Transforming a social event into a top-tier sporting experience.
THE HONG KONG LACROSSE OPEN
Product Marketing | Brand Design | GTM Strategy ​
PRODUCT GOAL
Revamp and relaunch the Hong Kong Open event as an elevated sporting experience.
OVERVIEW
The Hong Kong Lacrosse Open (HKO) is the Hong Kong Lacrosse Association’s (HKLA) signature event. In 2018, I directed the event’s rebrand and launch.
MY ROLE
As the event owner, I led four staff members, 150 volunteers, a web-development team, and a production house. In this role, I developed a marketing strategy, led the design process of the brand identity, designed the event website, directed content creation, and oversaw the operation of the event.
Doubled registration revenue, increased participating teams from 14 to 30, doubled female athlete participation, and recorded 20,000 live stream viewers.
01. THE PRODUCT
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Prior to 2017, the Hong Kong Lacrosse Association (HKLA) would welcome local teams to compete in a casual annual tournament. Teams would play friendly games and described their primary motivation for registering as a “social.”
ELEVATING THE EXPERIENCE
In 2017, I was asked by the CEO to make the tournament more competitive and attractive to fans. (Measured by the parody of competition, team registration, and spectatorship.)
Over the next three years, the event would become a product marketable to clubs, athletes, spectators, and sponsors alike.
​
The registration announcement for the 2016 Hong Kong Open.
The opening ceremony of the 2018 HKO.
02. BRAND IDENTITY
BUILDING A BRAND
We started by building a brand that would capture the uniqueness of the event while being easily recognized as a competitive lacrosse tournament. The HKO logo is a foundational facet of this brand.
I designed the first iteration of the HKO logo in 2018 and later oversaw the design process of the final logo. The logo is aligned with existing HKLA marks and features a “爔 motif that symbolizes the Chinese character meaning “competition.” This updated logo appealed to local partners, fans as well as international teams.
Giving the HKO a fresh start.
My initial design of the HKO logo and a variation used to direct the design process.
The final HKO logo.
Practical application of the design.
03: MARKETING CAMPAIGN
DIGITAL CAMPAIGN
Our marketing campaign invited athletes and fans to participate in a bigger, better, more competitive event. The tone of our marketing content was shaped by the event's aggressive, exciting identity.
HONG KONG HEROES
Our team hosted a series of pop-ups prior to the event. Hong Kongers were given a chance to learn more about the sport, the HKO, and meet national team "heroes".
The hero campaign became a memorable touch-point for soon-to-be fans who had never actually seen lacrosse played. They were invited to support the heroes they had met at the upcoming event.
Convincing 1,000+ participants that our event was worth their time and money.
Growing our fanbase with 2,000 first-time lacrosse fans.
A HKO pop-up featuring local national team "heroes" that interacted with Hong Kongers.
04. USER EXPERIENCE
TEAM ONBOARDING
To improve the team experience, we developed a new event website. I developed userflows, created wireframes, identified core functionality, and managed the site's development with our web development team.
​
The site allows teams to view tournament information, register their team, and input team information.
MORE WAYS FOR FANS TO ENGAGE
The site offers multiple ways for fans to get involved, featuring game results, player stats, and team info.
Building a better online experience for a better event.
Schedule, score, and stats tables that I designed for the new HKO website.
05. CONTENT CREATION
CAPTURING THE ON-FIELD PRODUCT
The revamped HKO would feature competitive gameplay at a top-tier venue. It was critical that we leverage our on-field product to generate interest in the tournament and elevate the participant experience.
Videographers in Hong Kong had no experience capturing lacrosse. I provided direction to a local production house, detailing how to best capture the excitement of the game. This collaboration allowed us to share high-quality photos and videos with teams, fans, and PR partners each day.
CONTENT PLAN
Our content plan included images, videos, and informative updates. This combination of content ensured participants and fans alike could experience and share the action via social.
LIVE STREAM
We presented the final placement games with local broadcast talent. Familiar voices made a new sport more accessible for first-time viewers.
Elevating the event experience with high-quality content.
Highlights captured from the men's and women's championship games.
Content shared on Instagram during the 2019 HKO.
Live stream of the men's championship game.
06. OUTCOME
$50,000 USD
REGISTRATION REVENUE
+16
NEW TEAMS
+100%
INCREASE IN FEMALE PARTICIPATION
20,000
LIVE STREAM VIEWERS
PARTNERSHIPS
Between 2017-2019, HKLA established a series of event partners and sponsors: HKU Center for Sports and Exercise, CUHK Sport Medicine, Red Bull, Project Cradle, Sports Road, Club de Recreio, Hong Kong Rugby Union, Hong Kong Playground Association, Sisu, StringKing, Eaton Hotel, and ON.cc
ATTENTION AND IMPACT
​
