Vancouver 2010 signs new licensees to create products, auction off
memorabilia capturing memories of Games

VANCOUVER, Feb. 22 /CNW/ - Memories of the 2010 Winter Games will live on after the Olympic Flame is extinguished thanks to three new licensees who are creating products capturing the memories of the Games, as well as auctioning off an amazing collection of competition memorabilia.

EMI Music Canada is creating official commemorative music CDs from the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies and a CD capturing Canada's favourite hockey anthems. Gameday Auctions will facilitate the auctioning of 10,000 pieces of highly coveted and one-of-a-kind pieces of Games history and Transcontinental is producing the official Vancouver 2010 photo products website. They join a stable of 48 official licensees of the Games.

"We're pleased to join forces with three industry leaders who are helping to keep the memories of the Games alive long after they're over through music, photos and the auctioning of Games collectibles," said Dennis Kim, director of licensing and merchandising for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). "Their expertise will help add to the overall experience of fans of Canada's Games throughout the country and the world."

EMI Music Canada is creating official commemorative CDs capturing some of Canada's biggest names in music who will perform at the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Last weekend, EMI Music Canada released the Sounds of Vancouver 2010: Opening Ceremony Commemorative Album, immediately following the Olympic Opening Ceremony. The album features performances and songs by Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, and Canadian slam poet Shane Koyczan who delivered a patriotic performance of his poem We Are More as millions of Canadians watched the spectacular ceremony live on TV.

The album entered the Neilson SoundScan Digital Album Chart at No.2 and the Top Album Chart at No.21 on February 17 after only being available over the weekend and at limited locations.

On Monday, March 1, following the Olympic Closing Ceremony, the company will issue the Sounds of Vancouver 2010: Closing Ceremony Commemorative Album. Both albums will be made available as a deluxe set entitled With Glowing Hearts after the Games and will feature 24 Olympic Winter Games collectible cards and will include all of the songs form the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

"EMI Music Canada is honoured to participate in a very special musical collaboration with some of Canada's elite in musical talent and artistry. What better way to celebrate the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games than by releasing compilations filled with some of Canada's favourite musicians from coast to coast to coast?" said Deane Cameron, president of EMI Music Canada.

In addition to the ceremonies' albums, EMI Music Canada also released Canada's Hockey Anthems: Sounds of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, which includes favourite Canadian hockey anthems such as Stompin' Tom Connors' Hockey Song. The CDs and downloads are available in leading music stores across Canada. Downloads are also available to international customers.

To make the Games experience more tangible, the Organizing Committee has partnered with Gameday Auction, located in Vancouver, BC, to offer the public a chance to vie at auction for more than 10,000 pieces of highly coveted and one-of-a-kind pieces of Games history online at www.vancouver2010.com/auctions.

Auctions provide a way for the public to own a piece of Vancouver 2010 history including items such as medal trays, pool tables from the athletes' villages, hockey pucks used at the Games, jerseys, competition bibs, autographed images, and the ski gates used in the actual races.

"Gameday Auction is proud to play a part in this unique and exciting opportunity for sports fans the world over to own a part of the amazing memories of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games," explained company founder Todd Brunel. "Olympic collectibles are rarely available to the public so we're very excited to be able to share these exclusive products with Olympic fans. We expect interest in the auction to be extremely high."

The auction is already underway but the public sale of the majority of items used at the Games starts on February 28. All items will be accompanied by a letter of authenticity and an official 2010 Winter Games hologram.

Transcontinental is producing the official Vancouver 2010 photo products website making the Games the first in Olympic history to offer an official online digital experience created to provide meaningful opportunities for the public to capture, express and share their uniquely personal Olympic experience.

At www.vancouver2010.com/memories, members of the public can upload their own digital photos and create personalized photo books, calendars, notebooks, and other official Olympic photo products in commemoration of the Games.

"One of the most striking elements of any Olympic or Paralympic Games are the photos - they truly say more than a thousand words about the struggles, triumphs and joy the athletes and spectators experience," said François Olivier, president and CEO of Transcontinental Inc. "We're eager to give to everyone the possibility to create their own souvenirs of the 2010 Winter Games. Today, more and more consumers want a closer relationship with a brand they like and respect. These personalized products and communication tools provide that unique experience."

The sale of Vancouver 2010 official licensed products contributes directly to Games revenue, which supports the financing and staging of the 2010 Winter Games. In addition to 400 Hudson's Bay Company stores, currently more than 2,500 retail stores across Canada carry officially licensed Vancouver 2010 merchandise.

About EMI Music

EMI Music is one of the world's leading music companies. EMI Music represents artists spanning all musical tastes and genres. Its record labels include Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, Capitol Latin, Capitol Nashville, EMI Classics, EMI CMG, EMI Records, Manhattan, Mute, Parlophone and Virgin. Its EMI Music Services unit provides EMI's roster of artists ? as well as independent labels and artists ? with a global menu of commercial services and seamless access to an expanding range of revenue streams.

About Gameday Auction

Driven by innovation and creativity, Gameday Auction is one of the premier sports memorabilia companies in North America and is dedicated to serving its clients and customers by providing special fan experiences, unique memorabilia and customer service that is second to none. Gameday Auction currently works with over 40 professional sports organization throughout North America including premiere teams in the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB.

About Transcontinental

Transcontinental provides printing, publishing and marketing services that deliver exceptional value to its clients and provide a unique, integrated platform for them to reach and retain their target audiences. Transcontinental is the largest printer in Canada and in Mexico, and sixth largest in North America. It is also the country's leading publisher of consumer magazines and French-language educational resources, the second-largest community newspaper publisher, and its digital platform delivers unique content through more than 120 websites. Its Marketing Communications Sector provides advertising services and marketing products using new communications platforms supported by database analytics, premedia, e-flyers, e-mail marketing, and custom communications. Transcontinental is a growth oriented company with a culture of continuous improvement and financial discipline, whose values, including respect, innovation and integrity, are central to its operation.

For further information: Media contacts: VANOC Communications, Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; EMI Music Canada, Charlotte Thompson, Director, National Media & Artist Relations, Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; Gameday Auction, Todd Brunel, Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; Transcontinental, Lee Rech, Tel: [phone], Cell: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; Transcontinental, Melissa Clyne, Tel: [phone], Cell: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]