13 December 2006 4 min

2010 World Cup Dates setting Fan Festvals up for Cold Reception

Written by: Dr Nikolaus Eberl Save to Instapaper
{pp}FIFA's decision to hold the 2010 Soccer World Cup in the middle of the South African winter is exposing the hugely successful Fan Festivals to the Whims of the Elements.
FIFA's decision to hold the 2010 Soccer World Cup in the middle of the South African winter is exposing the hugely successful Fan Festivals to the Whims of the Elements. Despite leading soccer analysts calling for a rethink on the timing of the world's biggest sporting event, FIFA decided to stick to the tried and tested and anniunced the dates for 2010 being 11 June to 11 July. Says German Branding Guru, Dr Nikolaus Eberl: "With temperatures recently falling below zero degrees celsius in many of South Africa's stadia locations for the FIFA World Cup(TM) 2010, winter conditions will have an adverse effect on the local economy.""The 2006 World Cup held in Germany has shifted the experience of soccer from the stadia to the after-game party events where international visitors are now expecting the very best in terms of entertainment for many hours after the game hgas ended. In Germany, this was borne out by the concept of the Fan Feste, the fan festivals which attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors and were considered the highlights of the world cup. To hold fan festivals in the South African winter, with temperatures falling below zero degrees celsius and the prospect of cold rains and shivery winds, is putting up a huge gamble. FIFA should consider moving the 2010 world cup to December when the bulk of soccer aficionados are escaping the European / American winter and have nearly double the spending power, due to the bonus payments and saving habits of corporate employees in industrialized countries. This would boost visitor levels and have a tremendous impact on the South African hospitality industry." Dr Nikolaus recently introduced a revolutionary innovation model, called The IziCwe Code, at the Global Leaders Africa Summit in Johannesburg, sharing the stage with world renowned leadership gurus Tom Peters, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Porter. Based upon the innovation strategies of the legendary Zulu King Shaka, The IziCwe Code is about inspiring employees to question the tried and tested and search for new ways to deliver world-class service. In anticipation of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, large South African organisations are calling upon The IziCwe Code to engage their employees in Iklwa Innovation (so called after the revolutionary new weapon introduced by Emperor Shaka) and align employee commitment to President Mbeki's 2010 Promise. Dr Nikolaus' forthcoming book is called "BrandOvation™ – How Germany won the World Cup of Internal Branding" (contributors Timothy Maurice Webster and Herman Schoonbee). An in-depth analysis of how Juergen Klinsmann built a winning team from scratch within less than two years and how Germany re-invented the world’s biggest sporting event into a nationbuilding success story, by activating BrandOvation™ and turning spectators into brand ambassadors. Contact Details:Dr Nikolaus EberlChairman: IziCwe AcademyInternal Branding™ DivisionTel: +27 (0) 83 270 6009 / 10 / 11Fax: +27 (0) 86 500 1800nikolaus@internal-branding.netwww.internal-branding.net
Total Words: 622
Published in Sports Range