General Introduction

All functions of the organisation need the support of logistics and/or services and the bigger the event the greater the need. It is very important to create a sufficiently large and experienced team to cover these areas of responsibility. Good services & logistics are essential for the smooth operation of the event and will greatly enhance the experiences of those involved.

The area is large and multifunctional and it is strongly recommended that the LOC appoints a senior staff member to be overall responsible. Please refer to Event Planning Section for more details.

Services and logistics department covers the following areas at European Athletics:

Accommodation

Accommodation is not only a matter of securing the necessary numbers of rooms for the different stakeholder groups, but also of creating the best possible living and working conditions for each person involved.

It is also key that the LOC offers accommodation at a reasonable price, not exceeding online offers. Otherwise, the risk could be to have participants booking their accommodation outside the Event Management System despite the provision of rooms secured by the LOC.

Stakeholders to be considered within the accommodation plan are:

• Teams (athletes, officials, medical personnel) – both in and out of quota numbers to be accommodated
• Personal coaches
• VIPs (European Athletics Family, International Guests, Sponsors’ Guests, LOC guests)
• European Athletics officiating persons (Technical Delegates, ITOs, Walking Judges, International Starter, Photo Finish Judge, etc.)
• Media (Press & Photographers) & International Broadcasters
• Technical Partners (Timing, Data processing, Signage company, Host broadcaster)
• National officials and volunteers (when not resident in the host city)
• LOC staff
• Young Leaders Forum participants (if relevant)

All the individuals need places to stay and, for several of the categories, also working facilities within the accommodation venues.

It is recommended that the proposed official hotels are actually experienced after the first site visit of European Athletics’ representatives and Delegates. This gives a direct feedback to both the LOC and European Athletics.

The LOC should plan to have two different accommodation deadlines for VIPs and Media: one official deadline that is communicated, and one internal deadline (a few days later) to have some time to make sure the number of rooms to be released is correct.

Accommodation Plan

The work on the accommodation plan must have begun in the bidding phase, as information on the proposed official hotels, and prices to be charged, must be included in the Bid documentation. For these reasons it is advisable, particularly for major events, to have the support of a hotel association or experienced travel agency. However, the management of hotel bookings, invoicing, etc. shall be made through the European Athletics Event Management System.

The accommodation plan should include the different items listed in the accommodation guideline and template document.

Negotiations with each hotel are usually needed in order to be flexible and meet each group’s needs. 

A date for the completion of the accommodation plan will be set in the event Organiser Agreement. The plan must include implementation milestones that can be monitored by the LOC and European Athletics.

European Athletics has prepared a template for the Accommodation Plan in order to facilitate both the LOC and European Athletics. This template includes all requirements needed to complete the plan and it can be found in the corresponding Accommodation annexes.

Because of the importance of providing specific information to the main categories needing accommodation, they are treated as separate sub-chapters in the following paragraphs.

Team Accommodation

Teams usually comprise the largest group of stakeholders and their accommodation involves very specific requirements. The athletes are at the heart of the event and deserve special consideration.

The hotels allocated to the teams should be located near the training venues as well as parks or green areas, which provide alternative training areas. The distances to and from the competition venues should be within reasonable travel times. An effort must be made to locate all team hotels as near to each other as possible as this will assist the coordination of services and management.

The required numbers of rooms can be confirmed only after receiving the final entries; these figures are binding on the teams’ costs for their final invoices.

When planning the distribution of the teams between the hotels, please be aware that a single team must never be divided between two hotels. When planning the rooming list of a team within an hotel, the LOC should use the team’s rooming list and ask for approval in case of changes made by the LOC.

All Team Hotels should provide the following facilities and services:

• Information desk (event specific information, city related information, etc.)
• Physiotherapy rooms (according to the number and needs of each team)
• Team meeting rooms (according to the number and needs of each team)
• Ice machines (must be available)
• Recreational areas
• Wi-Fi internet (free of charge, mandatory for ECH, EICH, EXCH, ETCH SL, EU18CH, EU20CH, EU23CH)
• Doping control room (according to European Athletics Doping Control Delegate direction)
• Water supply
• Storage room (Information desk material, water, etc.)

The LOC must also offer, free of charge, physiotherapy and medical services; if not in each hotel then in a convenient and easy reachable location.

