Communications Managers Share ICC CWC 2007 Ideas A
As ICC CWC 2007 Venue Summit IX continues in Saint Lucia, more delegates have arrived to participate in critical sessions covering key specialist areas in the run-up to the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The three-day Corporate Communications Workshop V opened yesterday (June 7) with delegates from all nine Host Venues in attendance.
Communications Managers from all of the Local Organising Committees (LOCs) spent the morning updating each other on the communications activities taking place in their respective territories. The forum afforded them the opportunity to share creative ideas and highlight successes in the roll-out of their programmes as well as identifying country-specific challenges which they face.
"Spending time with my counterparts from the other Host Venues in this type of forum is of huge benefit. It is great to see and hear about the roll-out of each LOC's specific programmes. There is a lot of work being done at the grassroots level right across the region."
"It was useful to be able to each share some of the daily challenges we face as individual Host Venues that may not be so apparent from a regional perspective. It means we benefit from hearing about everyone's experiences. For example, a creative idea that has been successful in one country might be something we can think about adapting and applying ourselves," noted Communications Manager of St. Vincent & the Grenadines LOC, Elson Crick.
The group sessions then saw participants collectively working through some of the communications issues surrounding the delivery of the tournament, as well as shining the spotlight on best practices.
Planning and management of crisis communications formed the foundation for the afternoon session as the delegates were led through a training session facilitated by Alison Saunders-Franklyn of SFA Communications.
Key learnings included agreement on why crisis planning is necessary, issues monitoring in order to correctly identify potential crises and key actions to be undertaken in the event of a crisis.
"Being prepared to deal with a crisis in the run up to a tournament of this size is very important," commented Jennifer Gaston of the Saint Lucia LOC.
"One of the key things we covered was the fact that this tournament has so many stakeholders and that as a result while we are clear on what the roles of CWC and LOCs are, we now need ensure that in each country we hold a strategic crisis planning session with organisations who have an interest in various aspects of the delivery of this tournament, so that everyone knows where the lines of communication are demarcated."
The fifth Corporate Communications workshop continues today and finishes tomorrow.
Widespread Interest Leads To More Time For Entries
An enthusiastic response from the international music community has resulted in an extension of the submission deadline for proposals for the Official Song of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
Interested persons or companies now have until Friday June 23, 2006, to reply to the Request for Proposal (RFP) – a week longer than today’s original deadline – with the signature song for next year's tournament set to be launched later this year.
Heavy promotion of the tender for the official tournament song in recent weeks has resulted in a surge in interest among music producers, artistes, record companies, part-time musicians and singers from across the world, including Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, St. Vincent, the UK and the USA. However, many entities have requested more time to get their submissions ready.
"We have been getting a wave of positive feedback regionally and internationally, with some individuals and companies requesting more time in which to respond, especially as many have to ship their submissions from different parts of the Caribbean, North America and Europe. Therefore, to facilitate as many proposals as possible, ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. has decided to push back the deadline by a week," explained ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc. Marketing Manager Damon Leon.
"The response has been enthusiastic with artistes, producers and record companies, both large and small, stating their intentions to submit proposals. They recognise that this is a wonderful opportunity which could lead to international recognition and prestige. A lot of them are very excited about submitting their proposal and being part of this historic event in the Caribbean."
Individual singers, record producers and even musical hobbyists, he added, have been encouraged to form consortia with peers in their industry to further strengthen their proposal but he noted this is not a mandatory requirement.
"Given the interest being shown and the deadline extension, we at Cricket World Cup anticipate a variety of submissions, which will challenge us in selecting the successful individual or company to produce the Official Song for next year's ICC Cricket World Cup," said Leon, adding that the successful song will also feature on the official ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 music CD.
Caribbean Culture And Heritage On Show In ICC CWC
ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. has announced that the Opening Ceremony for next year's ICC Cricket World Cup will be a collaborative undertaking among all the Host Venues, spearheaded by Jamaica.
Stating that a decision has been taken "to keep this event in-house," Managing Director & CEO of ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc., Chris Dehring, disclosed that plans are well underway to ensuring that the "first taste of the Cricket World Cup showcases the Caribbean's rich heritage – cricket and otherwise – and the talent and creativity of our people."
"While we obviously cannot divulge details of the Opening Ceremony, it will be a reflection of this region and its amazing cricketing, musical and entertainment culture. The challenge is to fuse all the special elements which make the Caribbean the unique and appealing destination it is," he said.
The Opening Ceremony, which will herald the start of the six-week tournament across nine Caribbean countries, is slated for Sunday March 11, 2007, at the new Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium in Jamaica. The Jamaica Local Organising Committee (LOC) has been given responsibility for overseeing its planning in conjunction with fellow LOCs in the other eight Host Venues.
"We are pleased to have been asked to take the lead in this assignment which we will undertake on behalf of the whole region. This is the one event in the Cricket World Cup that will showcase the entire Caribbean to the world," noted Jamaica LOC CEO, Robert Bryan.
"Not only will it signal the start of what we anticipate will be seven weeks of absorbing cricket, but it will also be an unparalleled opportunity to prove that we can live up to the excellence and world-class standards befitting such an occasion."
Adding that it will be the only time at which the full complement of all 16 Participating Nations will be gathered together, Bryan said "we want to ensure it is memorable for all who attend it as well as for the global television audience of 2.2 billion to whom it will be broadcast."
ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc. Chairman Kenneth Gordon stressed that, while intent on staging "an Opening Ceremony of which the Caribbean can be proud," it would be important to control costs.
"As with all world games, concerns have been expressed about costs. We are well aware of the challenge of exercising financial prudence with every aspect of Cricket World Cup, including the Opening Ceremony, while observing world-class standards" he said, pointing out that Germany had publicly announced the "scaling down" of its Opening Ceremony for the ongoing FIFA World Cup to reduce costs.
