IOC Seeks 13th TOP Sponsor -- Sponsor Spotlight

(ATR) The IOC aims to add a 13th sponsor to The Olympic Sponsor (TOP) program in the professional services category,as first reported by the Sports Business Journal.

The organizing body of the Olympics sent a memo describing details of a potential arrangement to three companies in the industry: Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC).

If one of these companies is chosen, they would join McDonald’s, Visa, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Bridgestone, Atos, Dow, General Electric, Omega, Panasonic, P&G and Samsung as TOP sponsors.

The IOC also held talks with members of these companies during the 128th IOC Session that took place at the beginning of August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Talks between the parties are still ongoing.

The deal would make the professional services category fall under the control of the IOC instead of the local organizing committee for each Olympics. If successful, the professional services category would be the second category to be centralized by the IOC this year. Toyota was signed as the official mobility partner in March.

Details of a potential deal are unknown. The standard for a four-year deal in the TOP program is approximately $175 million. Any deal would include value-in kind provided by the professional services company.

The IOC has turned down deals like this in the past. In 2010, the IOC denied offers from Deloitte and an unknown company to be included in the TOP program. The professional services company has been chosen by each local organizing committee the past several Olympics.

The change in mindset stems from Thomas Bach’s initiatives set forth in Olympic Agenda 2020.

McDonald’s Shoots Down Competitor's Peace Offering

On Wednesday, Burger King took out full page ads in the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune proposing they work with rival McDonald’s to create the McWhopper.

The burger would be a combination of the two chains’ best selling burgers - the Whopper and the Big Mac.

Burger King suggests the companies set up a shop in Atlanta for one day to celebrate the International Day of Peace with proceeds going to nonprofit Peace One Day.

"Corporate activism on this scale creates mass awareness and awareness creates action and action saves lives," says Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day.

McDonald’s responded to the request on their Facebook page Wednesday.

"We love the intention but think our two brands could do something bigger to make a difference," said McDonald’s chief executive officer Steve Easterbrook.

Easterbrook asks that Burger King join them "in a meaningful global effort".

"And every day, let’s acknowledge that between us there is simply a friendly business competition and certainly not the unequaled circumstances of the real pain and suffering of war," he continued.

The McDonald’s chief told Burger King they would be in touch and added that "a simple phone call will do next time."

General Electric Could Move Home to Atlanta

General Electric is currently in an exploratory phase of possible relocation sites for their corporate headquarters.

The company currently calls Fairfield, Connecticut home but say that tax increases in the state have made business growth difficult.

Atlanta and Dallas are among the few cities being considered by GE.

GE may meet with an Atlanta developer next month to discuss space at Three Alliance Center in Buckhead. The building is set to be 30 stories but plans for the building have yet to be released to the public.

These discussions show that GE is serious about the threat they made in June to leave the state they’ve called home since the 1970s.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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