Cover (L-R) Football players Mahama Awal, Mikael Severo Burkatt and Ngan Cheuk-pan at the Tatler XFEST Hong Kong press conference on January 11, 2024 at The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel (Photo: Humphrey Ng/Tatler Hong Kong)
(L-R) Football players Mahama Awal, Mikael Severo Burkatt and Ngan Cheuk-pan at the Tatler XFEST Hong Kong press conference on January 11, 2024 at The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel (Photo: Humphrey Ng/Tatler Hong Kong)
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No matter who comes out on top when Leo Messi and Inter Miami CF take on the Hong Kong Team at Tatler XFEST, the match will be a major win for the city
Come February 4, 2023, Hong Kong Stadium will be packed to the rafters with 40,000 fans, including overseas visitors, eager to witness the highly anticipated Tatler XFEST match between Inter Miami CF and a specially invited Hong Kong Team. And history has taught us that whenever an event that appeals to both Hongkongers and visitors takes place, the economy gets a boost via ticket and merchandise sales, job creation, hotel bookings, wining and dining, retail sales and more.
Down the years, Hong Kong has played host to some of the biggest names in The Beautiful Game: visits by Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Diego Maradona, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Paul Gascoigne, Steven Gerrard and Didier Drogba have helped build Hong Kong’s global reputation as a must-visit city.
As well as ticking all of the above commercial boxes, these visits also benefited Hong Kong in ways that go well beyond ticket sales and merch. As will Tatler XFest, perhaps even more than we have ever seen before.
“It’s as much about global visibility as it is about any of those immediate commercial returns,” says sports entrepreneur Marcus Luer of Total Sports Asia. “When David Beckham and Lionel Messi decide to come and play in Hong Kong, it sends out the message [for the city]: ‘We are back, and open for business. Come to Hong Kong and have fun!’”
This sentiment was echoed by Eric Fok, chairman of The Football Association of Hong Kong at the press conference held on January 11 to reveal details about Tatler Asia’s inaugural Tatler XFEST Hong Kong: “[The Tatler XFEST match] being held in Hong Kong highlights our city’s exceptional ability to host these massive sporting events, and this is reflected in the ticketing response—this has given our hearts a ‘long-term booster’.”
Tatler XFEST Hong Kong will feature multiple cultural and community events aside from the game itself, which will span different entertainment genres and appeal to various sectors of the Hong Kong and international communities. Tatler XFest Hong Kong is “much more than an event—in partnership with the Hong Kong government and the Football Association, we are setting the stage for a memorable experience,” says Michel Lamunière, chairman and CEO of Tatler Asia at the same press conference.
Come February, Hong Kong will again benefit economically like it had in the past with events like the Rugby Sevens (which can put between HK$200 million and HK$400 million into the economy with each staging), tennis or golf tournaments, and mass participation events.
Also, given the glamour, international appeal and multi-genre entertainment aspects of Tatler XFEST Hong Kong, it is possible to envisage it growing into an “event week” similar to the Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore. An Asia Sports Tech study found that on top of the commercial revenue and earned media value generated by the Singapore GP race week, it has also been responsible for a growing number of global Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) events being staged in The Lion City, and attended by an estimated 90,000 delegates.
However, as exciting as its commercial potential may be, it is also vital that Tatler XFEST Hong Kong resonates with every sector of the city’s society. To that end, the organisers and their partners will engage with Hong Kong’s next generation of players via football clinics staged by professional coaches and marquee players from Inter Miami CF and the Hong Kong Team. Plus, some 15,000 tickets to the open training session will be distributed to less-privileged members of the community who might not otherwise get the chance to see Lionel Messi up close.
This adds up to a timely win for Hong Kong, and an occasion to savour, this year and beyond.
Tatler XFEST Hong Kong is recognised by the Major Sports Events Committee and is sponsored by Prudential, Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel, Adidas, BMW, Chopard, Mastercard and is supported by the Football Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Airport, Brand Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The exclusive local broadcaster is Now TV and the exclusive event ticketing partner is Klook. For more information visit the website tatlerasia.com/xfesthk.
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