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The 2015 World Men’s Handball Championship will be held in Qatar from January 15 to February 1 and preparations are in full swing for the mega event. |
Sheikha Asmaa Thani al-Thani, the head of marketing and Communications for Qatar 2015, spoke about the buzz surrounding the tournament and plans to make it exciting for fans.
Excerpts:
Sheikha Asmaa: Excitement is growing as the final days to the Opening Ceremony of the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship are quickly passing! We are really counting down the minutes and seconds and our aim is to engage the local as well as the world handball community with a series of exciting events.
We are aiming to create awareness, to create buzz, raise expectations and prepare the fans for a unique World Championship by splitting the 100 days countdown into the main milestones, 100, 75, 50, 25, 10 and -1 day. An integral part of our strategy is engaging the Qatari fans as well: As part of the Schools programme, we will be inviting schools from Qatar to participate in handball tournaments. The Schools programme’s main objective is to enhance sports education in a fun and exciting way and introducing handball to the young generation perfectly meets this purpose.
There is also other exciting news our ticketing campaign and many other surprises for the fans. On top of everything I mentioned, we will also have a song launch that will include artists from all over the world, sending a positive message for the game of handball and Qatar.
Sheikha Asmaa: Qataris have sport in their hearts and the 24th World Handball Championship will be yet another proof of our dedication to Sport. We have some nice surprises at bay for the fans and allow me to name a few: Renowned artists will provide entertainment during the World Championship and spectacular shows will add a bit of spice to the actual sport competition.
Sport is about what brings people from different cultures and backgrounds together and this is exactly what we have in mind by creating a social hub connecting fans from all over the globe to interact with the communities of the 24 participating countries. Everyone is welcome to taste the hospitality Qatar offers! Food and beverages will cater for all dietary needs of spectators at the venues.
We want to offer the fans the full sporting experience of a World Championship: The actual handball matches and a wide array of side events and interactive competitions that will keep all fans happy and engaged throughout the duration of the World Championship. But there are more! New technologies and entertainment that will be showcased in Doha for the first time will keep the fans engaged throughout the duration of the 24th Men’s World Championship. Lusail for instance is a state-of-the-art facility and one of its kind in Qatar.
The fans that will be here for the World Championship will surely be impressed and will have something to talk about!
Sheikha Asmaa: Qatar is widely known for its hospitality and Qataris have welcomed the world on numerous occasions in the past.
We have specially tailored travel packages that are reaching out to all fans around the world through our official airlines partner Qatar Airways and those packages are really competitive in terms of pricing and services provided.
We have an intensive strategic communication plan that is reaching out to fans through different mediums, in order to encourage people to experience the sports tourism of Qatar. We want to welcome the World and we will do what it takes to succeed!
Sheikha Asmaa: Packages include some of the best January weather (22 C) in the world, match tickets, hotel booking & transfers, as well as tours to explore Qatar.
The sooner you book, the higher the discounts will be! Make sure to book in time until October 31st 2014, in order to make significant savings compared to last-minute bookings.
Qatar?
Sheikha Asmaa: The celebration of the National Day on December 18 is an issue of national pride for each and every Qatari citizen. Everyone supports our national colours and will be proud to see the Qatar National Handball team playing in front of our fans.
Just imagine the venues full of fans from all over the world, each one of them supporting their national team and the Qatari athletes doing their best in front of their fellow countrymen. This always gives an extra incentive to every athlete; the Qatari community is of crucial importance to us and a huge factor for the success of the World Championship.
Our campaign will engage the Qatari citizens during the National Day celebrations to support our National Team.
Sheikha Asmaa: Just imagine a whole Nation, a whole city, each and every citizen of Qatar, the visiting fans from all over the World, expats living in Doha participating in a celebration of Sport, not only in the venues, but in dedicated fan zones around the city in strategically selected spots!
We want to give the opportunity to everyone to take a taste of the festive atmosphere a World Championship offers and make the 24th Men’s Handball Championship an event to cherish and remember for years to come!
