The obstacle race

FIFA and the FC Deutschland are promoting the 2006 World Cup under the motto "A time to make friends", vying for public attention and the marketing budgets of international blue chip companies.

Infected by the World Cup virus, there is hardly a company that is not currently seeking to cut itself a slice of the big football cake. Marketing and budget executives are brought down with a bump, though, when the Swiss FIFA colleagues explain their notion of budgets and rights of use. In fact, the rule is quite simple: if you don't pay you're basically not allowed to do anything. And if someone should dare to commit an advertising foul in the eyes of FIFA, its team of lawyers - consummate attackers and strikers - will whip out the red card. Commpany has been wrestling daily for the past six months with these regulations, some of which are far removed from reality and consumer unfriendly. The Frankfurt-based agency is handling, on behalf of a prominent chemicals company, the organisational aspects involved in hosting more than 40 international groups with several hundred VIP guests. Meanwhile, its work consists mainly of reconciling the client's wishes with what is actually doable. In my 30-year career in the events business I cannot recall any other event planned in such a paranoid way. The theoretical World Cup logistics remind me of a computer strategy game with an open outcome. Day-to-day group planning issues for the agency are reduced to the following: How best to get from A to B? How does the admission procedure work? What happens if a guest is wearing a promotional T-shirt? How will the guests find their way around the stadium? . Organisational overkill and furious regimentation will test event organisers to the limit. FIFA's first concessions on changing tickets show that the self-appointed masters of ceremonies are far removed from reality. There will be an exciting four weeks at the stadium gates. Then we shall see whether FIFA and the local organisers are playing among the also-rans or in the Champions League. Mario M. Flaschentraeger

m+a report Nr.3 / 2006 vom 28.04.2006
m+a report vom 28. April 2006