Wimbledon - How one delivers a brilliantly British event.
With the ‘summer’ (HA!) now well underway and July hurtling fast in our direction there is one thing, and one thing only, on my mind… Think balls, think little white shorts, think Wimbledon!
Anyone else a massive fan?
I mean, when else do the Great British public get the opportunity to showcase just how eclectic and eccentric they truly are – combining incredible displays of athletic prowess with copious amounts of Pimms (235,000 glasses), and mountains of strawberries (23 tonnes) and cream (7,000 litres per annum, to be precise).
Now, one would be forgiven at this juncture for assuming that this column was little more than a playfully worded tribute to what is without a doubt the most brilliantly British ‘happening’ in the social calendar, but what I really wanted to ‘serve’ (pun intended) via the writing of this article was to draw attention to what is, quite literally, event-poetry-in-motion.
Did you know that an astonishing 54,250 balls, stored at a rather precise temperature of 68,° are used during The Championships’ period; the grass is cut to a height of exactly 8 mm; and there are almost 15,000 seats on Centre Court alone! (Also, just for fun, I couldn’t resist adding this little fact which I love - the loudest known grunt at Wimbledon totalled a whopping 105 decibels - the equivalent of standing beside an accelerating motorcycle!)
Ummm, wow…
But as anyone working in the industry will know, no event being rolled out on such a prolific scale can be attributed to just one person. Even Mary Poppins would struggle to pull this out of her carpet bag.
It takes a real team effort, and a serious amount of delegating to partners and supporters – from caterers through to media managers, marquee and event structure advisors through to furniture, carpet and panel hire experts.
It’s the passion and dedication of each of those contributors that really helps to keep all of the balls in the air year-on-year; as one could argue is the case at any event, in any sector, at any time of year, regardless of size!
Take our team here at Europa International, for example, who are a cog in a much more complex machine that requires everyone to do their job, and do it well.
Anyone who has worked with us previously will know that our commitment to efficiency and customer service comes at no extra cost - although they never say no to a nice brew, and one of the 350,000 that are served at Wimbledon each year would do just nicely – but it’s such attributes that are worth their weight in gold when you’re on the edge with a to-do list as long as your arm and a client that has some amazing demands!
(On that note, we actually have the exact number of seat pads needed to add a little extra cushioning to all of the Centre Court spectator’s bottoms for added long-match-bum-comfort. #JustSaying, #HireHappy.)
It is, after all, the little things that make the world of difference when it comes to making a good event great; and having the peace of mind to know that the partners you place your trust in will deliver with a spring in their step and a smile on your face should not be underestimated. Especially when your event regularly plays host to the likes of British royalty (and David Beckham!).
Ultimately, whether you’re in the business of balls – tennis or otherwise - or perhaps looking to kit out a conference for a thousand delegates, or an intimate seminar for 10, always remember… Europa International has got your back, and your seat pads (easy wipe option available).
