PR FROM THE BEACH

We need more than Kiwi ingenuity to be ready for kick off

I know there are huge life-and-death concerns in the world right now but, at a local level, I find myself worrying more and more as to whether or not we will be ready for kick-off come the Rugby World Cup on September 9 this year.

I love New Zealand, I love rugby, I love Auckland and Invercargill and all the places in between. I also know it is tantamount to treason to profer criticism of either New Zealand's ability to do something or rugby. But looking around, I am not confident that we will be ready to the standard the rest of the world expects come the big day. 

Today's New Zealand Herald  looks again at the financial cost of hosting the event here. Me, I'm worried about the cost to our reputation.  There's the big tent thingy going up on the waterfront, the stadiums that are not equipped to deal with the demands of the world's sports and other media, there's the inoperative countdown clock  just opposite Britomart. Then there's the whole business of accommodation, transport links to venues, overpricing, no eftpos at stadiums and (whispers) the normal potential for the weather to be atrocious in September and October.

Whether we like it or not, the world has high expectations of international events of this kind and looking around the country four months out, I wonder if we will meet those expectations or fall dreadfully short. We rely on people coming here. Tourism is, we are told, one of our economic cornerstones. Yet this showcase event looks scarily unfinished at a time when we should be adding polish to the preparations, not still struggling with the infrastructure.  The long term risk to our reputation is far greater than the initial financial deficits being reported. If those coming - or not - for the Rugby World Cup - are not happy with the provisions and preparations for their arrival our tourism industry will be affected for years to come. 

It is naive to think that it is just a sporting tournament even though that viewpoint is the one most heard. If you have any doubts about that, cast your mind back to the debacle in India last year during the Commonwealth Games. September's event is a world showcase for the entire country so we need to see some leadership - and some real action - in order to be ready for those we have invited to come. 

If I had invited visitors from across the world to come to see me in September, the rooms would be ready, beds counted, meals planned, transport sorted and entertainment organised.  All that would be left to do four months out would be a tidy up in the garden just before they got here.

Looking at the event from the inside out, it all looks very piecemeal, disjointed and uncoordinated. From an event management point of view, this is not a good look, nor good operational practice. I am willing someone, somewhere to create a rounded picture for fans and visitors alike of what they can expect - something that doesn't exist at the moment.  

Looking at today's picture, I fear it will take a heck of a lot more than Kiwi ingenuity between now and September to give the rest of the world the welcome it expects - and deserves. Because there is an awful lot more to do than just tidy up the garden.

Tweet thoughts from beyond the Grave

Over at Farmville, people are busy putting the finishing touches to their Haunted Houses ready for Halloween.  Me, I've been looking at digital footprints for one reason or another, and I have to say I've been struck by the number of organisations that have sprung up offering digital services for the dead.

I haven't had a proper play around with it yet, but must say that the Futuris.tk site is very intriguing - here you can send a message to loved ones, posted out when you are dead, or 'future-blog' your thoughts now 50 years ahead. Others like Entrustet, Legacy Locker and My Web Will all look to managing your digital assets once your big Switch Off has occurred and - if there is absolutely no chance of a reboot - your loved ones can activate all the 'deactivates' that will be necessary once your chips are finally down.  Facebook will enshrine your loved one's page for you, if you wish, but if, in real life, you have no close mates or family that can prove their relationship with you to Facebook then, rest assured, your party photos will live forever.

Spooky then, if you have diligently mashed your applications to auto-tweet during your living hours and a spam comment somewhere knocks it into action long after you've gone. Imagine the stick you'll get for not being a proper contributor to the conversation - it's bad enough now if you go quiet for a week or two!

My thought for the day on this one rests with those in the business community currently thrashing out digital strategies - and anyone else who has harnessed the power of their employees as brand advocates on their behalf. Imagine this. You have been asked to run a tweetstream talking about your place of work. You die. It doesn't. Who owns it? Who closes it down? And what if your digital footprint actually has financial value - in the same way as artists, writers, authors and other creative types have assets that increase in value after their demise, so too might the value of that Flickr stream you are so fond of. And if it does - who gets the cash?  If there's a digital will, then there will be a way.

