CAST AS A FAIR-MINDED SOCCER ENTHUSIAST FROM A COUNTRY THAT IS ONLY BEGINNING TO FIELD WORLDCLASS TEAMS, ATLANTA’S ROBERT BRANDON HAS SUCCESSFULLY PERSUADED THE TOP ECHELON OF SOCCER OFFICIALDOM TO LET HIM, ALONG WITH  A NETWORK OF LOCAL COMPANIES AND OTHERS, SPEARHEAD THE CREATION OF THE “INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL HALL OF CHAMPIONS.”

AS REPORTED IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR (SEE GLOBALFAX, VOL. 3, ISSUE 23, 6/5/95), MR. BRANDON ANTICIPATED THAT THE F…D…RATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (FIFA) WOULD APPROVE HIS PLAN                             TO DEVELOP THE HALL OF CHAMPIONS IN PARIS, BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL MID-DECEMBER WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE CONCERNING THE PROJECT, WHICH WILL COST AN ESTIMATED $30 MILLION.

FOR MR. BRANDON, CHAIRMAN OF INTERNATIONAL SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPTS INC., FIFA’S AGREEMENT REPRESENTED THE CULMINATION OF A THREE-YEAR CAMPAIGN TO PERSUADE THE ZURICH-BASED FEDERATION OF THE IDEA’S VALIDITY.

HE COMPARES FIFA TO THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (NFL) “EXCEPT THAT IT’S  ABOUT 10 TIMES AS BIG.”  AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PERSIST WHEN THE ORGANIZATION TURNED HIS CONCEPT DOWN, NOT ONCE BUT TWICE.  HIS PERSISTENCE AND SOME STAFF CHANGES IN THE ORGANIZATION, HOWEVER, FINALLY SAVED THE PROJECT.

NOW THAT FIFA HAS GIVEN ITS OFFICIAL BLESSING, MR. BRANDON CAN FOCUS ON THE MYRIAD DETAILS RELATED TO DEVELOPING THE HALL OF CHAMPIONS, ITS CONTENT AND RELATED PROJECTS SUCH AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GLOBAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE SOCCER ENTHUSIASTS.

FOR THESE TASKS, HE IS RELYING ON A NETWORK OF FELLOW ATLANTANS WHO HAVE ASSISTED HIM ALONG THE WAY.  AMONG THEM ARE TODD KAISER, THE OWNER OF THE ATLANTA DIRECT MARKETING FIRM, DIRECT DIRECTIONS INC., AND JOSEPH CHURCHILL, AN INTERNATIONAL ATTORNEY AND INVESTMENT BANKER WHO IS THE PRINCIPAL OF JOSEPH L. CHURCHILL CO., P.C..

MR. CHURCHILL, IN ASSOCIATION WITH CHRISTOPH RUCKEL, HEAD OF RUCKEL, TRENKNER & COLLEGEN, A GERMAN LAW FIRM WITH OFFICES IN ATLANTA, ASSISTED IN THE DRAFTING OF THE CONTRACT AGREED TO BY FIFA.

GEORGIA TECH’S FORMER PRESIDENT, JOHN PATRICK CRECINE, WHO HELPED BILLY PAYNE LAND THE 1996 SUMMER OLYMPICS THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY’S DEVELOPMENT OF PROMOTIONAL INTERACTIVE 3-D VIDEOS, AND MARK SWANSON, FOUNDER OF SWAN INTERACTIVE MEDIA INC., HAVE DEVELOPED IDEAS FOR THE HALL OF CHAMPIONS’ MULTIMEDIA INTERACTIVE CAPACITIES.

JOHN T. LYONS III, PRESIDENT OF INTERCONTINENTAL BUSINESS SERVICES INC. AND THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE ILE DE FRANCE REGION, WHICH INCLUDES PARIS, IS PROMOTING THE HALL OF CHAMPIONS TO THE AUTHORITIES OF PARIS’ BOROUGH-LIKE SECTIONS KNOWN AS ARRONDISSEMENTS, INCLUDING THE 1ST, WHICH CONTAINS THE LOUVRE MUSEUM AND IS MR. BRANDON’S PREFERRED CHOICE.

AND RICK RICHEY, PRESIDENT OF THE ATLANTA-BASED DIGITAL DESIGN GROUP, A VIDEO PRODUCTION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS ANIMATION FIRM, HAS PRODUCED PROMOTIONAL FILMS FOR THE PROJECT SHOWN TO FIFA. MR. RICHEY’S WORK ON BEHALF OF THE PROJECT ALSO WILL BE  FEATURED WHEN MR. BRANDON CONDUCTS A 36-CITY EUROPEAN TOUR BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER TO PUBLICIZE THE HALL.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, MR. KAISER CAN BE REACHED AT (770) 992-2494; FAX, (770) 992-3484, OR MR. BRANDON MAY BE REACHED VIA FAX AT (770) 953-9851.