1998 Goodwill Games Feature New Sports Program, Prize Money; Michael Johnson to Compete in New York

1998 Goodwill Games Feature New Sports Program, Prize Money; Michael Johnson to Compete in New York

Announcements concerning a revised format, unprecedented prize money, the participation of world-record holder Michael Johnson and a new mission were highlighted at a press conference for the 1998 Goodwill Games held today at the Time & Life Building in New York, N.Y.

The Games, scheduled for July 19 - Aug. 2, in the New York metropolitan area, will feature:

a program of 12 popular sports and world-class venues;

a $5 million purse for prize money and record/performance incentives,the largest in multi-sport event history;

two-time 1996 Olympic gold-medalist Michael Johnson's participation in the Games and its multimillion-dollar advertising campaign;

a new mission to benefit children;

a new relationship with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help achieve its new mission.

"The Goodwill Games and New York are a winning combination," said R.E. Turner, president and board chairman of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and founder of the Games. "For 15 days that summer, New York will play host to the greatest athletes in the world. With the addition of prize money and an outstanding sports program, the Games have exceeded our expectations from when we originated the concept 10 years ago. The fact that the Games now benefit children makes the purpose of these Games even more meaningful."

Time Warner Chairman and CEO Gerald M. Levin said, "Time Warner is very proud to support the Goodwill Games and assist our partners at Turner Broadcasting in helping to make the 1998 Goodwill Games the best ever. We are pleased that the Goodwill Games will be held in New York City, our corporate headquarters and hometown, and we intend to give the Games the support of the entire Time Warner community."

Speakers at the press conference also included the Honorable George E. Pataki, governor of the state of New York; the Honorable Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York City; the Honorable Thomas S. Gulotta, the county executive for Nassau County; Dr. Harvey W. Schiller, president of Turner Sports; Steven J. Heyer, president of Turner Broadcasting Sales, Inc.; Michael P. Plant, president of the Goodwill Games; and George Grune, chairman of the National Board of Governors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Sports program and venues

The 1998 Goodwill Games will feature 12 sports popular with spectators and television viewers: athletics, basketball, boxing, cycling, diving, figure skating, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, synchronized swimming, triathlon and both beach and indoor volleyball. The $5 million purse for prize money and record/performance incentives is the largest in multi- sport history.

"The Goodwill Games will showcase the world's best athletes competing in many of the world's most popular sports," said Schiller. "The Games have always had the top athletes, and we believe the addition of prize money will further motivate the athletes to compete at the highest level.

"Michael Johnson has established himself as the dominant male sprinter and one of the most recognized athletes in the world today. We are pleased to have him as the first athlete to announce his participation in the Games."

Johnson, a Goodwill Games alumnus who won gold medals in the 200m and 400m at the 1996 Olympic Games, headlines the field of approximately 1,300 athletes from more than 70 countries who are expected to compete in the 12 sports. Johnson, who hails from Dallas, Texas, competed in both the 1990 and the 1994 Goodwill Games and has three gold medals for his efforts. Johnson will also be featured in the promotional campaign for the Games.

"The Goodwill Games are going to be one of the biggest international meets in 1998," said Johnson. "It is great to compete against the top runners in the world while having the ‘home court' advantage. A special energy that comes from the crowd spurs you on.

"I have run in two previous Goodwill Games," said Johnson, "and I like stepping up to the line, knowing that it is all or nothing. The finals-only format allows me to focus on the race at hand, not strategize on getting through the preliminaries. The Games have always featured the top runners, and the addition of prize money will ensure our turning in top-level performances."

The venues for the Games are in the New York metropolitan area. The Long Island venues include the Goodwill Games Aquatics Center, a $24 million facility currently under construction in Eisenhower Park, and the track stadium, which is part of the $22.6 million renovation of Mitchel Athletic Complex. The State of New York is funding the aquatics center, and Nassau County is covering the costs for Mitchel.

The Goodwill Games venues are:

Athletics Mitchel Athletic Complex

Basketball Madison Square Garden

Beach Volleyball Wollman Rink in Central Park

Boxing The Theater at Madison Square Garden

Cycling Wagner College Stadium

Diving Goodwill Games Aquatics Center

Figure Skating Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Gymnastics Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Rhythmic gymnastics Nassau Coliseum

Soccer Mitchel Athletic Complex

Swimming Goodwill Games Aquatics Center

Synchronized Swimming GWG Aquatics Center

Triathlon New York City

Wrestling The Theater at Madison Square Garden

"Goodwill" re-defined

The 1998 Goodwill Games have re-defined "goodwill." Since the Games were inaugurated 10 years ago, the world's situation has changed dramatically, overcoming the forces that initially led R.E. Turner to conceptualize and host the Goodwill Games. Therefore, the Games have a new mission, benefiting children.

