Joburg stadiums on track

Linda Ngwenya, the director of Johannesburg’s 2010 unit says construction projects at the city’s stadiums are ahead of schedule. And construction projects at Soweto’s Orlando Stadium (above) which will be used as a training facility in 2010 are also on target. ‘Well-equipped soccer stadiums, legacy projects, an integrated public transport system, greening the city, getting ready for an avalanche of tourists - all these projects are far advanced and in every case will be finished well in time,’ he said.
Photo: www.joburg.co.za

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2010 This Week

27 – 29: Eastern Cape provincial government hosts all-inclusive workshop focusing on the progress of 2010 World Cup programmes (East London)

29: Deadline for journalists planning to cover the African Cup of Nations qualifier against Zambia in Cape Town on 9 September to apply for accreditation.

30: Various World Cup upgrading projects under the spotlight when SANParks chief executive David Mabunda unveils national program for SA National Parks Week (Pretoria)

31: Entries close for the South African Breweries Environmental Journalists and Environmentalist of the Year Awards. For the first time, the awards will be carbon friendly, and this will be achieved by planting fruit trees in Soweto as part of a township greening project for the World Cup.

31: Tender deadline for the upgrade and extension of the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Rustenburg in preparation for the World Cup.

1: South Africa’s former Formula One world champion, Jody Scheckter, hands over the first of 11 000 trees he has sponsored to the community of Dobsonville, Soweto as part of the World Cup greening project.
OTHER: The deadline for submitting objections to the proposed prohibition on the use of certain words and emblems for the World Cup has been extended from August 2 to October 2.

24 August 2007

An artist’s impression of the multimillion-rand development project which is under way in Doornfontein where Ellis Park, a 2010 World Cup venue, is situated. Amos Masondo, the city’s mayor, this week said the project is already a resounding success. The regeneration and renewal of the precinct will also include Doornfontein, Berea and Bertrams, which are regarded as crime- and drug-infested areas of the inner city. The development will create an access road network to the stadium from the north.

Image: City of Johannesburg

Belle Regalo offers a range of soccer gifts for companies involved in 2010 projects.

Stadium tender misses deadline

23 August 2007

The award of the tender to run Green Point Stadium after the 2010 World Cup has been delayed for at least another month to allow the city time to interview the three bidders.

The 30-year lease, which has an estimated R260-million present day value, was originally scheduled to be awarded in August.

But the tender evaluation committee has decided that it wants to meet the bidders face-to-face to clarify their bids.

The city is however remaining silent on exactly what the bidders are proposing to ensure the stadium produces an income and how it will manage the adjacent urban park.

By the end of the July 10 extended deadline, three submissions involving seven companies had been received.

City 2010 spokesperson Pieter Cronje said on Monday all three submissions complied with the tender criteria and were now being weighed up against each other.

The city has also declined to name the companies involved.

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PE has lost one of its WC tourism drawcards

22 August 2007

Being originally from Port Elizabeth, this news is rather sad to me. It seems that PE has lost one of its WC tourism drawcards. Port Elizabeth’s two remaining dolphins – Domino and Dumisa – are expected to be relocated to another city in SA as part of a multi-million rand upgrade to the Bayworld Oceanarium ahead of the 2010 World Cup. As a result, they will not feature as a tourism drawcard during the World Cup or Confederations Cup. The city is hosting matches for both tournaments, including the World Cup third-place play-off. Funding for the Bayworld redevelopment has mushroomed to R500-million.

Tourism is the ideal industry to make use of corporate gifts as they use branded t-shirts; branded peaks; branded caps.

The Oceanarium in its present form was constructed over a period of 10 years, the first phase of which was the 750 000-litre main fish tank which was built in 1959.

After housing dolphins for a number of years, the pool was re-established as a fish tank in 1968 when the new dolphin lake was completed and is now home to a wide variety of large fish, sharks, rays and turtles.

Alongside it is the smaller tropical tank where a variety of the invertebrates and small fish species found along this coastline are displayed.

The large dolphin lake is undoubtedly the focal point of the Oceanarium. 60m long, 45m at its widest point and up to 4,5m deep, it contains 4,75 million litres of filtered seawater and is still one of the largest dolphin lakes in the world.

Photo: Project 2010

Jordaan addresses WC crime concerns

21 August 2007

2010 Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan on Monday deflected concerns about the crime situation in SA, saying the country has hosted numerous sporting events without incident. Addressing a World Cup 2010 briefing at South Africa House in London, Jordaan said the fact that tourism figures have increased by record numbers indicated that the situation is under control. ‘Ask those who came for the rugby World Cup. The cricket World Cup, the African Cup of Nations - not a single incident. We had Barcelona, we had England, Argentina, Germany, all of the big teams in the world playing. Not a single incident in SA over 13 years around any of our major events.’ Jordaan also said SA was well on target with its various 2010 stadium projects.

