EF — The Official Language Training Services Supplier of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

EF is very proud to be chosen to support the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games—the first Olympics held in China. This epic event will be an opportunity for China to show the world its culture, history and traditions. We are very excited to be part of the team that will help make sure that athletes, officials and staff from around the world communicate effectively.

The Olympic Games are not only a major sporting event, but also a platform for global cultural exchange. “EF’s mission of tearing down the barriers of geography, language and culture that separate people fits well with the Olympic cause," says Bill Fisher, CEO of EF in China. “It’s a natural extension of our brand and what we represent to become associated with the Beijing Olympics.”

A history of sponsorships

EF has sponsored several major international sporting events in the past. Here are some examples:

Seoul 1988 Olympic Games

In 1988 EF was named the Official Language Training School of the Seoul Olympics, helping to train Olympics personnel by providing language instruction abroad at EF’s International Language Schools in France and Germany.

Whitbread 1998

EF made a giant splash in 1998 by entering two boats in the famed Whitbread Round the World Race, a 31,600-mile, eight-month yachting event. The EF Education boat carried the Whitbread’s first all-female crew, and the EF Language boat won the treasured Whitbread Cup. The Whitbread is the third largest sporting event after the Olympics and the World Cup in terms of TV viewers.