regard to the upcoming World Cup and those beyond, as well as reaching ... For
example, the AFC is the Asian ... in today's marketing mix. “Event organisers.
By Raquel de Sousa, Congress Rental
W
hat often gets overlooked is the business behind the FIFA organisation. Congress Rental was privileged to be chosen to supply all the simultaneous interpretation and microphones for all the meetings and ceremonies leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. These meetings included the 60th FIFA Congress opening ceremony and conference, as well as numerous smaller meetings for the various executive committees and member associations such as UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF. Meetings began as far back as February, where Congress Rental provided interpretation and conferencing equipment for the FIFA Medical conference in Sun City. This was a week-long conference and required the interpretation of four languages for approximately 150 to 650 delegates, depending on the rooms used that day. The FIFA Medical conference was the start of what was to be a long list of FIFA related conferences. As the country was counting down to 11 June, FIFA had a countdown of its own. For this prestigious association, the World Cup actually begins at least a week before the opening match. During this time the numerous committees met to make final decisions with regard to the upcoming World Cup and those beyond, as well as reaching agreements on certain statutes and laws imposed by FIFA on its member associations. After these meetings are concluded the member associations then met to discuss issues within their designated geographical area. Each association is, in fact, a governing body for specific geographical areas. For example, the AFC is the Asian Football Confederation and governs the leagues, referees, etc, within Asia and Australia. Other member associations include UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), CAF (Confédération Africaine de
Football), CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) and OFC (Oceanic Football Confederation). The referees also meet to help ensure they are all on the same page, and to help ensure FIFA’s mantra of fair play is upheld. One final meeting, held the day before the opening ceremony of the 60th FIFA Congress, is where all the countries bidding for the hosting of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup present why they should be chosen as the next host country. The executive committee formally approved the principle of co-hosting this year and this has thus allowed the joint bids of both Holland/Belgium and Portugal/ Spain to be taken into consideration. For all these meetings, Congress Rental supplied the simultaneous interpretation equipment and microphones. Languages requirement varied considerably between
Circle 50 on reader enquiry coupon.
2010 Vol. 30 No. 8
meetings, however the most common were English, French, Spanish and German. Additional languages provided by Congress Rental included Russian, Italian, Korean, Indonesian, Farsi, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese. The venues utilised for these preliminary meetings were Sandton Convention Centre, Gallagher Convention Centre and MonteCasino. From a booth point of view, having so many languages being interpreted in three different locations could prove to be a logistical nightmare. However, Congress Rental came out shining, even supplying 24 booths in total to all three locations on the busiest days. Through the duration of the conference, Congress Rental supplied equipment for eight rooms with a varying number of booths and microphones (depending on the specifications for the day). All did not end with these meetings. Next was the 60th FIFA Congress, which brings together the 208 FIFA member countries across the globe. The likes of President Zuma, former president Mbeki, President of FIFA Sepp Blatter, Pele, Sir Bobby Charlton, and Franz Beckenbaur attended this congress. An opening ceremony was held at Gallagher Convention Centre where
Market News
FIFA World Cup ... what an experience
Continued on page 62
Circle 51 on reader enquiry coupon.
Southern Africa Conference, Exhibition & Events Guide
61
Market News
Thebe forms new sponsorship and marketing division THE Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group (TEPG) has announced the formation of a new division – Think TEPG – that will be responsible for sponsorship and brand relationship management. Headed up by sponsorship and event specialist Lloyd Cornwall, Think TEPG will match projects and brands, bringing clients seamless sponsorship and marketing solutions. Mr Cornwall said the delivery of wellmatched sponsorships has become essential in today’s marketing mix. “Event organisers and brand managers have come to rely on solid brand relationships. Think TEPG is essentially a ‘thinking agency’ for creative marketing solutions for any type of event or exhibition.” Think TEPG will not only be involved in securing major sponsorships for performances at Johannesburg’s Coca-Cola dome, which is managed by Thebe Venue Management, but also for corporate projects and events managed by the TEPG. Carol Weaving, managing director of
Lloyd Cornwall
TEPG, said: “The industry is forcing brand interaction. Today’s marketing environment is far more sophisticated than ever before. It’s about aligning event objectives with brand values, within a communication or marketing
strategy, and not only about driving sales.” Think TEPG, already consulting to Monster Energy Drink, is currently involved in negotiations to bring huge international events to the Coca-Cola dome in 2011. “We plan to revolutionise the brand relationship environment in South Africa and with the support of the Thebe Group, I believe there are some major announcements in the pipeline,” Mr Cornwall said. Mr Cornwall has 20 years experience in negotiating and implementing high-value, international sponsorship and marketing programmes. “He has a reputation for delivering high impact and results-driven initiatives and we look forward to working with Think to grow our group and the industry as a whole,” Ms Weaving said. Apart from managing all Ministry of Sound brand activity in South Africa, Mr Cornwall has been involved in projects such as 5fm and YFM’s tours to Ibiza, the Metro FM awards and the Lucky Strike music events. n For more information circle 82 on reader enquiry coupon.
Continued from page 61
FIFA World Cup ... what an experience the congress was officially declared open, achievements in the past year were toasted and honorary guests received Orders of Merit. Each of the 2 000 delegates were able to listen to the proceedings in their chosen language through the use of Congress Rental’s receivers. The following day all the delegates attended the official FIFA Congress at Sandton Convention Centre and, once again, Congress Rental provided all the interpretation and conferencing equipment, including 1 500 receivers, seven interpretation booths and 30 delegate microphones. This entire process was truly a wonderful opportunity and experience. After many hours of work, Congress Rental would like to thank all who were involved in these conferences, including staff, suppliers and clients. It was a resounding success, and we should all be proud of what we achieve. n For more information circle 81 on reader enquiry coupon. Circle 53 on reader enquiry coupon.
62
Circle 52 on reader enquiry coupon.
Southern Africa Conference, Exhibition & Events Guide
2010 Vol. 30 No. 8