Helping children is an investment in the world's future, and involvement in sports is an excellent life experience for children. To achieve its mission, the Goodwill Games will be working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

"We examined a number of charities that assist children, and the Boys & Girls Clubs matched our criteria," said Plant. "We wanted an organization that had both local and national opportunities, as well as one that could benefit from the Games' support. We want our efforts to have significance and to impact children and the organization."

Representatives from the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Goodwill Games are working to develop programs and activities that will meet the objectives of both organizations.

"The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is excited about this opportunity to have a close association with an international, world-class sporting event such as the Goodwill Games," said George Grune, chairman of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's National Board of Governors.

"We believe a partnership between our organizations is a natural fit," said Grune. "Boys & Girls Clubs of America fully expects to have the Goodwill Games become one of our largest corporate supporters."

Committed support

The support and cooperative effort of the appropriate governmental agencies in the host city and region are vital. The state and local governments in New York have supported the Games since the effort to attract the Games to New York began in 1991. Governmental leaders and agencies for the state and New York metropolitan area are working closely to assist with Games planning.

"I'm excited both as the Governor and a sports fan that the Goodwill Games are coming to New York in 1998," said Pataki. "Besides the spirit of competition, the Games will bring thousands of visitors from around the world to our great state. The advertising campaign and the television coverage will help promote New York, both nationally and internationally.

"New York is behind the Goodwill Games 100 percent, and I've directed Charles Gargano, chairman of Empire State Development, to work closely with the organizers to ensure smooth and successful events around the metropolitan area. It is also good news that the Games will generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the New York economy."

The venues for the Games are evenly distributed between New York City and Long Island. Both local governments are working with the Goodwill Games in the planning and development for the Games.

"The Games are a great opportunity for New York City," said Giuliani. "The city has hosted a number of major, internationally recognized sporting events, but the Goodwill Games will be the first international, world-class multi-sport event held here.

"It is only fitting that such an event is hosted in the 'capital of the world.'"

"Nassau County is proud to be the co-host for this wonderful, international, multi-sport event," said Gulotta. "The Games have already been the platform for improved sports facilities for Long Island, which will be a lasting legacy for the residents of Nassau. Since the creation of our Sports Commission, Nassau County has been selected to host a number of events, as well as the permanent home of the Women's Sports Foundation. Clearly, Nassau County is rapidly becoming a major national and international sports mecca."

Sponsorship and advertising

Sponsorships for the Goodwill Games will be tailored to meet the individual marketing goals of each advertiser.

"The 1998 Goodwill Games offer advertisers a unique opportunity to tie-in with a major sports and entertainment event, being held in New York and broadcast to a worldwide audience, where they can construct a marketing platform designed specifically to fit their needs," said Heyer. "Our sales and marketing approach for the 1998 Goodwill Games is as different as the event itself, which has been re-focused to benefit children. Turner Broadcasting's experience in developing integrated marketing solutions for clients will become even more enhanced by the added marketing muscle of Time Warner."

To support the sponsorship effort and build awareness of the Games, the Goodwill Games are launching an advertising campaign, totaling more than $25 million over the next two years. The campaign's theme, "NY98, The Best The World Has To Offer," reflects the high quality of all aspects of the Games.

The three-phase campaign begins with building awareness and brand recognition in the New York region. The ads are building the association between New York and sports by incorporating sports figures and images with recognizable icons from New York, as well as establishing the "NY98" theme.

The first ad features Johnson "racing" two taxis in Times Square. Another has a diver perched atop the Chrysler Building with the New York skyline in the background. Several well- known athletes will be featured in the campaign.

1998 in New York

The 1998 Goodwill Games were awarded to New York on Oct. 16, 1992, following a two- year site selection process. Past sites for the Games are: 1986, Moscow; 1990, Seattle, Wash.; and 1994, St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Goodwill Games are hosted through a combined effort between Goodwill Games, Inc. and the participating sports federations, in conjunction with the appropriate state, city and county governmental agencies. Goodwill Games, Inc. is responsible for all aspects of the event. Goodwill Games, Inc. is a division of Turner Sports.

"We are excited about the changes, as well as the support shown today by state and local governments," said Turner. "They are the catalyst for making the summer of 1998 into the summer of goodwill.

"In the past 10 years the Games have grown in stature, and I think they have, in their way, contributed to many positive changes around the world."