Press Kits
D – 365
THE FRENCH ORGANISING COMMITTEE
THE FRANCE 98 MARKETING PROGRAMME
TICKETING FOR FRANCE 98
THE FRANCE 98 VOLUNTEERS
THE TEN WORLD CUP STADIUMS FRANCE 98
SAFETY AND SECURITY AT FRANCE 98
THE FRANCE 98 INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CENTRE
THE DRAW FOR THE FINALS
D-1 : THE FOOTBALL FESTIVALTHE FRENCH ORGANISING COMMITTEE
The French Organising Committee for the 1998 World Cup was created on the initiative of the French Football Federation (FFF), on 10 November 1992.
With Fernand Sastre and Michel Platini as its Presidents, FRANCE 98 has included various people in its decision-making bodies (Bureau, Administrative Council and General Assembly): national football associations, which make up the majority, representatives of the State and the host city local authorities, and several individual advisers.
The object of the Committee is to prepare and organise the World Cup according to a schedule of conditions laid down by FIFA, and conforming with a financial agreement signed with the French State.
It consists of a General Assembly, giving rise to an administrative council, which itself gives rise to a Bureau, whose Presidents are Fernand Sastre and Michel Platini.
Answerable to the bureau and in particular to its Co-presidents is the General Managing Department, run by Jacques Lambert, to which are attached the various operational departments of the Committee: Special Events, Ticketing, Equipment and facilities, Finance and Human Resources, Information Technology, Logistics, Marketing and Partners, Media and Telecommunications, Press and Communication, Security and Accreditation, Venues, and finally Competition Facilities.
In July 1996 the French Organising Committee began setting up a venue department, overseen by a Venue Director, in each of the World Cup host cities.
The different venues are co-ordinated by the Venues Department, which is run from the FRANCE 98 headquarters in Paris.
THE FRANCE 98 WORKFORCE
With one year to go, 273 employees work on a daily basis for the French Organising Committee. In addition, there are also the 53 people made available to the Committee by the different FRANCE 98 commercial affiliates, and 10 military personnel.
195 staff are based at the CFO headquarters, in Avenue du Général Mangin in Paris, and 78 work at the venues.
In June 1998, when the 16th Football World Cup finally kicks into action, nearly 400 full-time employees will be working for the French Organising Committee.
FINANCING AND BUDGET
The Committee receives no public subsidy or grant to finance its outlay, and is responsible for balancing its own budget. This it is doing through its two main sources of revenue: its commercial affiliates, and ticketing.
The budget covers the organisation’s own expenses, together with its outlay in terms of investment: for example, setting up the media centres, the hospitality villages and the accreditation centres, among other units. It does not include resources expended on the construction and renovation of stadiums.
The budget is reviewed annually to take into account any rise or fall in actual or anticipated figures concerning revenue and outlay.
The last budget up-date was announced on 6 March 1997. It included a marked rise in forecasted receipts, a more focused appreciation of expenses, and a reaffirmation of its objective of breaking even..
The new budget stands at FF 1,968 million, a progression of 17.8% compared with the budget estimated in March 1996.
The upward trend of the budget up-date was made possible by the increase in forecast receipts.
Assessed at FF 1,035 million, the revenue from ticket sales constitutes the first prong of the World Cup’s financial plan of attack. The figures include the highly satisfactory results of the sale of tickets to the general public in France, and the encouraging signs from the sales of FRANCE 98 Selections, prestige products in the ticketing line designed for companies, and the sale of which is managed directly and exclusively by the CFO.
Revenue from commercial affiliates is assessed at FF 867 million.
The up-dating of estimated expenses takes into account the increase in general activity as the CFO goes into its operational phase, with the deployment of its organisational set-ups at the venues. There has been a general increase in the number of Human Resources positions (in 1998, the CFO will have around 400 on its payroll, around half of whom will be working at the venues) and a rise in grants to be devoted to security and safety, and to the installations and lay-outs to be put in place around stadiums.
The budget is presented as a break-even budget, with an allocation set aside for risk and unforeseen events of FF 148 million, the equivalent of around 10% of the outlay for 1997 and 1998.
“In confirming our ambition to lay on a World Cup worthy of France’s international standing, which is also a celebration for all the people of France, we also firmly intend to achieve a financial success by making a break-even budget an absolute imperative, and by doing all we can to make constant improvements,” say the CFO Presidents Fernand Sastre and Michel Platini.
Fernand SASTRE
Co-president of FRANCE 98
Born in 1923 and a land registrar by profession, Fernand Sastre became Secretary General to the French Football Federation in 1969, and was elected President of the FFF the following year.
He remained in office until 1984, the year when France triumphed in the European Nations Cup and won a football gold medal in the Summer Olympics at Los Angeles. He then became the Federation’s Honorary President.
He was Vice President of the French National Olympic and Sporting Committee from 1982 to 1984 and a member of the organising commission for the European Nations Cup from 1975 to 1984, as well as a member of the World Cup organising commission in 1994 and 1998.
Co-president of the Committee for France’s candidature for hosting the 1998 World Cup between 1989 and 1992, Fernand Sastre was made Co-president of the French Organising Committee for the 1998 World Cup in November 1992, with Michel Platini.
Michel PLATINI
Co-president of FRANCE 98
Michel Platini was a professional footballer from 1973 to 1987, playing first for AS Nancy Lorraine until 1979, then AS Saint-Etienne until 1982, before joining Juventus of Turin.
He won a French Cup winners medal with Nancy in 1978 and was part of the Saint-Etienne team that won the French League four years later. It was when he played for Juventus however, that Michel Platini won a string of honours : Italian Champion in 84 and 85, Italian Cup winner in 83, European Cup Winners Cup winner in 84 and European Cup winner the following year, World Club Champion in 86. He was voted European player of the year in 1983, 1984 and 1985.
He was capped 72 times for his country, 49 times a team captain. Michel Platini played in the World Cup in Argentina in 1978 (first round), in Spain in 1982 (4th place), and in Mexico in 1986 (3rd place). He was a member of the French team that won the European Nations Cup in 1984, the year that the competition was held in France.
In 1987 he founded the Michel Platini foundation, and in 1988 took over as team coach of the French national team. The following year he became Director of National teams, a post he was to fill for 4 years. He has been a member of the French Football Federation Council since 1995. In 1992 he became Co-President of the French Organising Committee for the World Cup alongside Fernand Sastre.
Jacques LAMBERT
Managing Director of FRANCE 98
Born in 1948, Jacques Lambert is a former student of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, and was nominated as head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet in 1983.
In 1986 he headed the cabinet of the General Secretary for the government. Governor General for la Nièvre in 1988, Jacques Lambert then became Governor General for la Savoie two years later in 1990.
In this capacity, he was in charge of safety and security for the 16th Winter Olympics in Albertville in 1992.
Technical adviser to the Prime Minister until 1993, Jacques Lambert became Managing Director of the French Organising Committee for the 1998 Football World Cup that same year.
THE FRANCE 98 MARKETING PROGRAMME
The French Organising Committee’s marketing programme is strategic from two points of view. Firstly, from the financial aspect, because it forms one of the two key elements in the Committee’s budget for World Cup revenues; secondly, for the level of “customer satisfaction” regarding its partners, who play a crucial role in FRANCE 98’s image.
A year from the kick-off to the 16th football World Cup, the French Organising Committee has already achieved 93% of its targeted marketing programme.
A result achieved thanks to an original approach and highly-organised strategy, conceived and carried out like those of any other company.
An original approach
For the first time in World Cup history, a local organising committee has decided to integrate its marketing activities into its own structure, rather than hand them over to an outside concern.
As the Director of Marketing for the French Organising Committee, Philippe Villemus, explains: “On the initiative of our Presidents, we put together a marketing department made up of professionals within the Committee. When we were looking for candidates, we stressed that they should have a wide-ranging professional background of working with companies, but that they should not necessarily be connected with the world of football” .
The marketing team today comprises 30 men and women.
At the beginning of 1994, the French Organising Committee began drawing up a marketing plan and clarifying its objectives: financial goals, strategy, and the means to be deployed in carrying out the whole programme. Its five main priorities were as follows :
- Division of territories and receipts between the French Organising Committee, FIFA and its marketing agency
- Development of registered trademarks, emblems and logos for FRANCE 98
- Positioning the event around its chosen symbolic values: Excitement, Universality and Sharing
- Planning the publicity campaign
- Preparation for canvassing partners.
