POSTED: Thursday July 2nd 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Paralympics: IPC Extends Partnership with Edelman

Edelman - Official Media & Communications Agency

Bonn, Germany – The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced today that it has renewed its global working relationship with Edelman as its Official Media & Communications Agency.

Edelman will continue its work as a pro bono partner of the Germany-based IPC, the international governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The assignment is an extension of an agreement originally forged in 2006, when Edelman was selected as the IPC’s first global public relations agency of record.

“Edelman has been a terrific partner to the IPC over the past three years, and particularly around the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. Their expertise in the sports industry and media relations, combined with their global reach, has helped us improve our global communications efforts, expanding the Paralympic message to a much broader audience,” said Sir Philip Craven, President of the IPC. “It is critical to the success of the Paralympic Movement that we have partners as passionate as we are, and Edelman has proven to be a valuable and trusted adviser. We look forward to continuing our work with them in the lead up to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games and beyond.”

Edelman will continue to support the IPC on the development of its global PR programme and implementation in key countries, leveraging the firm’s expertise in sports marketing, corporate reputation, consumer and multicultural marketing, and issues management. Edelman’s IPC team, based across the UK, USA, Canada, Germany and China, will expand to include offices in Russia and Australia as part of the new agreement.

Kate Gordon, Edelman’s UK Head of Sports & Sponsorship, said: “Our relationship with the IPC means a great deal to Edelman on many levels. This project not only offers an interesting and challenging assignment for our sports teams around the world, but we believe in the power of the Paralympic Movement to change attitudes and perceptions in a positive way. It is rewarding for us to put our expertise to work for such an important organization.”

Edelman has been actively involved in every Olympic Games for nearly three decades, supporting a wide variety of clients including worldwide sponsors, national governing bodies, organizing committees, bid cities and athletes.

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Notes to the Editor:

About the IPC
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

About Edelman
Edelman is the world’s leading independent public relations firm, with more than 3,200 employees in 51 offices worldwide. Edelman was named PRWeek’s “2009 Agency of the Year,” PRWeek’s “Large PR Agency of the Year” (three times in the last four years), and Holmes Report’s “2009 Best Large Agency to Work For”; and was listed as a top-10 firm by Advertising Age in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, CEO Richard Edelman was honored as “Agency Executive of the Year” by Advertising Age, and he was cited in 2007 and 2008 as “Most Powerful PR Executive” by PRWeek.  Edelman’s network includes specialty firms Blue (advertising), StrategyOne (research) and BioScience Communications (medical education and publishing).

With devoted staff in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Hamburg, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Milan, Sao Paulo, Toronto, Montreal, Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing, Edelman’s sports practice works for major sports properties, athletes and leading brands and companies in support of their sports sponsorships. Visit www.edelman.com for more information.

For further information, please contact Steffi Klein, IPC Media and Communications Senior Manager, on tel: +49-2008-2097-230, e-mail: steffi.klein@paralympic.org or Kate Gordon, Edelman Sports, on tel: +44-203-047-4005, e-mail: kate.gordon@edelman.com.

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Keywords · Edelman · IPC · Paralympics · International Paralympic Committee

Name: Steffi Klein
Organization: International Paralympic Committee
Email:
Phone: +49-228-2097-200
URL: http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/index.html

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