The IOC’s decision about where to place the 2016 Summer Olympics will be a major factor in determining whether McDonald’s renews its TOP sponsorship, which expires after the 2012 Games in London, said John Lewicki, the company’s senior director of alliance marketing.

During a panel titled “Beijing and beyond: An assessment from the corporate stakeholders,” discussion turned to what might happen if Chicago doesn’t win the bid.

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“The decision on 2016 will determine whether we’re a sponsor after that,” said Lewicki. “The international market is very important to us, but some of the cities they are picking are not. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that if it’s not Chicago, that we won’t renew, but if it is Chicago, we probably will.”