The canvassing programme went into action on 1 October 1994, so effectively that on 10 June 1997, a year before the World Cup kick-off, the Committee was able to announce that 93% of its targeted partnerships were signed and sealed.
The initial objectives of 1992 have in fact been surpassed, and the French Organising Committee’s latest budget shows FF 867 million in marketing receipts.
The turnover for the FRANCE 98 marketing programme is 2.5 times that achieved by the USA 94 World Cup.
Four categories with a single goal
Selling an event the size of the World Cup means implementing a strategy of commercial association on several different levels, in response to the needs of the companies involved.
Association with the World Cup is particularly advantageous for companies, since according to a 1994 SRI study:”Two out of three consumers would rather buy a product carrying the World Cup logo than one without.”
Today there are 41 official World Cup commercial partners, which fall into 4 categories.
The Official Sponsors:
- Adidas
- Anheuser-Busch
- Canon
- Coca-Cola
- Fujifilm
- Gillette
- JVC
- MasterCard
- McDonald’s
- Opel
- Philips
- Snickers
All these multinational companies, not only support the World Cup financially and in terms of logistics, but are also involved in many FIFA events and projects. The French Organising Committee is to receive products and/or services in kind from its Sponsors.
For example, Opel is to provide the 800 official Committee vehicles, Adidas the special sporting outfits for the volunteers, Canon the photocopying machines, Fuji the photographic laboratories and JVC the television sets.
The FRANCE 98 Official Suppliers :
- Crédit Agricole
- Danone
- EDS
- France Télécom
- Hewlett-Packard
- La Poste
- Manpower
- Sybase
The 8 companies in this group are dealt with directly by the French Organising Committee. Their financial participation, FF 600 million, represents 2/3 of the Committee’s marketing budget.
Apart from their financial support, their involvement in the organisation and setting up of the event is also a crucial element.
“For the competition, these companies are making an investment in real terms,” says Philippe Villemus. “Their contribution is to take many forms: postal and banking services, setting up hardware equipment, I.T. and telecommunications networks, human resources management, and so on. For each company it’s also a unique opportunity to demonstrate their high performance and the quality of their products and services, not just to their own customers but to the whole world”.
For the first time in World Cup history, the three computer and I.T. partners, EDS, Hewlett-Packard and Sybase, are joining forces to run the World Cup behind the scenes, a huge task embracing the Committee’s operational management, ticketing, venues (2-D and 3-D CAD systems), and information services for the Media and general public.
France Telecom will be responsible for all transmissions, whether voice, data or image. For over a month, its teams will be providing high-quality communications facilities to the organisers and the 9,500 journalists present, enabling them to keep in constant touch with each other and the rest of the world.
Crédit Agricole is the Official bank of FRANCE 98. An enormous number of PASS FRANCE 98 were sold through its national network of 8,300 branches (at 2,500 of which direct reservations could be made), and Crédit Agricole set up a national administrative centre so that ticket sales should be processed quickly and efficiently.
La Poste is the Official World Cup Mail carrier (for the French Organising Committee headquarters, the venues, the press centres and the International Media Centre), and will be responsible for the safe delivery, in tamper-proof envelopes, of the 2.5 million World Cup tickets to be sent out individually in May 1998.
Manpower will be in charge of the volunteers and will also be involved in managing the Committee’s own human resources, as 9 out of 10 of those in charge of human resources at the World Cup venues are Manpower staff.
Through Danone, the FRANCE 98 registered trademark will receive marvellous exposure, as billions of dairy products in World Cup packaging will be on the shelves in shops throughout the world from now right up to the competition..
Dates of partnership agreements
28/04/1995 EDS Official Information Technology Supplier
28/04/1995 Hewlett-Packard Official Computer Hardware Supplier
14/06/1995 France Télécom Official Telecommunications Operator
07/11/1995 La Poste Official Mail Carrier
09/12/1995 Sybase Official Software Supplier
25/03/1996 Crédit Agricole Official Bank
05/06/1996 Manpower Official Temporary Work Network
19/09/1996 Danone Official Dairy Products Suppliers
Official Products and Services:
8 companies have already joined this group, which has been canvassed jointly by the French Organising Committee and ISL, FIFA’s marketing agency.
A year to the day from the World Cup kick-off, 5 of these companies have been named:
- Duracell = Official Battery
- CPW / Nestlé = Céréales Official Cereal
- Cyanamid = Official Herbicide, Fungicide and Insecticide
- Michelin = Official Tyrel
- Total = Official Petrol
The names of the Official Coffee, Official Air Company and Official Games Company will soon be revealed.
Official Equipment Suppliers:
This group falls under the aegis of the French Organising Committee from all points of view: canvassing, management and receipts. 15 Official Equipment Suppliers will be involved in this branch of partnership. Twelve months from the start of the World Cup finals, 10 of the 12 who have already joined have been named:
- Accor Hotel Accommodation
- RATP Urban Transport
- Frisquet Boilers
- Arjo-Wiggins Paper and Paper Distribution
- Lafarge Construction Materials
- Guilbert Distribution of Office Material
- SNCF Railway Transport
- Primagaz Gaz
- France Secours Assistance
- Générale Location Office Furniture and Temporary Structure Rental
The names of the Official Equipment Suppliers in the following areas will be shortly be revealed: Top-quality clothing, Tools, Air-conditioning, Signage Banderoles
Marketing projects and the FRANCE 98 image
Developing the registered trademarks (FRANCE 98 logo and the mascot Footix). The FRANCE 98 logo depicts a sun-football rising over the earth. Designed by a leading French agency, it was the winner in a competition between seven major design companies.
The mascot too, was the result of a competition between six other French agencies, and has since undergone a battery of tests conducted on children and teenagers, whom the mascot is particularly aimed to please.
After a period of world-wide research by a name-specialist agency, a list of possible names was put to the popular French vote in November 1996, and « Footix » emerged the winner by a long way.
In order to protect its official registered trademarks, FRANCE 98 has drawn up a graphic charter to control their use once the CFO’s approval is given.
Developing the style book FRANCE 98 has produced a style book to define and communicate the World Cup message that its Presidents want to send out: Excitement, Universality and Sharing.
The style book dictates the look of all Committee publications (FRANCE 98 informations newsletter, brochures for the general public, press releases), and all forms of signage, which will help the different World Cup fans find their way around at the venues. It is also being used for the various types of decoration which will create a party atmosphere for the World Cup.
Developing the World Cup promotional programme
The FRANCE 98 film, first seen in France in August 1996, typifies everything the World Cup stands for. It will continue to be shown right up until July 1998. A number of short films, including footage on the host cities, are also programmed to be televised in France between March 1997 and July 1998.
SPECIFICS Programmes
- The Licencing Products FRANCE 98
ISL, the FIFA’s marketing agency, is the international rights holder for this category. The French Organisation Committee receives for this programme, an all-inclusive remuneration.
- The Official Villages programme
This Public Relations programme is the largest ever mounted in Europe, and is directly managed and exclusively marketed by the French Organising Committee.
The World Cup Final on 12 July 1998 will in fact be the biggest public relations operation in the world : around 20,000 guests will be awaited in the Stade de France hospitality village. To give an idea of the scale of the event, the village at the American Football Super Bowl Final hosts “only” 18,500!
Catering concessions in the stadiums (restaurants, bars, cocktail bars, refreshment counters, catering and so on) and the sale of licensed products will be an additional source of revenue for the Committee.
In November 1995, La Poste began issuing a series of 12 FRANCE 98 stamps, and is also offering many official “ready-to-post” items: a range of philatelic products specially designed for stamp-collectors and World Cup lovers! A percentage of the revenues will be handed over to the Organising Committee.
The first of the 12 stamps in the philatelic programme was issued when the draw for the qualifying round of the competition took place in Paris on 12 December 1995.
Each of the ten host cities will be featured on subsequent stamps in the series.
Stamps with illustrations of Lens, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse are, in fact, already available. The remaining two, featuring Bordeaux and Saint-Denis, will be issued in January 1998.
