By Andrew Warshaw
November 6 – The last minute cancellation of the Soccerex convention scheduled to be held in Rio later this month has sparked a war of words between the convention organiser Duncan Revie and Rio de Janeiro’s state government. Revie blames the government for pulling out due to civil unrest, the government says that the situation results from a commercial revenue shortfall.
Rio’s contract with Soccerex, according to the authorities, required the event organiser to fill any funding gap by private means. The city was not prepared to use public money to finance the event further than agreed. Revie is insistent that the cancellation was due to security concerns.
Some 4,500 high-profile delegates and speakers plus a number of leading global brands – many of them key decision makers – had been due to converge on the iconic Maracana stadium in Rio for the November 30 to December 5 summit that had been scheduled to coincide with the World Cup draw in Salvador shortly afterwards.
The conference, conceived by Revie – son of the late England manager Don Revie – was the fourth to be staged in Brazil and the latest in dozens of events Soccerex has hosted across five continents. Preparations were well advanced with content planned, speakers confirmed and partnerships in place.
Exhibitors and attendees had all spent money planning for the event. This money will now likely be lost and there has been no world from Soccerex as to whether compensation will be paid. Soccerex said it would sue for compensation.
It said the Rio state government “took the political decision to withdraw their support” and said it would be seeking “substantial compensation” for breaching contractual obligations.
“To be summarily cancelled in such a cavalier fashion, having hosted 33 events over five continents is extremely frustrating but nevertheless it has happened and is in contravention of all of the contractual obligations of the Rio State Government, who have been notified of our intention to instigate legal proceedings for substantial compensation,” said a Soccerex statement.
Soccerex moved swiftly to protect its other events, saying: “While the cancellation is an immense shock for everyone involved with Soccerex, it is important to note that the Soccerex Global Convention is contracted in Manchester for the next four years beginning in September 2014. The Soccerex African Forum will take place in Durban in November and two other Soccerex events, one in Russia, and one in the Americas are soon to be announced.”
Ina personal statement, Revie, who is Soccerex CEO, apologised to “every business, football club, league, federation and media organisation” affected.
“This unique and cruel conclusion to our time in Rio was completely out of our hands and everyone who has attended a Soccerex event over the last 18 years will know this is not how we do business,” he added.
But the city hit back, strongly denying it was responsible, instead citing a commercial dispute over how to pay for the event, accusing Soccerex of failing to raise sufficient private funds to cover the cost and declaring it was not prepared to put up public money to fill the gap.
“The state has all the conditions to host and guarantee security during any event to be realized in Rio de Janeiro,” a statement said.
“The state guarantees the security of multiple events, including New Year’s Eve on Copacabana beach, carnival, and the World Cup. The government of Rio de Janeiro encouraged the organisers to seek cultural and sports incentives [funding] and they failed to do so. Soccerex were advised to seek funding to host the event so that the state would not have to use public money.”
Ironically the cancellation of Soccerex and the knock-on effect on scores of federations, clubs, rights holders, leading brands and businessmen coincided with a Brazil 2014 briefing in London where Fifa’s marketing director Thierry Weil did his best to act as trouble-shooter.
Weil, who was present mainly to provide details of ticket sales, admitted that the mass protests against poor public services, high taxes and the lavish World Cup spend, which marred last summer’s Confederations Cup, had taken Fifa by surprise – as had calling off Soccerex.
“We are as surprised as anybody at this change of plans but we do not believe it will have any influence on the hosting of the World Cup,” he told reporters.
“It’s a pity it (Soccerex) has been canceled, it’s never good when you cancel such an event. Flights and hotels have been booked and this causes massive disruption, but this won’t impact on the World Cup.”
Carlos Cardim, head of the special advisory office on international affairs at the Brazilian embassy in London, said: “I do not know why this has happened yet but it is a shame for all those people involved.”
Former Brazilian star Ronaldo, now a member of the World Cup organizing committee, suggested the decision to cancel Soccerex was an overreaction – but did not apportion blame.
“The people are going out onto the streets to show their displeasure about how they were treated for so long, so they wanted change,” Ronaldo told Tuesday’s London briefing through a translator.
“I am in favour of any non-violent protests. Brazilians are tired of being ignored for so many years and want the government to respond to that weariness. They want a new type of treatment.”
“The cancelling of Soccerex because of the protests, that is exaggerating. Brazil is a civilised country. It’s a country that is known worldwide for being very hospitable to its tourists, they always come back.”
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