Sponsor Spotlight -- Visa, Coke, Hospitality; GE Shares Dive, Dividend Cut

Visa, Coca Cola Begin Corporate Hospitality Planning

Visa and Coca Cola say it may be more than three years away, but they have already begun planning corporate hospitality for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Company executives discussed their sponsorship at the Events 2012 And Beyond conference in London on Wednesday.

Daryl Jelinek, Coca Cola London 2012 Olympics general manager, says the soft drink giant expects to host around 8,800 guests at the London Games.

"London 2012 is an excellent opportunity to leverage our sponsorship rights with customers, consumers and staff," Jelinek said. "We will use hospitality in a host of ways to get our message across out."

Barrie Howard, Visa VP of global sponsorship, says the credit card company is focused on its preparations for the 2012 London Games.

"The Olympics aren’t a sprint, they are a marathon and we have to stay focused," Howard said.

"For us, it’s about developing an integrated element across all levels and ensuring we have an educated and prepared team."

GE Shares Lowest in 14 Years; Dividend Cut

General Electric shares dived this week to close Friday at the lowest level in 14 years following losses in its financial unit.

Shares closed at $8.51 Friday. The stock has lost 75 percent of its value over the last year.

GE's board also slashed stock dividends on Friday in a bid to save $9 billion and to preserve the company’s AAA credit rating.

GE is a worldwide sponsor through 2012.

Rolex Sponsorship Deal with U.S. Sailing

High-end watchmaker Rolex will continue to sponsor U.S. Sailing through the 2012 Summer Olympics.

"Rolex is far more than a sponsor that lends its name to events," U.S. Sailing executive director Charlie Leighton said.

"For over two decades, Rolex has been a working partner with U.S. Sailing, helping us to highlight the rich traditions of our sport and its national governing body and create first-class events and programs."

Olympic Sailing Program chairman Dean Brener said the partnership has been "a cornerstone of the support" provided for athletes.

Rolex will continue as title sponsor for the North American event in the ISAF Sailing World Cup as well as the International Women’s Keelboat Championship and the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards.

Indian Company to Sponsor Boxers, Wrestlers

Sahara India has signed a four-year deal to sponsor a number of the country’s top boxers and wrestlers beyond the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The company, which has divisions ranging from finance and entertainment to manufacturing, will sponsor 17 wrestlers and 13 boxers.

Chairman Subrata Roy said the sponsorship is a result of India's success in boxing and wrestling at the 2008 Games, where the country won one bronze medal each in the two sports.

"Boxing and wrestling have tremendous potential in India as we have a lot of talent in these sports," Roy said.

Roy added that the sponsorship would be open-ended and money would be provided when necessary.

Written by Greg Oshust.