The series will culminate with a real event in philatelic terms on 3 March 1998, 100 days before the 16th Football World Cup kicks off: the issue of a round stamp with a picture of Footix, the Official FRANCE 98 Mascot. A “first” for Europe!
The 1998 Football World Cup Collection comprises a series of 15 coins, on the theme of football skills. Eleven typical footballing moves are to be represented, as practised by players and goalkeepers.
La Monnaie de Paris or Paris Mint, which issues the State’s official currency, is developing and coining the collection. The coins carry a face value as well as the official World Cup logo. Part of the receipts from this programme, which is being marketed throughout the world, will be handed over to the French Organising Committee.
- Television rights (excluding 1998 World Cup matches)
Rights to the 64 matches in the World Cup were sold by FIFA in 1987, and remain of course the property of FIFA.
The French Organising Committee, for its part, has sold the television rights it possesses for the following: the Draw for the preliminary round in the competition (December 1995), the Draw for the Finals (4 December 1997), the Festival of Football (9 June 1998) and a certain number of events in the run-up to the World Cup. The rights to all these events are held by TFI, France’s main television channel.
TICKETING FOR FRANCE 98
A ROUND UP, WITH 365 DAYS TO GO
All FRANCE 98 PASSES that went on sale to the general public resident in France have now been sold : a grand total of 1,270,000 tickets.
The next stages :
– For the general public in France, reservations will open for the 300,000 individual tickets for the Opening Match, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third place play-off and the Final in mid-September.
– The French Organising Committee will be setting up, as of next Autumn, a special department to deal with ticket requests from the disabled.
– Individual tickets for first round and round of sixteen matches will go on sale in March 1998.
– Ticket sales abroad : through the National Football Federations as of the beginning 1998 ; through tour operators (selected by the French Organising Committee), in early 1998.
EQUAL TO THE EVENT
The 64 matches on the FRANCE 98 programme have entailed mounting the biggest ticketing operation ever seen in France : 2,500,000 tickets.
The 55 matches in the first round and round of sixteen account for 2,000,000 of these tickets.
The 500,000 other tickets are for the Opening Match, the quarter-finals, semi-finals, third place play-off and the Final.
OBJECTIVES
The French Organising Committee has assessed the allocation of ticket sales as follows :
• 60% (1,500,000 tickets) to the general public resident in France and the French footballing community (registered players, professional club members, leagues, districts and so on).
• 20% (500,000 tickets) to FIFA and the affiliated national football federations.
• 8% (200,000 tickets) to tour operators.
• 12% (300,000 tickets) to the CFO’s French and foreign commercial affiliates.
A total of 1 ticket in 3 will be sold abroad (national federations affiliated to FIFA, tour operators, FRANCE 98 foreign partners).
PRICES
The French Organising Committee and its two Presidents, Fernand Sastre and Michel Platini, want FRANCE 98 to be a World Cup for the whole world to enjoy, and so to be accessible to everyone. That’s why more than 500,000 tickets are on offer for less than FF 150 and 1 ticket in 2 will cost FF 250 or less!
There will be 3 price categories at all World Cup stadiums with the exception of the Stade de France, where there will be 4. In offering first round match tickets at FF 145 in the cheapest categories, FRANCE 98 is practising what it preaches !
Equally, for the Opening Match and the Final, tickets will be on offer at FF 200 (Opener) and FF 350 (Final).
THE SUCCESS OF TICKET SALES AT 365 DAYS FROM KICK-OFF
For the general public resident in France tickets were put on offer for first round and round of sixteen matches in the form of a FRANCE 98 PASS. The PASS guarantees the holder entry to 5 or 6 matches in the city of his/her choice.
By 27 May 1997, all FRANCE 98 PASSES that had been reserved were sold out.
On 10 June 1997, exactly one year away from the Opening Game in the 16th World Cup, the French Organising Committee announced that 1,270,000 tickets had already been sold to the general public in France and the FRANCE 98 commercial affiliates.
These figures only concern first round and round of sixteen matches, as tickets for the Opening Match and other games will not go on sale until Autumn 1997.
“The PASS has proved to be a great success” say Fernand Sastre and Michel Platini, Presidents of the French Organising Committee, “as we had originally envisaged the sale of PASSES lasting until February 1998. In selling these tickets, we deployed the biggest distribution and information network of its kind ever to be set up in France. And the CFO’s technological partners involved in the operation all did an excellent job”, they added.
The figures don’t include ticket sales abroad which have yet to begin (20% reserved by FIFA and the national federations and by tour operators).
THE NEXT TICKETING STAGE IN FRANCE
The Opening Match, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third place play-off and the Final : 300,000 tickets are to go on sale in France in mid-September for the Opening Match, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third place play-off and the Final ; a total of 9 matches.
As demand promises to be high, and in the interests of fair-play, the French Organising Committee will set up draws for tickets, match by match.
How will these draws be run ?
For a period of one month (mid-September to mid-October), all those wishing to buy tickets can make their request to the French Organising Committee. There will be a limit of two tickets per match per person and no request will be taken into account before the opening date for sales..
Details of how the reservation network is to be set up will be divulged a few weeks before ticket sales open..
After ratifying and recording ticket reservations, the Committee will organise a draw in the first two weeks of December 1997.
Details concerning the draws – which will take place match by match – are to be made public early September..
As already announced by the French Organising Committee, preferential treatment will be given to : • FRANCE 98 PASS holders: the draw involving their requests for tickets for these 9 matches will be applied to a specific quota of tickets. PASS holders will therefore have twice as much chance of landing a seat. • Buyers from the French Overseas Departments: given the geographical distance from mainland France, a certain quota of tickets are to be reserved for football fans from the French Overseas Departments, and the draws will be organised locally.
Individual tickets for first round and round of sixteen matches: Individual tickets for these matches will go on sale in March 1998.
According to the legislation, the French Organising Committee has reserved a quota of tickets to be sold individually. This quota will be completed by tickets returns from foreign federations.
Tickets for the disabled: In keeping with its policy of making the World Cup available to everybody, the French Organising Committee will set up, next autumn, a special ticketing service for the disabled.
The details and conditions of sale for these tickets are to be divulged in September: a quota, however, has already been put aside.
A safe, easy-access area will be made available at each World Cup stadium for the disabled (e.g. 1,000 places for each game at the Stade de France).
TICKET SALES ABROAD
Sales abroad for the 16th World Cup will be carried out by : • National football federations: Twenty per cent of all tickets for the 64 World Cup matches (500,000), taken from all ticket categories, have been set aside for FIFA, in accordance with World Cup rules. These tickets are attributed by the national football federations according to FIFA rules. Tickets will become available in FIFA-affiliated countries at the beginning of 1998. These tickets will be sold to the public as each individual federation sees fit.
• Tour operators: The French Organising Committee has set up a strict series of conditions regarding tour operators. Tour operators will be chosen according to suitability. The selection process is to begin in July and will follow a similar schedule to those set up for previous World Cups.
Previous World Cups have shown that tour operators wait until first round match venues are known before putting their various packages up for sale. As far as FRANCE 98 is concerned, this information will not be known until after the draw for the Finals on 4 December 1997 in Marseille. Ticket sales therefore, will begin early in 1998.
Tour operators can request a candidature dossier from the French Organising Committee (by post : FRANCE 98 – Billeterie T.O. – 75204 Paris cedex 16 ; by Fax : (33) 1 44 14 18 02, and will be chosen by geographic zone corresponding to each FIFA-member continental confederation :
- 5 tour operators for the UEFA zone (Europe – 15 teams qualify for the Finals in 1998).
- 3tour operators for the CAF zone (Africa – 5 teams qualify for the Finals in 1998).
- 3 tour operators for the CONMEBOL zone (South America – 5 teams qualify for the Finals in 1998).
- 3 tour operators for the AFC/OFC zone (Asia/Oceania – 4 teams qualify for the Finals in 1998).
- 3 tour operators for the CONCACAF zone (North America, Central America, the Caribbean – 3 teams qualify for the Finals in 1998).
Each tour operator can request candidature for one or several zones, and no exclusive rights will be accorded.
Tickets offered to tour operators will be for teams qualifying essentially from the zone or zones for which the tour operator will have been chosen. The tickets may be sold anywhere in the world, however.
