Sheikha Asmaa Thani al-Thani, head of Marketing and Communications Qatar 2015.
With the Preliminary Round and Eighth-Finals finished, Qatar 2015 has already had its fair share of surprises.
Qatar 2015 threw-off not only with a win for the hosts but with a spectacular opening ceremony at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall featuring breath-taking lighting displays, the Qatar Army Military Sport Parachute Team, fireworks, a live performance of the official song of the Championship ‘Live It’ by 24 artists representing each of the participating countries, and much more.
“Timing – making sure things happening on time,” replies Sheikha Asmaa Thani al-Thani, Head of Marketing and Communications, when asked if there were any challenges during the ceremony. “It was just these little things that happen at the last minute, but we were all ready for it.
“Throughout the whole ceremony, we were micro-scanning every move, every single segment that took place to make sure we were working to plan and on the right track. It was great for me to see the long hours and the hard work come to life. But to tell you the truth, what was more amazing for me was to see people’s smiling faces during the ceremony; it was an unforgettable experience.”
Yet, it is not all bright lights and fireworks for Sheikha Asmaa. She is quick to praise her team: 45 people spread across three venues and one main office, who work “24 hours, with a little rest to keep going”. They are responsible for ticketing, branding, sport presentation, shows, fan zones, entertainment and everything else that completes the Qatar 2015 ‘experience’ for the fans.
“We didn’t want to go through the traditional marketing and promotional ways to attract people to come to the Championship. We wanted it to be something for the long-term, a legacy that we could draw upon for future events,” explains Sheikha Asmaa.
Part of the marketing and promotion included developing the Qatar 2015 mascot, Fahed, who Sheikha Asmaa describes as the “cheeky little kid within all of us - a leader in his own nature”.
Fahed has been the focal point of the Qatar 2015 Education Programme, which worked with 53 schools in Qatar. “It was very important to get the community involved and to engage children to whom the Championship has been dedicated to,” she explains.
“By community, we mean everyone living in Qatar. We already have the handball community but we also have a wider range of people who might not have experienced the game before, yet they might be interested about the championship or they might be interested to support their team.
“We didn’t want to use a traditional campaign that just tells people to go buy their tickets. We wanted people to show their support for their teams, to show how proud they are of their nations and that was where Fahed stepped in.”
“We travelled around different schools with Fahed and introduced handball to the children. We created mini-tournaments and competitions where each school was given one of the participating countries to represent and compete with.
“We wanted to create a cross-cultural engagement with children. We wanted them to learn more about the 24 participating countries. It was spectacular to see Qatari kids supporting different teams in addition to the Qatari team. We had different schools who actually wanted to attend the games for the teams they learnt about,” she said.
One of the most satisfying aspects of the Championship so far has been the diverse mix of spectators in the crowds and Qatar 2015’s success in reaching out to families and young people in particular.
“We’ve had everyone at the venues – mums, dads, kids and grandparents. It’s been great to have such a multicultural mix of people enjoying the matches together. It’s created a wonderful atmosphere for everyone.
“Seeing the range of people who’ve attended the games gives us a lot of optimism for the future. Qatar loves sport, and we’ve shown that when we host these events, people will come and cheer – particularly the children, who will be the fans of the future.”
Many of the visiting fans have been surprised and delighted by the range of performers who have appeared during the Championship. From the ‘Live It’ signers on the opening night, to popular Arab artists such as Kadim al-Sahir and Fahad al-Kubaisi, and through to internationally-renowned acts Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani, the Organising Committee has arranged a run of incredible “surprises” for fans.
“Once the singers knew that the ticket sales were going to “Educate a Child,” a charity that helps educate kids around the world, they were more than happy to be part of the Championship.”
For Sheikha Asmaa, the whole experience has been a great opportunity to show that Qatar can organise world-class events, and a chance for everyone to develop their professional skills.
“Working together as a team, we’ve been able to achieve wonders over the past few months, and the results have shone through at the Championship. I think we’ve all learned from each other, and grown and developed together,” she says.
So, following such a grand opening ceremony, how can Sheikha Asmaa and her team top that experience when Qatar 2015 closes on Sunday?
“Before the closing ceremony, we may have a couple more surprises,” she says with a smile. “However, the closing ceremony is our last opportunity to make sure people leave with a positive impression, both locally and internationally, so we are planning something spectacular.”
