The FIFA Corporate Stands presents an opportunity not just to bring the President’s 11 goals to life at the Fan Festival, but for FIFA to reimagine and pioneer how fan experiences are produced. Before we present our strategy and concept for the FIFA Corporate Stand itself, we will outline the opportunity, challenges and our solution for sustainable, world class event production that meets the moment and extends well beyond into the future.
FIFA’s vision is clear make football truly global. To do this FIFA must ensure that every action reinforces the vision and serves as a catalyst for change. This is not the beginning of FIFA’s sustainability story, but it’s time to accelerate to ensure cultural relevancy, authenticity, and to mitigate risk. A risk not only to global football, but also to FIFA.
The FIFA Corporate Stand at the Fan Festival is FIFA’s first opportunity following COP26 to show, not tell, the world what it stands for. To make impact and show progress, our activity cannot look the same, feel the same, or highlight the same stories.
This is an opportunity to take the FIFA climate strategy pillars from words to action and lead the way in sustainable activation.
Since 2011, Austrian design firm Hochsitz has been designing, manufacturing, installing and operating high quality, exquisitely designed, sustainable and flexible building solutions for the biggest global events.GMR and Hochsitz have been working together at each Olympic Games since Sochi 2014, partnering to bring to life the P&G Family Home, hosting global athletes and their families. These beautiful and unique modern structures spring up as temporary hospitality spaces for all variety of guests and can be easily assembled and disassembled over and over again, leaving no mark on the footprint they occupy.
As a global leader, Hochsitz has perfected the sustainable production blueprint. Regardless of the final design, the model remains the same:
•100% sustainable building materials used.•“PEFC” certified cross laminated timber boards CLT (80%) in combination with steel columns (5%) and insulated glass (15%).
•No impact to the ground below through foundations.
•Extremely energy efficient to maximise air conditioning expenditure: insulation is equivalent to the European Passive House Standards and extremely noise resistant.
•Sustainable interior design materials amounts to ZERO waste.
•Planning, set up, maintenance and break down are executed in an environmentally friendly and thoughtful way, including water and food waste recycling and donation.
For Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco, the NFL and Host Committee created a set of guidelines for Super Bowl City, including the fan fest and commercial showcase. The result was a cohesive, elegant branded look and a strong commitment to sustainability by mandating certain materials, design styles and brand applications be utilized GMR worked closely with the Host Committee and NFL for all approvals and supported more clients at Super Bowl City than any other agency, including Chevron, SAP, Visa, Intel and Sonoma County. We believe these same principles can and should be applied to FIFA Tournaments and events, creating a global standard of excellence for those within the FIFA family, including partners, as well as looking outwards to other rights holders and media. Setting the bar and driving change through the influence and power of FIFA. Spreading the message of sustainability across a global stage through each tournament and activation.
