Live from the World Cup: Maracana Tech Manager Coleman Ready for Final

Maracana Stadium in Rio has one more match to go before it closes out not only its 2014 World Cup experience but the entire event as it will be home to the ultimate showdown: the final between the top two teams on July 13. Jeff Coleman, senior venues tech manager for HBS has been overseeing not only the day-to-day operations at Maracana but he is also senior venues technical manager that placed six of the 12 venues under his auspices.

Jeff Coleman is venue tech manager for Maracana Stadium, home of next week’s World Cup Final.

“I took six of the venues and they all belonged to one team and we did the planning for those six venues until three months prior to the World Cup when we handed each venue over to another team. But prior to that we figured out camera positions, which seats needed to be taken out, how cables get in, where power would be located, and more.”

Out of the six venues he worked closely on Manaus, he says, was the most challenging.

“It was pretty challenging as they have a different way of doing things up there and it is a long, long, way away,” he adds.

Speaking of a long, long, way away Coleman is a Melbourne, Australia native who lived in London for the London Olympics and then moved to Rio for two years. So Coleman actually has a local advantage as he and his wife along with their five-year old son who celebrates his birthday today currently call Rio home although he expects to head back to Australia later this year. During his time here he routinely checked in on Maracana Stadium after its opening in April of last year.

“Everyone here at Maracana Stadium knows me and that makes it easier and I could also visit during the year,” he says of the build up to the start of the World Cup. “The other advantage is that the Confederations Cup final was here so I had a chance to prepare everyone for the fact that we were coming back. So Maracana is the best venue.”

As for the final, Coleman has never worked on one but he and the team are ready.

“We’re prepared for a full compound and full tribune every match as we have 150 positions for broadcasters,” he adds.