• Magazine
  • Magazine Issue 2

The court, the challenge

We aim to do the famous Porsche brand justice.

The anniversary of the Grand-Prix 40 : LOVE tournament was expected to be the best ever PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX, which only added to the pressure for all those responsible, including the installation team.

Nothing was left to chance and everything was planned right down to the finest detail.

However, there were some important factors which even the best-laid plans were only able to influence up to a certain point.

The time factor - Event arenas and auditoriums make their money from events, and the turnaround time between the end of the preceding event to the beginning of the Fed Cup was very short.

Within seven days, including during the Easter break, the installation team laid over 2,500 m2 of the PORPLASTIC RedClay pro tennis system. There were two side courts in the Schleyer Arena, and Centre Court was in the Porsche Arena. The pressure wasn’t only on during the installation, but the dismantling and waste disposal after the event also had a tight two-day deadline

The flooring factor - Although the flooring in the arenas was protected with wooden panels, potential damage was to be avoided at all costs.

The flooring wasn’t completely level due to these panels, and this needed to be taken into consideration during the installation. The anniversary party, which took place on Centre Court on the Monday evening, created a real buzz amongst the attendees. The court had to withstand any potential damage being caused during the high-calibre show, with Porsche cars driving on and off it. The wooden panels under the tennis system, which had to carry the additional weight, could have caused potential problems.

The supply factor - For logistical reasons, a large amount of storage wasn’t permitted in the arena, so our planned just-in time system had to be implemented to perfection

All the work was completed without any delays and our long-standing and reliable partners were instrumental to the installation being carried out on time.

The organiser factor - In the run-up to the event, Porsche AG, the organiser, had communicated what they expected from the manufacturer of the most important part of the Tennis Grand Prix: the clay co

In addition to the timely installation and dismantling of the courts, other main requirements included a minimal amount of dust generation when players slid and the ball bounced, and for television coverage, the sand had to be quite dark in colour so as not to allow any light reflection.

The player factor - In total, eight of the world’s top ten ranked players played in the PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX tournament

A coming together of the very best players, each one having a different game on this surface. The general consensus from last year was that the surface was too slippery, and so it was up to us to find the perfect, happy medium.

The care factor - The courts were maintained around the clock.

A technical team worked in tandem with the tournament organising committee. The team worked throughout the night in order to get the courts ready for the matches the following day. After the qualification rounds, one side court was transformed into four smaller courts overnight for a junior tennis tournament. The four courts were made from the four different Grand Slam surfaces: a clay court, an artificial grass court and two types of  hard courts.

The pressure factor - The pressure was on to do the famous Porsche brand justice.

A special indoor clay court which would offer perfect and consistent playing conditions throughout the tournament. A court which the players and all external and internal partners would love. In addition to this, global media presence would reinforce the brand and its recognition and increase its international standing. Another highlight was the amazing events which ran alongside the tournament, much to the delight of our customers, partners and employees.

World famous tennis tournament attracts not only tennis fans, but also many famous faces.

An optimal mix – perfect organisation, a fabulous location and everything being of the highest quality, but the familiar atmosphere remained.

We presented our sport flooring systems at our stand in the Sport and Lifestyle Village throughout the whole week of the tournament, and many of the VIPs were spotted there. The players passed by on their way to their qualification matches and also practised on the training courts, which were surrounded by our stand and others. Some of the VIPs walked past our stand and if the moment was right, we weren’t able to resist a quick snap.

And daily greets a VIP

.

For our friends, partners and customers only the best

In the Hilton Garden Hotel adjacent to the Porsche Arena, prospective customers and partners were able to browse the PORPLASTIC product range and our new innovations and have any questions answered. We were delighted with the amount of interest we received. People came in large numbers from all over the world and celebrated with us well into the night. But we couldn’t rest on our laurels, as we had already been preparing for the next big tournament for months.

The PORPLASTIC RedClay pro Tennis System is being developed further, in conjunction with Anke Huber, the Sporting Director of the PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX. We want to reach the optimum level for EVERYONE. The tennis court has to offer perfect playing conditions, the quality of moving live images needs to be perfect and the workflow has to run perfectly with the sensitive equipment.

VIACOR impressed the BEST

In summary: In the world of professional sport, only the best is good enough. When elite tennis meets an elite car brand, perfection is expected.

First the Fed Cup, then the 40th anniversary celebrations of the PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX and then to top everything, Maria Sharapova’s wildcard entry

Stuttgart was the centre of the tennis universe. Everything worked out perfectly and Laura Siegemund, who was full of praise for the court, marched through to the finals, with the local player going on to win the tournament.

“We are unbelievably proud to be part of this and to be able to celebrate the success,” said Managing Director Ralf Jooss. “It’s an amazing feeling when Germany wins the Fed Cup and there are so many world class players playing on our court.”

The VIPs didn’t have too much to do with the business side of things, but the operational side of things ran first class. VIACOR always manages to showcase innovative products which haven’t been seen on the market before. Multi-layered systems for industrial and sports flooring are the passion of the Rottenburg company VIACOR Polymer GmbH. A global player, which services and supplies its customers worldwide.

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