Customer Event: When it all comes together
Here in Markusminde the second half of 2019 got off to a good start. During the summer, we completed a professional cycling tour with the Hammel Cycling Club, keeping up a tradition that began in the streets of Hadsten in 1993. Just after the time was ready to make the final preparations for a large customer event in the Ardennes.
Bridging the gap
Since April, around 85 business leaders from all over Denmark have got together for a weekly bike ride. The course culminated in the first week of September with four days of cycling in the Ardennes. We used Luxembourg as our base and from here the daily trip went out into the hilly and challenging terrain and down into Germany and Belgium. We challenged the participants to follow the 120 kilometer 2018 World Tour stretch of the Liege-Bastogen-Liege. This was a very special experience, following the tracks of the riders from the World Tour. Liege-Bastogne-Liege is one of the great classics of the spring racing season and can boast that it is the oldest cycling race in the world.
A big team in the Ardennes
118 participants took part in the Ardennes and we had a strong team of freelance staff with us. Among other things, the bicycle equipment manufacturer MAVIC serviced the bikes en route and in the riders’ yard. Professional masseurs from the TREK-Segafredo bike team took care of the participants’ sore legs, and also prepared all the meals. Seven bike guides and a strong back-office team were also helping to ensure that the logistics were in place so the riders could focus on their goals. Kim Andersen and Frank Schleck provided local support with their helpers and guides.
The event was divided into the following phases:
- Presentation of the concept and registration of the participants
- Indoor training
- Country road training and networking
- Final joint tour
Our work consisted of identifying, defining, organising, staffing and executing the entire project, leading out on what ended up being a fantastic tour. So thank you to the whole team for the hard work!
The basic idea of such a major event is to create unique relationships through common, healthy experiences. Participants not only immersed themselves in networking but also improved their own physical performance, having a positive knock-on effect on their lives at work and at home. And that is very relevant to us all.