Executive travel is never simple. Every minute counts, so schedules are tightly orchestrated to maximize the value of the travel expense; however, itineraries change constantly, and every change has a domino effect on all subsequent events. Complexity is all but guaranteed.
This complexity is amplified many times over when an executive is attending a major world event, as many executives must do over the course of the year. These events are critically important to your organization, as they ensure that your executive is visible, accessible and able to take part in important discussions that directly impact your business. Because of this, identifying travel partners with significant expertise at these events is a mandatory step in protecting your company’s substantial investment.
Here are three well-known examples of big events where secure car service is considerably more complex, and therefore requires considerably more attention:
The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland
The 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters will convene world leaders to discuss the state of the world, and to align global, regional and industry agendas necessary to address present and future challenges. The overall mission of the meeting is to improve the state of the world, and as such the event draws high-profile thought leaders from the business community.
As you would imagine, ground transportation is incredibly complex at WEF, and this event is no place for an inexperienced driver. The closest international airport is a two-hour drive through mountain roads during unpredictable January weather. When you combine the demands of this terrain with the stringent emission standards of Switzerland, finding an appropriate vehicle that meets the high expectations of a discerning traveler can be very challenging. In fact, it is not uncommon for the vehicles of other organizations to be denied access at Switzerland’s border, leaving their teams scrambling for alternatives.
Once at the event, ground travel on-site presents its own complexities. Local roads will be subject to checkpoints or even closed entirely, and your executive’s membership level will determine their access along these routes.
For an event as complex as WEF, executives need a ground travel solution that goes beyond simply providing a security-trained driver and vehicle. They need a holistic solution: consultative partners who are experienced with this event and equipped to mitigate every risk along the way.
As the only ground travel partner in the world that specializes in risk mitigation, Groundwork—Savoya’s premium, security-focused service—has been serving clients at the World Economic Forum for 15 years. In that time we have learned what to expect, and how to make your executive’s trip go as smoothly as possible.
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV
For over 50 years, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been the global stage for showcasing consumer technologies, and countless important technology innovations have been introduced at this event. Virtually every company in the consumer technology space has a presence at this event, and it also attracts some of the world’s foremost business leaders and innovators.
Over 4,000 companies exhibit at CES, and there are more than 250 conference sessions on a variety of relevant topics. All in all, there are almost 200,000 attendees from 160 countries. As you can imagine, getting your executive safely and efficiently around at an event of this size and scope demands a provider with an intimate understanding of the complexities involved.
Groundwork has years of experience managing secure car service at CES, managing dozens of successful trips every year. Groundwork is much more than a team of security drivers. We are risk mitigation specialists, actively monitoring routes and anticipating any potential delays and complications along the way.
In the spirit of CES, all of our Groundwork trips are supported by a rich ecosystem of technology, tools, oversight and threat monitoring from Groundwork’s 24/7 Command Center. Our technology facilitates live GPS tracking and stakeholder status updates, and our COREview portal and proprietary LiveOps view provide critical visibility for you and your support teams.
Groundwork is purpose-built to serve clients who want the best possible experience for their executives, even at an event as demanding as CES.
Super Bowl LIV in Miami, FL
Super Bowl LIV, which will be held in Miami on February 2, 2020, will decide the league champion for the league's 100th season. The Hard Rock Stadium has a capacity of almost 65,000, but it has been estimated that up to 150,000 people have traveled to recent Super Bowl host cities just to take part in the festivities. In fact, prior Super Bowl festivities have attracted over a million fans!
Unsurprisingly, this massive influx of visitors can quickly overwhelm a city’s infrastructure. Roads are jammed up and unpassable, and entire areas of the city that are normally accessible are closed off entirely. To make sure your executive is there in plenty of time for kickoff, the Groundwork team’s preparation is second to none.
The Groundwork Secure Ground Specialist (SGS) assigned to your executive will spend a minimum of two days conducting advance work prior to the Super Bowl. They will study your executive’s hotel, pickup and drop off locations, waiting areas and even routes to the closest medical facilities. They will also work with local law enforcement to predict potential hazards and create backup plans for any potential emergency.
We also understand that the Super Bowl is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for companies to host customers and potential customers. In addition to their extensive knowledge and expertise in security driving and risk mitigation, our SGSs also have a service-first mentality. Your executives and their guests will experience concierge style service while they are transported safely and effectively to and from the big game.
Untangle the Big Event Complexity
Big events are typically an unavoidable for big-name executives; but secure car service at these events can present significant challenges for their support teams. Anticipating and mitigating these challenges can mean the difference between a successful trip and an unsuccessful one.
Whether your priorities are security, service, logistics or productivity, Savoya’s Groundwork team is prepared to give your principal the ground transportation experience they expect, no matter how complex the circumstances might be. For big events, the choice is clear: go with Groundwork.
What other big events do your executives attend? Leave us a note below with your comments.
