Hyundai hands over vehicle fleet for FIFA World Cup 2006
Over 1,000 vehicles and team buses for FIFA VIP and team transport
- 1,000 Hyundai vehicles for transport of players, coaches and officials
- Cooperation with bus-consortium
- Long-term partnership with FIFA until 2014
Frankfurt / Rüsselsheim, May 5, 2006 - Hyundai Motor Company yesterday officially kicked off its FIFA World Cup 2006 sponsorship activities, which build on supplying a fleet of approximately 1,000 VIP vehicles and numerous buses to FIFA’s Organizing Committee (OC).
Symbolically handing over an oversized silver car key to FIFA’s OC president, Franz Beckenbauer, Hyundai Motor Senior Executive Vice President Su-Kil Lee said the company was anxious to finally start its core sponsorship program: “Hyundai has been looking forward to this moment for some time now. We have already started our world-wide marketing activities but VIP transport forms the core of our actual sponsorship. It is the platform for familiarizing millions of spectators with our products. We are delighted to transport all those who are involved in making the World Cup 2006 a memorable event, especially the players and the FIFA officials.”
The sponsorship not only focuses on the supply of the entire VIP fleet, which consists of Hyundai’s Sonata, Grandeur, Trajet, Tucson, Santa Fe and H-1 vehicles. Hyundai will also deliver technical support during the entire event. In addition, the Korea-based car manufacturer will sponsor buses, including those reserved for the 32 participating teams. For this purpose, Hyundai has signed an agreement with Buskon 2006 GmbH, a consortium of three German bus transportation companies. The consortium will supply approximately 2,700 unit days of buses of different makes. The 32 team buses are branded with the FIFA and the Hyundai logo. The branding was designed by the FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee.
Hyundai has been a major sponsor of the FIFA World Cup since 1999 and with the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan sponsored the first major football event ever in Asia. The event and the accompanying customer-focused programs were largely successful and placed Hyundai in the hearts of millions of fans around the world.
The company, which has already signed a strategic sponsorship agreement with FIFA that covers the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, intends to further build its alignment with football enthusiasts during the 2006 World Cup. Hyundai will pass on a substantial amount of tickets to customers and will also be one of four top partners of the FIFA Fan events, which offer public viewing and additional entertainment for fans who could not purchase tickets.
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Hyundai Motor Europe GmbH (HME) was established in 2000. Located in Rüsselsheim, Germany, it coordinates all marketing, sales and aftersales activities in all of Hyundai’s 26 European markets. It employs nearly 200 people of various nationalities. Hyundai is the second largest Asian automobile brand in Europe, with an annual European sales volume of approximately 350,000 vehicles. More information on Hyundai Motor Europe is available in the internet at http://www.hyundai-motor-europe.com. | 
