Cédric, why is this partnership particularly important?
“For several reasons. At the COIB, our primary mission is obviously to offer Belgian athletes the best possible preparation conditions for the Olympic Games, to then see them perform during this event. But for two years, with President Jean-Michel Saive and the board of directors, we have also been working on a broader mission, a mission that I would describe as societal. Young people watch high-level athletes, they hold them up as examples and are inspired by them. This type of rapprochement, with partners who are very close to our values (here excellence – for our athletes – and respect – for the body, for nature), is therefore very important. Foodmaker will obviously accompany us to Paris, whether at the Olympic village or at the Lotto Belgium House, but also in our various base camps in Belgium.”
As long as I am CEO, we will not associate ourselves with a fast food brand.
The COIB has many partners and sponsors. What company profile are you looking for?
”It is not a particular profile that we are looking for but above all partners with whom we share values. Some time ago we refused a partnership with a player in the food sector after feeling that our values were not aligned and that the quality was not there. When there's a nice amount of cash up for grabs – to be clear, I'm not talking about millions here, but still – it's hard to say no. But when we believe in what we do, we cannot deny our message or compromise our values. As long as I am CEO, we will not associate ourselves with a fast-food brand, for example.”
What is the frequency of the contracts you sign?
”Generally, they cover an Olympiad, that is to say four years. But there are exceptions.”
Are you in even more demand now that we are in an Olympic year?
“Yes it's clear. When the Games approach, corporate interest is very high and this obviously goes both ways. There are very different needs to be met as far as we are concerned. For example, we recently reached an agreement with 6d Sports Nutrition, which will allow us to meet specific needs for competitions, for preparation, for training courses, etc. These are not the most well-known partnerships, but they are truly essential and they meet all the quality criteria that we are looking for.”
What is the contribution of commercial partners, therefore the private sector, to the COIB's operating budget (Editor's note: 10 million euros)?
”It constitutes around 70% of our resources: the majority comes from a few major partners (Editor’s note: Belfius, Deloitte, Delhaize, Matexi, Orange and Toyota) and 20% of the total is transferred by the IOC, itself under contract with major sponsors. In addition, the National Lottery contributes 25% of the budget. You should also know that we are subsidized to the tune of 8% from the federal government.”
55% of the budget is invested in high-level sport.
What investments are you making?
”Today, 55% of the budget is invested in high-level sport. Directly or via subsidies for specific projects such as national teams, relay teams, potential top 8s, coach training, expert input, the sport psychology network, etc. These projects are always set up with high-level sports federations or partners. The other part of the budget goes towards marketing to give feedback to partners, and certainly also to share different messages, on social networks, to inspire young people, share Olympic values, etc. More and more we are trying to evolve our strategy and fully play our societal role (gender equality, sustainability, etc.). The COIB is present in many programs, not always known, but it will be more visible after Paris. This societal aspect is of great interest to our partners…”
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