Furniture Executive Backs Chicago Olympics Bid

Tim Smithe produces video to help win Games
Furniture Today, September 2, 2009

Walter E. Smithe of Smithe Furniture, has produced a video. The video, available on YouTube, Facebook and smithe.com, features appearances by more than a dozen celebrities, including Mike Ditka, Bonnie Hunt, Conan O’Brien, Lou Pinella and Quentin Tarantino. Participants sing along to a jingle, spell out 2016 in sign language and state briefly what Chicago getting the bid would mean to them. Click here to see it on YouTube.

Smithe, vice president of marketing and sales at the 13-store Chicago-area furniture chain, tapped his business and creative contacts for their participation, including makeup artist Brenda Arelano, publicist Cindy Martin, Arthur Murray Dance Studio instructor Amy Novotny, director Bill O’Neill and WMAQ General Manager Larry Wert. The video also features original music composed by Poi Dog Pondering’s Frank Orral.

Also participating in the video are Smithe’s kids. “We needed extras and the price was right,” he said.

Smithe and the other Chicago 2016 Committee members head to Copenhagen, Denmark, later this month to make a final pitch for the bid and await the Oct. 2 announcement. Chicago is competing with Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.