Support for the LHC experiments

Experimental Area Teams have been put in place and charged with the general co-ordination and management of the LHC experimental areas and of the zones in the LHC tunnel hosting near-beam detectors of the experiments. This organization is responsible for the in situ co-ordination of work with the aim of providing a structure that enables the experiment collaborations and accelerator groups to carry out their work effectively and safely. This presentation will review some key elements in the support given to the LHC experimental areas and, given the track record and successful implementation during the LHC installation and commissioning phase, will argue that such an organization structure will be required also for the period of LHC exploitation for physics.