Sponsor Spotlight -- GE Plans Smart Meters; AVP Renews Contract

GE to Provide Smart Meters for London 2012

GE has announced that it plans to provide smart meter technology as one of its environmental initiatives to the 2012 London Olympics.

The smart meters would be located in the Olympic Village where information on the energy use in the buildings will be shown to the public to showcase how real-time smart meter information can be used.

“It’s how you use the information from smart meters to change people’s behavior, rather than the installation of the meters themselves, which is interesting,” GE’s London 2012 projects team general manager, Tony Gale, said.

“We want to show people the benefits of having detailed information on electricity use through information coming out of the Olympic village.”

Smart meters may be installed in the entire Olympic Park.

GE is also hoping to install a rainwater collection system and solar powered and LED lighting systems.

Sochi Contracts Largest Russian Bank as Sponsor

Despite the global recession and a contracting Russian economy, Sochi 2014 inks an agreement with Sberbank to become the third domestic partner of the Winter Olympics.

Russia's state-controlled bank is expected to spend an estimated $110 to $130 million on the sponsorship.

Under the deal, Sberbank will play a major role in improving the Sochi region’s banking infrastructure and provide access to financing for the delivery of Russia’s first Winter Games. It will finance the Gornaya Karusel Olympic venue, which will be home to the Russian National Ski Jumping Center and sub-media Village for Sochi 2014.

Sberbank will also maintain and service bank accounts and salary programs for these companies. Benefits will include a ‘To the Olympic Games with Sberbank’ system, which will give people in Russia the chance to visit Sochi 2014. It will also act as distribution partner for the Olympic Lottery project and distribute a unique series of coins to commemorate the Games.

New Sponsor for USOC

Deloitte, an audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management and tax services provider, announced Monday it will sponsor the U.S. Olympic Committee and become the Official Professional Services Sponsor.

Deloitte will also sponsor the 2010 and 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, 2010 U.S Team for the Youth Olympic Games and the 2011 U.S. Pan American Team.

“There is no better opportunity to put the intellectual capital and business knowledge of our people to work than through the delivery of our exceptional professional services capabilities for the strategic, operational and financial benefit of the USOC and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls,” CEO of Deloitte, Barry Salzberg said.

Subsidiaries of Deloitte have also provided pro bono services to Chicago 2016 in its bid to host the 2016 Olympics.

Bud Bud Light has extended its AVP sponsorship for three more years. (Getty Images)Light Extends AVP Contract

AVP announced Thursday that Bud Light has signed a three-year contract extension to continue as the Official Malt Beverage sponsor of the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.

“Our renewed support of the AVP Tour is part of our continued investment for Bud Light in lifestyle sports,” Anheuser-Busch official Dan McHugh said.

Bud Light will be the presenting sponsor at AVP Crocs Tour events at Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Huntington Beach, Calif.

AVP and Anheuser-Busch have partnered together since 2001 when Michelob Light was the official beer sponsor. Bud Light became the official beer sponsor in 2003.

Briefs…

…Coca-Cola is testing interactive vending machines at Simon Malls in the U.S. The 150 machines will be located at malls in the southeast and will allow people to use a large format touch screen to interact and purchase Coca-Cola products. The machines were first showcased at the Beijing Olympics.

…Olympic sponsor Acer is seeing an increase in the waiting period for items such as keyboards, LCD screens and printed circuit boards. Chairman J.T. Wang said he expected the company’s second quarter to be better than the first, although he did not know how much better.

Written by Isia Reaves.