7 March 2008
Global football authority Fifa has selected a joint venture between South African events companies Circa Hospitality and Warwick Hospitality and Events as the exclusive sales agent in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa for official hospitality packages during the 2010 World Cup.
“We are convinced that our sales and marketing alliances represent the best options to Match Hospitality in terms of their existing market knowledge and networks within the market of the host nation of the 2010 Fifa World Cup,” Match Hospitality CEO Pascal Portes said in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Match Hospitality has been appointed by Fifa to be responsible for accommodation, ticketing and computer and information technology solutions during the 2010 World Cup. Circa Hospitality forms part of the SAIL Group, while Warwick Hospitality and Events is part of the Primedia Group.
Match has designed a variety of hospitality packages for local and international guests centred around the duration of the World Cup, which includes match tickets, exclusive hospitality services in stadiums, catering, parking, special access, entertainment, accommodation, transport and other tourism related activities.
Hospitality package content has been divided into two sections: the On-site Hospitality Package includes match tickets coupled with catering, parking, special access, entertainment and guest services, while the Full Hospitality Package includes added accommodation, transportation and tourism activities.
Hospitality categories have been divided into three and include Private Suites, Shared Suites and Executive Hospitality.
Ensuring competitive pricing
Portes said Match had tried to structure the packages in such a way to ensure prices were competitive, with the average price per person and per package across the spectrum of various packages offered being US$1 450 (about R11 645).
Match has been allocated 3 000 hotel rooms for the duration of the event and will be working in close proximity with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism to maximise tourism benefit for South Africa and neighbouring countries.
Furthermore, the five hospitality series have been packaged to include the “Big Six” Series, Gauteng Series, Venue Series, Follow Your Team Series and Final Round Series.
Price ranges for the various packages range from $1 750 per person for the “Big Six” Series, which covers 44 matches in total, to between $380 to $1 400 per person for the Venue Series.
The most expensive package is the Final Round Series, pricing in at between $3 500 and $6 000 per person for between two to four matches.
Tickets go on sale locally in June 2008, with South Africans being given a three-month period ahead of the international market in order to give priority to the host nation.
Source: BuaNews
