Why Hong Kong’s AIA Carnival is turning into a sponsorship powerhouse | Evaluation

Stroll alongside Hong Kong’s iconic harbourfront nowadays and you’ll’t assist however be drawn to the websites, sounds and smells of the AIA Carnival. Again after a 4 12 months break owing to the pandemic, town’s annual winter pageant is a feast for the senses with its heady mixture of video games, reside entertainers, rides, the circus, and household leisure. 

Together with title sponsor AIA, Nice Leisure Group had efficiently produced six such carnivals in Hong Kong earlier than the pandemic. This 12 months marked its huge return, an event the organisers had been decided to make successful—initiating their planning for it means again in November 2022 (significantly sooner than common). 

“The four-year hiatus of the carnival because of the pandemic offered a big alternative for introspection and innovation,” says Michael Denmark, founder and chairman, Nice Leisure Group. “This prolonged preparation enabled us to discover world traits, analysis what our shoppers had been searching for and tailor the product to go well with these wants with thrilling new innovation.”

And title sponsor AIA says this 12 months’s version is extra necessary than ever because it marks the comeback of Hong Kong after a number of difficult years beneath the pandemic. 

“Being the title sponsor of this occasion permits us to take a number one function in revitalising the spirit of town and demonstrates our dedication to the neighborhood,” says Melissa Wong, chief buyer and advertising officer, AIA Hong Kong and Macau. “We’re delighted to see that our carnival permits individuals to take pleasure in high quality time collectively with out continually taking a look at their telephones—besides, in fact, once they use them to seize all of the joyful moments by way of photographs!”

Hong Kong’s largest ticketed occasion

No matter was achieved seems to be working. Since its opening on December 21, 2023, the carnival has welcomed near 400,000 guests, demonstrating it nonetheless holds mass enchantment and additional cementing itself as Hong Kong’s largest ticketed occasion. Notably, ‘The World Circus’ attraction sponsored by UBS, has achieved a record-breaking run, with quite a few sold-out reveals and greater than 80,000 tickets offered. 

‘UBS Presents The World Circus’ has achieved record-breaking success with quite a few sold-out reveals.

UBS, the sponsors of The World Circus, say the chance has offered them with a platform to have interaction with their purchasers, workers and communities otherwise.

“The circus has allowed us to offer particular entry and unique experiences for our purchasers and workers,” says Amy Lo, head and chief government, UBS Hong Kong. “This occasion was appropriate for individuals of all ages, enabling them to carry their family and friends to benefit from the expertise. It’s testomony to the World Circus’ pulling energy that greater than 85,000 individuals have already loved the present.”

A key a part of the carnival’s continued success lies in its capacity to entertain visitors of all ages. This 12 months alone, the occasion is residence to over one million plush toys, 30 talent video games, and 40 interactive installations, and options greater than 200 road and stage performers.

There are additionally new sights, notably within the type of ‘Reside on the Large Prime offered by UBS’. In partnership with Warner Music, it includes a distinctive sequence of reside music performances from each native and worldwide artists, together with DJ units, an Abba-tribute sing-along, orchestral performances, and extra. 

Model companions and sponsors show important to the carnival’s success

Along with new sights, one important evolution this 12 months is the enlargement of the carnival’s partnership community. Amongst them UBS, Lego, Lan Kwai Fong Group, Journey.com, The Sandbox, Cathay, Mercedes and The Renaissance Resort, all of whom have helped to carry new content material, attain and innovation to the occasion.

As an example, Journey.com has made it doable for the carnival to learn from the surge of holiday makers from the Better Bay Space this 12 months, which is in step with the objectives of the Hong Kong authorities, and naturally, brings in welcome guests.

“The success of our carnival owes a lot to our title sponsor, AIA, for his or her imaginative and prescient, belief, perception and unwavering assist by way of the curler coaster trip that’s operating a present over 67 days straight,” says Denmark. “However all of our model companions and sponsors are important, offering each monetary and strategic assist important for bringing the carnival to life.”

Importantly, sponsors carry distinctive content material and interactive activations. A standout this 12 months is Lego, who dazzle with their large immersive play space and store constructed like Lego bricks. Additionally they have a big Lego determine ruling over the carnival, together with equally spectacular Lego Lunar New Yr dragons. Beforehand, Lego created Santa out of tens of hundreds of Lego bricks.

