The Sponsorship Programme developed for the 2008 Olympic Games is the most comprehensive sponsorship package ever created in association with the Games. It provides an all-encompassing, five-year calendar of events and opportunities. It is designed to consolidate, enhance and protect the rights, benefits and privileges of the sponsoring corporations, which secure marketing rights to the 2008 Olympic Games, the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Chinese Olympic Teams.

    I. Mission
    The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Sponsorship Programme shall abide by the Olympic Charter and adhere to the Olympic Ideals and the three concepts of 'Green Olympic Games, High-tech Olympic Games and People's Olympic Games; assist in the promotion of the Olympic Movement, the promotion of the Olympic image and brand awareness of the Beijing Games and COC in and outside China; ensure financial sufficiency and stability, and reliable technical and service support for the staging and operation of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games; provide a unique Olympic marketing platform for both Chinese and foreign enterprises and encourage the broad participation of Chinese business entities to enhance their corporate image and brand awareness through their Olympic association, and provide quality services to sponsors and maximize the return on their investments while helping them forge long-term partnerships with the Olympic Movement in China.

    II. Sponsorship tiers
    Sponsorship of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be developed on both the international and national levels. The TOP VI Programme supports the Olympic Movement internationally, including the Beijing Games, while the Beijing 2008 Sponsorship Programme supports the Olympic Games at the national level within the host country.The Beijing 2008 Sponsorship Programme consists of three tiers of support:
    Beijing 2008 Partner
    Beijing 2008 Sponsor
    Beijing 2008 Supplier( Exclusive/ co-exclusive)

    For each tier, there is a price benchmark. Possible price variations will be allowed to reflect specific industry conditions and competition and specific benchmark prices will be detailed further during the sales process with all interested entities. Olympic sponsors at all levels of the BOCOG programme will help to promote Olympism throughout China and make significant contributions of technology, products and services to support the operations of the Beijing Organising Committee and the staging of Beijing 2008, the COC and the Chinese Olympic Team. The level of support will determine the extent of the marketing rights granted to each corporation. These rights will be exclusive marketing rights within each cateogry within the host country.

    III. Rights and Benefits
    Sponsors provide direct and significant support to BOCOG, the COC and the Chinese Olympic Team in the form of cash and/or value-in-kind. In return, sponsors will enjoy the corresponding rights and benefits designed by BOCOG and listed below.

    * Use of BOCOG and/or COC marks, designations for the purposes of advertising and market promotions
    * Product/service exclusivity in specific categories
    * Hospitality opportunities at the Olympic Games, including: accommodation, accreditation, tickets for opening and closing ceremonies and competition events, sponsor hospitality village, etc.
    * Preferred option to purchase TV ad space and billboards during the Games period
    * Preferred option to purchase sponsoring opportunities of cultural programs and signature events such as the Torch Relay
    * Participation in sponsor workshops and observations organized by BOCOG
    * BOCOG sponsor recognition program and acknowledgements
    * Protection of sponsorship rights via the anti-ambush marketing program of BOCOG

    The rights and benefits are differentiated between each tier in proportion to the specific contributions made by the partners, sponsors and suppliers to the Beijing 2008 Games.

    IV. Sales Process
    1. Sales approaches
    In the spirit of openness, transparency and fairness, different sales approaches will be implemented to address the specific market conditions in all categories:
    * Open Sales: Notice of sales will be made public and request for proposals will be issued.
    * Selective Sales: Invitations will be sent out to a shortlist of companies capable of satisfying specific technical requirements needed to ensure the success of the Games.
    * Individual Sales: Face-to-face negotiations will be conducted with companies in a given product category able to satisfy technical requirements for the Games.

    2. Sales Steps
    In a broad line, the following steps will be taken:
    * BOCOG calls for interest or issues request for proposals
    * Interested companies submit an expression of interest
    * BOCOG Evaluation Group exams credentials of interested companies
    * BOCOG sales team discusses with qualified companies for proposals and offers
    * Companies submit official sponsorship proposals/offers
    * BOCOG Evaluation Group proposes sponsor-candidates
    * BOCOG determines sponsoring companies with approval of the IOC
    The number of steps specifically taken in real sales process may be added or reduced subject to necessity.

    3. Timeline of Sales
    In view of the differences in the value of contributions by each tier of sponsorship, a timeline of the sales process will be developed to prioritize sales to the largest group of contributors first, beginning with BOCOG's potential National Partners. The process may produce overlapping sales activities as the market and contract negotiations evolve.
    Partner 4rd quarter 2003 - 4th quarter 2004
    Sponsor 2nd quarter 2004 - 2nd quarter 2005
    Exclusive Supplier/Supplier 4th quarter 2004 – 2nd quarter 2007

    V. Evaluation and Measurement Criteria
    Generally speaking, the following criteria will be applied in the process of selecting sponsors:
    * Corporate strength and accountability. Companies must be prestigious Chinese or international enterprises, enjoying market leadership, boasting good growth prospects, financial strength and health, and the ability to generate adequate cash flow in order to meet the sponsorship investment requirements.
    * Quality and reliability of product/service. Companies should be able to supply sufficient top-notch and reliable products/technology/service as required to ensure the sound operation of the Games.
    * Financial pledge/investment. Companies should make competitive financial offers, which is one of the key criterion for selecting sponsors
    * Brand alignment. Companies must possess a good reputation and social image, identify with and boost the Ideals of the Olympic Movement and the concepts of the Beijing Olympic Games. In addition, their products should be environment-friendly.
    * Marketing activation. Companies should invest an adequate amount of financial and other resources in their promotions, advertising and general activation efforts in order to fully leverage the Olympic marketing platform and thereby assist in promoting and propagating the Olympic Ideals and Beijing Games.