Business Club Australia Success Story
 Australian companies participating in the Australian Government’s official international business program – Business Club Australia (BCA) – during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, will have the help of Australian-designed technology to get them around the city during the event.
ASX-listed SmartTrans is providing Business Club Australia sponsors with their newest high-tech product, EventTrack 2008, which was launched by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during his visit to Beijing in April.
EventTrack is the only system in the world designed to manage the challenging and unique requirements of VIP transport and human logistics at major events such as the Olympics.
The right place at the right time
“EventTrack will provide BCA sponsors in Beijing with the ability to plan, navigate and travel around an unfamiliar city,” said SmartTrans CEO Bryan Carr.
“This location-based service should ensure that the Beijing experience is a positive one and that people get safely to the right place at the right time.”
Each EventTrack recipient is allocated a special ‘smart’ phone that sends the SmartTrans service centre a GPS location and provides background information, including the language spoken and cultural details of the person being assisted.
“EventTrack’s multi-faceted, multi-lingual communication platform does many jobs,” said Mr Carr. “It is a local telephone providing cost-effective calls, a concierge and messaging service via a multi-lingual call centre, and it also provides maps and location-based information about Olympic venues, restaurants, and historical sites.”
Joint venture agreement
Mr Carr said that SmartTrans has entered into a joint venture agreement with Beijing Alarm Networks, a Chinese company contracted to supply security and alarm services to the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).
“Essentially, Beijing Alarm Networks will be providing the hosting environment, which includes high-speed internet connections, while SmartTrans is providing GPS tracking route optimisation and mobile data software systems.”
Mr Carr estimates that SmartTrans will provide between five million and eight million ‘people movements’ over the six-week Olympic period.
“These ‘people movements’ will range from collecting VIPs and their families to and from the airport, hotels and social engagements, to transporting them to and from Games venues.”
Mr Carr said that he was pleased that state-of-the-art Australian technology will be in the hands of so many of the world’s company representatives as they move through Beijing during the Olympic Games.
Building on earlier experience
The Beijing 2008 Olympics are not the first Games where SmartTrans has played an important part.
The company also provided high tech services during the highly successful Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and the new EventTrack system builds on this earlier experience.
Getting the contract in Beijing took a lot of planning and hard work ahead of time. “Our initial discussions with BOCOG began long ago,” said Mr Carr.
He added that Austrade, which runs Business Club Australia, has been a great help. “Without Austrade’s support on the ground in Beijing, we simply wouldn’t have been able to achieve our export sales breakthrough as quickly or efficiently. The Chinese market is notoriously difficult to crack.”
In addition to EventTrack, SmartTrans also provides innovative software for companies with vehicle fleets or field staff, including transport companies, manufacturers, service agencies and security companies.
For further information:
Bryan Carr, CEO
SmartTrans Holdings
Level 7 / 11 Queens Road
Melbourne VIC 3004
Australia
Tel: +61 3 9866 7333
Fax: +61 3 9866 7303
Email: bcarr@smarttrans.com.au
Website: www.smarttrans.com.au
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