In addition to standard tickets, tour operators can obtain and sell Prestige Gold and Silver tickets.
A special department of Mondirésa, the hotel and travel centre set up by the French Organising Committee in collaboration with the ACCOR Group, will be in charge of helping selected tour operators in their research (hotel rooms, transfers, etc). Mondirésa will not be selling any tickets.
FRANCE 98 SELECTIONS
FRANCE 98 SELECTIONS ( hospitality boxes, prestige seats), products sold exclusively by the French Organising Committee to French and foreign companies for public relations purposes, have been selling very well indeed.
The 339 PRIVATE HOSPITALITY BOXES (seating from 4 to 48 people) available at World Cup stadiums have now all been reserved. Shared hospitality boxes are still available at Lens, Saint-Etienne and Marseille.
PRESTIGE SEATS (Open, Silver and Gold), the Open ticket which offers the holder seats for 12 World Cup matches of his/her choice, regardless of the venue or stage of the competition, are already sold out.
MATCH CALENDAR
The World Cup will be staged between 10 June and 12 July 1998.
The first round begins on Wednesday 10 June and ends on Friday 26 June 1998.
The round of sixteen matches will be played from Saturday 27 to Tuesday 30 June, at Bordeaux, Lens, Marseille, Montpellier, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.
The quarter-finals will take place on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 July, at Lyon, Nantes, Marseille and Saint-Denis. In this way, football fans from all over the country will be able to attend the games.
The semi-finals will be played on Monday 7 July at Marseille and Wednesday 8 July at Saint-Denis. The third place play-off will take place on Saturday 11 July in Paris.
The Final will be staged on Sunday 12 July at Saint-Denis.
The well-balanced match programme, set up in the interests of fair-play, means that supporters at each venue will be entertained by top-quality football as from the first match of the first round.
For the first time in a World Cup competition, each team will play its three first round games in three different stadiums. Each team therefore moves city twice and each venue will play host to at least two seeded teams. Additionally, each city will host either a round of sixteen or a quarter-final match. This means that fans in every city will see between nine and twelve different teams, including two of the eight best teams in the world.
Matches in Paris and Saint-Denis will be played on different days, as will games at Lyon and Saint-Etienne. This means that the most fervent of supporters will be able to attend between 12 and 15 games in their area.
The identities of the 30 qualifying nations, to join France (host nation) and Brazil (holder) in the Finals, will not be known until the end of 1997. A draw is to determine where each nation will play. The exception to this rule is the team from Brazil, which, it is already known, will play in the opening match in Saint-Denis, then travel to Nantes, and then to Marseille. The new system however, whereby the seeded teams continually change venues, means that fans all over France are in for a treat.
TICKETING : A RUNDOWN OF PRICING POLICIES
- A diversified and reasonably-priced range of tickets – starting at FF 145 – will be on sale for matches in the first round.
- Prices will be the same in each stadium for matches at the same stage of the competition.
- 3 categories of numbered seats are available (4 in the Stade de France).
- More than 500,000 tickets will cost FF 150 or less.
- 1 ticket in 2 costs FF 250 or less.
THE FRANCE 98 PASS
The flagship product of the 1998 World Cup ticketing on the French domestic market, the FRANCE 98 PASS was specially designed for the true football-going public in the French regions.
All FRANCE 98 PASSES were sold out in the six months from 27 November 96 to 27 May 97.
This special package for 5 or 6 matches in the same city entitled the holder to:
- attend all the first round matches (except the opening match at Saint-Denis);
- attend one round of sixteen match (except in Lyon and Nantes that do not host matches in this round).
The FRANCE 98 PASS consequently offered the opportunity to see:
- 100 % different teams in all first round matches;
- at least two of the world’s top teams (seeded teams).
3 categories of numbered seats are offered in World Cup stadiums, with a 4th category at the Stade de France (St-Denis) which has a capacity of 80,000.
Purchases of PASS FRANCE 98 were restricted to 4 per person on the principle of “first come, first served”.
The Organising Committee designed the FRANCE 98 Selections for sale to businesses, associations and groups.. Including Hospitality Box and Prestige seats, these special packages, marketed directly by the French Organising Committee, enable businesses to organise exclusive public relations operations.
These products, available in a wide range of packages for all budgets target both: • national and regionally based companies and • international corporations
FRANCE 98 HOSPITALITY BOXES: COMFORTABLE AND WELCOMING
The hospitality boxes offer premium quality facilities in which to entertain guests who: • can attend all the matches in the same city; • receive hospitality and full comfort in exclusive conditions; • receive service of the highest level, including a personal welcome, a programme and gift for each guest, Cordon Bleu catering in the stadium’s private salons, and parking facilities within the stadium precinct.
Prices vary depending upon the capacity, location and layout of each hospitality box, the stage in the competition, and the number of matches scheduled for the particular city.
FRANCE 98 PRESTIGE SEATS: THE BEST SEATS AT THE HEART OF THE EVENT
Located in the stands, the FRANCE 98 Prestige seats offer the pick of the stadium’s viewpoints. A choice of three packages is offered to meet different corporate needs and budgets, providing the opportunity to: • enjoy services which, depending on the selected package, can include a personal welcome in the Prestige Area, a programme and gift for each guest, Cordon Bleu catering in the stadium’s private salons, and parking facilities. • live the event at its very heart in unbeatable facilities.
The Prestige Open seats: freedom to choose The Prestige Open package gives access to 12 World Cup games, whatever the venue or stage in the competition. Holders can choose the games they want to attend once the draw for the final stage has been made in December 1997. This is the ideal solution for following one or more teams throughout France and for attending all the top matches. By May 31 1997, all the Prestige Open seats had been sold out.
The Prestige Silver: excellent seats in the same city The Prestige Silver package entitles holders to attend all the 5 or 6 matches scheduled in the same city in excellent conditions, except those being played in Marseille and Saint-Denis in the quarter finals, semi-finals, and the final.
The Prestige Gold: the best seats in the same stadium The Prestige Gold entitles the holder to attend all the 5 or 6 matches scheduled in the same city (except the quarter finals, semi-finals, and finals being played in Paris, Marseille and Saint-Denis). The Prestige Gold guarantees the holder a seat at the final.
Prices vary depending on the selected package, the stadium and the number of games scheduled to take place there.
YOUR QUESTIONS ON THE FRANCE 98 TICKETING
1. What products are available?
- FRANCE 98 ticketing offers 3 types of products:
- THE FRANCE 98 PASS Bookings opened on 27 November 1996 and ended on 27 May 1997
- INDIVIDUAL TICKETS For the opening game and the quarter finals, semi-finals and finals, bookings will open in Autumn 1997. As for first round and quarter final matches, individual tickets will go on sale at the start of 1998.
- FRANCE 98 SELECTIONS THE HOSPITALITY BOXES AND PRESTIGE SEATS: Specially designed for companies wishing to organise public relations operations, they are marketed directly by the CFO.
2. Can individual tickets be bought for first round matches?
A first opportunity to attend first round matches was available via the FRANCE 98 PASS package. Individual tickets for the same games will go on sale at the start of 1998.
3. Will the scheduled match dates allow me to see games at different venues?
Yes. This is particularly true for two pairs of cities: Paris and Saint Denis, and Lyon and Saint-Etienne. The schedule has taken into account the fact that in both cases the venues are so close together. So no two games will take place on the same date in each of these two pairs of cities.
4. How are Prestige Hospitality Boxes and Seats sold: “The FRANCE 98 selections”?
Priority is given to companies that are partners of the Organising Committee, followed by other companies. These products are sold exclusively by the Committee and have been on sale since October 1996. FRANCE 98 Selections offer premium quality services (welcome, gift, catering, parking facilities) and are intended mainly for public relations operations. Companies are invited to make enquiries by calling the sales team at the FRANCE 98 ticketing organisation on (33) (0)1 44 14 10 60.
5. How much will I have to pay for a ticket?
The Organising Committee, and its Presidents, Fernand SASTRE and Michel PLATINI, have been determined to make this World Cup everybody’s World Cup, open to the greatest number of spectators. Consequently, of the 2.5 million tickets, over 500,000 are on sale at less than FF 150, and, more than that, one seat in two costs FF 250 or less. And that’s not all! With a FF 145 tariff for the lowest category of first round matches, FRANCE 98 really will be a people’s World Cup.
