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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
The Vodacom Challenge which has once again attracted European giants Manchester United has developed into a world-renowned brand event. SAIL's handling of the event has resulted in one of its subsidiaries, Circa, recently being awarded a contract as a FIFA hospitality partner for next year's Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup. Project 2010 spoke to Brad Jansen, SAIL's promoter for the event…  How does this year's Vodacom Challenge compare to previous editions? Every year it is a new challenge. This is the third edition and we have learned from previous experiences and we are now at the stage where we have virtually perfected it. At an operational level, we have been working closely with the provinces and cities in terms of co-coordinating the event together and obviously this gets easier with time. There are important issues at stake, like understanding crowds. So we have introduced initiatives like fixed seating. In 2006, we had a lot of problems. In 2007, we introduced volunteers and this year we have 200 expertly trained volunteers. It is a costly exercise, but it is well worth it. The other issue that is worth noting is that the event has grown significantly in terms of international coverage - this year we are broadcasting to 35 countries. What is the biggest hurdle with organising an event of this magnitude? Obviously it takes a long time to manage and put together. We have been working solidly for two months co-ordinating for match day. Mostly it's dealing with behind-the-scenes initiates - what happens behind the elegant swan on the pond. We have received widespread praise for what we have done and that is rewarding. Do you see this as a key curtain-raiser for the 2010 World Cup? Absolutely. The tournament shows that South Africa is more than ready to host mega sporting events. What's more, it also demonstrates that South African companies are more than capable of organising events of this magnitude. And let's not forget the supporters - they have been incredibly well behaved. Speaking of which, what will happen to this tournament during the World Cup and next year's Confederations Cup? If we can't host the tournament in 2009/2010, it will carry over to 2011. Either way, we have laid the groundwork and the event is here to stay. more interviews...
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