World Focus: The Beijing Olympics – a pivotal moment for China

July 13, 2001, proved to be a pivotal moment for China and the world. This is when Beijing won the hosting rights for the 2008 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The architect behind the unlikely international public relations campaign that propelled China’s win was Michael Holtzman, a graduate of William & Mary. Holtzman has served stints as an advisor at the White House and the State Department and previously served as the chief creative officer at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundat