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20102010Laser’s2010

Journey

“South Africans should treat

this decision with humility and without arrogance because

we are, after all, equal.”– Former South African President, Nelson Mandela, after South

Africa was awarded the bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Welcome to the journeyWhen it was announced that South Africa would host the 2010 FIFA World

Cup™, there was varied reaction across the world. Here at home, there was

understandable euphoria. The image of our beloved Madiba, his arms raised

with hands wrapped around the iconic golden trophy, was one that emphatically

confirmed our nation’s unqualified acceptance of the challenge.

Yet this was tempered by equally understandable scepticism internationally.

Did the African continent, let alone a small country at its southernmost tip, have

the knowledge, the experience, the infrastructure or the nerve to successfully

stage one of the greatest showpieces in sport?

There were scraps of information that suggested it could. A Rugby World Cup

– one in which victory for South Africa had played a significant role in crossing

racial divides – had been successfully hosted in 1995, along with football’s Africa

Cup of Nations in 1996 and the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003.

All very well, said the sceptics, but these combined paled in significance

compared with the scale of hosting FIFA’s blue riband event. Our stadiums were

neither big enough nor sufficiently modern, and our transport system was not

geared for the numbers of fans who would come to cheer on their countries. Our

airports lacked capacity and we didn’t have enough accommodation, they said.

Our response as a nation and a people was emphatic. Determined to live up to

our country’s slogan ‘Alive with Possibility’, we set about convincing the sceptics

and dispelling the doubts.

This started as a story of hope but will live on as a story of great achievement

FOR THE LASER GROUP: Editor Matthew Pearce markEting and communications managEr Feroza Petersen cEo Philip Hayes

cHairman Michael Fuller addrEss Suite 175, Private Bag X18, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa, Tel: 021 659 4000, Email: info@laserserv.co.za,

www.laser.co.za FOR TPP: managing Editor Wendy Maritz art dirEctor Tara Keane ExEcutivE dirEctors Mark Beare, John Morkel

EditoriaL EnQuiriEs The Publishing Partnership, PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg 8018, email: info@tppsa.co.za, or tel: (021) 424 3517. Produced for The

Laser Group by The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd. Copyright: The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd 2010. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole

or part is prohibited without prior permission of the editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of The Laser Group, the

publisher or the agents IMAGES Gallo Images/Getty Images REPRO Hirt & Carter PRINTED BY Cape Premium Print on Sappi Triple Green Paper2 | L a s e r ’s 2 0 1 0 J o u r n e y

The visionaries recognised that this World Cup represented the single most significant marketing opportunity for our land

Businesses – large and established, as well as small and entrepreneurial

– united in taking advantage of the opportunities that emerged as

the plans started falling into place. Never before had a culture of unity

and co-operation emerged so tangibly. The visionaries recognised

that this World Cup represented the single most significant marketing

opportunity for our land and its incredible tourism offering; a genuine

‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity.

So the journey of hope began, growing in confidence with every

step as it transformed into the major achievement it has become,

influencing individuals, communities, businesses and leaders along

the way.

The deliverables were immense and the learning curve steep,

especially given the ever-present and critical eye of FIFA measuring

progress. The metaphor of the soccer ball served as a constant

inspiration; it has no corners to cut and can operate only with

perfect symmetry.

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The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup™: ticket winners from Laser attending a game

From left: Philip Hayes, CEO, and Michael Fuller, Chairman, both from Laser

Learners from Pheasant Folly Primary School, just outside Johannesburg, were delighted to receive exercise kits from Laser

7

Germany’s legacySouth Africa drew inspiration and guidance

from Germany, the country that so successfully

hosted the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. Having

experienced many difficulties internally and

with regards to its international reputation in

the build-up to the event, hosting the World

Cup changed international perceptions, united

people within Germany and across its borders,

boosted tourism and grew the economy

substantially and sustainably. Everything that

Germany did, they did in a hospitable and

friendly manner. And let’s not forget, of course,

the ruthless efficiency for which the country

is so well known.

The slogan ‘A Time to Make Friends’ became

Germany’s principal objective and one that South

Africans strove to adopt in the countdown to

the 2010 event, starting with a positive attitude

towards the event and what it would mean for

our country. Visiting fans were welcomed in the

fan parks, while colourful campaigns united the

country in its pride and excitement around being

the host nation, as was the case in Germany.

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Supporters and visitorsThe sheer volume of international visitors to South Africa – in their hundreds

of thousands – meant that not only the major cities benefitted; by necessity,

accommodation needs were catered for in towns across the country, with

specially implemented transport networks shuttling supporters to and from

the match venues.

