Chicago's 2016 Committee to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to the city released a
report detailing its expenditures for the bid from 2006 through this June, and Hill & Knowlton was noted as the contractor it paid the most to. The firm recieved about $3.1 million for media and international relations, the report said. Another top five vendor, Ogilvy picked up $530,770 for technology and new media help. Both agencies provided either discounted or some pro-bono services, the committee said.
The committee's in-house marcomms leader was paid $190,000.
A further breakdown on the media and ad spend that it takes to reach and woo stakeholders for an Olympics bid:
International relations: $3.02 million
Government relations: $480,000
PR & media relations: $1.15 million
Marketing & sponsorship assessment: $413,184
Advertising & messaging: $3.5 million
Technology & new media: $1.4 million
Fundraising events: $1.8 million
In all the committee, which said it is funded 100% by private donations, spent about $48.3 million from July 2006 to June, 30, 2009. Chicago is one of
four finalist cities vying for the 2016 Olympics. A decision by the International Olympic Committee is expected in October.