The workshop, under the AFC Mentorship Programme, was held for the first time in the Central Zone and received overwhelming support by the media in IR Iran.

FFIRI President and AFC Vice President Mehdi Taj, who opened the workshop, said: “The AFC and FFIRI are delighted to engage with the media in this workshop. This is a good opportunity for the media to understand the rules and regulations in domestic and international competitions.

“Journalists, whether in the digital or traditional outlets, play a significant role in promoting football to a wider audience. And this workshop is beneficial to ensure the success of all our competitions.”

The mentorship programme, which was launched earlier this year, is part of the AFC’s commitment to provide its Member Associations with tailored made programmes to help enhance their media and communications capabilities and is a continuation of the regional media and communications workshops held over the last two years. 

At the forefront of the agenda was the PSSI’s ambitions to develop a consumer relationship management (CRM) system to improve its brand and to establish a stronger connection with their fans.

AFC Consultant Chris Hurst, formerly from the British Broadcast Channel’s (BBC) Sport Digital team, kicked-off the workshop with a session on creating a digital content strategy, showcasing the best practices of leading football and sports teams and organisations, while examining how their tactics and successes can be replicated by the AFC Member Associations.

Participants also benefitted from a case study by Chinese Football Association, Head of Media and Public Relations, Sherry Huang who shared an insightful presentation on the importance of developing vibrant and robust communication strategies, against the backdrop of an ever-evolving Chinese digital media landscape.

Led by AFC Communications Consultants, John Kent, former Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Football Federation Australia, as well as Peter Young who was the former General Manager of Cricket Australia, participants were presented with the necessary tools to build a crisis communications plan and the processes and structures required to deal with a crisis.

Some of the biggest crisis and issues to have affected a diverse range of industries which include a major aviation incident, international cricket, women’s football and FIFA World Cup were cast under the microscope, presenting participants with a broader perspective of crisis management.

Finishing today, the workshop provided the participants an opportunity to learn through practical sessions and real-life examples, as well as offering a strategic approach to help grow the game in the South Zone MAs. The AFC organised the event in participation with the UEFA Assist Programme.

All seven MAs were represented, and the participants played an active role throughout the two days, especially at the practical session which kicked off day 2 of the workshop. Media relations, operations and content creation were covered through press conference and mixed zone simulations where the participants could try their hand at interviewing and acting as AFC or team media officers.

The importance of planning was highlighted throughout, and the first session of the workshop concentrated on how to create a communications strategy and why having one was vital.

Other topics covered included campaign marketing, national team branding and digital content creation. The participants discussed the “tone of voice” that should be used by the federation when communicating with their fans, as well as with other stakeholder groups. 

Media Marketing Officer Sonam Peldon and Head of Media Marketing and International Relationships Phuntsho Wangdi presented the digital content strategy of the Bhutan Football Federation, including the staffing and equipment required to implement it.

Fan engagement was another topic which was underlined throughout the two days, and with the growing importance of social media, addressing fans directly is now the most effective way to spread football to new audiences. 

Roma Khanna, Director of Special Projects & Infrastructure at the All India Football Federation, shared learnings from the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 with the participants and emphasised fan engagement in the success of the tournament.

The opportunities and challenges faced by the MAs in the South Zone were discussed, with the size of the population in countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh representing a clear advantage for growing the fan base.

However, in some of the MAs football is not the most popular sport, and the participants were given ideas and communications tools to address this issue in creative ways and through cross promotion with other sports.

Hosted by the Oman Football Association (OFA), the two-day workshop opened with an overview of the promotional and engagement activations for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 by the Local Organising Committee, who was represented by Reeva Bains, Vice President of Marketing & Communications from ‎Flash Entertainment.

The biggest-ever edition of Asia’s most prestigious tournament will witness a record 24 participating teams with the largest representation across the five AFC zones, 11 teams from the West zone.

Participants were also provided valuable insights by UEFA consultant Kenny Macleod on the approach and key considerations in establishing communications objectives and action plans, as well as leveraging on digital media marketing as part of efforts to enhance the capability of Member Associations to better engage with football fans.

Organised in partnership with the Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand), the two-day workshop brought together media and marketing representatives from all ASEAN Member Associations, including the Football Federation of Australia.