International event · 14 April 2019
IRONMAN 70.3 Greece
Operational leadership for an international endurance event across an entire destination.
Leadership experience
Lefteris Maniadakis and Vaso Arapakou served personally as Operations Directors for the first IRONMAN 70.3 Greece in Messinia, promoted by IQ Sports. The assignment drew on their Costa Navarino collaboration and previous event experience. It is presented as professional experience of Surf Salad's leadership; Surf Salad was not the legal organiser.
Coordinating the operation
As Operations Director, Lefteris Maniadakis coordinated the event's operational requirements outside the sporting component. Preparation included local partners and teams, venue operating plans, procedures, safety coordination and liaison with the authorities.
The scope connected logistics, warehousing, signage, access, parking, accreditation, venues, volunteers and suppliers across the destination.
Adapting to conditions from 05:00
Waves exceeding two metres made setting up and securing the swim course particularly demanding. From 05:00, the team adapted the way course markers were deployed, strengthened safety measures and put an additional ten kayaks with lifeguards on the water.
The example demonstrates operational adaptation and the mobilisation of additional people and equipment in response to actual field conditions.
The value of preparation
According to the operational leadership's assessment, feedback was highly positive and exceeded expectations for a first edition. The experience strengthened practical capability in large-scale coordination, destination logistics and event delivery.