BOC signs up as Olympic partner
The marketing program of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games gained momentum on Thursday, as Bank of China signed with the Beijing Organizing Committee to become the official banking partner of the milestone event.
After a qualification review, the committee said it selected BOC as its first official partner — the top tier of a four-level sponsor system — for its reliable banking service and experience serving previous Olympics.
“Successful marketing guarantees the delivery of a fantastic Olympics by providing funds, products and services. It also offers a highprofile branding opportunity for companies. Today is a great beginning for both sides,” said Chen Jining, acting mayor of Beijing and executive president of the organizing committee.
Zhang Jiandong, executive vice-president of the committee, and BOC President Chen Siqing signed the partnership, witnessed by the committee’s president Cai Qi, who is also Party chief of Beijing, and Tian Guoli, chairman of the bank.
The marketing program, which was launched in February, includes three components — sponsorships, licensing and ticketing. It aims to raise funds while granting partners the use of Beijing 2022 trademarks and other intellectual property for branding.
Beijing 2022 breaks sponsors into four tiers — official partners, sponsors, exclusive suppliers and suppliers — based on different prices and rights.
BOC was also the banking partner of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. It plans to build on the expertise it gained at that time to better serve the winter sports extravaganza and promote winter sports, Tian said.
“Boasting the experience of the 2008 Olympics, we are confident that we can contribute to hosting an extraordinary Winter Games with a green, sharing, open and clean approach,” Tian said.
To cater to the special demands of winter events, the bank will upgrade its facilities and services to make sure that all Olympic-related devices function well in extremely cold and windy weather.
It will also provide transparent auditing and budget management services to guarantee that Beijing 2022 stays clear of corruption while leveraging its international financing networks to support the country’s winter sports industry, Tian said.
Since 2015, when Beijing won the right to host the 2022 Olympics with co-host Zhang jiakou, Hebei province, the investment in winter sports facilities has seen a surge, highlighted by a national plan to build 650 skating rinks (200 more than the current number) and 800 ski resorts (500 more than currently) by 2022.
With the marketing program, funding and services from interested partners in various sectors are expected to accelerate the development of the winter sports industry, observers said.