The Club has always sought to retain the unique image and
character of The Championships by not overtly commercialising
the grounds. Instead, the Club has developed a range of mutually
beneficial Official Supplier agreements with a range of well
known brands. Many of these Official Supplier relationships
are long term.
The Official Suppliers provide goods and services, which
are both essential for the staging of The Championships, and
which meet the Club’s objective of improving the quality of
the service provided to the players, spectators and the media.
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- Rolex appears on the Centre and No.1 Court scoreboards
as Official Timekeeper and in 2007 will be associated with
Hawk-Eye on screen on Centre and No.1 Courts for the first
time.
- Hertz provides transport for the players.
- IBM has been the Club's IT consultants since 1990, building
and powering the Wimbledon website to become one of the
largest sports websites in the world. IBM also provides
the service speed displays on court, statistics for the
media and screen graphics for broadcasters and the interface
for the new Wimbledon Live broadband service integrated
into www.wimbledon.org
- Philips provides TV sets for the media and the hugely
popular large TV screen by No.1 Court
Official Suppliers have the right to use the Club's crossed rackets logo and to highlight their Wimbledon association through advertising and promotions in key markets around the world.
In recent years, companies in the consumer field have become Official Suppliers with the aim of using The Championships to showcase their products for the benefit of players and public alike. For example:
- Robinsons has been associated with The Championships since 1934, Lanson is the Official Champagne and Buxton provide the mineral water on court to the players and other categories of officials, press and staff
- Polo Ralph Lauren is the Official Outfitter of Wimbledon. Polo Ralph Lauren is the first designer in Wimbledon's 129 year history to create and outfit all on-court officials including chair umpires and ball persons
In 2007 the Club has signed agreements with:
- Ambre Solaire - to be the Official Suncare Supplier, providing suncare products to the players, umpires, ball boys and girls. These products will be widely available for sale throughout the grounds in view of the fact that there is no Centre court roof in 2007. Ambre Solaire will have a kiosk on site, at which advice on suncare products will be provided by Ambre Solaire
- Blossom Hill - to be the Official Wine. A brand of the Diageo company, Blossom Hill is one of the most popular UK brands of wine coming from California and will be offered for sale in all public catering areas and will also be listed in the hospitality marquees and suites.
The income from the Official Suppliers is an important part of The Championships' surplus which goes back into the development of the game through the Lawn Tennis Association.
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