Chicago Olympic bid news

from Crain's Chicago Business News


Olympic bid tests Daley's sharing skills

By Gregory Meyer
April 23, 2007

"After successfully wooing the U.S. Olympic Committee, Mayor Richard M. Daley now must work with the group as an equal partner in the quest to bring the 2016 Summer Games to Chicago.

Unlike the leaders of past American nominees, he won't have a passive business partner. Burned by New York's failed bid to win the 2012 games, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) is determined to play a more active role this time — lending expertise to Chicago's first-time candidacy, but potentially grabbing decision-making power from a mayor accustomed to calling the shots.

"The USOC made clear this would be unlike prior bid processes, where it would pick a city, pat them on the back and say, 'Go get 'em,'" says David Simon, president of the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games, which ran Los Angeles' bid against Chicago. "What's changed now is the USOC made clear from day one that they want to form a partnership with whatever city they selected." .....

"The Chicago bid committee has signed a contract setting rules for promotions and marketing, the use of Olympic logos and interaction with the international Olympic community. Chicago and USOC officials agreed to meetings in May and June to hash out roles and responsibilities, spokesmen say." .....

"But the mayor and his Olympics chief, Aon Corp. Executive Chairman Patrick Ryan, must now forge a deeper working relationship with the USOC and its chairman, Peter Ueberroth. Unity will be critical to their two-year campaign for the 2016 games. The International Olympic Committee will pick the host city in 2009 from a field expected to include Rio de Janeiro, Prague, Madrid and Tokyo.

Messrs. Ueberroth and Daley share a passion to win the games, but could differ on matters ranging from strategy to staffing. Finances — particularly decisions that significantly increase the city's costs — also could cause friction."......

"Consultant Marc Ganis says the USOC will take the lead on international outreach. Marketing and PR was "one of the weaker aspects of Chicago's bid" and will probably take more direction from the USOC, says Mr. Ganis, president of Sportscorp Ltd. in Chicago." .....

"USOC officials want to avoid the kind of dysfunction that plagued New York's bid, which included a last-minute argument over the terms of cooperation between the USOC and the city, according to a person familiar with the situation." ....

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