| LAUSANNE-(23-10-2002) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is pleased to announce that Samsung has renewed its worldwide Olympic sponsorship continuing through to the XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin 2006 and the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008. Participating in the sixth generation of The Olympic Partner (TOP) programme, Samsung is the seventh partner to renew its Olympic agreement for the next Olympic marketing quadrennium. The corporation joins global Olympic partners Coca-Cola, Kodak, John Hancock, Schlumberger, Swatch and Panasonic.
The global agreement with the Olympic Movement, which includes sponsorship of the 199 National Olympic Committees, positions Samsung as Worldwide Official Partner in the category of Wireless Communication Equipment.
Commenting on the announcement, IOC President Dr. Jacques Rogge said: `We are proud of our partnership with Samsung, and very happy that this successful partnership will continue to provide vital support for the Olympic athletes and the Games. As we look forward to the Olympic Games in Turin 2006 and Beijing 2008, we are enthusiastic about strengthening our partnership for the mutual benefit of Samsung and the Olympic Movement. The TOP VI programme for 2005 - 2008 is now well advanced, and the early renewal support from Samsung and other TOP Partners is vital to the future of Olympism and the success of future Olympic Games.`
`The partnership between the Olympic Movement and Samsung is essential to the complex mission of staging the Olympic Games, as Samsung provides leading wireless communications equipment that is essential to Olympic operations. In this partnership, Samsung also has developed several powerful programmes that reaffirm the Olympic ideals and support Olympic athletes from around the world,` said Gerhard Heiberg, IOC Member and Chairman of the IOC Marketing Commission.
Since Samsung joined the TOP Programme, the company has steadily increased its market share. In recent years, Samsung has risen from No. 6 to No. 3 in mobile phone production worldwide.
With each Olympic Games, Samsung continues to bring pioneering innovations in wireless communications equipment to support the Olympic Family. The company also maximises its Olympic partnership by launching groundbreaking Samsung products. Coinciding with the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Samsung introduced the I300, America's first fully integrated phone with Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) capability and a colour screen, as well as the N300, America's first Global Positioning System-enabled wireless phone. The IOC looks forward to experiencing the technological innovation of Samsung's contributions to Athens 2004.
Samsung has been an Official Partner since 1997, TOP IV. The TOP programme aims to provide financial and technical support for the Olympic Games and support for every National Olympic Committee and the entire Olympic Movement. The IOC's TOP initiative is the only worldwide Olympic sponsorship programme.
|
