Steel use encouraged

Brazil's steel institute has launched a campaign promoting the benefits of using steel on stadia projects around the country. Dubbed "Steel: Building the 2014 Cup", the campaign is hoping to raise the level of steel used in the country from 100kg/person to a figure closer to 300kg/person, the ratio for most developed countries. The institute expects that the Cup alone will create demand for an additional 3-5 million tonnes of steel.

Knowledge sharing deal for Brazil and England

VisitBritain and Embratur (the countries' respective tourism bodies) have developed a cooperation agreement centred on the exchange of experiences and information over the coming decade. With Brazil already locked in to host the world's two biggest sporting events and England threatening to do the same thanks to its ongoing 2018 World Cup bid, the agreement is no doubt a smart and proactive move for both countries.

Sandie Dawe, the CEO of VisitBritain, will formalise the arrangement next May when he visits Brazil for a seminar involving world specialists in tourism marketing and promotion.

Jeanine Pires, President of Embratur, indicated that they are also looking at developing relationships with other recent Olympic hosts including Beijing and Sydney.