With the 2018 Champions League Final in Kyiv taking place tomorrow, we look back at ESEM’s biggest event in the 22-year history of our agency, exactly five years ago today: The 2013 Champions League Final in London.
After the two semi-finals had been concluded and Germany’s Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund had qualified for the Final at Wembley Stadium, the official travel agencies of both clubs, FC Bayern Tours and besttravel, appointed ESEM as their partners for this prestigious event.
There were just 3,5 weeks left to organise all aspects of the clubs’ arrangements for this huge event. Several site inspections with the clubs’ travel agencies and their marketing and operational departments followed in the days after the semi-final. The hotels for the teams were visited and inspected, plus the accommodation options for sponsors, guests, journalists, supporters, families and friends. Overall, we booked over 1,800 bed nights in London hotels for the different delegations of both clubs.
Using our local knowledge, we recommended and secured the two post-match party venues for Bayern and Borussia, the Great Room at Grosvenor House and the National History Museum. The Organisation teams of both clubs then took over the organisation and management of the venues and both clubs produced extraordinary events for their guests after the Final.
In addition, our German colleagues and ESEM selected traditional and unusual dining options to ensure, that the various delegations would have a memorable stay, covering all aspects of London, from river cruise and a typical pub, to stunning views from the 29th floor of a city centre dining venue.
To ensure, that we would be able to handle all groups and their requirements, we contracted our hugely experienced project managers and London’s finest German speaking tour guides, employing over 60 people to run this unique event.
In our Manchester office, we split the ESEM team into two groups – Bayern and Borussia – each team totally focusing on each club’s requirements, overlapping only regarding the allocation of vehicles and guides. A total of just over 120 coaches and chaffeur-driven vehicles were utilised for the transportation during the 48-hour long event. The countdown to Wembley started and many long evenings in our Didsbury office followed, supported by local pizza and other takeaway deliveries.
Two days before the arrival of the teams and club delegations, the ESEM team headed to London to meet our German colleagues, to finalise the last details, double check rooming lists, transport schedules, itineraries, brief our project managers and German speaking guides, visit restaurants and dining venues, to talk through operational details and deliver menus and signage.
“Match Day -1”, as it’s called in UEFA language, was upon us – Arrival Day. Borussia Dortmund landed at Stansted Airport, Bayern Munich’s delegations at Gatwick, the team at London City Airport. Vehicles were in position, guides briefed and equipped with coach signs and their detailed programmes for the coming 48 hours. Let the organised madness begin!
London traffic was horrific that day. Friday afternoon rush hour, Chelsea Flower Show and torrential rain, but eventually everybody made it to their hotels, checked in their rooms and enjoyed the first evening of this memorable weekend, with dinner events all over the city.
Match Day, a gloriously sunny Saturday in May. Hundreds of supporters were arriving at Gatwick and Stansted Airport on day charter flights, for which ESEM supplied the vehicles, guides and coordinators. The other delegations enjoyed city sightseeing tours, pub lunches, river cruise BBQs or just spent the day exploring London.
Mid-afternoon, the various groups set-off towards Wembley, everybody wanted to be there well in time before kick-off, to take in the atmosphere around the stadium.
Bayern won the Final, leaving one half of our guests joyous, the other half disappointed. It was always going to be this way. Our work that night would not finish for many hours. The match was followed by two big parties, organised by the two clubs, with the help of ESEM and after travelling to their hotels to get changed, the teams, officials, sponsors, guests, journalists, families and friends, made their way to Grosvenor House (Bayern) and the National History Museum (Borussia), where they celebrated and commiserated until the early hours of the morning. Our role was to coordinate the shuttle bus service for the guests at both parties, with the last coach leaving the venues at 6.00am. Just a couple of hours later, the first transfers to the airport were scheduled, so there was very little time to rest. By lunchtime, all delegations had left the capital and a memorable three days had come to an end.
We are very grateful for the trust and confidence, our travel agency partners put in ESEM for such an important, prestigious and demanding project. We are extremely proud to be part of your team.
The 2013 Champions League Final in numbers:
Over 4,100 people looked after
Over 1,800 hotel bed nights booked
Over 2,300 meals served
Over 60 members of ESEM staff worked during the project
Over 120 Coaches and chauffeur-driven vehicles used
About 7 hours sleep had over three nights
7 large pizzas and 4 chicken buckets eaten at ESEM HQ during the days before the project