This is the new name of the next Utah Olympic Games

But when the Olympic and Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities return in 3,000 days from Monday, organizers want the world to know that it is the state, not just the capital city, that is putting on the show.

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So will the new official name of the upcoming Winter Games be revealed on Monday?

Utah 2034.

Look for the stylized new logo, inspired by the red rocks of Utah as well as the shapes carved into the snow and ice by winter athletes, on everything from a 12-foot-tall sculpture at Salt Lake City International Airport to T-shirts and baseball caps.

“This is an opportunity to expand the Utah brand around the world, just as we did with Salt Lake City in 2002,” said Fraser Bullock, president and CEO of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Organizing Committee.

Bullock said the state is the “umbrella brand” for the 2034 Winter Games.

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“All of Utah is part of these Games because Utah is the host. It is the financial guarantor,” he said, referring to Gov. Spencer Cox’s signing of the hosting contract with the International Olympic Committee on behalf of the state, obligating taxpayers to cover any financial shortfalls.

“But we also brought all of Utah together to experience the Games and be proud to have them in our state,” Bullock said. “Many of the host communities and most of the competitions are actually outside of Salt Lake City.”

While it still calls Salt Lake City “a major heart of the Games” as the site of multiple venues, including the opening and closing ceremonies at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium, its name may appear in regular font only below the new logo.

That combination of Utah 2034 and Salt Lake City will be the organizing committee’s “default logo” on letterhead and signature boxes “because of its prominence, because of its ties to 2002 and because it’s the capital city,” Bullock said, providing “a boost” to the Utah brand.

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But other local communities, including Park City, Kearns and Provo, will also eventually have the opportunity to use the new logo with their city names printed underneath in the same regular font, he said, “the best of both worlds.”

And references on the organizing committee’s social media channel have been changed to Salt Lake City. The slc-ut2034.org website is now www.utah2034.org; Instagram is @Utah2034; Facebook is Utah2034; X, formerly Twitter, is @Utah2034; and YouTube is @Utah2034.

The state has already taken the lead on the Games, with the governor, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, naming the organizing committee leadership team and overseeing board members.

What the mayor of SLC says about Utah 2034

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s reaction to Utah 2034?

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“It hurts,” Mendenhall said. “It’s not the route I would have chosen for the name of these Games, but I sincerely want the Games to uplift every community in the state. And I’m grateful that structurally and logistically we haven’t changed as a host community.”

The capital city will continue to be the place where Games ceremonies will be held, athletes will be housed, medals will be awarded and hockey, big air and curling competitions will be held, the mayor said, and where people from around the world will travel through the city’s international airport.

“Downtown Salt Lake City will continue to be the heart of the 2034 Games. We are proud to be the capital of all Utahns,” he said. “We have played and will continue to play a central role in both the bidding process and the delivery of the Games. That does not change with this name change.”

Unlike the city’s mayor before the 2002 Games, Mendenhall has no voting rights on the organizing committee, although she has an honorary title and advisory positions, including head of a group of local community officials.

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She told the Deseret News earlier this year that “the state has been clear that they are focused on making these Games statewide. And I think, in their eyes, Salt Lake City has no more a role at that table than any other host community.”

Mendenhall also said he had to push to keep the city’s name as part of the bid. When the 2034 Winter Games were awarded in Paris last year, then-IOC President Thomas Bach announced that “Salt Lake City, Utah” would be the venue.

While the new logo was being developed, the mayor said she negotiated the inclusion of Salt Lake City in the “main logo” used by the organizing committee.

“We are and always will be an Olympic city,” he said. “That will never change.”

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Brad Wilson, executive director of the organizing committee and former speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, said there has been talk of making Utah the host of the Games since the IOC first opened the door to bids from regions and even multiple countries more than six years ago.

“The conversation turned to how to get all of Utah to host these Games,” Wilson said. “When it became a reality that the Games would be held here…then the conversation turned to how do we unite the entire state behind this effort?”

Organizers were not only looking for a way to involve all Utahns, but they also “want everyone in the state of Utah to feel the opportunity and maybe even a little bit of the responsibility of hosting the world in ’34. That’s where this came from.”

Wilson said Utah 2034 is not a name change for the Winter Games, but rather “our official name,” which is now being made public after months of behind-the-scenes work.

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He said those who have seen the name, “whether they live in or outside of Salt Lake City, say, ‘That makes a lot of sense.’ So we’re really excited and optimistic” about having “a shorter, snappier name in Utah 2034 versus Salt Lake City-Utah 2034.”

It is a strong message to the world that “Utah will host you in 2034, including Salt Lake City,” Wilson said, noting that there are Games venues in five counties along the Wasatch Front and Wasatch Back.

“This is nothing negative about Salt Lake at all,” he said. “It’s about all Utahns, regardless of whether we live in one city or another, coming together to host the world.”

Selling the new name for the 2034 Winter Games

The Switzerland-based IOC “welcomes the new official name of ‘Utah 2034’ for the 2034 edition of the Winter Olympic Games,” a spokesperson told the Deseret News.

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“The IOC sees this opportunity to unite an entire region and engage broader audiences across the United States, in the preparation for the 2034 Winter Games,” the IOC spokesperson said, adding that the logo is “transitional” and will be replaced by an official Games brand in the future.

Both the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the IOC approved the new logo, which will remain in effect until the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. After that, limitations on marketing of the 2034 Games will be lifted to avoid competition with another American host.

Through 2029, organizers are relying on pledged contributions from individuals and foundations with ties to Utah to cover their costs. So far, more than $200 million has been pledged to cover the $4 billion price tag to host the 2034 Winter Games.

All necessary revenue is expected to come from private sources, largely from the sale of broadcast rights, sponsorships and tickets. The sale of licensed products represents approximately 5% of the budget.

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Proceeds from the sale of the first 2034 Olympic merchandise will be shared with the USOPC and the Los Angeles Games. “Utah 2034″ products will be sold online at utah2034shop.com and also at several of Utah’s Olympic venues.

“It’s not going to make a lot of money,” Bullock said. “We just want to get the merchandise into the hands of the fans.”