Two additional major French organizations have signed up to be official partners of Paris 2024, taking the total sponsorship revenue so far to about 14 million euros (USD $15.57 million). Partner sponsorship levels start at 2 million euros each.
Paris 2024 says the partners, BNP Paribas, established and headquartered in Paris, and La Poste, a major postal service company operating across France, have strengthened Paris’ 2024 bid and have become bid sponsors in line with Paris’ capital city’s overall multi-million Euro sponsorship strategy.
Paris 2024 has now secured seven major partnership agreements since the start of 2016, and further sponsors are to be revealed in the coming weeks and months. Each partner will also support the city’s bid campaign by activating programs that Paris 2024 says will help to enhance public and corporate engagement with the bid.
The Paris 2024 partner program allows sponsors to choose exclusive themes on which to focus their marketing campaigns in order to maximize their messages.
According to Paris 2024, its partnership with BNP Paribas will focus on the theme of “developing talent”, activating their sponsorship to promote positive working cultures to their employees and clients.
La Poste will create new programs and engage their 260,000 employees across the country to communicate their key values of trust and respect and promote the Paris 2024 bid.
Friday’s sponsorship news means the bid is almost half-way toward reaching its fundraising goals.
In documents released Wednesday Paris reported that the bid has budgeted $72.3 million to campaign for the Games, at least half of which will be raised from private sources. That number eclipses budgets set for the three other cities – $27.5 million for Rome, $58.5 for Budapest and between $40 and $50 million for Los Angeles.
France’s last bid for the Olympics, a failed run at the 2018 Winter Games by Annecy, was criticized for its low budget and inability to raise adequate funds to properly market the campaign. Annecy finished last on the ballot receiving only seven of 95 cast votes.
Bernard Lapasset, Co-Chairman of the Paris 2024 bid committee said, “Paris 2024 is delighted to welcome two more major companies as partners of our Olympic and Paralympic Games bid. We fully value their support and it is wonderful that our campaign already has so many major organizations backing our project.
“This significant achievement is a clear sign that Paris and France’s corporate community is firmly behind this bid, that they have excellent confidence in our economic future and hosting capabilities, and that they see the great value and benefits of a Games in Paris in 2024”.
Tony Estanguet, Co-Chairman of Paris 2024 added, “it is great news for the Paris 2024 bid that we have already secured seven major sponsors. Through this campaign, their expertise, resources and ability to reach all parts of our nation will ensure that the positive message of the Olympic Games and our candidacy for 2024 will be embraced by our communities.
“BNP Paribas and La Poste also have a great track record working in sport through effective sponsorship and public engagement campaigns on major sporing events, so their extensive experience is invaluable as our bid campaign gathers pace.”
The second set of bid documents are due into the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October and the final vote to elect the winning city will occur September 2017 in Lima, Peru.
