To date, twelve organisations have pledged their support for the nation’s Olympic bid, including the Hungarian operations of major global brands and regional leaders in telecommunications, finance, travel and transport, real estate and commodities.
The multi-million-euro Bid Sponsorship Programme began in June this year, propelling Budapest’s Olympic hopes forward with a mix of direct financial contributions and value in kind. The twelve sponsors all have strong ties with Hungary and Budapest as well as the support of sport and Olympic values in the region.
The sponsors include: Audi, Budapest Airport, the Budapest Transport Company, the Centre for Budapest Transport, Gránit Pólus, GRAPHISOFT, Mid Ocean Brands, Provident Financial, Telekom, Wizz Air and Zwack * (see end of article for more detail on each sponsor).
As key providers of nationwide services, a number of the sponsors represent significant backing for Budapest 2024. Magyar Telekom, Budapest Airport, the Budapest Transport Company and the Centre for Budapest Transport all provide a reliable background for the Budapest Games – their local knowledge and domestic networks providing a firm foundation for planning in transport, telecommunications and information technology.
Transport is well represented in the sponsor line up. The Budapest Airport has recently announced a $182-million airport development programme known as Bud 2020. This will provide a series of major upgrades and modernisations that will be completed in time for Euro 2020, when Budapest will act as one of 13 host cities. The Budapest Transport Company provides bus, tram, metro, suburban and trolleybus transport for 1.3 billion tourists and local residents every year. As of 2010, the Centre for Budapest Transport has been modelled on TfL, London’s highly successful transport management system. In addition, Porsche Hungaria, as the largest importer of cars in the country including Audi, and WizzAir, as the region’s largest low-cost airline, also have considerable potential to evolve into major Games transport partners.
Hungary was recently upgraded to Investment Grade by Standard and Poor’s Ratings agency and this is reflected in a robust financial services industry. As a Budapest 2024 sponsor, the leading provider of nationwide financial products, Provident, is well positioned to provide important local expertise and services to the bid and to a future OCOG.
Telecommunications is also represented in the sponsor list by the largest telecommunications company in Hungary, Magyar Telekom a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications company. Magyar Telekom performs intensive development and modernization both on its fixed line and mobile networks in the framework of which last year the company accelerated the rollout of its new generation network in Hungary.
Chris Mattheisen, CEO of Magyar Telekom and Ambassador of Budapest 2024, is confident that the city has the right tools and infrastructure in place to give sport the widest possible reach into the community.
"2024 will be the first Olympics where the Internet of Things will be widely spread," he said. "We already see a lot of mobile audiences and connectivity will be key to this young, dynamic audience in future major sport events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Budapest is already among the top global network providers and we use this to great effect at major sport events already being held in the city."
Speaking from the Bid Headquarters in downtown Budapest, the Chairman of Budapest 2024, Balázs Fürjes, said that the team had been delighted by the enthusiasm of both national businesses and multinationals.
"We have twelve fantastic major sponsors on board, all eager to show their support for Budapest," he said. "It’s been truly inspiring to see such faith in our city and in our capability as an Olympic sporting nation. We expect that more sponsors will join the movement as the momentum continues to build. This is especially relevant after February next year, when we will see a much wider exposure for the bid in both domestic and international markets. As an example, we have fifteen major sport events coming up in Hungary before the IOC vote next year, including the FINA World Championships, the World Judo Championships, Finn Gold Cup and the European Youth Olympic Festival next summer."
The growing wave of private sector confidence in the bid is not just about mobilising resources in support of the campaign. It also reflects the steady support of the domestic market for the Olympic bid, and could have a further positive impact on local audiences. According to the latest opinion poll, around two thirds of Hungarian citizens would be "proud" or "very proud" if Budapest were given the opportunity to host the Games. The percentage rises to over 70 in the 18-33 age range.
- ENDS –
Named as European Capital of Sport 2019, Budapest is a high-value city, with an excellent transport infrastructure and a long-term sustainable development plan. The Budapest 2024 Olympic Bid proposes a compact and intimate Games footprint in the capital, and a truly nationwide Games that features sport in six other Olympic cities. Budapest 2024 is dedicated to deliver an on-budget and inclusive Olympic and Paralympic Games in one of the top 20 most peaceful countries in the world. Sports-mad Hungary was one of the founding members of the IOC and has participated in the Games since 1896. Ranked in the top ten of the all-time Olympic Medal table, Hungary has yet to be awarded the right to host the Olympic Games.
* Sponsor detail:
Audi (imported by Porsche Hungaria)
Porsche Hungaria is the Hungarian importer of five iconic brands: Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. It is the biggest importer of cars in Hungary with a nationwide dealers' network, that offers world-class car service background with car sales financing, insurance, automotive leasing and supply of spare parts.
