Brazilians tour FNB Stadium

Brazil will host the next FIFA World Cup, and a delegation came to Johannesburg to learn how to make the experience a success.
A GROUP of delighted Brazilian delegates were treated to a guided tour of the FNB Stadium and presentations by City of Johannesburg officials on hosting a successful World Cup, as Brazil will be the hosts of the next football tournament in 2014.

Lita Fani A City official explains the construction procress of FNB StadiumThe 15-member delegation comprised members of Unale, which features representatives from different Brazilian states. They arrived in South Africa on 26 November, and met with officials from both Pretoria and Johannesburg to pick up tips and learn from the experiences of these cities.

A networking event welcomed the visitors to Joburg on 29 November, while the stadium-tour and exchange of knowledge took place the next day at the city’s flagship FNB Stadium, which was known as Soccer City during the tournament.

Success
Lita Fani from the City of Johannesburg outlined the role that the municipality played in ensuring that it was a successful host city. “Success centred on three factors: compliance, fan experience and legacy,” she told the delegates.

“The City of Johannesburg differed to other host cities in that we hosted 33 percent of games, as well as other events such as the Football for Hope festival.” Joburg was a hub through the month-long tournament and staged the opening and closing ceremonies as well as eight of the World Cup matches.

Responsibilities for the City included traffic management during the matches and crime prevention, which fell under the banner of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD). Providing back-up generators for a constant electricity supply was also a vital responsibility, as was the provision of transport to and from the matches.

In terms of transport, the City ferried 52 percent of all spectators, Fani explained; overall, this equated to 539 161 visitors. Metrorail, Rea Vaya and the park and ride facilities were the backbone of the transport provided.

Lessons learnt
Lessons learnt by the City in this regard were that Rea Vaya was an effective mode of transport, that all modes of transport need to be clean at all times, that drivers need to know their routes, that tickets for transport should be dealt with by an independent company and that adequate signage is a necessity.

Delegates from Unale marvel at FNB StadiumDelegates from Unale marvel at FNB StadiumWaste management was also an important part of the tournament, she said, and all waste generated throughout the tournament was recycled.

Safety and security formed a major part of organisation by the City. “Security was important as Joburg has a reputation of being a crime-ridden city,” Fani noted. As a result, the JMPD K9 unit swept all stadia prior to matches and closed roads in order to check vehicles going to matches.

Important lessons were learnt by the City, namely that appropriate uniforms needed to be provided for personnel to deal with weather conditions; that there is a need for effective communication devices and for food and ablution facilities for all personnel.

Crime prevention
Emergency management services (EMS) joined the JMPD in fighting crime during the tournament. They employed simulation exercises, which they started in 2007, to prepare for any emergencies and used volunteers to ensure the smooth running of all matches during the tournament. Medics on bikes were also placed around the stadia to attend to any problems that arose during matches.

As a result of all precautions taken, there were no major incidents during the World Cup. Fani said that incidents reported included theft from cars and theft of jewellery and small items.

Informal trading was also given a boost during the tournament and Fani reported that over 2 000 traders directly benefitted during the World Cup.

Overall, she said that in organisational terms it was important for all spheres of government to work together and to include the private sector; role clarification needs to be done upfront; and all role players and stakeholders need to be part of the planning process.

Destination of choice
Phelisa Mangcu from the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC) spoke of how the city needed to place itself as a destination of choice during the tournament. “Over a period of two years all activations and campaigns focused on Joburg as a leading host city and the destination of choice,” she said.

Over a million visitorsThe city hosted thousands of visitors during the 2010 World CupThis involved road shows and media briefings relaying the state of readiness of the city, as well as the status of accommodation, travel, activities and safety and security. “JTC created a powerful and impactful marketing campaign which promoted Joburg as a premier lifestyle, sporting, events host city.”

This campaign involved press and street pole adverts, radio commercials, leaflets and billboards. Petrol attendants were also trained as ambassadors for the city and unemployed youth were turned into tourist cadets to be the face of Joburg.

Overall highlights for the City included an attendance of over three million people at all 64 matches and 97 percent of tickets being sold. South Africa was given a grading of nine out of 10 by Sepp Blatter, the president of Fifa.

“Commitment saw us through,” explained Fani, and the same would see a successful tournament by Brazil in 2014.

“We would like to wish Brazil all of the best in preparing for the 2014 World Cup,” she said.