Conceptum Sport Logistics - A Pentathlon in Logistics

A forty-eight-hour time frame was all that the sports and culture logistics specialists at Conceptum Sport Logistics had, to ship the main equipment components for the modern pentathlon world championship from Charlotte, USA, to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. An ordinary package is one thing, but shipping sports equipment up to complete team gear is a whole different story – leaving aside delays just from jumping the hurdles at customs.

The modern pentathlon in its contemporary form of the ancient Greek contest entails five separate disciplines – pistol shooting, epée fencing, swimming, show jumping, and a cross-country run. As varied as these disciplines are, they have one thing in common – the challenge of shipping both sports equipment and team gear to the competition venue on time, which is where Sebastian Stahl and his team at Conceptum Sport Logistics came into the picture. Based near Frankfurt Airport with offices around the world, the company has specialized in cultural project logistics that range from symphony orchestras to live cargo such as racehorses. A challenge requiring this know-how, a project such as this in joint agreement with the Union International de Pentathlon Moderne begins with effective planning.

Loading the goods is hardly an issue compared to the advanced planning effort – "Time is of the essence, keeping down to the minute with the right papers as well as exact preparation with everyone involved can make all the difference to the project outcome," said Conceptum CEO Sebastian Stahl. Activities such as dispatching equipment from Charlotte, USA, to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil presented the challenges that needed to be tackled; apart from anything else, the international pentathlon association demanded a guarantee from the service company.

It took the logistics company three months of preparation in planning and scheduling the shipments together with the association while taking every possible hitch into account in a period of preparation ending with a guarantee that Conceptum Sport Logistics could give without reservation. The modern pentathlon will be held in London in 2012 – the International Olympic Committee has granted the UIPM a guarantee of continuance up until the summer Olympics in 2016. Even so, the 2012 World Championship had to be dealt with before rising to the challenge of shipping all the most important equipment to London on time – another tight time window to keep with championship events in Budapest on April 12 – 16 and Rostov in Russia on April 19 – 22 following on from the first two in Charlotte and Rio. The World Championship Finals took place in Chengdu, China, at the end of May.

The greatest challenge was the completely new shooting equipment to be used for the first time this season. The French manufacturer had only just completed the new laser-based targeting devices before the competitions; Conceptum Sport Logistics had already developed a specialised shipping container and commissioned its manufacture to keep all of the shooting equipment safely embedded in preparation for the big day, and good advance planning meant that only a few fine-tuning alterations were needed under the leadership of Conceptum CEO Sebastian Stahl. The journey for this fragile freight began on the French Atlantic coast with an elaborate planning process to prepare each critical step in a logistical process chain that included drawing up a full set of customs documentation together with other official hurdles.

Working with local partners, and staff commitment in particular, played a crucial role in the outcome; the network of logistics specialists from Germany that had developed over years allowed for short, tried-and-trusted routes together with administrators at local level. Official documents such as import and export carnets were essential for unhindered customs clearance – once again, extensive preparation kept the actual process smooth and efficient. Assuring a smooth start to the competition served as important confirmation for the international association that they had indeed opted for the right partner in this logistical venture – keeping within the time frame available after the first event in Charlotte, USA, and smooth air shipment to Rio clinched it for the logistical plan; all of the equipment was ready and waiting at the event venue within hours of landing. The planned shooting equipment tests were completed in no time, giving everyone involved a well-earned day off as a reward for their efforts.

The local Conceptum Sport Logistics teams play an important role in turning a smooth plan into a smooth shipment; it takes more than just knowledge of the official channels and contacts in the customs and authorities, as speaking the same language as customers also plays an essential role. The company is less of a shipping specialist, and more of an expert partner to sport; the actual pentathlon association might be based in Monaco, but you will find the various world teams' members somewhere between the competition venues. This is also where project logistics in culture and sports plays a valuable role in addition to the industrial carriers – "In sports and culture, we operate in a very human environment with people who place immense value on their equipment. That's a real motivator, as we know who we're doing it all for," said Sebastian Stahl from Conceptum Sport Logistics with a fleeting grin.

To contact Conceptum: Call: +49 (0) 6105 40 800

Email: media@conceptum-sport-logistics.com

Visit: www.conceptum-sport-logistics.com

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