LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

Roots takes part in US Olympic workshop ahead of 2008 Beijing Games

The 2008 Olympics may still seem far off in the future but they’re not. At least not when you’re the official outfitter of one of the largest teams competing in the Games taking place in Beijing in just over a year-and-a-half from now. For those, like Roots, with a key role at the event, preparations are already underway.

Earlier this month, Roots joined other official sponsors, suppliers and licensees at the U.S. Olympic Team Partner Workshop in Colorado Springs. The three-day event was hosted by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in preparation for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“With the 2008 Olympics on the horizon, the Workshop focused on utilizing the magnitude of these Games to substantially increase America's passion, admiration and loyalty for America's Olympic athletes,” says USOC Chief Marketing Officer Jim Grice. “We hope it also helps increase the support of Americans for the companies that support the athletes on their journey.”
Representing Roots at the Workshop at the US Olympic Training Complex in Colorado was Marketing Coordinator Sonia-Michelle De Souza. Her aim was to get an insight into the preparations for the Beijing games and the marketing opportunities around the United States 2008 Olympic and Paralympics teams.

“You never realize the full potential of your role and the vastness of the American Olympic dream until you are actually there speaking with US Olympic officials,” says Sonia. “It’s incredible to see how many people it takes to make the entire event on the whole and the US Olympic project in particular, such a great success.”

As part of the event, Sonia-Michelle also met corporate leaders from the some of the top companies in the world associated with the Olympics. She participated in discussions about the new USOC strategic Game Plan focusing on shared marketing objectives, best practices and to create new ideas for sponsor activation.The workshop also included presentations on various topics including an informative session on the Chinese culture and behavioral patterns and a forum giving insight into the new Olympics 2008 logo.