More details shall be found in the European Athletics Team Services Guidelines and within the accommodation plan. This document needs to be compiled according to the template that European Athletics will provide to the LOC.

Media Accommodation

Depending on the size of the European Athletics event, the number of media representatives attending can be large and the statistics from similar past events will enable the LOC to plan accurately. European Athletics Media Department can provide these statistics.

Media representatives normally work long working hours and appreciate their accommodation being in close proximity to the competition venues and the media working facilities (MPC & IBC mainly). Transport between the Hotels and these venues needs to be planned carefully and shared with European Athletics Event Department.

The locations, price ranges and services offered by the hotels (e.g. free internet access) are crucial elements to encourage media representatives to stay in the official hotels, as is the availability of official transportation. The LOC must strive to offer the best possible accommodation options.

Depending on the size of the event, the LOC must also endeavour to arrange working areas and, at the least, an information desk in each media hotel.

The Media Guidelines give further details on this subject. Please consult them when preparing the accommodation plan.

VIP Accommodation

For VIP guests, comprising mainly the European Athletics family, the location and services offered by the official hotel are decisive elements when selecting the best option(s). VIP guests often like to combine attendance at the event with cultural activities in the host city and, therefore, a central location and/or efficient public transport to the centre of the city are priorities.

As well as location, the price ranges and quality of services offered by the hotel (e.g. swimming pool, gym, wellness areas), together with well organised transportation to and from venues, are important considerations that will encourage VIPs to stay in the official hotels.

The official VIP Hotel is normally also the headquarters of European Athletics during the pre-event and event phases. Therefore, offices and meeting rooms for European Athletics staff and the LOC are required as these are needed to provide the VIP guests with accreditation, event and city information, etc. The LOC’s own relevant staff will also need to be based at the VIP Hotel (Information Desk, VIP accreditation centre, etc.)

Within the Organiser Agreement of each European Athletics event the specific needs for VIP accommodation and which of the related costs are to be covered by the LOC are specified. Please refer to this document and liaise with the European Athletics Event Department if anything is unclear.

Technical Partners’ Accommodation

The Technical partners of European Athletics service the event with know-how in specific fields. These groups (Timing & Data processing company, signage company, event management system/accreditation company) arrive early in the pre-event phase in order to set-up and install all required systems, devices and facilities.

This group also has long working hours and therefore the proximity of their hotels to the competition venues is of great importance. The transport schedule must be prepared and adapted by the LOC according to their specific needs.

Both the Organiser Agreement and the Technical Partner’s Manual give more details about these matters.

Accreditation & Circulations

Accreditation System

The purpose of the accreditation system is to be able to identify persons who are authorised to have access to official venues and facilities at European Athletics events and is operated mainly through the issue of Accreditation cards, which are coded according to the permitted levels of access.

Accreditation cards must not be seen as a ticket that gives access to the competition venue but as a document to identify a person’s designated function, authority and/or status. Different forms of accreditation shall be used, such as the stickers for cameras and special signage for authorised vehicles.

The objectives of the accreditation process are:

• Ensure that correct accreditations are issued
• Provide appropriate access levels and privileges to venues and services for each individual
• Keep unauthorised individuals out of restricted areas
• Ensure that individuals with a designated function can reach their respective areas
• Comply with the standards of service determined by European Athletics

More details on accreditation key aspects to cover can be found in the European Athletics Accreditation Guidelines.

The next chart shows the main groups that have to be included in the accreditation plan:

It is self-evident that, the larger the event, the more persons will require accreditation and the greater the complexity of the system will be. Nevertheless, the same basic principles apply to all events.

European Athletics will provide the LOC with an Accreditation Masterplan which describes the various sub-categories, each of which is identified by its own specific colour. Some of the categories have pre-assigned privileges which are allocated by European Athletics and any change to these privileges has to be approved by European Athletics. Once the privileges have been agreed in the Masterplan it will be implemented in the European Athletics Event Management System.

The European Athletics Event Management System, as mentioned in this Chapter, provides online management of several areas of the organisation and Accreditation is one of the main ones. To feed the European Athletics Event Management System with the relevant information the LOC has to prepare, in close co-operation with European Athletics Event Department, an Accreditation plan. This plan has to be designed to deliver an effective system for controlling access to identified areas at all official venues. For more details on the accreditation plan please consult the European Athletics Accreditation Guidelines.

