August 1997 – N°27 – Partnership – ENGLISH

To gather information, see what was going on and meet the people involved: this was the idea behind a tour of the venues put on for the World Cup Sponsors and Official Suppliers from 22 to 30 July. At less than a year before kick-off, this “tour de France”, organised jointly by the CFO and the ISL, enabled commercial affiliates to find out how the organisation is developing in each of the host cities, and to see for themselves how work is progressing with the stadiums, the positioning of the hospitality villages, the installation of the press centres and the setting up of the commercial space at the venues. It was also an opportunity to gather a great deal of practical information about the entertainments being planned, the new access roads and the hotel infrastructures, as well as visiting the main tourist spots. All this was made possible thanks to the local teams of CFO staff and representatives from the city councils involved, all of whom gave the delegation a splendid welcome. The tour, which began at Lens and finished at Saint-Denis, also gave the two commercial affiliate categories – Sponsors and Official Suppliers – the chance to meet each other and exchange ideas on the World Cup. It’s a fact that with the event getting ever nearer, projects are coming along thicker and faster. The tour party were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the pitch and new installations at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, a few days before the new season kicked off.

From bulldozers to air-conditioning

On 26 June this year, Caterpillar joined the CFO as an “Official Equipment Supplier”. Through its subsidiary, Cat Rental Power, and its utility company in France, Bergerat Monnoyeur Energie, Caterpillar will be furnishing air conditioning equipment and generating sets, while also providing technical assistance to the International Media Centre. In addition, Showpower, a Los Angeles-based company which has previously teamed up with Caterpillar for cultural and sporting events, will install and run all the equipment. Caterpillar, world leaders in earth-moving equipment and civil engineering, and one of the biggest manufacturers of diesel and gas motors, is the twelfth company to join the FRANCE 98 “Equipment Suppliers” group.

Le CFO bien outillé

And then there were 13! Bosch has become the thirteenth company to join the FRANCE 98 “Equipment Suppliers” club. This contract gives exclusive marketing rights to Robert Bosch (France) Ltd in the realm of portable electrical tools. World-wide and European leader in this range of products, Bosch is also number one in France, which with a 32% share of the market represents the company’s largest market outside Germany. The French subsidiary, with a workforce of 9,400, posted revenues of FF 11.3 billion in 1996. Impressive work!

Coffee service

On 27 June 1997 Lavazza became the “Official Coffee of the 1998 World Cup”. For Lavazza, this agreement with FRANCE 98 in the Official World Cup “Products and Services” group provides an excellent opportunity to further embellish its world-wide reputation. With subsidiaries in Paris, London, Frankfurt, Vienna and New York as well as thirty other countries, Lavazza offers a range of top-quality blends for all kinds of consumers: coffee in the home, in the commercial sector (cafés, hotels, restaurants and other set-ups), and in the workplace, thanks to its “Espresso Point Lavazza” machines with their easy-to-use capsules. Given the Italians’ passion for football, Lavazza’s entry into the FRANCE 98 commercial affiliate “club” was almost a foregone conclusion. In 1998, coffee will be served – in the Cup!

The second Partners’ Cup:

All power to the men from Manpower

And even the sun came out to play! The second FRANCE 98 Partners’ Cup was staged on 27 June at the magnificent National Football Coaching Centre at Clairefontaine, near Paris.

In much kinder weather than last year, forty teams took part in a huge six-a-side tournament. This year, all eight Official Suppliers to FRANCE 98 were there, represented by four teams apiece. Eight guest teams also took part, whose ranks boasted certain famous names of old from French football. So it was a great chance to see the likes of Luis Fernandez, Alain Giresse and the French Organising Committee co-President Michel Platini in action again. And they all showed that the old magic was still there! The over-all standard in the 151 matches was excellent, and it was finally Manpower, beating Crédit Agricole in the final, that triumphed and succeeded France Telecom as the Partners’ Cup champion.

But above and beyond what happened on the pitch, this great occasion, topped off by an evening of fun and fellowship, was a wonderful opportunity for the FRANCE 98 family to get together. We are already looking forward to the third Partners’ Cup in April 1998. And the Super Final!