6. Will I be able to choose tickets for a range of seats?
For the 64 matches, FRANCE 98 offers a consistent range of categories in the ten official World Cup stadiums. Consequently, 3 distinct categories of numbered seats are offered in nine of the ten stadiums. Only the Stade de France at Saint-Denis is offering 4 categories.
7. What seating is available in each category?
Will I be able to choose my seat? Because of stadium refurbishment and security requirements, the exact location of the categories will not be finally known until 1998. Actual place allocation will then be determined by the chronological order in which requests are received. 8. Will any seats be going free? No. The Organising Committee will be offering no free seats, except to accredited journalists, guest personalities in the official seats in the grandstand, and as part of special events organised for young people by the French Organising Committee.
9. When will I receive the tickets I have booked?
Tickets will be mailed in specially secured envelopes in May 1998 to beat attempts at fraud and forgery.
10. What arrangements have been made for the disabled?
Seats have been specially reserved for the disabled in all stadiums. Details and conditions concerning these seats will be released in September 1997, but a quota of tickets has already been earmarked for these spectators.
THE FRANCE 98 VOLUNTEERS
“No Organising Committee, whether it be for the World Cup or the Olympic Games, can do without the help of volunteers. They are absolutely essential”, says Michel Platini, the co-President of the 1998 French Organising Committee.
A general rallying round has also become a tradition in France when it comes to organising major events, recent examples being the bicentenary celebrations for the French Revolution in 1989 and the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville..
FRANCE 98 is no exception to this rule: 12,000 volunteers will be involved in organising the 1998 World Cup Finals from 10 June to 12 July, the largest volunteer programme ever undertaken in France (9,000 volunteers worked at the Albertville Olympics).
So that this highly ambitious programme goes off without a hitch, the French Organising Committee has set itself three fundamental objectives:
- Research by network
- Training
- Management
Recruitment
Volunteer recruitment began in October 1996 and is due to end in September 1997.
For the Venue of Directors at the ten host cities, the hiring of local volunteers and the setting up a volunteer programme is a vital part of their responsibilities. This process began in July 1996.
As a knowledge of the territory is obviously important, the Organising Committee decided that volunteers should be chosen from the local population around each host city.
In the selection process for volunteers in the 16th World Cup, the Organising Committee targeted several specific groups : the football and sporting communities, associations, universities and training colleges and FRANCE 98 commercial affiliates.
“No large-scale recruitment campaign was launched as we didn’t want to end up with a lot of very disappointed candidates”, says Max Bouchet-Virette, Head of the Volunteer Programme for the French Organising Committee.
As we go to press in June 1997, 16,000 possible candidates have already been selected by the French Organising Committee.
The would-be volunteers include 4,700 members of the football community (coming from clubs, districts and leagues), and 25% are women.
The average age among candidates is 33. For men, the average age is 35; for women 27.
40% of the volunteers are students, 40% are of working age and 10% are retired.
Training
In order to carry out their duties correctly, all FRANCE 98 volunteers are to receive comprehensive training.
The training schemes will follow a three pronged plan of attack:
- general (for all volunteers)
- targeted to a specific responsibility (for all volunteers who are to do a specific job, regardless of venue)
- venue training (for all volunteers working at the same venue, regardless of their responsibilities)
For each volunteer, the minimum training period will be 3 days.
Management
Those volunteers who are to carry out supervisory tasks will receive specific management and human resource training.
In this field, MANPOWER, a FRANCE 98 official Supplier and specialist in human resource management, will be putting its considerable know-how and experience at the Committee’s disposal.
Assignments and Volunteers Before the recruitment programme even began, a list of 20 jobs and 150 assignments was drawn up by the French Organising Committee.
Volunteers will have many different spheres of organisation to choose from : welcome/hospitality, security, translating/interpreting, accreditation, ticketing, transport, press, telecommunications, I.T., logistics, medical assistance, and so on.
The volunteers will carry out their duties, which may or may not be directly sport related, in the stadiums or the various organisational areas: at press and accreditation centres, at reception desks at each of the World Cup venues, at the Committee’s headquarters, at the International Media Centre in Paris and at all the information and reception areas set up at airports and railway stations in World Cup host cities.
During the competition in June and July 1998, a third of the volunteers will do security work and a quarter will carry out welcome/hospitality related tasks. A further 15% will work in the press/media department.
Volunteer rights and duties
Volunteers must be at least 18 at the time of the 1998 World Cup.
At the very least, volunteers must be available during the competition (early June to mid-July), on match days.
Volunteers must be willing to participate in the training sessions which will take place on three Saturdays (at least), during the spring of 1998.
Volunteers must have a fixed address at their chosen venue.
The Committee will supply a special competition outfit.
The Committee will pay for meals when appropriate.
The Committee will pay for travel expenses incurred within the venue region.
Schedule
- Summer 96 Distribution of official candidate folders
- September 96 Recruitment of a Human Resource Manager at each venue
- Oct 96 – Sept 97 Volunteer interviews
- Oct 97 Chosen volunteers notified
- Nov 97 – Feb 98 Information and training session
- Mars / May 98 Job and venue training
- June 98 Start work
THE TEN WORLD CUP STADIUMS FRANCE 98
Modernised, enlarged, or in the case of the Stade de France, built for the occasion, the ten stadiums that are to host between 10 June and 12 July 1998 the 64 games in the 16th World Cup finals will be at the very heart of the event.
Each stadium will be able to guarantee all 2.5 million spectators a comfortable, numbered seat, where they can soak up the big match atmosphere in complete safety.
BORDEAUX
STADE LESCURE
CAPACITY : 35,200
Work began: June 1996
Work ends: April 1998
Now classed as an historic monument, this stadium was inaugurated in 1938 when France staged the 3rd World Cup finals and the 1st ever organised by France. Many unforgettable football occasions have been enjoyed here, but perhaps the most memorable of all occurred last season when Les Girondins de Bordeaux qualified for the UEFA Cup Final.
The renovation work will increase capacity to 35,200, all seated, including 15,000 covered seats. A press centre, a television studio and a VIP lounge are to be created, while the ticket offices, players’ area and external lighting network are to be overhauled and improved. Finally, as with all World Cup stadiums, an extensive video monitoring system is to be installed. Only 2 km from the city centre and 4 km from the railway station, the stadium is very easily accessible.
LENS
STADE FÉLIX-BOLLAERT
CAPACITY: 41,275
Work began: July 1995
Work ends: July 1997
The geographical position of Lens perhaps explains why its stadium has such an “English” feel to it. After the improvements, the capacity of the stadium, built in 1932, will have changed from 49,581 (with standing room for 32,000) to 42,000 seats.
The alterations are dramatic: the Tranin, Delacourt et Lepagnot stands are being entirely rebuilt, while the Marek-Louis stands are undergoing a considerable face-lift, the rows and aisles being widened to give spectators greater ease of movement within the seats. There will be a new sound system, new lighting, two 32m2 electronic scoreboards, a video monitoring system, and a new look and a special course of treatment for the pitch. All these changes will result in a virtually brand-new stadium.
LYON
STADE DE GERLAND
CAPACITY: 44,000
Work began: January 1996
Work ends: September 1997
Lyon dwellers are very proud of their stadium, which, designed by the distinguished architect Tony Garnier, is one of the oldest in France (1926) and classed as an historic monument. The main renovation consists in new upper and lower tiers on the two curved sides of the stadium, which will be covered over with a structure of “metallo-textile”( a metallic fabric) coated in dirt-resistant teflon. The Jean Bouin and Jean-Jaures stands, presently undergoing restructuring, will accommodate new individual seating, hospitality boxes and improved changing room facilities.
Access will also be improved as will parking areas: a new thoroughfare linking the stadium to the Avenue Tony Garnier is under way, as well as a new esplanade in front of the Jean Jaures stand, and squares built around the ground which can be reached from the surrounding arcade. A central surveillance post will also be installed, ensuring security both inside and outside the stadium.
Improved surroundings and parking areas have facilitated access to the stadium. Gerland is well serviced by a motorway which has an exit right outside, and is within ten minutes walking distance of the city centre and the TGV station.
