DURBAN, South Africa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With consulting support from global sports marketing agency Helios Partners, PyeongChang, South Korea emerged triumphant as the Host City for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Up against Munich, Germany and Annecy, France, PyeongChang’s third effort to host the Winter Games proved victorious. Atlanta-based Helios joined the bid mid-2009, taking on a critical role that allowed South Korea to achieve its long sought goal of bringing the world’s most prestigious winter sports event to the Korean peninsula. As lead agency, Helios developed the bid’s overall communications strategy and managed an extensive network of Olympic Games experts, drawing upon the team’s experience to create a winning bid.

“Helios has outstanding success helping cities bidding for major international sporting events. Their expertise and know-how were crucial to our selection,” said YH Cho, Chairman and CEO of PyeongChang 2018. “Our technical bid was strong, but Helios helped make the difference by creating and managing our brand - ‘New Horizons’, key messages, presentations and providing overall strategic advice."

In addition to developing the “New Horizons” concept, Helios promoted one of the most advanced and compact Games plans in history. PyeongChang 2018 will help transform South Korea’s Gangwon province into a centre for world-class winter sports training, competition and tourism.

"PyeongChang 2018's victory is a great example of a nation's persistence and patience,” said Terrence Burns, President of Helios Partners. "The message of New Horizons clearly resonated with the IOC, offering a value proposition to the entire Olympic Movement, not just to Korea. We are honored to be a part of the PyeongChang 2018 team."

Helios has established itself as a world leader in the management of major sports event bids with a string of bid victories including Russia’s bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Kazan 2013 Universiade and Sochi’s 2014 Olympic Winter Games bid. They were also behind the winning bid of the sport of Golf, which returns to the Olympic Programme beginning in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

With offices in Atlanta, Beijing, London, Paris and Rio, Helios delivers high quality sports marketing services to global corporate sponsors, sports properties and cities seeking to host major international sports events.

For additional information, www.heliospartners.com.

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