International education company EF Education First has furthered its ties to the Olympic Movement by signing up as the first official exclusive supplier for the 2022 winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing.
EF will serve as the official language training services supplier of Beijing 2022, delivering a language training programme in line with ‘Agenda 2020’, focusing on legacy and sustainability.
The official exclusive suppliers sit within Beijing 2022’s third tier of domestic sponsors.
Yan Cheng, director general of Beijing 2022’s human resources department, said: “EF’s long history in China and rich experience in providing language services at previous Olympic Games gives us confidence that EF will be a great partner to support our language training efforts for Beijing 2022.
“Beijing 2022 and EF will jointly work out training plans, and organise a range of tailored and practical programmes for our paid staff, national technical officials and volunteers, to help them adopt a global view and enhance their language abilities.”
EF has partnered with a host of Olympic Games in the past, most recently the 2018 winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Since its launch in February 2017, Beijing 2022’s marketing programme has secured nine official partners in the shape of Bank of China (banking services), Air China (passenger air transportation services), Yili Group (dairy products), ANTA (sports apparel), China Unicom (telecommunication services), Shougang Group (urban regeneration services), CNPC (oil and gas), Sinopec Group (oil and gas) and State Grid (electricity utility services).
Five tier-two official sponsors have been signed including Tsingtao Brewery (beer), Beijing Yanjing Brewery (beer), the Arawana brand of Yihai Kerry Group (cooking oil and grains), Beijing Shunxin Agriculture (fresh meat, seafood, fruit, and vegetables), and Cultural Investment Holdings (cultural event planning and management).