The responsibility for the creation and delivery of the plan should be assigned to a member of the LOC with experience in this field of work. Depending on the size of the event, several LOC staff members will be needed and it is highly recommended, especially at major events, to have, within the team, a dedicated person to manage each group (Media, VIPs, Teams, etc.).

The volume of accreditation requests can be considerable and the workload should be properly distributed to guarantee a good service to the final users.

The European Athletics Event Management System can manage all likely combinations of information and categories and is a very valuable tool to ease the work of all those involved and to ensure a smooth accreditation process. 

Once the European Athletics Event Management System has been adapted to the particular event, European Athletics will give specific training on how the system works and which parts can be managed directly by the LOC accreditation department.

It is important for all persons needing accreditation to be informed about the system and pro­cedures prior to their arrival at the event and these steps need to be specified in the accreditation plan.

The date for the completion of the accreditation plan is fixed in the Organiser Agreement or agreed with European Athletics’ Event Department. 

Flows & accesses

As stated above, the aim of an accreditation is to enable groups of individuals to reach their authorised areas.

A plan needs to be created, it defines all the restricted areas and which accreditation categories are permitted to enter them.

The flows to and the locations of the restricted areas need to be carefully considered to ensure that, on the one hand, those authorised to enter them may do so as directly and easily as possible and, on the other hand, that unauthorised access is prevented. The security personnel at each position should be fully briefed about the access numbers at each checkpoint.

Once the circulation plan has been agreed with European Athletics it needs to be coordinated with the venue decoration & signage department (please refer to Venue Look & Signage Section).

Catering

Catering services needed at European Athletics events vary considerably depending on the size of the event.

As everyone involved in the organisation, as well as guests, needs food, both during the pre-event phase and of course the event period, the LOC must provide an adequate catering service as it is in their interests as well as European Athletics’ so that they are all satisfied. All the following groups need catering:

The needs of these groups will vary and this section  will describe the needs of each group in order to guide the LOC in its planning. The importance and extent of this area of responsibility should not to be underestimated, especially for the major events, and careful and detailed planning is vital.

Of course, many of the needs of the groups are common and can be combined to provide attractive contracts for potential commercial caterers. It is important to study the Organiser Agreement in order to be aware of and to respect the possible contractual exclusivity conditions agreed with food and/or drinks partners. For further details contact the European Athletics Event Department.

Teams/Athletes

The athletes have particular meal requirements as described hereunder.

Daily Meals

Careful and comprehensive arrangements have to be agreed with all Team Hotels. Specially designed menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner have to be agreed with each hotel and based on the Nutritional Guidelines prepared by European Athletics.

It is important to provide food that respects the traditions and habits of the athletes and is available in the periods they have available, taking into account the times of training and competition sessions. Athletes should be allowed to take fruits and make their own sandwiches from the Hotel buffet.

Combined Event Athletes

As these athletes compete for long periods, special catering arrangements have to be provided for them at the competition venue.

Fresh & Dry Fruits

It is a nice gesture to offer athletes some fresh and dried fruit snacks at the warm-up venues.

Water

Still (no gas) mineral water must be available to all athletes at the Team hotels and at all venues. An agreement with a water supplying company is needed in order to ensure the supply of the correct quantities of water to each hotel and venue. An agreement is needed with the hotels for the storage and distribution of water.

Special arrangements

Sealed non-alcoholic drinks must be available in the doping control room as directed by the European Athletics Anti-Doping Delegate.

Media

For Media representatives snacks and drinks at the Media Centre and/or Media Tribune should be offered during working hours.

Refer also to the Media Guidelines and the EBU Technical Annex.

LOC and European Athletics Staff

The LOC staff and European Athletics staff (the latter at European Athletics cost) need catering facilities as close as possible to their working areas as they will also have long working hours and little time to get something to eat and drink. The motivation of the staff, having congenial working conditions, is an essential ingredient of a successful event.

There are alternative ways to provide staff with access to catering (meal vouchers, accreditation code system, etc.) and which one is most suitable will depend on the circumstances.

Volunteers

Volunteers should be regarded as part of the LOC team and are extremely important to the successful organisation of any European Athletics event. They provide their time free of charge and it is the LOC’s responsibility to provide them with food and water.

Catering for volunteers must be planned carefully and often the most practical arrangement is to provide lunch bags. Even this needs planning, to allow for the correct quantities and storage in order to avoid waste.