MARSEILLE
MUNICIPAL STADE
CAPACITY: 60,000
Work began: February 1996
Work ends: January 1998
In Marseille, where football is a religion, people have been looking forward to their “Grand Stadium” just as the rest of the country has been awaiting the Stade de France. Even if the new one has not been built from scratch, from now on, people will talk of the “old” and the “new” stadium. The latter, designed by the architect Jean Buffi, has been conceived as a vast sports and leisure area with a panoramic view of the city.
32 km of new tiered stands will take the capacity from 42,000 (including standing room for 10,000) to 60,000 seats, and the new lay-out will be integrated into the existing arrangements while preserving part of the Jean- Bouin and Ganay stands, which have historical significance for Marseille. New to the stadium will be video monitoring and sound systems, lighting, electronic scoreboards, boxes and changing rooms, together with new amenities to make the venue thoroughly multi-purpose, including a conference room, permanent press centre, restaurants, etc.
The modernisation of the stadium is in fact only part of an enormous operation to give a face-lift to the surrounding urban district. Features include a public tree-lined square, and a new car-park with easy access from Marseille’s widest and most handsome avenues. Otherwise, the venue can be reached via the two metro lines that circle the stadium.
MONTPELLIER
STADE DE LA MOSSON
CAPACITY: 35,500
Work began: May 1996
Work ends: June 1997
When its seating capacity increases from 22,000 to 35,500, the Stade de Mosson moves into a new bracket.
This is why the work being carried out on this albeit modern stadium, recently built in 1990, is on such a wide-reaching scale. In fact, every area is being enlarged, even the pitch! The star piece of the new-look stadium is a stand with 17,300 seats, while the general lay-out of the lower stands, Corbières, Roussillon and Étang de Thau, is undergoing considerable alteration. Additions include a new 500m2 reception salon, a press centre and a TV studio, as well as new lighting, new sound and video monitoring systems, electronic scoreboards and signage. But the main technological innovation will undoubtedly be ticket computerisation. Outside the stadium, 2,000 parking places will be available, together with special access for the security services.
NANTES
STADE DE LA BEAUJOIRE
CAPACITY: 39,500
Work began: 2nd half of 1996
Work ends: April 1998
La Beaujoire, home to Nantes Atlantique Football Club, 7 times French Champion, was built in 1984 when France hosted the European Nations Cup. It is then, a very modern stadium, which is to benefit from even more improvements in order to host its 6 matches in the World Cup. These include new drainage and watering systems for the pitch, the improvement of sound and video monitoring systems, and an increase of lighting capacity to 1,400 lux for the playing area. A second electronic score board is also to be installed. The stands are currently being divided up into sections to accommodate new hospitality boxes and 10,000 new seats. Finally, a comprehensive signage system inside and outside the ground will facilitate access to the stadium, which is just 5 minutes from the city centre by car, bus or tramway.
PARIS
PARC DES PRINCES
CAPACITY: 49,000
Work began: July 1996
Work ends: March 1998
The ‘Parc des Princes’ stadium holds a special place in French affections. Since its renovation in 1972, it has become home to both the French national football and rugby teams, while its multi-purpose layout has made it one of the capital’s top-ranking venues. The Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson have performed there, and it has staged motorcross and showjumping events as well as being the home ground to Paris Saint-Germain.
Before hosting matches in the 1998 World Cup, “Le Parc” will undergo considerable improvements: new, more comfortable seats are to be installed throughout; a new stand will include 44 places for the disabled; the presidential and official stands are to be refurbished, as are the press areas; the changing rooms will be modernised, while newly-installed scoreboards and an up-graded lighting system will improve visibility throughout the stadium.
Lastly, a new signage system will be installed both inside and around the stadium, although its location above the Paris ringroad on the outskirts of the city’s 16th district already makes it easy to find.
SAINT-DENIS
STADE DE FRANCE
CAPACITY: 80,000
Work began: May 1995
Work ends: November 1997
This is the “Grand Stadium” that all sport lovers in France have been waiting for. There is no shortage of words to describe it, “aesthetically pleasing”, “ultra-modern”, “multi-purpose”, and “gigantic” being only a few that spring to mind.
The work is progressing swiftly : the main shell has been completed, the roof installed and the stands built. The mobile stands on air cushion supports should be in place in October 1997 and the grass laid in November.
The stadium will boast a total capacity of 80,000 seats, all with maximum comfort and visibility and parking for 6,000 vehicles. Situated to the north-west of Paris, 1.5 km from Porte de la Chapelle, the stadium can be reached by two motorways (A1 and A86), as well as the Nr.13 metro line, and two RER (regional railway) lines, B and D, which link the venue to the centre of Paris and two airports, Roissy and Orly.
The inauguration is scheduled for 28 January 1998 with a friendly match between France and Spain on the programme.
SAINT-ÉTIENNE
STADE GEOFFROY-GUICHARD
CAPACITY: 36,000
Work began: May 1996
Work ends: January 1998
Popularly known as “le chaudron vert” (the green cauldron) since the heyday of A.S Saint-Etienne, ‘les Verts’ (the Greens) in the 1970s, the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium is renowned throughout Europe. It has undergone many renovations since 1965, notably in 1984 before the European Nations Cup, and is to be transformed once again to host the World Cup. The western facade has already been entirely rebuilt, giving the main entrance a more monumental and imposing appearance. The east stand has had another tier added, which overhangs the stadium. The terraces have all been replaced by rows of seats. The main stand has been completely revamped, and now has adjoining changing rooms, offices and reception areas. The lighting, video monitoring, sound system and score boards have all been replaced by more sophisticated installations. Since 17 August 1996, the “green cauldron” has in fact been greener than ever, boasting a completely new pitch. The immediate vicinity of the stadium has also “gone green”, with new landscaping enhanced by 870 new trees. Finally, two new roads have been built to the east and south, enabling access from the city to each stand.
TOULOUSE
STADIUM MUNICIPAL
CAPACITY: 37,000
Work began: September 1996
Work ends: January 1998
With its oval, rugby-style pitch, the Municipal Stadium is familiar chiefly to those who regularly follow the Toulouse rugby team. But the venue is also used by the Toulouse Football Club, winners of the French Cup in 1957 and newly promoted to the French Premier Division.
The Stadium Municipal, which is close to the city centre, has a magnificent location on a island between the two branches of the river Garonne.
The main improvement being undertaken as the World Cup approaches is the replacement of the stadium cover with a new “metallo-textile” (metallic fabric) structure, enabling the removal of the pillars in the stands and thereby providing perfect visibility. Its capacity increases from 35,000 to 37,000 seats, with the construction of a new balcony in the north stand.
Other new features include boxes, a lighting capacity increased to 1,400 lux, and video monitoring and sound systems. There will also be improvements to the changing rooms, reception salons, press stands and lay-out of the surrounding area. The new-look stadium is due for completion at the beginning of 1998.
SAFETY AND SECURITY AT FRANCE 98
Public safety and security are of paramount importance to the French Organising Committee, and were two key elements in France’s candidature bid to stage the 16th Football World Cup.
“If the FRANCE 98 slogan ‘ The Beauty of a World at Play ‘ is to ring true,” says Jacques Lambert, Managing Director of the French Organising Committee “then Safety must be a byword for everyone involved.” As he was Governor General of Savoie during the 1992 Winter Olympics, and responsible for security, Jacques Lambert has a vital amount of experience in organising this kind of event.
Safety arrangements and security systems for the 1998 World Cup have been set up with two main priorities:
- Safe, user-friendly stadiums
- A World Cup which will be a success in terms of sport, but also a great celebration.
The fact that the matches are to be played in ten of France’s biggest cities and urban areas, that the event is to be massively covered by the media; that many different people in great numbers are to be present at the venues and in the stadiums; that the number of teams participating is higher than ever before and that these teams will be travelling around the country; all means that safety and security must be well managed, which in turn depends on the proper use of all resources, whether in terms of peoples skills, or the means available.
THE FRENCH ORGANISING COMMITTEE AND THE STATE SHARE RESPONSIBILITY
The French Organising Committee and the State will be working together and sharing overall responsibility for safety at the World Cup.
The division of responsibility was officialised thirteen months before the Opening Match when a security agreement was signed on 21 May 1997 by the Home Secretary and the French Organising Committee.
