The Red Square Lounge, the networking café sponsored by the Russian Bid Committee for the 2018-2022 FIFA World Cup, was the focal point at the recent Soccerex Forum in Manchester on 2 and 3 March.

The café proved so popular with attendees that it maxed out capacity on the first day of the exhibition, when Bid Director for Planning and Operations, Alexander Djordjadze, and Sports Director/Bid Ambassador, Alexey Smertin welcomed all present for a Happy Hour.

Located at the very heart of Soccerex European Forum, delegates and media alike provided for a permanent flow of visitors who were keen to hear the latest news  and activities of the Russian Bid Committee's effort to win the right to host either the 2018 or the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.

"We are very pleased with the positive feedback we received concerning our bid over the past two days here in Manchester," Djordjadze said. "Of course, like every other bidder applying to host FIFA's flagship competition, we still have a very long way to go. We feel encouraged in our approach and will continue our efforts to submit a top-quality bid, with the next milestone being the bid book submission to FIFA in May of this year, at their headquarters in Zurich."