December 15, 2008

U.S. Conference of Mayors President and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz joined Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in announcing a new public-private effort to support Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to boost the nation's travel industry substantially and draw international attention to Chicago and other U.S. cities. The Games will also provide an opportunity to inspire young people in cities across the country and around the world to participate in sport.

Mayors Daley and Hannemann, who co-chair the U.S. Conference of Mayors Olympic Task Force, named several mayors and business leaders to an Executive Steering Committee that will help guide the task force, which will meet in Washington D.C. during the Conference's upcoming 77th Winter Meeting, January 17-19, 2009. The task force will be composed of mayors and business leaders from across the country who want to support the Olympic Movement.

"The Olympic and Paralympic Games present our country with a unique opportunity to generate international goodwill, create new businesses and jobs and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors. This is not just Chicago's bid, it's a chance for our nation to build bridges of friendship with the world," said Daley. "We are also pursuing the Olympic Games to build passion with sport for future generations around the world through the Olympic Movement. We want and need the support and enthusiasm of all the cities across the country to help us achieve our goals and to bring the Games back to the United States."

Chicago is one of four Candidate Cities bidding to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The other cities are Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. The International Olympic Committee will announce its final selection in October 2009.

"Holding the Olympics in Chicago will attract thousands of new visitors to the U.S. and draw world-wide attention that will inspire other travelers," said Mayor Hannemann, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Standing Committee on Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports. "We believe many of these guests will visit other U.S. cities, including Honolulu, in conjunction with their Olympic travel and that the Games will create new interest in travel to the U.S. We are going to do all we can to support Mayor Daley and his efforts to bring the Olympic Games to our country."

The U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution in support of Chicago's bid at the group's 75th Annual Meeting, held in Los Angeles in June 2007. President-elect Barack Obama has announced his full support for Chicago's Olympic bid.

"All of the nation's mayors enthusiastically support and want to get behind Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is for this reason that the Conference of Mayors is establishing this Mayors' Olympic Task Force, in cooperation with Mayor Daley and the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee so that mayors from cities all across America will be able to show their cities' support for Chicago's bid," said Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran.

"The mayors efforts will continue throughout the Conference's leadership and activities," Cochran continued.

As of this issue's publishing date, the following mayors and business leaders have confirmed their involvement. Others will be announced later.

Mayors:

· Mayor Manuel Diaz (Miami, Florida)

· Mayor Mufi Hannemann (Honolulu, Hawaii)

· Mayor Richard M. Daley (Chicago, Illinois)

· Mayor Ardell Brede (Rochester, Minnesota)

· Mayor Kevin Burns (North Miami, Florida)

· Mayor Elaine Walker (Bowling Green, Kentucky)

· Mayor Greg Nickels (Seattle, Washington)

· Mayor Elizabeth Kautz (Burnsville, Minnesota)

· Mayor Mick Cornett (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

· Mayor Ralph Becker (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Business Leaders:

· William "Bill" Anton, Chairman & Founder, Anton Airfoods

· Noel Hentschel, President & CEO, AmericanTours International

· Christopher Nassetta, President & CEO, Hilton Hotels Corporation

· Penny Pritzker, Founder & Chair, Classic Residence by Hyatt

· Glenn Tilton, Chairman, President & CEO, United Airlines

· Jonathan Tisch, Chairman & CEO, Loews Hotels