Expanding Westfield gives key insight into Brazil

Australian shopping centre giant The Westfield Group has made a strong move into the Brazilian market through the strategic acquisition of a 50% interest in Almeida Junior Shopping Centers, with Chairman Frank Lowy tellingly pointing out that it is their first new market entry since they entered the United Kingdom in 2000. Lowy added that whilst the climate in the world financial markets is volatile at present, this transaction is in the Group's long term investment and funding plan, and one they have been investigating for an extensive period of time.

Security in spotlight with creation of new agency

The Brazilian federal government has established the framework for a new Special Secretariat of Security for Major Events, which will have responsibility for coordinating federal, state and municipal activities involving public safety during the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup, although the 2016 Rio Olympics remains under the auspices of the Olympic Public Authority.

Training bases important for future business links

Last weekend´s draw for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers in Rio has been accompanied by some important moves by national football federations, including Australia´s, to scope out possible base camp locations for the period leading up to and during the event.

Football Federation Australia took the opportunity to visit a number of suitable facilities, including ones in São José dos Campos, a small city around 100km from São Paulo, mining hub Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, and Goiania, capital of Goais, in the very heart of the country.

Beyond offering state-of-the-art training facilities with certain standards defined by FIFA, the base locations must meet a range of criteria in relation to accommodation availability for support staff and media, security and proximity to airports. For further details on the selection process for training centres, click here

For Australia, given the Socceroos continue their recent history of strong qualification campaigns, the base camp location should become a strategic point for additional business links and promotional activities in Brazil.

Apart from training bases, friendly warm-up matches in Brazil against the home team or other countries have also been on the agenda, with England looking at an historic fixture against Brazil to mark the re-opening of the famed Mineirão stadium in Belo Horizonte at the beginning of 2013.

Designing a move into the Brazilian market

The recent decision by a Danish architecture firm to set up its first office in the Americas in the city of Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais, provides some important pointers and ideas for Australian businesses looking at opportunities in Brazil.

First Rio 2016 training centre set for development

In the first of what promises to be a line of new work opportunities in the Brazilian sport infrastructure sector over the coming years, the state government of Espirito Santo has just signed an agreement with the Brazilian Ministry of Sport to host an official Rio 2016 Olympics training centre.

Paradise also receiving overhaul in tourism hotspots

In a noteworthy display of the wide scope of infrastructure and urban redevelopments going on all around Brazil in preparation for the 2014 World Cup, a city council with no direct link to the event has just announced investments of R$70 million to set itself up as a key alternative tourist destination during the tournament.

Rio test event shows up problem areas

Last week´s 5th Military World Games in Rio de Janeiro have provided a noteworthy glimpse of priority areas for the city as it prepares for the much larger challenge of the Rio 2016 Olympics, and to a lesser extent the 2014 World Cup.

Rio transformation winning new admirers

The city at the heart of 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics infrastructure preparations, Rio de Janeiro, has begun making strong progress as it seeks to use the events and sport to drive a major renovation of the ‘cidade maravilhosa’.