Participating in the meetings on behalf of the USOC will be Chairman Peter Ueberroth; Vice President, International Bob Ctvrtlik; Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr; Strategic Advisor George Hirthler; and Chief Communications Officer Darryl Seibel.  In each city, the mayor will lead a delegation of no more than 10 representatives from both the public- and private-sectors.

The schedule of meetings is as follows:

May 8       Houston               Mayor Bill White
May 9       Philadelphia          Mayor John F. Street
May 10     Chicago                Mayor Richard M. Daley
May 18     Los Angeles          Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa
May 18     San Francisco       Mayor Gavin Newsom

"The process of bidding to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games is more competitive today than ever before, and the increased level of competition requires a new approach and fresh thinking on the part of the USOC," said Ueberroth.  "These meetings are an important step in a new process we are following to determine when to bid, how to more effectively bid and with whom to bid."

"We appreciate the interest these cities have shown in bidding to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we look forward to providing a clear, candid assessment of all that is involved in the bid process," added Ueberroth.

It is the goal of the USOC to accomplish the following during the two-hour meeting with each city:

 assess the willingness of each city to proceed in the USOC's 2016 evaluation process

outline the requirements and realities of the Olympic bid process, both nationally and internationally

create a clear understanding of the role that the USOC, as the National Olympic Committee, will play in any Olympic bid process

share observations and lessons learned from the 2012 Olympic bid process

gauge governmental commitment and support

learn more about why each city is interested in Olympic bidding and meet with leaders from both the public- and private-sectors who might be involved if there is a U.S. bid for the 2016 Games
New York City, the USOC's Candidate City for the 2012 Games, will not be a part of the 2016 Candidate City Evaluation Process.

"We could not be more proud and appreciative of the efforts of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff and the entire NYC2012 team," said Ueberroth.  "NYC2012 developed and presented an outstanding bid to the International Olympic Committee.  Much of what we present during the upcoming meetings will be the lessons learned and valuable information imparted by NYC2012."

"There is no greater honor a city can earn than to be selected as host for the Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Ctvrtlik.  "The process, however, is extremely competitive and requires not only an exceptional bid, but support from every level of the public-sector, private-sector and government.  It also requires a strong partnership with the National Olympic Committee, and that is one of the key points we plan to address during our meetings."

Following the series of meetings with the cities, the USOC Board of Directors and Management Team will make a final decision about whether or not to pursue a U.S. bid for the 2016 Games.  No timetable has been set for that decision. 

The International Olympic Committee will select the Host City for the 2016 Games in 2009 at its Session in Copenhagen, Denmark.

For more information, please contact the USOC Media and Public Relations Division at (719) 866-4529.