I was invited by Lenovo to be part of the arrival ceremony of the Olympic Torch that will remain in Hangzhou for two days so everybody can come to see it and make a picture with it. For normal citizens the torch is encased in a plastic enclosure.
Lenovo is the only Chinese sponsor for the Torch Relay. More important, it is Lenovo’s Innovation Design Center, with its dozens of creative designers who were awarded the winning design for the 2008 Torch. Details on the torch are on BOCOG’s website. What you will have some difficulty to figure out – who did the design.
I had the pleasure being with the main designer of the torch, Mr. Zhang Jun, a young and friendly guy who turned out to speak English fluently and to be modest despite his success.
As for me, it was a fun experience despite the heath (close to 40C at least). Lenovo had provided buckets of ice and a spray of cold water for the tent but still…
I never was such in demand to give out my autograph, on scraps of paper, diaries, anything. Even on T-shirts, usually of girls and ladies, so I had to be careful not to be accused of sexual harassment and I chose to sign the back rather than the front 😉
The young crowd was super enthusiastic and I had to be dragged away by the Lenovo staff as the autographs did not stop. People were genuinely nice, I really did not object myself…
Of course I had to make the usual speech, give interviews and cut a ribbon together with some VIPs.
The obvious darling of the crowd was Zhang Jun who patiently dealt with the army of journalists and interested Hangzhou citizens.

Simple design but sleek and very Chinese with its “Cloud of Promise” and other features.Lenovo is making a grand tour of 100 cities in China to show the Torch to Chinese citizens who are far away from Beijing.Lenovo is indeed taking its role as major sponsor of the Olympics very serious. They are a TOP, worldwide Sponsor after being also active in the Torino Winter Olympics. Their many marketing events underline the fact that becoming a sponsor is just the beginning of a long and costly campaign. Thumbs up.