasters.
  • Props and costumes for the opening and closing ceremonies.
  • Promotional giveaways, branding, exhibition and display materials.
  • Clothing and team uniforms.

EFM worked closely, over several years, with the local organizing committee and its clients to ensure all customs paperwork was correct and met the requirements of the Chinese authorities – providing smooth and timely transit of equipment and supplies for the Games both into and out of China. Customs procedures were stringent, and security for accessing venues was extremely tight. Many items required special import licences and significant amounts of paperwork and negotiation. Most of the equipment handled into China by EFM had to be re-exported just as quickly, back to its country of origin, or in some cases, directly to another event.

A particularly interesting challenge in China, was that EFM was asked to manage the logistical operations at the Beijing Olympics, for B&Q and Team GB. As a sponsor of Team GB, B&Q committed to providing a large quantity of VIK product to the Team – to furnish / decorate their accommodation & hospitality venues.

Although the majority of the stock could be sourced domestically within China, the biggest challenge for B&Q was that the scope of work fell out of the remit of their day to day activities and regular supply chain providers. They were faced with a major concern, that the risk of a failure to deliver the correct products to the required locations on the designated dates / times could jeopardise the success of their high profile sponsorship of the British Team.

In summary, as the appointed logistics company to the British Olympic & Paralympic Associations for the Games, EFM was appointed to assist in resolving the challenge. EFM became responsible for managing the final part of the logistics operation, by taking delivery of all the VIK products (including 200 sofas; 325 kettles, irons & ironing boards; 300 TVs, DVD players & TV stands; desks, furniture, plants etc), at our local warehouses in Beijing, Macau, Hong Kong and Qingdao.

Thereafter EFM’s role included logging / checking that all the correct items had been received in each location; sorting & dispatching a total of 3,186 pieces to 15 different venues; providing additional labour and a supervisor to work in conjunction with some B&Q labour, to unload and assemble at each venue and check that all the items were in the correct locations within each venue – this included furnishing all the Team GB accommodation apartment blocks room by room. All work had to be carried out at pre-booked delivery slots, allocated by the Games organising committee and if a slot was missed, the re-booked delivery could only occur 48 hours later – there was no margin for error. EFM had to remove and dispose of all packing materials and finally, following the Games, EFM worked with B&Q to remove all the items from the same venues and re-distribute them to B&Q local warehouses and B&Q nominated charity projects.

The EFM team who were based in China for the Games period worked tirelessly to ensure all clients did not need to worry about paperwork or the logistical whereabouts of equipment and succeeded in delivering a successful and reliable service to all concerned.

We would like to think that our small but important part contributed to the most successful British teams for many years.