Over 70 CEOs and senior executives from some of the world's largest and best-known consumer brands attended the 25th China Daily CEO Roundtable and marketing summit yesterday, themed "the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, Shanghai  A Global Corporate Social Opportunity  Realizing China's National Vision Towards Developing a Harmonious Society".

Initiated by China Daily, the session was co-chaired by Zhou Taitong, vice-mayor of Shanghai, Shi Derong, CEO of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Shanghai and Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the board of Special Olympics International.

The first SO Games in China

"The 12th World Summer Games in 2007 is first time that the Special Olympics (SO) Games have come to a developing country and to Asia  to China, in particular," says Zhou.

"When President Hu Jintao met the SO delegation in Beijing in March 2004, he asked our commitment to make the first ever SO games in China, the first of the three Olympics events in China between 2007 and 2008, a great success."

The SO movement is an international programme of year-round sports training and athletic competition for persons with intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the movement has become increasingly prominent in China, with 25 per cent of the world's 2 million SO athletes now in China and Shanghai hosting the 2007 Special Olympic World Summer Games.

"By including this programme in the 11th Five-Year Plan of social economic development, the Shanghai municipal government will make the Games a top priority in Shanghai's social development and a major event in people's lives. We aim to further promote the SO Games in China to promote the well-being of people with disabilities and continued social harmony and progress," Zhou added.

Roundtable Co-Chairman and CEO of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Executive Committee (GEC) Shi Derong reported the remarkable progress Shanghai has made in preparing for the world-class sports competition.

"The opening and closing ceremonies of the 2007 SO Games in Shangahi will be held in a 80,000-seat stadium. Like the Olympics, SO will have a torch run starting in Athens, Greece, and the torch will be passed in five continents before arriving in China with an ignition ceremony in each province and major municipalities in China. We are confident our SO Games will be a spectacular and inspiring sports event."

Working with the SO Committee, Shi does not hesitate to share his own experience, "When you are actually involved, you will be touched and feel what true happiness is and where value lies."This is where the new term "Corporate Social Opportunity" comes in.

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