“Soccerex Is Here To Stay In Africa”, Duncan Revie, Soccerex CEO

Duncan Revie, Soccerex’s founder and CEO, the son of the late England and Leeds United manager Don Revie, gives his thoughts on the organisation and its growing role in African football.

Q: What is Soccerex about and what led to its return to Africa?

A: Soccerex started because I saw there was a gap in the market; there was no event out there, on a global scale, which brought together the business of football, in one place, at one time. Working with my wife Rita, who is the chief operating officer, we staged the first Soccerex event in London in 1996 and in the early years we moved the event around, taking it to Paris, Los Angeles and then back to Manchester in the UK.

In 2001, we moved the event to Dubai, which was to become its home for the next six years. We were subsequently approached by the Gauteng provincial government [in South Africa] in 2006, about taking the event to Johannesburg from Dubai; they saw the event as playing a key part in the preparations for the 2010 World Cup and were very passionate about what it could do, not only for football in South Africa but also for the local economy.

We staged the first Convention in Johannesburg in 2007 and enjoyed three great years there ahead of the World Cup. When the Convention moved to Rio de Janeiro in 2010, in partnership with the Rio State government, we always intended to come back to Africa and we are delighted that we will be doing just that, with the Soccerex Seminar Lagos in September and the African Forum in Durban at the end of October. It will be an excellent opportunity for us to help the development of football in Africa, and in west Africa specifically.

Q: And why is Soccerex coming to Nigeria?

A: Nigeria is a rapidly growing market, it has the largest population base in Africa, and the potential for the football industry in Nigeria, and West Africa as a whole, is huge. There is a huge football following in the region but the industry is underdeveloped and needs to be brought up to modern standards, to cope with the country’s plans for football development – and that is where we hope to be able to help.

Q: And what would you say are your highlights in 17 years of Soccerex events?

A: Within the company we often refer to ‘Soccerex moments’ – those moments when you really comprehend just how powerful our events are – like when you are welcoming Sepp Blatter and Franz Beckenbauer on stage in Johannesburg, or presenting the Jules Rimet trophy to the 1970 Brazil World Cup winning team on top of Sugar Loaf Mountain in Brazil; listening to speakers such as Danny Jordaan, Jérôme Valcke, Lucas Radebe, George Weah, Ruud Gullit or Issa Hayatou.

Or even when you are watching a group of underprivileged children from across Gauteng province play in our football festival in front of packed crowds in Nelson Mandela square!