Fly the Flag day at Laser

Laser’s proudly displayed makaraba

VenuesThe most visible elements of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ to the

global TV audience were South Africa’s stadiums. From the

colourful and distinctly African calabash-shaped stadium at

Soccer City in Johannesburg, and the magnificent Cape Town

Stadium in the shadow of Table Mountain, to the iconic and

symbolic arch of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, all of

our stadiums are more than just venues. They are symbols of

style, efficiency, construction excellence and innovation.

BroadcastingIn addition to those who made the trip to South

Africa as supporters, thousands of broadcasters,

journalists and photographers sent images and

stories reflecting the event and the country to

an estimated global audience of a staggering

26 billion people. One in nine of the world’s

population watched the event, and only a tiny

fraction of those needed to be inspired to visit

the country and experience what it has to offer,

in order to create vastly increased tourism

numbers to South Africa in the future, in turn

boosting employment, economic growth and

sustainable prosperity for more South Africans.

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Laser management meeting at Cape Town Stadium during its early construction

A DPD Laser van and proud employee view the completed Cape Town Stadium

Transport and securityWe will all feel the benefits of the greatly improved national transport systems that were implemented for 2010. The Gautrain project

will provide a lasting fast connection between the major hubs of Pretoria, Johannesburg, Sandton, Midrand and OR Tambo International

Airport, while within all major cities, the Bus Rapid Transport system, or BRT, will offer an ongoing quick, comfortable and low-cost urban

transport option that will reduce the stresses of travelling to and from our workplaces.

The carrying capacities of our national roads were improved

dramatically in the run-up to 2010, while almost R20 billion was

spent on the improved facilities and capacities at airports around

South Africa. None of this was done purely for the benefit of a

five-week tournament; we needed to ensure that this additional

infrastructure would be used constructively to fuel tourism

potential and make our business operations more efficient.

Policing and security capabilities were increased to ensure the

safety of citizens and visitors alike; we can thank 2010 for being

the catalyst for improved law enforcement and police visibility

on our streets.

As ordinary South Africans, we may have been justified in posing

the questions: ‘Why all this fuss? How does it impact me?’

The answer is simple. Not only will we all benefit from these

improvements in the years and decades following 2010, but

they will also show the people who visit our shores and the

global television audience that we are world class and a tourist

destination second to none. The World Cup was an intensive

five-week marketing exercise, not only for our country, but for

the African continent as a whole.

We will all feel the benefits of the greatly improved national transport systems that were implemented for 2010

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AfricaThe impact of this event will surely

be felt beyond our own borders and

across those of other African nations

as well. In addition to Bafana Bafana,

the continent was represented by

five other nations, ensuring a

distinctly African flavour to the event,

both on and off the pitch. Where

other host nations have brought their

personal signatures to this global

showpiece, South Africa will leave

visiting fans with distinct memories of

the colours of a rainbow nation,

of the makaraba, of the vuvuzela, and

of unparalleled noise and vibrancy.

South Africa Cameroon

Côte d’Ivoire Ghana Nigeria

Algeria

Algeria

Cameroon

NigeriaCôte d’Ivoire Ghana

South Africa

South Africa will leave visiting fans with distinct memories of the colours of a rainbow nation

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Football Friday at Laser Logistics, Cape Town

LaserGermany’s great legacy after 2006 was the shifting

of global perceptions about the country and its

people. As South Africans and Africans, we had the

opportunity to do the same by living our country’s

‘Alive with Possibility’ slogan, and so change the

perceptions of our continent as one of famine and

bushland to one full of opportunity and hope.

Laser has been proud to embrace these

objectives and live them in our everyday

operations. As a relatively small, yet proudly

South African company, we sought ways to

assist in bringing the 2010 dream to vivid reality,

showcasing our capability and drive to a number

of potential new clients in the process.

Yet it is what we achieved as a company

internally that gives us as much pride as what we

have achieved on the business front. Through our

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GAC Laser participating in Laser’s Proud Supporters’ Campaign

Gary Bailey addresses the Laser team

We united across business units, hierarchies, cultural and ethnic differences to make ourselves proud supporters of South Africa’s efforts

internally-focused communications initiatives and calls to action.

We created at Laser a microcosm of what we believed South Africa

needed to be in the build-up to the World Cup.

We united across business units, hierarchies, cultural and ethnic

differences to make ourselves proud supporters of

South Africa’s efforts. Football has become part of

our culture, and support for Bafana Bafana a non-

negotiable. Our staff members were encouraged

to volunteer their services and to live the widely

used advertising slogan ‘Make sure you can say,

I was there’.

