Bahrain vs Dubai - How to run and event

As you might have gathered during my write up of the Bahrain GP, apart from the initial problems with the tickets, I was VERY impressed with how Bahrain ran its GP. Now I'm not sure how many people went to the GP on the race day but it was a lot (33,500 according to the Bahrain GP Circuit web page) but despite that the event went smoothly and I came away pleased to have attended.

I didn't feel I was just an annoyance to the officials when I arrive at the airport, I was able to get to and from the event without sitting queues for hours, I was able to buy food and drinks from the kiosks etc without first having to go to a desk and buy vouchers to then take to another desk to have them encashed before going to a third desk collect the wrong order.

Each day there were more than enough taxis to go around, the organizers had arranged a constant procession of buses between the venue and the airport as well as ten key hotels throughout the city. And at these hotels there were well stocked taxi ranks.....which meant that you could get the free bus service to the nearest hotel to where you were going and then get a taxi from there.

Now these buses didn't all sit there all day and all leave at the end of the event regardless of how many people had left the event early and were subsequently stood in queues as we saw at the Rugby 7's this year in Dubai. They went every 30minutes throughout the day. That mean't you could come and go at any time during the day knowing there would be a bus.

The buses went to eleven different places - unlike the 7's buses that went to one place, which was only a few round abouts away and then left you there to try and find a taxi along with the very same people you were waiting with at the exiles club. No, the Bahrain buses took you to somewhere useful, well away from the venue and spread across the city, and therefore reduced the problem rather than merely transferring it.

And then on the last day, did the Bahrain Police simply direct all the traffic away from the venue to a road one roundabout away and then leave it at that. In a word no. We came out after the race along with at least half of the other spectators (some stayed on for the evening entertainment) to find police and stewards directing traffic out of NUMEROUS exits from the car park and onto a NUMBER of key roads. These all then lead to the freeway, which had been closed and all GP traffic then used all the lanes on both sides of the freeway!! The traffic could then quickly disperse from the venue and dissipate via the nearest junction to where it wanted to go (exit ramps were all open, entry ramps closed).


Also tens of free buses were ready to take anybody who needed to go to the airport, not a few taxis which you had to queue and fight for, but ample buses.

Within an hour or two the traffic had all left, the roads were back to normal and we were sat on our plane flying home and thinking what a fantastic trip. And yes there were problems, things weren't all perfect but when things did go adrift the staff (Bahrain's and expat) we met were generally polite and helpful and aimed to solve the problems rather than simply looking to move you on to somebody else or just generally get rid of you so that you weren't their problem.


Imagine anybody thinking that after a Dubai event:

• How many people thought that trying to get in to gold cup this year?
• How many people were impressed with the free buses that sat empty for hours and didn't go anywhere after 7s
• How many were forced to queue for at least two hours for the pitiful number of taxis at the 7s
• How many were impressed by the car parking at the boat show
  
• How many people were impressed with the taxi situation while still waiting at 3am after the Shakira concert?

I mean come on.....Shakira!! No offense, but not exactly a top flight event. Imagine if the rolling stones came to play? No, I take my hat off to Bahrain. You ran a good event.

Dubai events organizers could do well to visit the next Bahrain GP and take notes. This is how an event can be ran.