Budapest Airport Plc.
Budapest Airport is home to 44 airlines, which transported 10.3 million passengers to 95 airports in 36 countries last year. It recently announced a $182-million airport development programme known as Bud 2020, which includes a new airport hotel, increased check-in desks, enhanced security facilities, a direct rail link to the city centre, a new airplane pier, a multi-level parking facility and the expansion of the passenger plane apron area.
Budapest Transport Company (BKV)
The Budapest Transport Company provides bus, tram, metro, suburban and trolleybus transport for 1.3 billion tourists and local residents every year.
Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK)
The Centre for Budapest Transport, established in 2010, is the mobility manager of the Hungarian capital. Its main tasks are to organise public transport services, to meet transport demand and coordinate the different transport modes, and to manage developments on behalf of the Municipality of Budapest.
The BKK commissions public transport services – such as tram and bus lines – from different service providers. It plans the transport network, provides schedules, controls traffic, sells and inspects tickets and passes, and also provides passenger information services. As the activities of the BKK are diverse and extensive, everybody who uses some form of transport in Budapest is a customer of BKK – including those who walk, drive private vehicles or ride MOL Bubi bike (Budapest’s public bike- sharing system).
Gránit Pólus Ltd.
The Gránit Pólus Group is one of Hungary’s biggest property development and management companies. It operates in five Central European countries as well as in Russia. Assets within the Granit Polus portfolio include the National Theatre, Palace of Arts, Budapest Sportarena, WestEnd City Center, Hilton Hotel Budapest and Korda Studios, one of Europe’s premier film studio facilities.
GRAPHISOFT SE
Since it was established in 1982, GRAPHISOFT has revolutionized the architectural design and construction industry with innovative software solutions. Its flagship product, ARCHICAD, has fundamentally changed the way buildings are designed, constructed and managed. As a result, buildings designed and constructed using our technology are delivered on time and within budget and are of extraordinary quality.
Mid Ocean Central and Eastern Europe Ltd.
With over 50 years of experience, Mid Ocean Brands is one of the leading wholesalers in the European premium and business gift market. More than 10,000 distributors rely on Mid Ocean to ship promotional items on a 24-hour turnaround, in support of events and campaigns across the world.
Provident Financial Plc.
Provident Hungary was established in 2001. Provident is a leading provider of simple, fair and transparent financial products. It has approximately 300,000 customers and employs around 3,500 people, making it one of the biggest employers in the country. Provident’s parent company, International Personal Finance Plc is evolving to meet the changing needs of 2.6 million customers across 12 international markets including Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, Mexico and Australia."
Magyar Telekom Plc
Magyar Telekom is Hungary’s largest telecommunication operator, providing the full range of telecommunication and infocommunication (ICT) services, including fixed line, mobile phone, data transmission and non-voice as well as IT and system integration services. Magyar Telekom’s majority ownership (59.21 %) is Deutsche Telekom Europe B.V., fully owned by Deutsche Telekom AG. Telekom is one of the main partners of the Hungarian sport, Telekom is an active sponsor of sport in the community, including the Ferencvárosi Torna Football Club, the Veszprem Men’s handballl Team, the Hungarian Swimming Association and the Hungarian Olympic Committee.
Wizz Air Hungary Ltd.
Wizz Air is the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, operates a fleet of 73 Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft, and offers more than 450 routes from 26 bases, connecting 129 destinations across 38 countries. At Wizz Air, a team of approximately 2,800 aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low ticket prices making Wizz Air the preferred choice of 20 million passengers in the financial year ended 31 March 2016. Wizz Air is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ and is included in the FTSE 250 and FTSE All-Share Indices. Wizz Air is registered under the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), the global benchmark in airline safety recognition. The company was recently named 2016 Value Airline of the Year by the editors of Air Transport World, one of the leading airline trade magazines.
Zwack Unicum Plc.
Zwack Unicum Plc. is a Hungarian family business. The company’s most important product is Unicum liqueur. This unique herb liqueur, based on a secret family recipe and distilled from over forty different herbs and spices, is more than 225 years old. It was originally conceived as an aid to digestion to the royal court of Austria Hungary in 1790. Over the centuries it has become a drink for any time of day, either as a shot or warmed by the hand in a cognac glass or enjoyed chilled. Still in family hands after six generations, Unicum liqueur in Hungary is not just a drink but a national treasure. The Zwack distillery also produces a number of other Hungarian brands, such as St. Hubertus, Fütyülős, Kalinka, Sándor Zwack Noble Pálinka and Vilmos. Furthermore, the company is the exclusive distributor of close to thirty international brands, including Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Hennessy, Smirnoff and Dom Pérignon.
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