But we also asked our people to do more

than just be there; we asked them to play an

active role, however small, in making a difference to the delivery

of the event.

The 2010 platform enabled broad organisational development

within Laser, development that would benefit the growth and

prosperity of the company and its people well into the future.

It certainly provided for a collective and collaborative approach

to important aspects of the business such as corporate social

responsibility, skills development and training.

Emphasis was placed on youth, football and team development,

while in the run-up to the event kick-off, Laser partnered with

Supersport’s Let’s Play initiative to donate and deliver 10 000 soccer

balls to underprivileged school children, whose participation in

sport and capacity to ‘dream big’ had been severely limited.

differences to make ourselves proud supporters of

South Africa’s efforts. Football has become part of

our culture, and support for Bafana Bafana a non-

negotiable. Our staff members were encouraged

to volunteer their services and to live the widely

used advertising slogan ‘Make sure you can say,

I was there’.

than just be there; we asked them to play an

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Showing off the GAC Laser-sponsored soccer kit

Sharing the spirit of Football Friday at Laser, Newlands

Dancing the Diski at Dawn Wing, Johannesburg

Laser launches its partnership with SuperSport’s Let’s Play a Million campaign, April 2009 GAC Laser, Durban, Flying the Flag at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban

Our CountryImages like these showed the world what South Africa has to

offer as a tourist destination. The diversity of our culture and

landscape were beamed to a global television audience and

experienced by hundreds of thousands of visiting fans.

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As we approached the opening ceremony and a month of high intensity football action, South Africans had

so much to celebrate

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Our PeopleAll South Africans had the opportunity

to show the world how far we’ve come in

nearly two decades.

Our FutureOur cities reached a level of sophistication

in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™

– a clear indication of what can be achieved

in this country, as well as on the African

continent as a whole with South Africa as

the catalyst for future development.

Our PrideWe are justifiably proud of what we

achieved as a nation, not only in the

build-up to this event, but in our ability

to constantly defy the odds and the

expectations of the world. From a country

that was widely expected to plunge into

civil war 15 years ago, we have built a

vibrant and progressive democracy that has

become a shining example of tolerance.

Our BeliefThe sheer scale of delivering a global event

would have been a daunting task for many

countries issued with the label ‘emerging

market economy’, but South Africa embraced

the opportunity to shake that label with the

belief in its ability to do the job.

Our ‘Gees’The build-up to the tournament was marked

by an unmistakable gees that continued

unabated during the games.

Ellis Park StadiumCity: Johannesburg Capacity: 55 686

Peter Mokaba StadiumCity: Polokwane Capacity: 41 733

Loftus Versfeld StadiumCity: Pretoria Capacity: 42 858

Royal Bafokeng StadiumCity: Rustenburg Capacity: 38 646

Free State StadiumCity: Bloemfontein Capacity: 40 911

Nelson Mandela StadiumCity: Port Elizabeth Capacity: 42 486

Our StadiumsThey have themes, they have significance in their

names, but most of all they stand as beacons of

engineering and construction excellence, truly

first-world standards of delivery that display

South Africa’s technical competence.

Cape Town StadiumCity: Cape Town Capacity: 64 100

Mbombela StadiumCity: Nelspruit Capacity: 40 929

Soccer City StadiumCity: Johannesburg Capacity: 88 460

Moses Mabhida StadiumCity: Durban Capacity: 62 760

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From left: Philip Hayes, Craig Wynne, Michael Fuller, Victor Dudley, Shaun Kline and Johan Muller of Laser, visiting Cape Town Stadium

Our PassionWith the cultural diversity of our Rainbow Nation, we have proved to the world that

we are people who work hard, play hard and do nothing by half measures.

Our UnityJust as the Rugby World Cup victory eased political tension and

united our nation in its support of the Springboks (as recorded in

the Hollywood movie, Invictus), we again united under the colours

of our rainbow flag and those of our national team. The outpouring

of support in the ‘Unite for Bafana’ parade just days before the

opening game showed the power of this nationwide support.

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Flying the Flag at Laser Logistics warehouse in Isando

Loud and proud at Dawn Wing

Laser supports the Dreamfields Foundation

Our AchievementIt is impossible to overstate the sense of achievement South

Africans should and will feel when (not if) the 2010 FIFA World

Cup™ is proclaimed a glorious success. International visitor

numbers were as high as some initially expected (despite

global recessionary forces at play), but when the first ball was

kicked on 11 June 2010 and the last whistle was blown on

11 July, South Africa had dispelled the doubts of many, and

showed the world its first-class competencies.

