V&A ready for kickoff

In a media announcement, yesterday, Thursday, 13 May, it stated that it had undertaken a series of stress-testing exercises to ensure its preparedness for the World Cup. The various sporting test events at the stadium are a case in point. "The Cape Town Stadium's test run events were opportunities for us to be exposed to high volumes of people. We have modelled our World Cup approach around this," explains David Green, CEO at the V&A Waterfront.

"We've partnered with some big brands in football such as Coca-Cola, adidas and MTN to ensure an interactive offering, which is tailored for fans in search of World Cup celebrations in a safe and secure environment. Moreover, as a hub for celebrations all year round, welcoming on average 1.7 million visitors every month, and more than 160 000 every New Year's Eve without incident, we are fully equipped and ready to host the influx of visitors during the World Cup period."

Four Zones

"We have transformed our prime sites into football action hubs. These four 'Zones' are accessible touch points for visitors to catch all the live action amidst the excitement of fellow football fans and live entertainment," comments Chantelle Kidd, marketing executive at the V&A Waterfront.

Each spectator zone is earmarked by a different activity or theme making it appealing to a wide range of visitors and leveraging the best of its indoor/outdoor destinations. The zones are the Eagles' Nest and Lions' Den breakwater parking rooftops; the MTN fan zone; Quay 4 on the Market Plaza; and the Hyundai spectator zone.

adidas entertainment

Outside the Victoria Wharf, adidas invites fans to its activation zone atop the Breakwater parking rooftop. It will also entertain football fans in the Barrow Court and throughout the centre with various football activations.

Wheel of Excellence

On the Canal Site (opposite the Caltex garage), South Africa's version of the London Eye, the Wheel of Excellence, will be open daily to the public. Imported from Paris, the 50m wheel is a first in the country and, with its 36 fully enclosed luxury cabins, will illuminate the Mother City's skyline, both day and night, from 8 June for an extended period post the World Cup.

Information centre upgraded

The new Information Centre (alongside Ferrymans on Dock Road), which has recently been upgraded to the value of nearly R5,5 million, aims to be the first stop to welcome local and international visitors to the V&A Waterfront. In addition to general tourist information, services include reservations for accommodation and tour bookings in and around the V&A Waterfront and surrounds. Furthermore, 60 roaming V&A Waterfront Ambassadors have been trained to assist international visitors throughout the property.

Media Centre

The V&A Waterfront has also partnered with the Salamander Group to provide the World Media and Legacy Centre (WMLC) for unaccredited international and domestic media looking for stories beyond football. Established to offer a one-stop solution to meet the needs of local and international media and business visitors, the WMLC offers access to hot desks, film equipment, stories tellers, high-speed internet and conference facilities. It also has free Internet access throughout the Victoria Wharf shopping centre every day during the tournament "to ensure we meet both international visitor's expected service standards while raising the bar locally," explains Kidd.

Safety and security, parking and access

Green also revealed the area has significant upgrades to safety and security, cleaning, lighting, access routes and parking facilities, following comparative risk assessments based on valuable lessons learnt at the World Cup in Germany.

"We have increased our security presence by 50% on match days and 25% on non-match days, to ensure we are covered to handle any unexpected eventualities. This includes employing additional full-time security personnel during the World Cup. All additional security personnel have worked with the area during the test match period, so are familiar with the site and proceedings. In addition, we have reviewed and updated the positioning of our 1000-plus CCTV cameras in all common areas."

Green added that new pedestrian routes can be accessed at the Clock Tower and the West Quay past Cape Grace and Bascule Bridge. "These are under full surveillance and we've worked closely with the Cape Town City Council, their consultants and the LOC to implement traffic management measures on match days as well as non-match days."

Pre-booked parking will be made available to visitors at Ulundi and at Portswood Square undercover parking. 3 000 casual bays will also be available at Victoria Wharf, Breakwater, Portswood and Clock Tower for regular visitors, throughout the tournament.

"The property holds a special place in the hearts of Capetonians and we want to ensure that the facility upgrades and tourism attractions have a sustainable economic impact beyond the World Cup activities," concludes Green.