Hearts continued preparations for next season's UEFA Europa League campaign with a vital day of meetings, today.

Officials from UEFA, football's governing body across Europe, and representatives from TEAM, UEFA's marketing agency met with managing director Campbell Ogilvie and a team of staff from the club.

Representatives from ticketing, hospitality, media and stadium operations went through a detailed plan of action with UEFA and TEAM, particularly important if Hearts were to reach the group stages of the new tournament.

Official UEFA broadcasters from ITV and Five also attended part of the meeting to assess TV facilities, including studios, super-flash and flash interview zones (post-match on TV, pitchside and then inside), pitch-side TV presentation areas, general media facilities both outside and inside as well as technical requirements.

"UEFA is really changing things with this inaugural UEFA Europa League campaign," Campbell Ogilvie told Hearts News.

"I would say it is pretty much where the Champions League was a couple of years ago albeit it's just a slightly smaller format.

"Teams reaching the group stages play three times and home and three times away, and like the Champions League, UEFA will control everything that goes on the stadium now including some branding, all TV rights and so on.

"Our job is to make sure that Tynecastle is ready, if we are fortunate enough to reach that stage of the tournament."

The club is likely to have to make some changes to accommodate media facilities and football requirements, in particular.

The process of re-seating the front section of the Main Stand and the introduction of new technical areas is well underway, whilst initial work has begun on a new media centre for the European campaign.

"Tynecastle is very special to Hearts supporters and feedback has been very positive about the decision to remain 'at home' for European games," Campbell continued.

"What we have to do now is be creative in certain areas in order to make sure we're ready for this campaign, although much of what we are doing is relatively straight forward and will better equip us in terms of facilities for our normal domestic campaign.

"It is exciting to be reaching this detailed planning stage - for everyone at the club it starts to bring alive the fact that we're back in Europe for the first time in three years!"

Season Ticket 2009-10 holders are the only supporters guaranteed of a seat for the big European action.

Click here to visit Follow Your Hearts: Season Tickets 2009-10 microsite