Technical Partners

The LOC normally provides a catering service to the staff of Technical Partners that is similar to the arrangements for LOC staff. The actual responsibilities will be defined in the Organiser Agreement and further details can also be found in the European Athletics Technical Partner Manual.

Competition Officials

The LOC is responsible, at its own cost, for providing a catering service for both national competition officials and the European Athletics officiating persons. The type and duration of facilities (through full board accommodation, catering areas next to the venue, meal vouchers or similar) and the numbers to be catered for will vary according to the event.

VIP Guests

The catering needs of VIPs needs special consideration and further information can be found in the Protocol Section. At the major events the VIP catering service is usually managed separately by the Protocol department of the LOC, which must liaise directly with the Event department of European Athletics.

Spectators

Sufficient public catering areas (bars/restaurants, etc.) at the venues need to be available accordance to the numbers of spectators expected and to be open for the duration of the competition sessions.

Clothing & Welcome Bags

Clothing

The LOC has to provide clothing at all European Athletics Events and these are often supplied through a value in kind sponsorship agreement with a sportswear company (please refer to Marketing Section).

The first step in the planning is to calculate the quantities of clothing needed; covering the entire time of the event. An overview of the numbers of items that are normally needed can be found in the Clothing Chart, which is divided according to each event type.

It is important to start this process early as, for most European Athletics events, the quantity of items needed is large. Once the quantities are determined and have been shared with European Athletics, an agreement is needed with a supplier, covering:

• Final quantities
• Items and models
• Colours
• Sizes
• Inclusion of event logo
• Delivery schedule and volume
• Contingencies
• Etc.

It is important that European Athletics is involved during the process of finding an agreement as its approval of the supply details is required.

The LOC must ensure that all persons provided with a uniform wear it correctly and completely from the start and especially when the stadium is open to the public with live television cameras.

In addition, however, personnel working in areas such as transport and welcoming services at the airport/train station and at the official hotels must be wearing uniforms from the time of the first guest’s arrival until the last guest departs.

The official uniform must not be mixed with any other clothing, such as branded sportswear or shoes, especially if they are competitive with Official Clothing Supplier products. In case of doubt this must be clarified with the Marketing departments of the LOC and European Athletics.

Those LOC members and officials that the LOC feels should be wearing smart clothing (e.g. jacket and tie) do not need to wear specific uniforms.

Personnel employed by a specific service company will not need to wear the official event uniform, but should wear clothing appropriate to their functions, as follows:

• VIP hostesses (black skirt / white shirt)
• VIP hospitality bartenders and waiters / waitresses (black skirt or trousers/white shirt/bow-tie, etc.)
• Catering staff (traditional chef’s whites)
• Cleaning staff (company uniform)
• Security staff (company uniform)
• Medical Services staff (public First Aid, ambulance personnel – as appropriate)

Anyone with a function and not in Official Clothing Supplier uniform must not wear branded sports or leisure gear, other branded clothing without the prior approval of European Athletics.

There should be a designated LOC person responsible for overseeing the following key matters:

• Organise a secure storage
• Maintain detailed inventories – from the date of delivery until the last day of distribution, updating regularly – with details of: type of item, colour and size, quantities
• Organise an efficient and smooth distribution of items
• Follow strict distribution guidelines set by the LOC (and agreed in advance)
• Brief personnel and volunteers about the correct use of uniforms
• Be prepared for contingencies

More details on what information to provide European Athletics with, in terms of clothing, can be found in the European Athletics Clothing and Welcome Bags template.

Welcome Bags

The LOC needs to provide welcome bags at all European Athletics events for the following groups:

• EA Officiating Persons
• National Officials
• Volunteers

Advice on what should be included in the bags can be found in the Welcome Bag Guidelines.

The assembling of contents and filling the bags can be a big job and needs to be planned. The numbers of bags and their contents need to be agreed with European Athletics.

It is essential to prepare a schedule of when the bags have to be prepared in order to be ready for distribution on time, bearing in mind that the coordination of several departments will be required.

Information Desks

Each official venue must have an Information Desk which provides a reference point for all participants needing advice and information.

The Welcome and Information Desks need to be staffed by well-prepared and well-briefed staff/volunteers that speak, at least, fluent English and know how to deal with VIP guests.