The World Cup will be the first large-scale sporting event to put into effect the 1995 Security Act, which requires that responsibility for security be squarely divided between the State and the organisers : within the stadiums, the CFO’s own security staff take charge, while outside, public safety will be ensured and order enforced by the State.
Two distinct sectors will be defined at the World Cup venues: A “CFO sector”, which includes the stadium and its surroundings, and encompasses the various CFO outposts: the Press and Accreditation Centres, the hospitality villages, and so on. Within this sector, the French Organising Committee will be in charge of security. A second, larger sector, marking out the area around the stadiums, which will be overseen by the state security forces.
The agreement, which is the outcome of a highly-productive dialogue between the two parties, also sets the amount to be paid by the CFO to the State for the general enforcement of security for the competition.
While guaranteeing top-level conditions of safety for the many different supporters coming from around the world, the agreement respects the desire of both sides for the World Cup to be the relaxed and enjoyable occasion that such an event should be.
THE FRENCH ORGANISING COMMITTEE’S SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES
For the French Organising Committee, which is to put FF 100 million into maintaining public safety, there are three guiding principles to be observed :
- the safety of people and their possessions
- crowd control
- medical care and assistance.
Within these three areas, the Government and the French Organising Committee have jointly decided upon various ways of providing top-level conditions of security. A key factor in the security operation’s overall success will be to ensure that personnel are well-trained and prepared for any eventuality. Security and safety, however, are “multi-faceted and come in many shapes and forms”, says Governor General and CFO Managing Director Jacques Lambert. These include :
Accreditations This concerns around 50,000 people (official delegations, media, organisers, volunteers, commercial affiliates) and entails painstaking preparations, with close attention to public safety and security, before an official World Cup pass can be handed out. Notably, these preparations include compiling a register of the different accreditation categories, outlining zones and defining access conditions, and setting up accreditation centres and access controls systems.
Ticketing: With tickets, great pains are being taken to avoid counterfeiting and fraud. To tighten security, match tickets are to be printed and sent out just a few weeks before the World Cup begins. State-of-the-art counterfeit-proof techniques will be deployed and tickets are to be delivered to customers in conditions of water-tight security.
Communication and energy supply systems Information technology and telecommunication systems deployed by the French Organising Committee and its technological partners are all equipped with safety nets and undergo meticulous security scrutiny. Equally, back-up systems are ready to kick in should there be an energy failure or safety risk at any of the World Cup venues.
SECURITY MEASURES IN THE FIELD
With the State and the French Organising Committee sharing responsibility for safety, the security measures set up will be complementary as well as effective.
Outside the stadiums, public safety will be ensured and order enforced by the police and the army security forces. However they may also intervene within the stadiums themselves at the organisers request, or should they see fit. On match days during the World Cup, around 5,000 extra state security troops and a mobile police presence will be on hand as well as local police, security forces and medical staff. A number of special units, including helicopters, will also be deployed by the state security organisation.
Inside the stadiums, the CFO’s own security staff will welcome, seat and assist spectators. A medical team of emergency and first-aid specialists will also be on hand.
Stadium stewards: “stadiers” At each World Cup stadium, numbered individual seats, sophisticated video-monitoring systems and the general lay-out mean that each spectator can be sure of watching the matches in comfortable and safe conditions.
For the first time during a large sporting event in France, a team of stewards – resembling their English counterparts who did such an impressive job at EURO 96 – will be at work in the stadiums.
As well as welcoming, checking, seating and providing assistance to spectators, the stewards will be ensuring public safety in and around the stadiums. At each stadium and for each match, there will be roughly one steward for every 100 spectators (meaning 800 stewards for matches at the Stade de France!)
A third of the stewards will be professionals and the other two-thirds made up of volunteers. Each team of stewards (between 8 and 10 people), will be supervised by a team leader who will in turn report to a team manager.
Each steward will be selected according to a number of strict criteria, and then undergo an intensive training course set up by the French Organising Committee in association with the State..
FIRST AID, HEALTH CARE AND ASSISTANCE
“The French Organising Committee will be making sure that professional medical care is available at each stadium and within its immediate vicinity”, says Ms. Dominique Spinosi, Head of Safety and Security for the French Organising Committee, ” something similar to the SAMU (French Ambulance and Emergency Service) will be set up, providing medical help within distinct boundaries and comprising permanent and mobile medical teams, control centres, and so on.”
Each stadium will comprise a main sick bay, four sector sick bays, a pitch sick bay, an official sick bay and a medical assistance area within the stadium vicinity. The latter will be able to cope with a large number of people at the same time, in, for example, “heat wave” type situations. A Central Medical Control Post in the stadium will co-ordinate all medical matters.
Between 7 and 9 emergency doctors and 50 to 90 first-aid staff will be employed at each stadium under the authority of a doctor/manager..
In total, 110 doctors and more than 900 first-aid staff will be on hand to provide medical treatment within the CFO sectors in and around the stadiums. If need be, the State (fire service, SAMU, State Security), who will be in permanent contact with the CFO medical services, will be ready to intervene.
Finally, a contract has been signed between the French Organising Committee and France Secours, making the latter an Official Equipment Supplier to FRANCE 98. The agreement will enable World Cup spectators and the 12,000 volunteers to take advantage of medical coverage in addition to first-aid.
As a partner, France Secours will also be setting up a medical centre within the International Media Centre in Paris in association with the French Organising Committee.
Emergency and first-aid specialists will be on hand around the clock in the sick bay and recovery rooms, to provide medical assistance to the 9,000 members of the media from France and abroad.
THE FRANCE 98 INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CENTRE
An enormous operation will roll into action in the coming football World Cup, when 9,000-odd accredited journalists turn up to take part in the event which will be receiving more media coverage than any other at the end of the 20th century.
Generally the print media and radio/television media work in different places. But in 1998 the CIM, or International Media Centre, will be providing all the facilities needed by the television teams, radio crews, newspapers and photographers coming from all over the world under one roof.
It was at the suggestion of the Paris City Council that the French Organising Committee and the World Cup host broadcaster TVRS 98 decided, with the approval of FIFA and the International Radio and Television Consortium, to set up the International Media Centre (CIM) at the Parc des Expositions, located at the Porte de Versailles in Paris’ 15th district.
The International Media Centre (CIM) will cover an area of 30,000 m2. It will be open 24 hours a day, and will provide journalists and technicians with all the space and equipment they need to do their work effectively between 1 June and 13 July 1998.
A meeting point for all the accredited media representatives, the International Media Centre (CIM) will be the “nerve centre” for all journalistic activities covering the 1998 World Cup.
And in its position in halls 5 and 6 at the Parc des Expositions in Paris, it will be an eleventh venue, so to speak, for the World Cup.
There will be three main sections:
- The Main Press Centre (Centre Principal de Presse, or CPP), for newspaper photographers and journalists
- The International Radio and Television Centre ( Centre International de Radio et de Télévision, or CIRTV) for accredited radio and television crews
- The Main Accreditation Centre (Centre Principal d’Accreditation, or CPA), which will be processing most of the accreditations for the World Cup.
There will also be a general administration office, several reception areas and checking zones, a “boutique” area for the Official FRANCE 98 Sponsors and Partners, and a wide range of facilities available for all those working in the complex.
It will take four months to complete all the work that needs to be done on the Centre for the World Cup, with a finishing date set for May 1998.
The International Media Centre also has a large amount of parking space, and is well served by the Parisian public transport network. Its geographical situation is a great advantage. Being only a few minutes from the Parc des Princes means that journalists will be able to get to airports and rail-stations quickly, and Paris itself being right on hand brings many obvious advantages. With the Centre, the capital becomes more than ever the heart of the whole event!
THE MAIN PRESS CENTRE (CPP)
This is the main centre for journalists and photographers in the print media, and will cover an area of 9,000 m2. It will be divided into three main sections:
- The editing room, catering for up to 350 journalists and equipped with special services like telecommunications, photocopiers, press release distribution facilities and banks of video screens.
- The French Organising Committee offices for the FIFA and CFO heads of press, which will also house the operations centre for INFO 98, as well as translation and interpreting services.
The private office space rented and laid out as required by the main newspaper organisations and press agencies.
