2024 was nothing short of a landmark year for our partnership with stichd, the chosen vending partner for retail trackside at F1 Grand Prix events. Our journey last year spanned 20 races, across 18 countries and 4 continents, with 10,049 shifts completed and 154 live days trackside. During this time, we provided a modest 3,842 field staff globally to deliver a world-class retail experience for all race fans in attendance. Looking back on the past year, we couldn’t be prouder of the collaboration, the lessons learned, and the successes achieved.
A Lookback to Where It All Began
Let’s take it back to the beginning. Our partnership with stichd officially launched in 2023 when they selected us as their global staffing partner for trackside merchandise operations. It was an exciting opportunity, and we were more than ready to take it on. The brief was ambitious but clear—we needed to deliver reliable staffing solutions across multiple locations. From Bahrain to Mexico, we worked closely with our trusted partner agencies to ensure everything ran smoothly. With our shared values of delivering success, mutual trust, and a strong commitment to excellence, we hit the ground running.
How we Overcame Challenges Globally
It quickly became clear at the start of the project just how operationally challenging this would be. Anthony, the Project Lead for all trackside operations said: “We quickly realised that every race and country was a different project within itself, that required a flexible mindset, agility and togetherness in our approach to achieve fantastic results” From navigating language and cultural differences and adapting to local regulations, to infrastructure, travel challenges and managing large volumes of staff – each race came with its own complexities. Working with multiple partners and thousands of event staff globally meant we had to tailor our strategy to keep everything running smoothly:
A Dedicated Dream Team
To ensure smooth operations worldwide, we assembled a dedicated Formula 1 HQ team, including a Project Lead, Senior Event Manager, Senior Account Manager, and Compliance Manager—all led by Joe, our UK Managing Director. As Joe put it, “We handpicked an exceptional group because we knew we needed the very best—and that’s exactly what we got.” Their expertise and dedication were key to our success.
Flexibility was essential, as track logistics constantly shifted—from race layout changes to welfare provisions and racetrack promoter updates. To navigate this, we always had a global team member on-site, working closely with local partners and client leads to troubleshoot in real-time. This hands-on approach was invaluable, and with a full season under our belt, we’re set to manage operations even more efficiently in 2025.
Recruiting and Training for a Global Race Schedule
With races spanning multiple countries, our staffing teams tailored their approach to each market. In key locations like Monaco, where we’ve staffed major events such as Cannes Lions, we tapped into our existing talent pool, and even reached of our internal Elevate On Location team. In other areas with fewer staff on our books, like Austin, we ramped up recruitment through paid ads, and our UK and DACH markets even leveraged influencer campaigns to boost hiring for the British and Austrian Grand Prix.
When it came to recruitment and training, for some races we held group casting calls via Microsoft Teams. All hired event staff were also sent an “F1 Retail Team Guide” infographic designed in house featuring key guidelines (such as training to complete, and parking/transport restrictions) to support individuals before, during and after each event.
To build excitement and engagement, we also shared highlight videos from past races, along with messages from our F1 team, giving staff a clear picture of the global event they were becoming part of. This helped set expectations and create a sense of community before they even stepped on site.
Connecting with Clients
Clear communication between partners and clients was key to navigate the different challenges for each race. Our F1 team set strict weekly meetings with all our partners pre-race. This ensured a flow of information and allowed quick discussions to happen and decisions to be made. By focusing on building strong relationships with key stakeholders, we gained trust and developed a deep understanding of different ways of working. Anthony said: “The speed in which collectively we grew trust, ways of working and a genuine bond was so pleasing and underpinned the success of the year.”
With our clients, we suggested alternative ways of working to cover all bases and ensure efficient delivery. Examples include implementing staggered shift start and finish times, on-site accommodation (Silverstone) or travel around the venue (Austria & Belgium) to manage remote racetrack locations where staff are not readily available close to the circuit.
On this, Joe fed in: “Managing large staffing numbers week after week across the globe was a huge responsibility, but more than anything, it was thrilling to be part of it all,” Joe shared. “What became crystal clear was that when we treat people well and communicate effectively, they go above and beyond—and they absolutely did!”
What’s Next for us Trackside?
With the 2025 Formula 1 season about to kick off, we’re looking forward to another exciting year of partnership with stichd. Reflecting on our partnership, the team at stichd shared:
“Partnering with Elevate Global over the past year has been key to the success of our trackside project. Their global reach, expertise, and commitment to understanding our uniquely global staffing requirements have made them an invaluable partner.”
This past year has been more than just a collaboration – it’s been a shared commitment to delivering excellence at some of the biggest races on the Formula 1 calendar. We’re grateful to stichd for the opportunity and look forward to building on this momentum in the new Formula 1 season. With new challenges and opportunities on the horizon, we’re ready to raise the bar once again. Looking for Formula 1, event staff? Get in touch with the team today.
