Unlike previous events conducted to celebrate the anniversary of the capital city of Jakarta, PRJ this year will be lustered up by the presence of Bryan Robson (former Manchester United player) and Steve McMohan (former Liverpool player) who plan to visit it on three consecutive days.
"Bryan Robson and Steve McMohan will be present in the Jakarta Fair from June 24 through 26," Chief Marketing Officer Aje (the Big Cola producer) Jorge Lopez Doriga said on Tuesday.
The soccer legends` planned visit will be along with the FA cup arrival at the PRJ directly from Britain.
"This activity is a kind of our gift for the 484th anniversary of Jakarta," Doriga said in the PRJ Kemayoran area.
As the sponsor of the FA Cup in England, Doriga said his side will give "something" more to the Indonesian soccer lovers especially those who can come to the Jakarta Fair because the FA Cup will be displayed there for a day.
In addition, the Indonesian soccer loving people will also have an opportunity to take pictures with the FA cup and make interaction with the two British soccer legends.
"We hope it will become a valuable moment because they (visitors) even can touch the cup," he said.
According to Doriga, the decision to invite Bryan Robson (now handling Thai national team) and Steve McMohan (a TV commentator) because they are very close to Asia.
Bryan Robson and Steve McMohan even have understood of the Asia soccer lovers thanks to their proximity to Asia.
The coming of the two British soccer legends along with the FA Cup constitutes a series of "Big Cola FA Cup Asian Tour.
In the meantime, Managing Director of PT Jakarta International Expo (JIEXPO) Budi Santoso told the press that this year`s Jakarta Fair is expected to attract four million visitors or up compared to three million visitors in 2010.
The Jakarta Fair organizing committee, according to him, will also raise the transaction target from last year`s three trillion rupiah to three and half trillion rupiah.
At least 2,600 companies with 1,300 stalls will fill the 44 hectare business areas of the PRJ.
As many as ten hectares of land will be used for the stalls. The rest of the land will be used for various facilities like parking areas, Budi said.
In addition, more than 100 musical bands will perform on a number of stages, he said, explaining that fireworks, Youth Night, Miss Jakarta Fair election, arts performing at the Cultural Park and the carnival will also enliven the PRJ.
Like the previous years, the PRJ organizing committee this year will continue to perform musical concert as the menu mainstay and some 250 artists have been prepared.
A variety of musical genres will be presented to pamper the visitors who usually come from various backgrounds and ages.
The pop, rock musics, jazz including reggae will be echoed every night.
Musical performances from high level bands and singers will be presented on the main stage. In addition, there is one more stage, i.e. the Gambir Expo stage.
Gambir Expo stage will present the Betawi cultural displays, children`s entertainment, country music, the Beatles Night, Hip Hop including Dangdut.
The Jakarta Fair`s opening hours are from 03.30 p.m. through 10.00 p.m. local time every day, except on Saturdays and Sundays namely from 10.00 a.m. through 11.00 p.m.
The organizing committee has also provided parking lots for 10,000 cars and 15,000 motorbikes as well as free-of-charge shuttle buses plying the National Monument parking lot of IRTI-PRJ route.
The Bryan Robson and Steve McMohan attendance in the PRJ
which will be opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday (June 9) is also expected to give another nuance to the visitors.(*)
B003/HAJM/A014
Reporter: Bustanuddin
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
