• Is your property taking advantage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup? 
• Is your hotel soccer-savvy?
• Would guests choose your venue to watch a soccer game?

If your answers to any of these questions was “no, or not sure” then this article is for you!

Why should you care about the World Cup ?

It’s the biggest sporting event in the world

First of all, even though it’s dwarfed by football, basketball and baseball here in the United States, soccer is the world’s most popular sport, and the World Cup is by far soccer’s biggest event!

This international competition only comes around once every four years and draws millions of viewers.

And even though it’s not nearly as celebrated here, soccer is definitely increasing in popularity in the U.S..  In fact, the World Cup Final  from four years ago was actually the most watched soccer game in American history.

It brings business

This year Brazil is hosting the  World Cup and visitors to the country are expected to spend over $800 million in hospitality.

But even hotel’s outside of Brazil can take advantage of the World Cup’s hype.

Even casual fans who don’t watch soccer won’t be able to resist checking out some of the games even if it’s just for the novelty. Plus plenty of die-hard soccer fans will be looking for a place to watch while traveling.

How to prepare?

Yes, the month-long event starts next week, but it shouldn’t take long to go from “What soccer game ?” to  “Oí, árbitro! Cadê o penalty?” 

Plus it’s never too late to catch World Cup fever!

1. Have Viewing Parties 

Investing some time and money into having a game-watching event is a great way to encourage guests to choose your bar, restaurant or even lobby as their soccer venue of choice.

It doesn’t have to be  anything extravagant, just include some basics that enhance the experience. Here are some ideas: 

• Food and drink specials
• Raffles and prizes
• Decorations (more on this below)
• Promotions

2. Provide a schedule of game times 

Letting guests know exactly when the games are on is critical. If you cater mostly to domestic travelers you may want to start by only providing a schedule of when team USA is playing.

Properties with more international clientele will probably want to include a full schedule. Don’t forget to convert time zones! Some ways to make guests aware of game time:

• Pamphlets or small paper menus
• Posters
• Turn Down cards

3. Socialize

Like any sporting event, the World Cup will generate plenty of social media activity. Here are some basic guidelines to posting about the World Cup. 

• Promote your viewing events
• Post interesting facts about the World Cup
• Use popular hashtags specific to the event
• Mention and incorporate the social media accounts of teams

Some popular hashtags 

• #worldcup
• #brazil2014
• #FIFA
• #Fifaworldcup

4. Create an Environment of Excitement 

With all of these techniques it’s important to have the right mindset. Try to get excited about the event and it will be reflected in your efforts.

That being said, there are some specific things you can do to make sure you’re property looks and feels like  it knows soccer.

Adding soccer-themed decorations can be a simple way to create the right atmosphere

• Put a soccer ball on the front desk
• Purchase some soccer jerseys to hang up somewhere
• Have collateral or menus specially designed to incorporate a World Cup theme.

Make a cheat-sheet for your staff.  

Starting with a  basic schedule of what game is on when, who’s-who lists or some soccer terminology is an easy way to make your staff more knowledgeable.

Just knowing the basics could go a long way in terms of making guests happy, especially for die-hard soccer fans!

5. Sell your Entire Hotel to a Corporate Sponsor?

Okay this isn’t a realistic solution for most hotels. We just thought it was interesting that a Brazilian hotel is entirely branded by Budweiser in honor of the World Cup.

Do you have ideas about how to prepare for the World Cup? Let us know in the comment section below!