Images: Cathay
Cathay, the premium travel lifestyle brand that includes Hong Kong’s home carrier, Cathay Pacific, has signed on as Kai Tak Sports Park’s latest sponsor, with the deal intended to pay tribute to the site’s aviation history.
Cathay has been named the exclusive founding travel partner of KTSP, which is poised to become the largest integrated sports and entertainment landmark in Hong Kong. Cathay will work in close collaboration to support KTSP in delivering world-class sporting, cultural and entertainment experiences to a global audience.
The 28-hectare Sports Park is part of the redevelopment on the site of the old Hong Kong International Airport in Kai Tak. KTSP features the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium; Kai Tak Arena, with the flexibility to host community sports and events of up to 10,000 seating capacity; and Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, with a capacity of 5,000 seats. These venues are being complemented with extensive public open spaces for events and leisure together with retail and harbour front dining spaces.
Through the strategic partnership, Cathay and KTSP will introduce the first aviation-themed immersive experience in the Greater Bay Area. The Cathay-branded West Bridge, which connects the Sung Wong Toi MTR station with Kai Tak Stadium, intends to engage the Hong Kong community and rekindle people’s collective memory of the airline’s journey from its roots.
World Flyer, a space dedicated to Kai Tak Airport in the form of a scaled-down representation of its major facilities, will provide a learning environment for community interaction. In addition, Cathay will seek to further elevate the visitor experience by sponsoring projects including ‘Rong Rong Square’ and ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’.
Cathay chief customer and commercial officer, Lavinia Lau, said: “Having been Cathay Pacific’s home for over many decades, the old Kai Tak Airport holds a cherished place in not only our hearts, as it is where our journey began, but also those of everyone who grew up in Hong Kong.
“In many ways, our return to Kai Tak as the exclusive founding travel partner of KTSP is a testament to Cathay’s evolution from an airline to the leading premium travel lifestyle brand we are today. It also symbolises our unwavering commitment to the continued growth and development of Hong Kong as a world-class city.
“Through strategic collaborations with KTSP, we hope to bring together visitors from all over the world to our home by creating immersive experiences that enhance its international profile and celebrate its rich heritage. The exciting lineup of sporting and cultural mega-events at KTSP will surely boost tourism and inspire the people of Hong Kong.”
Founding partner is the second tier of KTSP’s sponsorship ladder, with Cathay joining CTF Life. HSBC signed on as the first major sponsor of KTSP in December. Through the long-term deal, the financial services group became the exclusive premier founding partner of the sports and entertainment complex.
Plans were last week revealed for the opening ceremony of KTSP, with the first batch of tickets selling out in 35 minutes. The Hong Kong Government announced earlier this month that Kai Tak Stadium will officially open on March 1, following the successful staging of the latest test event at the cornerstone of the Kai Tak Sports Park development.
Hong Kong action movie star Donnie Yen is set to feature in the opening ceremony alongside Cantopop stars Joey Yung, Gin Lee and Michael ‘MC’ Cheung Tin-fu, singers George Lam Tsz-cheung and Sally Yeh Chen-ven, and mainland Chinese celebrity Li Yuchun.
Sports stars will also be represented in the form of Hong Kong Olympic gold medal fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai; badminton players Tang Chun-man, Tse Ying-suet and Lin Dan; and table tennis players Doo Hoi-kem and Fan Zhendong.
Commenting on the Cathay deal, Kai Tak Sports Park CEO, John Sharkey, said: “Kai Tak was once the location where Hong Kong met the world and the world came to Hong Kong.
“We are so pleased that this partnership will help bring that symbolism to life once again as we embark on bringing world class events for the people of Hong Kong and Cathay brings the global audience to our city as our exclusive founding travel partner.”
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