PyeongChang 2018 Beefs Up Sponsor Support -- Sponsor Spotlight

(ATR) Organizers of the next Winter Olympics now have a partner in the packaged raw beef category.

Daegwanryoung Hanwoo is joining the PyeongChang 2018 sponsorship team as an Official Supporter of the Games. The company is a provider of one of the top quality beefs in Korea called Hanwoo that is often seen as a cultural icon.

Organizers of the PyeongChang 2018 Games signed the agreement with Daegwanryoung Hanwoo on March 14 in South Korea. As an Official Supporter, the company will give financial aid to organizers of the Games.

"We greatly appreciate the firm support of Daegwanryoung Hanwoo for PyeongChang 2018," said PyeongChang 2018 president Hee Beom Lee. "We are confident that the support of Daegwanryoung Hanwoo will add value to the Games."

The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games are now less than 11 months away and entering the final stages of preparations. The Games begin Feb. 9 and conclude Feb. 25, 2018.

Coca-Cola Olympics Change

After starting out as an intern 25 years ago, Thierry Borra has left as manager of the company’s Olympics program. He’s moved with family back to his native France to launch a new firm, Sports Matters Consulting.

Taking over the Olympics helm at Coke is Amber Steele, who came to the Atlanta-based TOP sponsor from FIFA in 2004. As manager of Coke’s FIFA sponsorship, she helped Coke press FIFA for reforms when the federation leadership collapsed under scandal in 2015.

Steele is responsible for oversight of Coca-Cola’s sponsorship of some of the biggest sporting competitions in the world, such as the FIFA World Cup. Earlier in her career Steele spent a number of years working in senior marketing positions at FIFA, before making the move to Coca-Cola as Manager of Global Event Operations and Worldwide Sports in 2004.

Toyota Adds Two Winter NGB Partnerships

New Olympic TOP sponsor Toyota and Team USA are building a closer relationship in the run-up to the PyeongChang Winter Games next February.

Toyota announced multi-year National Governing Body (NGB) partnerships with U.S. Figure Skating and US Speedskating this week. The Japanese carmaker says it will work to develop and promote the two sports and provide support to the athletes involved.

In addition, Toyota says it has extended and expanded a partnership with USA Hockey that began in 2012. Earlier this year, Toyota announced a similar partnership with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

This week the company added two athletes, Gus Kenworthy and Torin Yater-Wallace, to its multi-sport Team Toyota family. Kenworthy, 25, won a silver medal at the Sochi Games in men’s freestyle slopestyle skiing while Yater-Wallace, 21, recently won the Olympic test event halfpipe competition in PyeongChang.

"We are committed to making an impact with our winter sports presence in the United States," said Jack Hollis, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division in a statement. "With the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games less than a year away, Toyota looks forward to supporting the NGBs and athletes on every step of their journey as they move toward achieving their dreams."

World Curling Champs Add Sponsors

The next women’s and men’s Curling World Championships each have added a pair of main sponsors.

The CPT World Women’s Curling Championships 2017 begin March 18 in Beijing. The event will now be sponsored by Lucerne Tourism and TITLIS Cableways.

The sponsorship agreement was created by Infront Sports & Media, World Curling Federation’s exclusive media and marketing partner, in the week leading up to the women’s championships.

Infront was also able to get Lucerne Tourism and TITLIS Cableways to become primary sponsors of the World Men’s Curling Championships 2018 that will take place in Las Vegas from March 31 to April 8.

The sponsorship includes full brand exposure through advertising boards in prominent positions on-site for both brands as well as branding on interview backdrops, according to the WCF. TITLIS Cableways will also have its logo featured on men’s jerseys during the 2018 championships. The sponsors will also receive a television advertisement on Eurosport.

"We are delighted that Infront has secured two familiar partners in Lucerne Tourism and TITLIS Cableways for the World Curling Championships," said WCF president Kate Caithness. "The recurring cooperation shows that all parties are satisfied with their commitments and we greatly appreciate the support being given to these events in China and the USA."

Written by Kevin Nutley, Ed Hula and Gerard Farek.

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