THE INTERNATIONAL RADIO AND TELEVISION CENTRE (CIRTV)
The largest area in the complex, covering 20,000 m2, will be laid out and managed by TVRS 98, the host broadcaster for the World Cup. It will be divided into four sections: • The nodal, a central point which will receive, edit and relay all television transmissions from the venues, as well as related commentary circuits. This will be a real “stronghold”, equipped with multi-image screens, technical consoles, and a powerful, security-tight energy supply, together with full air-conditioning. Entry will be strictly controlled. The nodal has a heavy responsibility: carrying all the World Cup matches to billions of television viewers throughout the world.
- Privates office space rented and laid out as required by rights-holding television channels, who will be able to stage on-the-spot broadcasts and programmes and “flesh-out” the images provided by the nodal with different insertions depending on the country (studios, production equipment and so on)
- Technical areas, which can be reserved for use by foreign radio and television crews (editing rooms, commentator boxes etc.)
- Offices of TVRS 98, the host broadcaster for the 16th World Cup.
THE MAIN ACCREDITATION CENTRE (CPA)
This area, covering 1,000 m2 on two floors, will be partially open as of April 1998 for accrediting the Volunteers.
Its role will become increasingly important from then on until 1 June 1998. This is when reception and accreditation procedures will start for media representatives who have chosen Paris as their initial destination in France when coming from abroad to cover the World Cup.
THE DRAW FOR THE FINALS
For the first time ever in the history of the Football World Cup: a draw in a stadium, in front of 38,000 spectators!
“We could have organised the draw in front of a select audience, in a prestigious place”, point out Fernand Sastre and Michel Platini, Co-Presidents of the French Organising Committee of the 16th Football World Cup. “However, because we wish this World Cup to belong to everyone, and to young people in particular, we decided we would like to hold the FRANCE 98 draw in a stadium filled with 38,000 guests, a majority of them young people. FIFA loved the idea, and this event will thus be a first in the history of the Football World Cup, as will be the prestigious and highly symbolic match preceding the draw”.
The Stade Vélodrome in Marseille will host this exceptional event
On 4 December 1997, almost 2 years to the day since the draw for the qualifying rounds was held in Paris, Marseille, a city in the south of France, situated on the shores of the Mediterranean, will stage the draw for the World Cup Finals. FRANCE 98 will invite the world to tune in to this event, being held in the city where 7 matches in the 1998 World Cup will be played.
The Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, will be the venue for the 16th World Cup Finals draw.
A massive stage will be put up for the occasion in the north corner of the stadium, and the 38,000 spectators will be able to follow the draw on two giant screens placed on either side of the stage.
The event will also be covered throughout the world on major television channels.
When the draw takes place, the 30 countries which qualified for FRANCE 98 during the 623 qualifying matches, along with current holders Brazil and host nation France, will find out, at last, which teams they will be facing in the World Cup Finals.
The aim of the draw is to divide up the 32 qualifying teams into 8 groups of 4 and to schedule the World Cup matches which are to be played between 10 June and 12 July 1997.
A prestigious sporting event will open the draw.
The World Cup Finals draw is once again set to be a highly charged, nail biting occasion.
Yet, it won’t be the only event happening in Marseille on 4 December this year!
The French Organising Committee has decided to cover completely new ground, by staging an event which has truly universal appeal.
As a prelude to the draw, the Stade Vélodrome will host a highly prestigious football match at the end of the afternoon.
Michel Platini is keen to make this match “one of a kind, symbolising all the different values that France 98 is seeking to promote”.
A few months before the forthcoming World Cup Finals, the match will bring together two symbolic teams: the first team will comprise 15 players representing each of the 15 European countries which have qualified for the Finals, with the other team being made up of their 17 counterparts from the other 17 qualified teams from the “Rest of the World.”
FIFA and the French Organising Committee hope that the best players in the world will be present. Joseph S. Blatter, FIFA Secretary General, and Michel Platini are busy working on it.
The European team will be coached by Franz Beckenbauer, coach to the victorious German team at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Carlos Alberto Parreira, the coach to the Brazilian world champions in 1994 in the United States will manage the rest of the world team.
A quarter of an hour after the final whistle blows, at around 7 p.m., various personalities will take their place on the giant stage set up at the north end of the stadium in the Ray Grassi Stand.
Over the next 45 minutes, the equivalent of one half of a match, the first World Cup draw ever to take place in a stadium will be made amid much music and entertainment.
The French Organising Committee is currently preparing this one-off experience in the belief that the world will share in the atmosphere of excitement, sharing and universality that FRANCE 98 wishes to offer.
The official anthem, poster and ball of the 16th World Cup will also be revealed at this great occasion.
THE DRAW – SOME KEY FIGURES
- A stage 60 m long, 15 m high and 12 m deep, put up for the occasion in the north corner of the Vélodrome stadium.
- The spectators will be able to follow the draw on two 45 m2 giant screens, set up on either side of the stage.
- The stage weighs 200 tonnes! 60 people will work 96 hours non stop to build it!
- 13 trucks will be needed to transport the decor, sound and lighting equipment, and the stage itself.
- The sound equipment will have a capacity of 150,000 watts.
- 60 technicians will work on sound and lighting alone. • Between 15 and 20 km of cables will be needed to supply power for the event itself and its televised transmission.
- Close to 1,500 people will work at the Stade Vélodrome on 4 December 1997, to ensure the technical production of the France 98 Finals draw.
D-1 : THE FOOTBALL FESTIVAL
“Paris lays on a party for the world” sums up the way the French Organising Committee and the Paris City Council see the World Cup.
On 9 June, just twenty four hours before a month of top class football and entertainment kicks off, the “Football Festival” will set the tone of brotherhood and friendship which France wishes to send out to the world.
The whole of France will open its arms to welcome the world and celebrate the last great event of the millennium, in keeping with the country’s tradition for creativity and artistic invention. Paris’ avenues, squares and monuments, will be lit up for the event, providing a unique and exceptional backdrop for this planetary festival.
This majestic, unusual, colourful and joyous festival will also be viewed by a world-wide television audience.
Jean-Pascal Lévy-Trumet has been handed the responsibility for artistic creation and direction, while William Perkins and Gad Weil will be in charge of production.
As for the theme, Josée Santoni, Special Events Director for the French World Cup Organising Committee, makes it clear that “part of the magic of such an event lies in the element of surprise, so we’d like to keep details about the Football Festival under wraps for as long as possible.”
Jean-Pascal Lévy-Trumet (artistic creation and direction)
On 18 June 1990, Jean Pascal Lévy-Trumet paid hommage to General de Gaulle in a show held on the River Seine in front of an audience of 200,000. In 1992, 300,000 spectators watched on as he stage-managed the procession of 10,000 people accompanying the Olympic Flame down the Champs Elysées.
On 20 April 1995, in the presence of François Mitterrand , he managed the French national tribute to Pierre and Marie Curie as their ashes were moved and laid to rest in the Pantheon.
Caen, 6 June 1995, saw Jean-Pascal Lévy-Trumet direct the closing ceremony of the Normandy landing commemorations. Watched by a host of foreign heads of state, the show entitled “Au Nom des Hommes” (In the name of the men who fought) featured a cast of 2,000 and was enjoyed by over 60,000 spectators.
William Perkins and Gad Weil ( Production )
William Perkins is an old hand at producing large-scale factual communication drives for blue-chip companies launching new products.
Additionally, in November 1995, he directed a show destined for a much wider audience – the 25th anniversary of the Sultan of Oman’s coronation which was celebrated in front of 40,000 spectators.
On 15 and 16 June 1996, William Perkins staged the Opening Ceremony of the 64th Le Mans 24-hour race in front of a 160,000 crowd. In 1990, Gad Weil along with 3,000 helpers, was responsible for the considerable feat of transforming the Champs Elysées into a mighty wheat field. Organised on behalf of the Centre National des Jeunes Agriculteurs the “harvest” was visited by over a million people and seen by millions of others on television.
On 26 August 1994, together with a cast of 6,000, Gad Weil organised the 50th anniversary celebrations to commemorate General De Gaulle marching down the Champs Elysées. 150,000 people watched on.
More recently, in January 1997, he directed the Opening Ceremony, to mark the 700th anniversary of the Grimaldi family dynasty in Monaco, and managed the 1997 Nice Carnival.
