The world of FIFA's Marketing Assets and Programmes is manifold. For the most part it includes the creation and marketing of all FIFA Marks, of which the Event Marks for the various FIFA tournaments are developed in cooperation with the respective Local Organising Committee. In particular, these are the Official Trophies, Official Mascots, Official Emblems, Official Posters and related programmes (e.g. Fan Fest, Trophy Tours).

The most prominent brands and initiatives evolve around the FIFA World Cup ™, of which several are highlighted on this site.

The Fan Fest
The concept of staging Public Viewing events in all 12 Host Cities for the entire duration of the 2006 FIFA World Cup under one "unifying roof" was developed by FIFA together with the Host Cities and with the support of the Local Organising Committee over a period of more than two years. One of the main reasons for the creation of the 'Fan Fest FIFA World Cup concept was to provide a solution to the biggest problem facing the 2006 FIFA World Cup: the shortage of match tickets. FIFA developed an overall event concept, in which the individual Fan Fest events could be organised by the cities themselves. FIFA was responsible for the overall coordination of the entire Fan Fest operation, including the supply and operation of the basic infrastructure for all 12 cities (the videowalls/ giant screens, stages, sound, lighting and decoration).

The basic infrastructure was financed by FIFA through the appointment of four Top Partners (Coca-Cola, Hyundai, MasterCard and Toshiba) of the Fan Fest. These Partners received comprehensive and exclusive marketing rights in relation to the Fan Fest. The TV rights holder Infront Sports & Media provided the Host Cities with a public viewing television licence to broadcast all matches, free of charge.

Entertainment Concept
The best sites in each of the 12 Host Cities were chosen as locations for the Fan Fest events, which were mostly referred to as "the second stadium" in the Host City, as all Fan Fest events were also decorated in the official FIFA World Cup Look. Entry to the Fan Fest events was free of charge. Supporters were able to enjoy the broadcasting of all matches live on state-of-the-art giant screens. The Host Cities set up daily entertainment programmes, which differed from city to city.

Commercial results
The Fan Fest was a commercially attractive event, too. Astronomical quantities of food and drinks were consumed: 3.5 million litres of beer as well as the same number of non-alcoholic drinks and 3.5 million bratwurst sausages were consumed. KarstadtQuelle installed Official 2006 FIFA World Cup Shops at practically every Fan Fest site and achieved million dollar revenues through the sale of official licensed products. The four Top Partners entertained the fans at their commercial displays and on stage and registered high advertising contact totals due to the vast crowds. In addition, Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola used the opportunity to pour their products at the prime locations of the Fan Fest events. And even some small local businesses benefited from the Fan Fest events as local Fan Fest Host City Sponsors.

Logistics and Organisation
Huge logistical operations provided the foundations for the success. Some 17,000 staff members ensured that everything ran smoothly on-site and on the 14 stages and 34 giant screens. FIFA operated with a dedicated Fan Fest account management team on a permanent basis. During the tournament, three FIFA Regional Managers and 12 FIFA Local Venue Managers coordinated and supervised the (de)installation of the infrastructure and implementation on-site.

Security Measures
The Fan Fests offered supporters from home and abroad not only a joyful but also a peaceful way of experiencing the matches. Local authorities developed comprehensive security measures (such as entrance controls, fences, no bottle-policy, video surveillance), which were implemented without any major incidents. The Local Organising Committee's "Fan Embassies" provided a first point of contact for the fans. Research has shown that 87 percent of the attendees described the security arrangements at the Fan Fests as "very good". The only "problem" which the Host Cities had to face was "overcrowding", which caused the gates to be closed early in the afternoon for some of the matches. The majority of the Host Cities even decided to extend their Fan Fest sites and to install further screens after the first round in order to provide sufficient space for the celebrating fans.

Media
The Fan Fests proved an exceptionally attractive communication platform. Approximately 15,000 media representatives attended the Fan Fests. The Host Cities´ dedicated Fan Fest Media Lounges were much frequented by overseas media representatives. Images captured at the Fan Fests, from historical squares at the heart of the cities, made their way around the world. The Official German Broadcasters ARD, ZDF and RTL, which allowed the Host Cities to use their signal at no cost, often reported live from the sites.

Success
The Fan Fest was one of the success stories of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. More than 18 million fans celebrated at the official "Fan Fest" sites in the 12 Host Cities during the tournament in a peaceful, joyful and colourful manner which improved the host nation's image around the world. The popularity of the Fan Fest exceeded the expectations of FIFA and the 12 Host Cities. Research has shown that an incredible 89 percent of Fan Fest visitors rated the Fan Fest as "the second best place to be after the stadium". The Fan Fest also turned out to be a new and successful marketing and promotional platform for FIFA and its Commercial Affiliates. And despite the fact that 81% of fans were experiencing Public Viewing for the first time, 84% said they would now go to similar events much more often. Fan Fests are destined to become an indispensable component of future FIFA World Cups.

Fan Fest 2006 FIFA World Cup in figures

  • 12 FIFA World Cup Host Cities
  • 15 event locations
  • 31 days in a row
  • 18 million visitors (6 times as many as in stadium)
  • 39 giant screens
  • 14 stages
  • 19,000 staff members
  • 350 trucks for stages, giant screens, scaffolding, sound, lighting
  • 3.5 million litres beer poured
  • 3.5 million Bratwurst sausages sold
  • 15,000 media representatives