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UPS Helped Assess the Logistics Requirements and Put the Right Systems in Place

Logistics Delivers for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

In 2008, after ten successful years as a TOP sponsor at Olympic events, UPS was awarded the role of Official Logistics and Express Delivery Sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The company quickly put its vast resources and experience to work.

Partnering closely with the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, UPS helped assess the logistics and transportation requirements and put the right systems in place.

At the heart of the event was the Olympic Logistics Centre. Through this massive 100,000 square-metre facility, UPS received, stored and delivered virtually all of the equipment and support materials for the Games – everything from 58-metre boat frames, to floor mats, to uniforms, to commemorative pins. With 4 warehouses, 16 freight elevators and 12 loading platforms, the Olympics Logistics Centre easily managed logistics services for over 120 Olympic venues.

Throughout the Olympic compound, upwards of 2,000 UPS employees, logistics experts and warehouse supervisors were on hand to manage logistics operations. Four UPS Express Stores were assembled to meet the delivery needs of athletes, media personnel, and visitors. UPS even designed a custom delivery system for the event – ensuring timely distribution and preventing traffic jams by synchronising departure times, security checks, vehicle checks, and unloading.

By the time the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games came to a close, UPS had successfully delivered over 19 million items with a zero-accident operation rate. And with the help of 104 new China IV alternative fuel delivery vehicles, UPS was able to cut its carbon emissions by 3.3 tonnes. The success of the Beijing logistics efforts have prepared UPS for involvement in future games, including London 2012.

London is a key business and cultural centre within Europe, making it a perfect place to showcase our logistics expertise, said Dan Brutto, UPS International President. "We are committed to making the 2012 Games an unparalleled success, and our people will make that happen, just as we did in Beijing."