The Sponsors' Club of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 will help financial supporters gain in-depth knowledge of the Games as they promote their brands and products, an official of the Olympic Council of Asia said.

The club was established on Oct 18 and Hangzhou-based automaker Geely Holding Group was appointed the first rotating president company of the club. OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam offered his congratulations on the establishment of the club through a video recording on the same day.

In addition to Geely, which also became the first official partner of Hangzhou 2022 back in April 2019, seven other official partners comprise the Sponsors' Club: China Mobile, China Telecom, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Zhejiang Loong Airlines, Alibaba, Alipay and 361°. The club also has two official suppliers: Robam Appliances, a kitchen appliance maker, and Monalisa Group, a ceramic tile manufacturer.

Mao Genhong, deputy secretary-general of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee, hoped that members of the club will take advantage of the platform to jointly contribute to the success of the Games.

"Hangzhou 2022 is not only a sports event, but an excellent platform for enterprises to present themselves," Mao said. "With the Sponsors' Club, we hope to promote information sharing and cooperation among sponsors to build a new model for sports marketing and create a winwin situation."

Echoing Mao, Geely's president An Conghui said his company would grasp the opportunity to promote the cooperation among enterprises. He added that Geely will contribute to a smart Games with its technology and show the world the vigor of Chinese brands.

The recently launched Geely Preface sedan, which made its debut during the 2020 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition from Sept 28 to Oct 5, was designated as the official vehicle for Hangzhou 2022. The Preface is expected to provide smart travel solutions for the Games during the next two years.

In addition, a forum titled "digital economy empowering smart industry in Asian Games" was held during the Sponsors' Club launch ceremony. The forum included discussions on using digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, the internet of things, virtual reality, unmanned driving and 5G communications to hold a smart Asian Games.

According to the organizing committee, the Sponsors' Club will hold regular activities in the future, including venue tours and specialized discussion forums.