Ahead of its presentation to the European Olympic Committee in Istanbul, delegates at the conference hotel were treated to free copies of the International Herald Tribune newspaper with, according to the Associated Press and the Chicago Tribune, a “glitzy” wraparound advertising supplement promoting Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
The front of the supplement reportedly featured a full-page colour photograph of Chicago’s downtown skyline and Millennium Park with the headline “A Spectacular Setting for Sport”. The two inside pages had photographs of volleyball, boxing, triathlon, wheelchair racing, the Chicago Marathon and the Taste of Chicago food festival.
The supplement said, “each year tens of millions of people attend cultural festivals and sporting events in Chicago’s lake front parks and around the city. Chicago’s passion for sport is visible throughout the year in massive participation, cheering sections for every team, and sold out events in every arena”.
The back page reportedly featured a large photo of the lakefront setting where the Olympic Park would be located. It said, “many of these locations are just steps away from the best that Chicago has to offer – cultural institutions, shopping, dining and the main entertainment district”.