More details can be found in the Information Desk Guidelines and the Information Desk Checklist.

Event Management System

European Athletics is using an Event Management System that provides a practical and integrated online working tool for both the LOC’s and European Athletics’ management. The system manages the needs of the different stakeholders within the event organisation team.

It includes the following modules:

• Registration
• Accommodation
• Accreditation
• Transportation
• VIP and Social events
• Invoicing
• Clothing
• Volunteers

The Event Management System is very easy to use  and the system offers valuable support to the services and logistics needed by an efficient organisation. 

The Event Management System handles the following tasks through a web-based, password-controlled programme, and is therefore accessible from anywhere via browsers and other devices:

• Online registrations of all stakeholders (Teams, European Athletics Family, Media, Volunteers, LOC, Officials, Service companies, etc.)
• Accreditation requests by all stakeholders
• Print accreditation cards for all stakeholders
• Accommodation requests, hotel allocations, hotel rooming lists
• Accommodation payments – individuals/groups
• Transportation requests
• Generate various lists/reports
• Distribution of Welcome bags
• Distribution of clothing
• Meal vouchers
• Participation in social programme
• VIP seating management (invitations, allocations of seats, etc.)
• Volunteers management (recruitment process incl. shift-work planning during the event)

The system enables the LOC and European Athletics to have at all times an overview and management of participants and their data. The integration of real-time information in the system provides a valuable and practical tool for the organisation of an event.

European Athletics offers this system to all its major event organisers and will provide training and technical support.

Transport

Transportation services for a European Athletics event start with the first arrivals and end with the last departures. All official groups (Team members, VIPs, Media, Technical Partners and other members of the European Athletics Family) have to be provided with transportation when they arrive, during their stay and for their departures. The official period of operation of the transportation system is defined in the Organiser Agreement and varies from event to event.

The first impression upon arrival is the most important one, and delays in transportation are those most likely to be remembered. To be on time, and not late, must always be the target.

Transportation services are so important that often the entire reputation of the organisation depends on its efficiency. The European Athletics Transportation Guidelines should be studied carefully by the LOC Transport department.

Organising an efficient transport system is very challenging and can be difficult. Much of the information needed (numbers, times of arrival, etc.) may be received quite late and will be constantly changing. For these reasons, the transportation system needs to be managed by persons with practical experience and the ability to quickly and efficiently deal with unexpected and exceptional circumstances (and these will be happening frequently). Transportation staff need to be able to speak good English.

Transportation Plan

The transportation plan has to be prepared by the LOC according to the European Athletics Transport Guidelines and this has to be in alignment with the Accommodation Plan. The creation and implementation of the plan requires an experienced specialist.

The transportation plan must include provision for the movements of all categories of accredited participants, their baggage and equipment.

Although the transportation plan must be comprehensive, the system for each category of ac­creditation should operate independently of the others. The nature of each system will also depend on the circumstances. For example, if all the athletes are accommodated at a single location it is possible to run a shuttle bus service to the training and competition venues. If they are in separate hotels, a more complex system of schedules and dedicated vehicles may be required.

A date for the completion of the transportation plan will be fixed in the event Organiser Agreement. The plan should include milestones that can be monitored by the LOC and European Athletics.

Welcome Desks

The first impression upon arrival at the airport or official railway station is always the most important one and, therefore, a proper welcome service must be provided. Depending on the size of the event this may have to be arranged a long time in advance as agreements with these locations are needed.

What is normally expected to be found upon arrival:

• Welcome signs identifying the event
• Well located Welcome Desk(s) giving information about transport to the respective official hotels (according to the daily arrivals lists)
• Help to solve problems (lost luggage, collection of special equipment, etc.)
• Special services (e.g. Pole storage areas/deposit – please refer to the Competition Section, wheelchair services, etc.)

Communication

Communication within the transport management team (incl. drivers) and with all those that will be using the transport services is of great importance.

Transportation Desks or Transportation Offices should be set up wherever transport requests might be made (airport/hotels/competition venue/VIP areas/media areas, etc.). Where possible, these should be combined with the Welcome & Information desks.

The signage must be easily understandable and follow the corporate look of the event.

All relevant information concerning the transportation system and communication links needs to be planned and kept up to date.

