By Monica Laganparsad

Some of South Africa's large corporations are prepared to fork out millions of rands to entertain guests in style at next year's Soccer World Cup.

Fifa's hospitality arm, Match, has embarked on a series of presentations around the country - mainly to rich football fans and big companies.

Match has been showing off details of their approved interior design plans for exclusive stadium suites and high-end hospitality marquees to those willing to shell out up to R15-million on packages to entertain guests.

Presentations were held in Johannesburg in June during the Confederations Cup and in Cape Town two weeks ago. Match will finish its roadshows in Durban this week. Match's public relations and marketing head, Peter Csanadi, did not want to discuss the finer details of the decor and food.

On offer are five hospitality packages, including top-of-the-range suite hospitality, called the Big Five Series, which costs R15-million for tickets and VIP treatment for 850 guests spread over the tournament's 36 matches.

Suite guests will be waited on by dedicated hostesses and be fed dinner before kick-off, half-time snacks, post-match entrées and desserts - all washed down by booze from an open bar.

The four less expensive packages include the Gauteng Series, the Venue Series, the Final Round Series and the Team Specific/Cape Route Series - priced between R15000 and R9.6-million.

Hospitality marquees, within walking distance of the stadiums, will be erected for beneficiaries of packages that do not include access to suites.

They will be fitted with TV screens and offer snacks and drinks.

Csanadi said he could not reveal how much had been spent on packages so far, but said most had been bought by South African companies. He said Match had commissioned a Johannesburg interior designer to work on different design elements for the suites and marquees.

"The general look is ready and that's what we're going to present," he said, adding that the final touches were being added to the menus, which will include local cuisine.

"We are working with a top South African caterer, who knows the market. We will have guests from 32 nations and we have to consider all religions of the world."

Csanadi said catering was a "very delicate" matter.

"Good food is taken for granted. When the food is bad, you will always remember it and if the toilets are awful, you will remember it."

Source: The Times