Mar 17, 2026
- EFM Global handled full end-to-end freight and production logistics for the BLAST Premier Open Rotterdam, marking the first deployment under its new multi-year partnership with BLAST.
- The operation coordinated seven freight movements across four countries to deliver full staging, broadcast technology, lighting rigs, and over 325 sq m of LED screens, supporting Counter-Strike’s first live tournament in the Netherlands with a global broadcast to 100+ territories.
- Under the agreement, EFM will serve as BLAST’s official global logistics partner for more than 20 events annually, managing air, sea, and road freight as well as site-to-site transitions for major esports productions worldwide.
EFM Global (EFM) is delivering the full end-to-end freight and production logistics operation for the BLAST Premier Open Rotterdam, taking place March 27-29, 2026 at the Ahoy Arena. The assignment marks the first deployment under EFM’s newly announced multi-year partnership with BLAST, the global competitive entertainment company behind some of the world’s most-watched esports broadcasts.
Counter-Strike’s first-ever appearance in the Netherlands, the Rotterdam Open draws 16 of the world’s best CS2 teams competing for a share of $1.1 million USD across three days of live competition. The tournament broadcasts to more than 100 territories in 30-plus official languages, with thousands of fans expected on-site at Ahoy and millions more streaming worldwide. Last year’s edition generated more than 89 million views globally, underlining the production stakes heading into Rotterdam.
“Counter-Strike arriving in the Netherlands for the first time, broadcasting live to more than 100 territories, raises the operational stakes considerably,” said Marcel Meyer, Global VP Events, EFM Global. “This was our first live deployment with BLAST and the brief was clear from day one: no margin for error. Events at this scale do not have contingency windows once they go live. Everything has to land, in sequence, on time.”
To stage the event, EFM coordinated seven dedicated freight movements into the Ahoy Arena across four countries: five 13-metre curtain trailers from Holbaek, Denmark; a 13-metre box trailer from Brondby, Denmark; an overnight long-wheelbase van also originating in Brondby; and a 13-metre box trailer from Malta. The inbound operation delivered the complete staging, rigging and broadcast technology required to transform the arena into a competition-ready esports venue on a tight production window.
The scale of the technical install reflects the production ambition BLAST brings to every arena show. The seven freight total movements delivered BLAST’s complete set and staging package, including a lighting rig totaling 338 fixtures anchored by nearly 200 units of Robe MegaPointe and Spiider moving heads alongside GLP strobe architecture and MDG atmospheric effects. That same inbound operation carried 325 square metres of LED screen surface into Ahoy, centred on a 22-by-12-metre main display that accounts for 264 sqm on
its own, with 15 additional screens serving player, analyst and broadcast camera positions across the venue floor.
“EFM is the gold standard in event logistics, and we are thrilled to welcome them as our Official Global Logistics Partner for 2026,” said James Brown, Commercial Director, BLAST. “Their expertise helps us deliver unforgettable esports experiences for fans around the world. This partnership strengthens the operational backbone of what makes BLAST events truly world-class.”
Under the multi-year agreement, EFM serves as BLAST’s primary global logistics partner across more than 20 events annually, managing air freight, sea freight, international road transport and site-to-site transitions for a touring calendar spanning Rotterdam, Boston, Fort Worth, Hong Kong, Paris and additional markets.
The post EFM Global powers BLAST in first deployment of multi-year partnership appeared first on Air Cargo Week.
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Author: Edward Hardy
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