2008 Beijing Olympics: Opportunities for California Firms

Beijing Olympic Action Plan
A Special Plan for High-Tech Olympics Construction

Action Plan for Beijing Olympic Games 2008
Special Programme for Construction of Digital Olympics

Official BOCOG Newsletter

Recent Developments: California Opportunities in the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Olympics set to go digital

Multi-linguistic information services will be provided to remove language barriers for Olympic participants, according to a draft of the special program for the construction of a Digital Olympics, released on Oct 22, 2002. The Digital Olympics Plan is an important part of the General Olympic Games Action Plan. The Beijing government and more than 30 well known experts and scholars are in charge of it.

A digital Olympics is the highlight of 2008 Olympic Games, said Zhang Yuhang, division chief of the Beijing Municipal Office for National Information Infrastructure. It will fully take advantage of modern information technology and build a variety of necessary information infrastructures and application systems.

It is important to provide comprehensive information services for the public which also meets the needs of the disabled, Zhang said. In a word, having a digital Olympics will ensure that anybody at any time and in any place related to the Olympics can enjoy secure, efficient and affordable information services, he said.

The draft also includes plans for an Olympics digital hub, a landmark building that would provide multifunctional comprehensive services for the 2008 Beijing Games. The hub will display construction achievements for the Games and showcase athletics and the rapid speed of Beijings information construction to the whole world. After the Games, the hub can be used again as a command center for major activities in China and Beijing.

Digital Olympics will greatly accelerate the implementation of Digital Beijing, and provide Beijingers an opportunity to show the world the accomplishment the city has achieved, according to Zhang. The Digital Olympics Action Plan committee is seeking comments from people both at home and abroad on its draft which has been released in both Chinese and English at the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committees Web Site (http://www.Beijing-2008.org). Chinese residents and people across the globe are welcome to send their comments and suggestions by email, mail, or by phone.

(Source: China Daily October 23, 2002)

IOC seeks ties with Beijing partner

International Olympic Committee (IOC) partners are keen on establishing a close and cooperative relationship with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG), said Gerhard Heiberg, Chairman of the IOC Marketing Commission yesterday. Were extremely grateful and happy for the dedication of your work and the way you cooperate with the IOC, said Heiberg at a meeting with BOCOG on October 22, 2002. We have high expectations for you and we look forward to continuing the co-operative relationship with you.

Heiberg is heading a 35-member IOC Sponsor Advisory Group (SAG) on a four-day visit to Beijing. SAG, composed of IOC marketing experts, representatives from IOC sponsors and broadcasting, will also pay visits to the Olympic Green and National Olympic Center. Six sponsors, including Matsushita, Coca-Cola, Kodak, SchlumbergerSema, Swatch and John Hancock, so far have joined in theIOCs TOP VIP program, which lasts from 2004 to 2008.

Our partners here are also keen to know your preparations, said Heigerg. The Olympic Look project began after BOCOG held an Olympic design conference in July and started inviting tenders for the Olympic logo. By the end of this year, we will have the Olympic logo and a new emblem for BOCOG, said Jiang Xiaoyu, vice-president of BOCOG. The Olympic marketing program will be carried out next year, he added.

Heiberg also said the IOC is well aware of Chinese businesses enthusiasm in the marketing program for the 2008 Olympics and will help them get more involved in the program. We know that the Chinese businesses and industries would like to involved in the preparations for the 2008 Games, so to understand how the international partners work with the IOC and organizing committees will be helpful for them, he said.

(Source China Daily October 23,2002)