20 August 2007

Some interesting news in Johannesburg is that The Expo Centre in Nasrec looks set to host the 2010 World Cup International Broadcast Centre (IBC), the media nerve centre that will disseminate all match information of the tournament to billions of viewers all over the world. While the decision is yet to be endorsed by Fifa, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) recommended to the cabinet that Johannesburg be the host centre of the IBC. The cabinet also gave its approval. Cape Town and Durban were also in the running. Nasrec, the Expo Centre, in the west of Johannesburg, is big enough to accommodate the IBC – with all the international broadcasters the event draws, according to Linda Ngwenya, director for the City's 2010 unit.

The City of Johannesburg has identified Nasrec as an area requiring economic, social and environmental rejuvenation and upliftment. Which is a great feather in the cap of this acclaimed venue. It may be interesting to note that Belle Regalo is a supplier of conference gifts from folders, conference bags, pens, conference gifts, banners and many other conference ideas.

2010 This Week

21-23: State Information Technology Agency (SITA), hosts annual GovTech conference. 2010 issues including disaster management and how to extend the services that will have to be delivered for the World Cup will be on the agenda. (Cape Town)

22: Scotland vs South Africa – international friendly (Aberdeen)

22- 25: Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition. How the SA music industry should position itself in the run up to the 2010 Fifa World Cup will be debated (Museum Africa – Newtown)

25: The South Pacific Games football tournament which kicks off in Samoa will double as Oceania's opening Fifa 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

26: The official draw for the third Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup will be conducted by Fifa General Secretary Jérôme Valcke (Marseilles, France)

OTHER: The deadline for submitting objections to the proposed prohibition on the use of certain words and emblems for the World Cup has been extended from August 2 to October 2.

The Royal Bafokeng Administration is calling for the upgrade and extension of the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in preparation for the World Cup. The tender closes on August 31.

South Africa Scores with Soccerex

18 August 2007

As I research more and more about soccer, I am finding out that the marketing opportunities are amazing. One of the events to look out for in the 2007 soccer events calendar is Soccerex.

Soccerex, the world's biggest exhibition in the soccer industry, will take place in South Africa from 26 - 28 November 2007. In its 11th year, Soccerex is moving to South Africa hosted by the Gauteng Province at the Sandton Convention Centre

Winning the right to host the event is a major coup for the country, as it will bring soccer associations, football clubs, businesses and the media from all over the world to Gauteng province from November 2007 to 2009. It will also boost the country's build-up to the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Now in its tenth year, Soccerex is the only convention that gives exhibitors and delegates the opportunity to network with suppliers, manufacturers, key buyers and decision-makers in international football. It attracts football legends, top football clubs and football playing nations.

Football brings people together.

Branded soccer shirts with company logos provide a functional billboard and an interactive marketing tool. Custom printing of soccer shirts, t-shirts, golf shirts and more soccer gifts such as vuvuzelas, soccer balls, soccer pens, soccer radios, soccer clocks, caps.

The Gauteng Province is the economic powerhouse of South Africa : responsible for over a third of the country's GDP, the economic growth and output of Gauteng outstrips the rest of the country and leads the continent.

Soccer and football sponsorship and branding can be summarized in this illustration: The striker moves into position, smoothes his shirt with his name across the back and ... sport is such a good brand-builder, advertising and marketing tool, but you have start positioning yourself now for this momentous event in South African soccer history.

2010 this week

12 – 18 August 2007

14: 2010 issues under the spotlight at Convention on Intellectual Property Rights in Emerging Countries (Sandton Convention Centre)

15: The International Marketing Council of SA, together with the 2010 National Communication Partnership Task Team hosts a conference to answer the question 'how do we brand Africa to the world in the lead up to 2010?' (Sandton Convention Centre)

16: Deadline for media personnel travelling to Scotland for next week’s international friendly to submit their details to Safa’s Director of Communications.

16 – 19: 2010 Business Opportunities Conference presents ordinary South Africans with the business opportunities available in the upcoming World Cup. The conference, taking place alongside the Cape Town Small Business Week, will have a heavy focus on identifying business opportunities in the tourism, hospitality, construction, property, transport and wholesale/retail sector.

19: Sihlangu Indaba on business opportunities on the 2010 World Cup (Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre – Mbabane, Swaziland)

Should you be involved in the 2010 bid, why not let the world know by getting branded gifts from a wide variety of soccer gifts and 2010 gifts.

LOC: Why SA will deliver successful WC

17 August 2007

LOC: Why SA will deliver successful WC. South African organisers for the first soccer World Cup in Africa reiterated their confidence that the country can deliver a successful tournament while beating pessimism on the African continent.

Much preparatory work had been done and many others are well on the track for the 2010 World Cup, Danny Jordaan, CE of the tournament’s LOC, said, citing the finalised match schedule, sold broadcast rights, established website and new stadiums under construction.

The Xinhuanet reports that Jordaan said the preliminary draw, the first official event as run-up to the 2010 World Cup, will be held in Durban on November 25, with the highest number of countries ever had entered for the event.

This marketing event is going to be spectacular. We suggest that you start capataising on the marketing opportunities by planning your soccer promotional gifts soon. Ideas include, soccer balls, stadium horns, caps, soccer shirts.