Public Transportation System

At the European Championships and many other European Athletics events, it is customary for the Host City to offer all public transport (buses, trams, trains, metro/subway) free of charge on presentation of the event accreditation card. This is a valuable benefit and can supplement the organisers’ transportation system by providing a “safety net” and helping to reduce the number of personal transport requests that are made.

Information about the public transport system (including routes, maps and timetables) should be made available at the Transportation or Information Desks in the official hotels and team accommodation.

More details on transportation management can be found in the European Athletics Transportation Guidelines.

Visas

The LOC is responsible for ensuring that all participants are able to enter the country in order to participate in the European Athletics event.

Each country has its own visa entry regulations and, as these agreements can change from time to time, the LOC must keep itself informed as to which of the European Athletics Member Federations’ countries’ citizens need visas to attend the European Athletics event.

As part of its bidding, the LOC will have provided a letter of guarantee from the relevant national authority that all participants will be provided with the necessary visas.

The LOC must inform and liaise with the relevant embassies and provide assistance with visa applications to Member Federations and other participants (e.g. VIP, Media) as required.

The following steps need to be considered:

• Determination of visa requirements
• Liaison with the relevant national authorities
• Publication of this information (Circular letter, LOC website, Team Manual, etc.)
• Preparation of official invitation letters to Member Federations and others requiring visas at least one year prior to the event
• Support Member Federations and other participants when and where needed to solve any problem that might arise.

Working Areas

As described in the Team, Media and VIP Hotels sections, working facilities have to be provided in the hotels according to the needs of the relevant groups.

The types of working areas needed will vary from group to group but, in general, will be as follows:

Team Hotel(s)

• Information Desk
• Physiotherapy room (LOC)
• Team Physiotherapy rooms (upon request)
• Team Meeting room (according to number and needs of each team)
• Doping Control Station/Rooms (as directed by the European Athletics Doping Control Delegate)
• Restaurant areas (according to the sizes of the teams accommodated)
• LOC Administration/Accommodation office (normally near the team accreditation centre)
• LOC room (according to need: work or storage area)
• Team Accreditation Centre (if not located elsewhere)
• Technical Meeting venue (if not located elsewhere)

Media Hotel(s)

• Information Desk
• Sub-Media centre (if European Athletics media department regards it as necessary)

VIP Hotel(s)

• Information Desk
• VIP Accreditation Centre
• European Athletics Office
• LOC office (according to need: work or storage area)
• European Athletics Meeting room(s)
• European Athletics Council office (according to European Athletics suggestion)
• Drivers’ resting area (if dedicated/pool cars are provided)

All working areas have to be equipped by the LOC as required by European Athletics, and before the arrival of the first working person.

Much of the work carried out in these areas is performed by volunteers and it is important that they are well trained and briefed on all aspects of their duties and the organisation well in advance in order to be fully operational as from the first day.

The European Athletics Event Department will provide the LOC with specific office requirements.

Security

General Information

The level of security and involvement of the relevant security authorities will vary according to the size and type of the European Athletics event. However, as a minimum, they must always be aware of the event, its location and the dates.

Security is a very sensitive matter, which must be handled according to the specific circumstances of each event and its location.

It is the LOC’s duty to take care of the safety of spectators, teams, VIPs, Media, etc. and to put in place measures and plans to provide security at the appropriate level. All departments of the organisation are affected by security matters and therefore a plan needs to be developed that will inform all stakeholders how to act in case of need. 

Normally, the security plan will involve a mixture of specially briefed professional security agencies employed at the official venues and other sites together with the public security services (e.g. national and local police, fire brigade, border and airport police).

All security personnel at the official venues and sites will need to be briefed on the event’s accreditation system (see Accreditation Section) and organisers are advised to consult their own security authorities on all logistical plans and other activities of the teams/athletes and other participants.

The LOC’s security plan must include milestones, tasks and other steps that can be shared with and checked by European Athletics.

The plan must provide for sufficient numbers of security personnel, as well as training volunteers and compiling general safety rules for the whole staff to ensure an overall level of safety. Everyone taking part in organising the event must be able to recognise the general risk factors and to be willing to take action as necessary.

Special attention must also be given to requirements made by the authorities and which may have a financial and operational impact ahead of the event such as the background check that can be requested for all or part of the participants.

Security Plan

The LOC’s security plan must be shared with the local security authorities and with European Athletics.

