The bid committee pitching for a FIFA World Cup in the U.S. in 2018 or 2022 has brought in Fleishman-Hillard to guide communications.
F-H’s sport business unit is developing campaign themes, guiding public affairs, special events and other PR initiatives for the committee, which represents the U.S. Soccer Federation as it vies against 12 other countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
With a deadline of May 2010, the bid process spans 21 months and winners will be named in December of that year.
Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Russia, as well as joint bids between the Netherlands-Belgium and Portugal-Span are pitching both years. Qatar and South Korea are only eying the '22 event.
The U.S. last hosted the World Cup in 1994 and saw more than 3.5M fans attend 52 matches, an attendance record despite 12 fewer matches than are played in recent tournaments.
Dave Senay, president and CEO of F-H, called the effort a "great privilege and a high responsibility" for the firm. "We look forward to getting down to work," he said.
South Africa next hosts in 2010 with Brazil to follow in 2014.
In a press conference yesterday, the U.S. bid rolled out global heavyweight, Henry Kissinger, to lobby for the tournament to be held here. |