Green Driving Competition in Denmark & Sweden for Consumers and the Media
Brief
First United organized this automotive event in Copenhagen & Malmø for General Motors Europe (Opel). The event was a reward to the winners of a consumer competition. The event itself also attracted the media and added value content to power and support a web-based marketing.
Logistic requirments
To create a 3-day programme with overnight accommodation, social activities and track-day events for 21 regional qualifiers (consumers), the team of instructors and the media corps.
Programme
21 representatives all from different European countries (qualified from an amazing, original field of 69.000 entrants who participated in the first, online qualifying round), contested the final of the Opel ecoFLEX Experience which, as the name implies, was a competition for Green Drivers. The three most successful drivers each won a car.
The 1. day was a day of introduction – the entire programme outlined, familiarisation with the car models, instruction and practice sessions took place in Malmö and finish off in Copenhagen. The competition took place on the 2nd day at Sturup Raceway just outside of Malmö, and required participants to compete at (and complete) various exercises in differing driving situations, such as driving through a typical town traffic situation, completing 8 laps of the race track within a specified time or 30 laps of the track within a specified time, in all cases while using a minimum of fuel/energy without missing any obstacles and at the same time adhering to the competition regulations.
The event, which received comprehensive media coverage, also included trackside catering and refreshments (organic, of course) and various social activities – a canal transfer by an electrically powered boat (the batteries are charged by windmill generated electricity), a get together dinner at the Ofelia Restaurant in Copenhagen’s Royal Playhouse and, of course, an award dinner which took place at the Royal Yacht Club, which was hired exclusively for the event.
In practice
Preparations commenced 9 months prior to the event and during this period the project was subject to dedicated executive management. During implementation, all activities were coordinated by an event management team under the supervision of the executive project manager with a site manager dedicated to each activity location.
Result
This was the fourth major event within a decade for which Opel chose Copenhagen as the event destination – the city’s green image being the ideal backdrop for the event. It was also the fourth time within a decade that First United was entrusted with the event management – an endorsement of our services of which we are proud.
Agency: Grass Roots Group, Germany. Client: General Motors Europe (Opel).