As one of the leading football clubs in Germany, Hamburger SV qualified for the Group Stages of the 2006-2007 Champions League. When the subsequent Group Stage draw was made, the most attractive tie for many at the club was the visit to Arsenal and the all-new Emirates Stadium.

When travelling to compete in European competition, preparation is key for any team. However, it is also essential that all other club officials are equally well looked after during any stay on foreign soil. Therefore, after seeking recommendations from the German Football Federation, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, Hamburger SV and the club’s travel agent, Liga Travel, turned to ESEM to handle the arrangements for the club’s November trip to London.

The Challenge

Although ESEM is highly experienced in managing the domestic travel and accommodation requirements of foreign clubs when they take on British opposition,every brief is different. The one consistent element is the requirement for quality andattention to detail. ESEM managing director, Christian Machowski, explains: “It is always essential that in taking a highly detailed brief from a club, we return with a solution that meets their requirements. We do that by using our vast experience in handling these high profile events and choosing the appropriate hotels, venues and suppliers to guarantee a smooth and successful operation.”

“The process began when we met in London with Hamburger SV general manager, Bernd Wehmeyer, head of marketing, Claudio Lato, and the club’s official travel agent, Ralf Schaar, to discuss the detailed requirements of the project.”

Initially, ESEM was asked to source two high calibre hotels; one for the team, management and VIPs along with any travelling journalists and another for the main club sponsors and players’ wives. Also, due to Arsenal’s requirement for everybody to arrive two hours ahead of kick off, both hotels had to be situated within half an hour’s drive of the Emirates Stadium.

Given that the Hamburger SV party would be staying in London for two days prior to the match, ESEM was also asked to take care of the lunch and evening dining arrangements for every member of the party as well as providing a suitable social programme for all club officials and their guests.

The solution

Day One

Thanks to the company’s extensive knowledge of London’s finest hotels, ESEM moved swiftly to arrange suitable accommodation. The players, management and dignitaries were booked in at Marylebone’s prestigious Landmark Hotel, while the players’ wives and sponsors stayed at the nearby Marriott Hotel in Maida Vale. Christian explains: “Both hotels were known to us as having the required experience in handling the respective delegations.

They were also a short drive away from one other as well as being within an acceptable distance of the Emirates Stadium and the various venues used for the social programme.” Four of London’s most outstanding German speaking Blue Badge guides were

booked to assist the ESEM team from the minute the delegation arrived at Luton Airport. From there, the first port of call for the club officials and VIPs was a champagne reception at The Landmark Hotel, while the wives and sponsors enjoyed a buffet reception at their hotel.

In search of something quintessentially English, club officials were then taken to the Dickens Inn Pub at Tower Bridge for an afternoon luncheon, where the private dining room was themed in Hamburger SV colours. Later, as the players trained at the Emirates Stadium, all guests were invited to enjoy a four course meal on the River Thames aboard the exclusively hired Symphony Cruise Ship, with superb entertainment provided by one of London‘s leading cabaret jazz bands.

Day Two and departure

Match day began with all VIPs and sponsors embarking on a sightseeing tour of London. This started with a champagne flight on the London Eye, where provision had been made for the party to avoid the queues and embark their exclusively hired capsules as soon as they arrived. Mr Schaar takes up the story: “Our London Eye experience was magnificent and the subsequent guided tour of St Paul’s Cathedral was equally inspiring.

“Nothing was left to chance by ESEM

and in moving on to lunch at the beautiful Quaglinos restaurant, we were again treated superbly by everyone involved.”

Following a return trip to their respective hotels, everybody was transported to the Emirates Stadium. Mindful of the time between arrival and kick off, ESEM had secured 100 places for a meal in the restaurant at Arsenal House, where former Arsenal and England left back, Kenny Sansom, gave an entertaining pre-match talk. After a superb game which ended in a 2-1 victory for the hosts, the officials, guests and players’ wives were taken back to the Landmark Hotel, where a post match banquet was held at 11.30pm – a fitting end to a memorable trip.

The following morning saw the entire party transferred back to Luton Airport, from where they made the return trip to Hamburg. Mr Schaar continues: “Thanks to the dedication and professionalism of the ESEM team we experienced an outstanding two days in London.

“Nothing was left to chance, with every element of the trip being co-ordinated with exceptional precision. Result aside, everybody connected with Hamburger SV enjoyed a magnificent occasion to the full.”

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