Sponsor Spotlight -- PyeongChang First Sponsor; Procter & Gamble Exec with VA

(ATR) Three years after becoming Olympic host, PyeongChang signs with its first domestic sponsors.

IOC President Thomas Bach is in Seoul on Tuesday to sign the telecommunications deal with KT. The ceremony takes place at KT headquarters. The athletic apparel category will be filled at a ceremony in PyeongChang on Wednesday, also with theIOC President on hand.

The company believed to be in line is YoungOnes Apparel

Tuesday’s ceremony in Seoul forced certain delegates at the 2014 debrief to spend the night in South Korea’s capital, a three-hour drive from PyeongChang.

Pyeongchang is believed to be targeting upwards of $700 million in domestic marketing revenues, based on figures used during the bid campaign.

The marketing arm of Pyeongchang 2018 isn’t keeping their search for sponsors a secret. There is a button on the home page http://pyeongchang2018.com/ that clicks through to the basic information companies need to know about becoming a domestic sponsor, including guidelines to submit tenders.

According to POCOG’s website, the banking category has been filled, but there is no further information about that deal.Negotiations for an airline and language services provider are ongoing, and tenders are open for four other categories, including internet search engine.

Former Proctor & Gamble Exec Moves to Veterans Affairs

Robert McDonald, the former Procter & Gamble CEO, has been appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs by United States President Barack Obama.

McDonald is the first non general or colonel to be appointed to the position in the past 10 years. McDonald is a graduate of West Point and served in the U.S. Army for five years.

McDonald served as CEO of TOP Sponsor Procter & Gamble from 2009 to 2013.

Eric Shinseki, the former secretary, resigned last month amid a scandal showing faulty management of the entire bureau.

"[McDonald] comes with the credentials they need at this time: management expertise and someone who has made a living making tough decisions," Bob Wallace, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, told the Wall Street Journal.

Many praised the appointment due to McDonald’s experience in the private sector, saying his business acumen would be necessary to reform the embattled division.

"He has no allegiance to anyone in the VA. He can do what needs to be done without offending his friends."

Media Watch

…One of P&G's key communications and marketing executives also announced she is leaving the TOP sponsor "after 14 happy years." Lucy Hodgson played a key role in London 2012 activation and was well-regarded by international media.

…AdAge writesthat "it’s the end of marketing as we know it at Procter & Gamble."

Rwanda Named as CISA Host

JAPPO Sports & Entertainment announced Kigali, Rwanda will host the 2015 CISA Convention.

The Rwandan National Olympic and Sports Committee worked with JAPPO to bring the annual African convention to Kigali. CISA 2015 will take place on March 11-15.

"Organizing CISA in Rwanda represents a fantastic opportunity to upgrade the convention’s standards along with reaching out a wider audience, specifically among English-speaking countries," Diamil Faye, CISA’s organizer and JAPPO’s chairman, said in a statement.

"During my first coordination visit, I was impressed by Rwanda’s professionalism and organization. I’m truly confident that the local organizing committee will make this 2015 edition a great success."

Written by Ed Hula III and Aaron Bauer

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