L.A. 2024 will assign American sports marketing experts to help int'l sports federations market their sports in the U.S. if L.A. wins the 2024 Games, bid leaders said Tuesday. Disney Chair & CEO Bob Iger will chair a "sports ambassador program," LA24 Chief Strategy Officer Angela Ruggiero said during a speech to the Association of Summer Olympic Int'l Federations in Denmark. Ruggiero: "This program will identify business leaders in California to work with you to maximize commercial opportunities in the United States." Further details will not be released unless the bid is successful, but Iger’s program would be looking for marketers willing to act as dedicated advisers to Olympic sports federations, in particular sports that lack a major American following, such as badminton or table tennis. They would be volunteer positions, though LA24 does have a limited budget for the program. Ambassadors would be called upon to provide a range of services, including connections to possible U.S.-based corporate sponsors, and advice on experiential marketing programs, media strategies and presenting the competitions themselves. In an effort to distinguish itself from rival Paris, LA24 is telling Olympic sports federations that an American Games would offer unique commercial opportunities in light of the country’s size and wealth. In his segment of the presentation, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti called the U.S. a $250B sports market and noted the country has 100 million residents under the age of 25. The program for the 2024 Olympics will not be determined until '20, but currently 28 different int'l federations operate events and another five have been added to the program for Tokyo 2020. LA24 also said it would host annual forums with the int'l federations to help them prepare for the Games.
MAKING THE CASE: Both L.A. and Paris made brief presentations to the ASOIF on Tuesday in Denmark, their first official bid presentations since the IOC started seriously considering a plan to award both the 2024 and 2028 Olympics simultaneously. Both bids sought to lend a sense of urgency to their arguments, shifting from a pure comparison to why their plan should be selected for 2024 and the other should go later if the dual award concept proceeds. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo: "So why Paris now? Some mention the anniversary of Paris 1924, while some say it's because this is the fourth bid from one of Europe’s greatest cities. Others tell us we have a great plan in place and are ready to deliver. These are all part of the story but they are not the most important part. We believe we have the right city with the right vision at exactly the right moment for sport, a vision to connect Olympism with the generation that lives their lives through sharing and whose mindset is about changing the world." According to a report from Olympics trade inside the games, Paris has appeared to back away slightly from earlier comments indicating it would only accept a ’24 Games. LA24 Chair Casey Wasserman said that the 2024-2028 combo deal "makes a lot of sense," and added, "It’s fortunate the IOC has two great cities to consider, each capable of hosting magnificent Games in 2024." But Garcetti also said, "It's important we draw a distinction in our vision here today, because although many believe the two bids in this race are quite similar, they are, in fact, very different. ... L.A. 2024 offers the Olympic Movement something creative and new -- not more of the same." Each side included subtle digs at the other in their presentations. Garcetti said, "We’re not focused on the last 100 years, we are focused on the next 100," a reference to Paris’ hopes of running the Games on the centennial of its last Olympics. Paris 2024 Chair Tony Estanguet said, "The answers to the questions we face do not lie in just story-telling or technology," a dig at L.A.’s heavy emphasis on Hollywood and the tech industry.
