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The Major Part of Major Events Everyone Forgets
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The Major Part of Major Events Everyone Forgets
I was thrilled over the last few weeks to be working again with the global mobility powerhouse that is TMS. TMS were appointed to deliver transport for every facet of the Women’s Asian Cup Australia. I didn’t get to kick it with the Tilly’s, but I was stoked to be in my wheelhouse, looking after the broadcast, marketing and partnerships teams, finding neurotic joy in fixed timings, commercial commitments, and absolutely no tolerance for tardiness.
In major sporting events, well before the first whistle blows on the field, there’s a whole other game already in motion. Across Perth, Sydney and the Gold Coast, the Women’s Asian Cup was (for the most part) seamless from the stands. Playing teams roll up like the rockstars they are, broadcast teams arrive and immediately go live, sponsors are where they need to be, and fans move through the gates ready to celebrate or commiserate without thinking twice.
But none of that happens by chance.
Behind the scenes, it’s a full-field operation. The MVPs of (in this instance) the Women’s Asian Cup are, without question, the twelve international teams on the pitch. But off it, thousands of people are moving daily across venues, hotels, training grounds and back-of-house environments, all on fixed schedules with no extra time for slippage.
This is one part of the operation where timing is everything. Miss your window, and there’s no second half to reset and recover. From the moment the first plane lands, loaded with players, staff and gear, transport shifts from logistics to game management. From that point on, it’s 24/7, sleep when you can.
Every movement is mapped against training schedules, kick-off times and live broadcast windows. Buses moving teams and officials, cars running talent, partners and VIPs. Hundreds of coordinated movements a day, building into thousands across the tournament, and a multitude of WhatsApp group chats pinging schedule changes all through the night – and let me tell you, that ping is not great for the nervous system three weeks in, when you’re running on adrenaline and trail mix, and you’re operating across three different time zones.
In major event transport, nothing is linear, and you’re living in constant transition. One venue is clearing as another ramps up. Stakeholders are moving in different directions with competing priorities, while you’re driving the perception that their priority is absolutely your priority number one.
Every scenario sits on standby. The Tilly’s progress through the tournament, and suddenly, they’re relocating across the country for a quarter-final match. Sydney to Perth means a five-hour flight from the east coast to the west, followed by immediate ground transport into secured environments, all within tightly controlled recovery and preparation windows. There is very little flexibility in the system, but the demand for flexibility is high. Airport transfers are scheduled around same day match outcomes; contingency plans sit ready in case of delays, disruptions or last-minute schedule changes.
What is even less visible, but just as critical, is the security layer that sits over every movement.
While sport is the great leveller and central to galvanising a community, international tournaments also bring together teams from complex geopolitical environments. In this instance, Iran’s national women’s team faced intense political pressure, public scrutiny, inconsistent and arguably unhelpful media coverage, and complex personal decisions during the Cup, with discourse around asylum becoming a global flashpoint, driving local protest.
In those moments, transport becomes part of the security framework. Movements are closely coordinated with venue security, police, and event command. Routes are assessed for risk and efficiency. Alternative pathways are mapped. Timing is adjusted to reduce exposure.
And on the ground, in the thick of the chaos, the (beautifully humble) bus drivers and the ground transport operations teams are required to stay composed, make decisions quickly and prioritise safety at all times. A good transport team operates like a control tower just off the touchline, reading the play as it unfolds. Holding the line when pressure builds. Making sure everything lands exactly where it needs to, when it needs to, safely.
The top notch talent (in my opinion) are the transport planning teams, who have spent months building the master plan, the backup plan, the fallback plan, and the “oh god, move quick, it’s all gone to shit” plan. It’s end-to-end, and when it works, it’s invisible; if it fails, it very quickly becomes the story.
We all know there is nothing glamorous about working major events, except perhaps a rocking frock (always with sneaks) at the main soiree…I can say, there is zero glamour and definitely no frock opps in transport management, although you do get to rock it in high vis at the coal face… and as anyone who works in events will attest, the real fun always happens back of house in high vis.
Transport is consistently underestimated in event planning. It’s brought in too late, scoped too narrowly, and or treated as a logistics line item instead of a strategic function. It’s an expensive mistake, because transport protects everything. It protects broadcast, it protects commercial value, it protects safety, and it protects event experience.
Every successful major event must start with a seamless transport plan and a top-notch planning team. These guys are the GOATS at moving the general public, players, talent, fans, sponsors and the Super VIPs so everything and everyone else can perform.
So next time you’re planning an event, start where most people finish, and the next time you’re at an event, give a quiet nod, a cheeky wink, or simply raise your glass for the mobility peeps, and remember, while the spotlight stays on the pitch, there’s a whole system behind it making sure the game can even begin.
It’s high energy and a lot of moving parts. Just the way they like it.
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This discussion was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by
Colette Gallagher.
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This discussion was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by
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