The security plan will normally include topics such as the following:

• Intelligence (gathering information and data related to the event to evaluate risks)
• Security authorities involved (identify which security authorities)
• Access control system (identify all areas that will be accessed, taking into account the accreditation system)
• Impact on general traffic and access roads (analyse and define procedures)
• Official venues’ security (analyse, define responsibilities and security procedures)
• Personal security for authorities (analyse and define procedures)
• Entry procedures for foreigners (analyse and inform the relevant border authorities)
• Spectator security (analyse and define procedures incl. prohibited articles and substances)
• Security Commission (definition of tasks and authorities involved)
• Risk Management
• Definition of human resources needed
• Budgeting
• Briefing and communication to all stakeholders involved.

Prohibited Articles & Substances

The safety of the public is of high importance and this includes the prevention of prohibited articles and substances being taken into venues. Appropriate procedures to identify and confiscate prohibited items should be implemented at all entrances to venues. The law of the country will define prohibited items and some commonly banned items include glass bottles and cans. Dangerous materials are prohibited within the competition venues. Within the competition venues the selling of alcohol should not be permitted.

The security inspectors placed at all access gates should be well briefed and act according to the rules.

Risk Management

Within the security plan prepared by the LOC a separate chapter must be dedicated to Risk Management in which it has to be clearly stated what action has to be taken if any of the following scenarios occurs:

• Non-compliance with law, environmental restrictions, internal policies and procedures,…
• Non-safety of work/employee
• Health, hygiene or safety threat, sickness outbreak
• Understaffing or lack of experienced staff
• Serious, hazardous weather conditions or natural disaster
• Bomb or terrorism threat
• Water damage, power failure or gas leak
• Fire or explosion
• Unforeseen coincidence with external events (e.g. strike, demonstration,…)
• Accidents, fighting or rioting
• Bad image (lack of audience, fatal casualties, huge doping case,…)
• Budget integrity and reliability
• etc.

The risk management plan must set out the procedures to be followed, how this should be done and who should intervene. It is of major importance that this part of the plan is overviewed and approved by the local security authorities.

Primarily at the ECH and EICH, a crisis management group must be established (to include  representatives of European Athletics, i.e. CEO, Project Leader, Head of Communications). This group must be immediately informed of any threatening situation and shall decide on the necessary action to be taken.

It is important that all LOC and European Athletics staff are aware of the existence of the crisis management group and how to contact it.

Furthermore, it is crucial, already at the bidding stage, to conduct a risk assessment study considering postponement or cancellation of the event.

Volunteers

Good volunteers are crucial for a successful event. They take part purely because of their enthusiasm and commitment and, as such, they will be excellent ambassadors for the event.

Volunteers can provide valuable assistance to all the organisational departments, from the pre-event planning to the delivery stage, and they will be in direct contact with many different groups, including athletes, VIPs, media, technical services, etc.

Although the volunteers are likely to be hard working and heavily committed to the sport, it is nevertheless essential that training is provided, in the same way as for any other member of staff. It is only when they have a clear idea of the aims and objectives for the event that they will be able to work together as a unit. They are a critical part of the LOC team and should be valued and recognised as such.

The relevant LOC department should prepare a volunteer plan, including:

• how many volunteers are needed per area
• which tasks they will have
• which skills are needed
• from when to when these tasks have to be fulfilled
• where they will be operating

Further details will include:

• when to start the recruitment process and how to do it
• when and which kinds of trainings will be provided
• what will they receive (uniforms, food & beverages, etc.)
• what kind of recognition will be given to them

In most cases, because of the large numbers required and their importance to the success of the event, the management of volunteers is particularly important. They should be given the same level of priority and thought as for the professional staff.

To recruit good volunteers and to provide them with suitable motivation is not easy and the LOC is advised to contact sports/athletics clubs, universities and voluntary organisations for assistance.

Motivation for staff members is important but this is even more so for volunteers. A volunteer should never feel bored or not useful for the position to which he/she has been assigned. Volunteers should be regularly observed to ensure that they are happy with their duties.

Volunteers should not be considered free labour, as costs are involved, including:

• Volunteer management staff (pre-event time & event time)
• Recruitment
• Training
• Services (uniforms, meals, etc.)
• Recognitions (diplomas, souvenirs, party, etc.)

Many Organisers produce a Volunteer Handbook or Volunteer Guide containing information on the event and Host City, general volunteer information, contact numbers, etc.