Our GameThe hosting of the World Cup has raised awareness of football across all

communities. Initiatives such as ‘Football Friday’ in many companies saw

people wearing football shirts to their place of work and helped spike interest

in the game and local applications for World Cup tickets. Support for the

‘Beautiful Game’ in South Africa in 2010 was plentiful.

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Dennis Biyase of GAC Laser

Laser Logistics loads World Cup broadcasting equipment for delivery to stadiums

Laser Logistics warehoused and distributed World Cup equipment

Our CompanyEven without the scale or the budget to

secure official sponsorship status, Laser

fully embraced the excitement and

opportunity created by South Africa’s

hosting of the World Cup. Starting

with the Gary Bailey-hosted presentation covering how

businesses could capitalise on the opportunities, we developed our own

DVD and presentation that was shown to all staff around the country. These

provided them with the inspiration and determination to help make the

event a success through whatever means possible. From this grew the

‘Proud Supporters’ campaign, where our people and vehicles could publicly

display their support and pride for the country. At our offices, countdown

boards kept our staff keenly interested and aware of the imminent arrival

of the world’s best. ‘Football Fridays’ – made fashionable by the staff of

Laser and Southern Sun – allowed our employees to show support for

their favourite football teams by wearing their colours to work on the last

day of the working week, while all were encouraged to participate in FIFA’s

volunteer programme. With our social investment programmes over the

past two years, our vehicle livery, marketing materials, corporate wear and

internal training programmes all having carried a football theme, we are

truly proud of the contribution we made as the country has prepared for,

and delivered, ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’.

Our PartnershipsThe increased capacity required of the logistics industry,

as a result of staging the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, allowed

us to more effectively leverage off our global partnerships

with DPD in the express logistics arena and GAC in the

clearing and forwarding space, while Laser Logistics were

given the opportunity to increase its warehousing, road

freight and cross-border logistics capacity. More than

any other previous opportunity, 2010 provided us with

a unique platform on which to showcase our full-circle

logistics capabilities.

However small each individual and company’s

contribution has been to creating the environment and

infrastructure in which the World Cup took place,

all should feel justifiably proud, patriotic and passionate

about what has been achieved.

2010 has been South Africa’s chance to shine; she has

not disappointed. Before a ball was kicked, Laser could

proudly say, ‘We were there.’

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With 100 days to go

The Laser-sponsored team from Liwa Primary School in Mannenberg, Cape Town

Gulf Agency Company (GAC) – one of Laser’s international partners

GAC Laser, Cape Town

DPD Laser in Cape Town

DPD’s hub in France. DPD is one of Laser’s international partners

As part of Laser’s internal communications campaign to foster more World Cup spirit, a collection of posters, highlighting the teams taking

part in the 2010 tournament, was produced for distribution throughout Laser facilities nationwide. Compiled by Lesley Burger at head office,

each poster featured a dominant photograph of the team’s most recognisable player, the national flag, the team’s nickname, as well as some

useful information and statistics pertaining to each team. The posters were printed in the various offices to save costs and featured the Proud

Supporters icon, as well as the relevant group company logo in the corners. They were such popular items in recreational and common areas at

offices and depots that copies were requested by a number of clients.

The success of 2010 will be measured not only on the impact made during

the four weeks of the competition, but on the legacy left behind; the impact

on the lives of ordinary South Africans, as well as South African businesses

and the creation of prospects, experience and confidence. That is what

Laser has looked to capitalise on; to prove that we are capable, efficient and

globally competitive. If we achieve our objectives, we will have displayed

the passion, dedication, teamwork and skill of our people and their ability to

deliver under pressure...all the qualities that will characterise the team that

lifts the 2010 FIFA World Cup trophy.

Michael Fuller, chairMan, laser

At Laser, we believe wholeheartedly that South Africa’s hosting of the

2010 FIFA World Cup™ will unite people far beyond the boundaries of

the stadiums in which the matches are played. This is our best-ever

opportunity to promote one of the most diverse tourism destinations on

the planet. It is the perfect opportunity to prove to the world that the

dream of the Rainbow Nation is a reality, and that diversity of culture

should be embraced. But most importantly, it will be our opportunity

to display our world-class capabilities, skills and ability to deliver.

PhiliP hayes, ceO, laser

October 2008

Thank yOu FOr sharing The 2010 jOurney wiTh us

Congratulations to Spain, 2010 FiFa World CupTM champions

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