Jun.29.2010

The 25th anniversary of the Olympic Movement's global sponsorship program, known as TOP (The Olympic Partners), was celebrated with a reception in Lausanne for guests from around the world who helped create the original programme.

The TOP programme generates revenues that are distributed throughout the Olympic Movement including to the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games, the National Olympic Committees and ultimately to support athletes. The money also notably helps to finance the staging of the Games.

In addition to the financial support generated by sponsorship, TOP partner's products, technology and expertise are vital to the success of the Games.Partners also help promote the Games worldwide through their marketing campaigns and sponsorship activations, helping the Olympic Movement reach a wide global audience.

"Over the past few decades, the TOP Program has gone from strength to strength, which is testament to both the original idea of creating the program and the continuing power of a partnership with the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games," said IOC president Jacques Rogge.

"I would like to pay tribute to my friend, the late Honorary IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, who had the vision and confidence to develop a pioneering global Olympic marketing program. His dedication, coupled with the work of the many people involved in the Olympic marketing programs over the last 25 years, have been a major contributing factor to the health of the Olympic Movement today."

The TOP programme - created in 1984 following the Los Angeles Olympic Games - is managed by the IOC's Marketing Commission, which was first chaired by IOC Member Richard Pound.