Lego, who dazzle with their large immersive play space and store constructed like Lego bricks.

In the meantime, Mercedes has a driving college for youths, in addition to a road artist painted household automotive. AIA has a cutting-edge 360 digital AI picture op, plus interactive areas all through the positioning. There’s additionally mascots from Don Don Donki, Ocean Park, and a collaboration with Disneyland with a large Olaf selling the launch of their model new Frozen world, and the record goes on.

Sponsors are extra like companions

It is clear sponsorships have performed an instrumental half in maintaining the carnival the large draw that it has change into. However for each long-standing partnerships, like these with Profit, Cathay, and Jebsens, to newer companions like Journey.com and The Sandbox, these sponsorships are what organisers describe as being “extra like a partnership”, which entails extra than simply [brands] sitting again and having fun with their brand up in lights. 

“I’m not saying that’s not necessary, it’s nonetheless the important thing to make sure the model is entrance and centre (or not less than side-by-side), however the depth of interested by the layers of inner and exterior alternatives to collaborate with new companions, do good locally, encourage their workers and make their purchasers/shoppers proud, has reached an extremely thrilling level proper now, in my humble opinion,” says Denmark. “The pondering is dynamic and the motion is quick. We’re seeing extra measured danger taking into non-traditional areas for historically strict and formulaic manufacturers and it’s a pleasure to behold!”

Talking of neighborhood, this 12 months the carnival’s collaboration consists of over 150 neighborhood companions and greater than 1,500 performers, in an ongoing dedication to the neighborhood and celebration of tradition all through Hong Kong.

“Along with our long-standing partnerships, we’re additionally proactive in searching for new sponsors that may add recent and thrilling dimensions,” says Denmark. “Very merely, we’re eager to work with open minded manufacturers with robust model values which can be pleased to collaborate and share the limelight while rolling up their sleeves for the great of the neighborhood.” 

Revolutionising the AIA Carnival expertise

Amongst these improvements is the carnival’s first foray into the metaverse by way of a collaboration with The Sandbox. By the mixing of digital and IRL (in actual life) actions, this partnership affords guests a singular expertise that transcends each worlds. It additionally features a single-player interactive recreation inside The Sandbox’s metaverse, extending the carnival pleasure into the digital world.

improvements is the carnival’s first foray into the metaverse by way of a collaboration with The Sandbox.

“The partnership between The Sandbox and the AIA Carnival is a testomony to the facility of the metaverse to create experiences that seamlessly mix the true and the digital,” says Sebastien Borget, co-founder and COO of The Sandbox. “Because the AIA Carnival returns for the primary time in 4 years, guests can now benefit from the AIA Carnival in-person on the Central Harbourfront—and in addition on The Sandbox platform. It’s been an enormous pleasure for us to be a part of this occasion this 12 months.”

Crypto funds are one other new addition in collaboration with hello.com, a crypto funds answer. Guests can use The Sandbox’s ‘Sand’ tokens for buying objects akin to popcorn or drinks, demonstrating the utility token’s real-world purposes, and marking a possible first for Hong Kong occasions of this scale.

“Our collaboration with The Sandbox, venturing into the metaverse, guiding us to the momentous new step into accepting crypto funds for merchandise akin to popcorn, represents a big leap in how we current the carnival throughout the generations,” says Denmark.

The place does the Carnival go from right here?

Now an annual custom for a lot of, the AIA Carnival continues to be a platform for companions starting from NGOs, to charities, to colleges, the Authorities, and naturally the non-public sector.

However now in its seventh version, how will it stay recent and interesting for years to come back if it is to proceed being a staple of Hong Kong’s annual cultural calendar?

“I imagine the product itself won’t ever get stale so long as we proceed to hearken to our prospects and companions, encourage artistic collaboration, have fun the entire neighborhood and welcome all individuals from all walks of life to come back and revel in a second of magic with us and their multigenerational households,” says Denmark. “So long as we now have the chance to benefit from the privilege of working  on this iconic piece of land, with the ever evolving skyline framing us, we are going to proceed to evolve the cultural phenomenon that resonates with the individuals and spirit of Hong Kong, the AIA Carnival.”