The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has announcedthat UPS has become its 5th Tier Two Supporter and 22nd domestic commercial sponsor overall. UPS
becomes Official Logistics and Express Delivery Supporter of the London 2012 Olympic and ParalympicGames.Working in collaboration with the London 2012 logistics team, UPS will undertake theoperation of the Games Logistics and Command Centre as well as manage all of LOCOG’s transportationand logistical operations, providing an integrated supply chain solution that includes venuelogistics services, warehousing services and the transportation network of vans and lorries thatlinks them. UPS will use an extensive array of technology systems within those facilities tomaintain precise control of the millions of sporting items and related equipment that will bestored and processed there throughout the Games.
In addition, UPS will also be responsible for all customs and freight forwarding and courierservices for London 2012 with a dedicated fleet of up to 120 vehicles, including electriczero-emission vehicles. UPS staffing will include more than 2,000 people for both operational andcustomer-facing roles.
London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe welcomed the appointment: “Staging an Olympic Games andParalympic Games is probably the biggest peacetime logistical undertaking in the world. UPSwill bring a wealth of expertise to the planning and delivery of a spectacular Games in 2012 – theyhave a great heritage in supporting the Games, global capabilities and we look forward to thembeing a vital part of the team. Having one single supplier to handle the majority of ourcomplex transportation and logistical needs will benefit everyone.”
Dan Brutto, president of UPS International, commented: “We view our sponsorship of the LondonOlympic Games and Paralympic Games as a strategic investment in growing our business throughout theUK. UPS is committed to helping London make these Games an unparalleled success and it’s a greathonour to be entrusted again with such a tremendous responsibility.”
UPS was a provider to the Beijing Games in 2008 and was a worldwide partner of the AtlantaGames in 1996, Nagano Winter Games in 1998 and the Sydney Games in 2000. Their contract withLOCOG begins immediately and UPS will begin its planning process. For the Beijing Games, thisincluded monitoring traffic patterns, determining optimal pick-up and delivery routes and measuringthe height and width of every bridge, tunnel and overpass throughout the city to ensure UPS’svehicles could reach their destinations without delay.
UPS also designed the overall logistics plan to manage the warehousing, inventory control anddelivery of virtually every shipment that was used before, during and after the Beijing OlympicGames and Paralympic Games. By the time the Beijing Games concluded, UPS had successfullyhandled more than 19 million individual items weighing over 10,000 tons, including the 2,008 drumsand 10,000 costumes used in the Opening Ceremony; 400 tons of television broadcast equipment;70,000 pieces of athletes’ luggage and 254 canoes, kayaks and rowboats.
