Beijing Olympic organizers on Monday launched their Supplier Program, the third tier of the 2008 Olympics Sponsorship Program.

The Supplier Program includes selections of "exclusive suppliers" and "suppliers", according to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG).

Exclusive suppliers will enjoy exclusive corresponding marketing rights and benefits in their own fields, while suppliers have to share the rights with other suppliers in the same fields.

"It is the first time suppliers can share rights in the same field," said Yuan Bin, director of BOCOG's marketing department.

Yuan named ticketing service, office equipment, stationery, furniture, sports facilities, candy, wine and tyre as the fields and categories that potential Olympic suppliers come from.

The Marketing Program of the 2008 Olympics consists of three tiers: partners, sponsors and suppliers. Up till now, 10 partners have been signed up, namely Bank of China, China Network, Sinopec, CNPC, China Mobile, Volkswagen, adidas, Johnson & Johnson, Air China and PICC P&C. The seven contracted sponsors are UPS, Haier, Sohu, Yili Dairy Group, Tsingtao Beer, Yanjing Beer and BHP Billiton.

BOCOG's marketing campaign has been so successful that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) predicts that Beijing 2008 is likely to break the record set in Los Angeles in 1984 for the most profitable Games in history.

Source: Xinhua