For most, this probably won't seem like a particularly worrisome problem - a bit like cyber-security concerns seemed a few years ago - but believe me, as more advocates are born, so will they die. If I were to blog my thoughts today for use 50 years ahead, I guess it would include a brief sentence: "Remember I suggested you work out how to deal with the digital assets of the dead - bet you wish you had now!"

It has also got me thinking about the point at which people will - to put it bluntly - shut up. Are we going to experience a rash of 'death blogs' as one by one we shuffle off this mortal coil?  Unless they are really from beyond the grave and offer insight into a life beyond, then reflections of what dreams may come from the living - while they remain with us - will, I fear, simply be dead boring. Like the wonderful tombstone above, found here, there must be a time when we simply have nothing more to say.

PS: Would Vampires really want to engage with their Stakeholders?

All over now

So the Olympics concludes. I had recorded the closing ceremony to watch later - and later turned out to be last night. Found myself squirming with embarrassment when the London 'entertainment' began. Jimmy Page, David Beckham, a little girl via Blue Peter and a double decker bus - what were they thinking? And as for the dancers in the bus queue - when, oh, when will the UK move on from tireless references to the 1960s? But then we should remember that behind the naff dancers lurk the shady and controlling event organisers. Organisers who, for example, kept a tight rein on the 'blog' they set up to supposedly take post-launch feedback on the London Olympic logo that apparently caused people to have seizures. The fact that they only allowed 'nice' comments to appear about the logo speaks volumes. People may have thought that China had an iron grip on publicity surrounding the 2008 Olympics - just watch as the grip tightens around the London 2012 games.

My only other observation concerns Boris Johnson. I am a big fan of Boris - when he is at work as a journalist. He is a superb writer and commentator and I have enjoyed his observations for many years. But I still have doubts - serious doubts - as to his capability as a politician and Mayor of London at that. As he twirled the Olympic flag and got very excited waving to the crowd, I couldn't help but be reminded of another famous Mayor, also called Boris. As Boris Johnson strolled down the red carpet with the other officials, the person he reminded me of most was Boris Yeltsin, erstwhile Mayor of Moscow if my memory serves me correctly. Hmm. Wonder how it will turn out for London's Boris in the end. Can't say I am too hopeful. Still, he can always go back to journalism and no doubt he will have some good stories to tell when he does. I just worry about what will happen to London, and the City's reputation, in the interim.

Has US medal mania surplanted good sportsmanship?

Like many millions, I have been watching the Olympics at a distance, full of admiration for those who simply compete as well as those who win. Those dedicated individuals who have trained, worked and sweated their way to be there, often overcoming considerable obstacles in the process. The discussions around the opening ceremony where the singing child was reportedly replaced by a 'prettier' version were not surprising, nor the digital enhancement of the fireworks - such things were always to be expected.

However, I have been both mildly amused and very disappointed by the manipulation of the medal tables by the USA. A recent Guardian blog post showed how USA media is manipulating the medal figures so that it looks like the States are 'in the lead' over China. How silly. Perhaps it is due to my British upbringing, but 'fair play' and 'being a sporting loser' were given as much emphasis as the winning itself.

People often, in my experience, manipulate reporting mechanisms to create favourable perceptions, rather accept and learn from the reality of a situation. As an individual, does it matter to me that China has more golds than the USA? Of course not - I simply admire each of the individual athletes and competitors who have done so well and think all this table manipulation makes those undertaking it look like complete losers.

I heard of another 'table' via a friend - although I can't track down the link - that ranks medal winners proportionately depending on the population size. Slovenia wins on that one, with my adopted homeland, New Zealand, coming a close second. Apparently, per person, the UK would have to win something like 126 medals to equal the NZ achievement. I don't know how true this all is and personally, I take it with a large pinch of salt. But one thing I do believe to be true is that media commentators - and the media moguls who control them - should think carefully before they get into the type of manipulation and misrepresentation visible on the 'tables' they put before their audiences.

Ultimately, they damage their country's reputation, demonstrating only a petty, small-mindedness, just when their talented citizens have achieved so much for the nations they represent.