A marketing tip from the organisers of the World Cup 2010 on how not to do it - call a press conference and then arrive late/not at all.

The media, including numerous representatives of the international press and television media, walked out en bloc from a briefing due to be staged on Tuesday afternoon by the board of directors of the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC).

The walkout, which will impact embarrassingly worldwide on the LOC's ability to organise the 2010 tournament without glitches, was agreed upon when none of the board members had arrived for the briefing a matter of 70 minutes after the stipulated "1pm sharp" starting time at the plush Westcliff Hotel in Johannesburg.

LOC communications manager Tumi Makgabo said she had made three attempts to establish the reasons for the non-appearance of the board members, who include chairperosn Irvin Khoza, CEO Danny Jordaan and Fifa secretary general Dr Ernst Linsi, but had only learnt "they were involved in a meeting of their own at the hotel".

"We have become accustomed to this kind of thick-skinned arrogance and disrespect towards the media," said one local soccer journalist, "but we had hoped matters would change once the World Cup operation swung into gear.

"Apparently this is not the case," he added.

The remnants of the media, who were packing away cameras and other equipment a matter of 90 minutes after the briefing was due to commence, had still not been given an official explanation for the non-appearance of Khoza, Jordaan and company.
full story from M&G here