Dubai: Dubai-based entertainment company Centre Stage Management (CSM) yesterday said it has been appointed "event producer" for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals in South Africa.

"Following the successful collaboration and involvement in the Confederations Cup in 2009, CSM's contract with Fifa was renewed with expanded roles and responsibilities," the company said in a statement.

Both the opening and closing ceremonies will be held at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on June 11 and July 11, respectively.

"We are very honoured and excited to have been given the role of event producer within a team of internationally experienced and accomplished people," said Sipho Dlamini, CSM's COO.

"To work on such a memorable and large-scale event is a challenge that we'll accept and deliver on a chance to showcase our knowhow to a global audience utilising all the experience gained in producing music festivals."

Global viewership

Over 18,000 media professionals from all over the world are expected and will be relaying images to a cumulative global viewership estimated at 26.3 billion for 2010 by Niclas Ericson, Fifa's television chief.

CSM's earlier roles and responsibilities for the execution of the Fifa Confederations Cup opening and closing ceremonies in 2009 entailed assisting and reporting to project director and chief executive officer of global communications agency VWV Group Jameson Hlongwane.

CSM said in statement in February that it would not be organising any annual events in the Middle East in 2010, including the much-awaited and renowned Desert Rock Festival, held in March every year since its inception in 2004

Jackie Wartanian, managing director, said the decision to scrap UAE event "...was not taken lightly and was well thought through with my team in my company's best interest. It marks the beginning of a new era for CSM, a human-sized yet international entertainment-specialised company, which I've chosen to grow beyond UAE boundaries."

He added: "I have focused uniquely on the Middle East in the past 10 years, which has positioned CSM to build a credible and reputable name; it's now time to take it to another level."

"We've always taken pride in producing top-quality events, which is why in order to develop my company in a professional manner [to equal its standards], we will to focus on our international projects and artist management, until further notice."

The company said that its ambition to expand globally started in 2008, after it organised the Urban Desert tour with Akon, Fat Joe and Black Violin at the end of the first quarter in South Africa.

Seven months later, the American subsidiary based in Los Angeles opened as Scorpio International Incorporated and engaged in several projects such as reality TV shows, theatrical movies and music production.

In the spring of 2009, CSM clinched a deal with Fifa as a contractor to execute both the opening and closing ceremonies of the Football Confederations Cup in South Africa.

At the end of 2009, it was confirmed that Centre Stage Management would have the same role in working on the Fifa World Cup 2010 opening and closing ceremonies.

At the same time, CSM had organised a tour for the band Nervecell, putting them on the road for three months in Europe to perform at some of the biggest festivals on the continent.