UBS has sponsored the Hong Kong Open for the past five editions – but the original sponsorship agreement ended last year. Was renewing UBS's commitment to the championship an easy decision in light of the economic downturn of the past two years?
UBS conducts extensive research on the impact of all of its sponsorship programs. Over the period of our sponsorship of the UBS Hong Kong Open, the tournament has helped developed significant brand familiarity and favourability for UBS among the public in Hong Kong and beyond.
The tournament has also resonated strongly with our clients and employees. However, during the period, UBS had reported substantial losses so we were under a fiduciary obligation to review the sponsorship, notwithstanding the excellent brand benefits it had delivered.
I am pleased to say that notwithstanding the review our association was unbroken and the UBS Hong Kong Open remains the flagship in UBS’s sponsorship programme in Asia Pacific. As Hong Kong’s oldest sporting event, its impressive roster of past champions, as well as the tournament’s seemingly unerring ability to attract world-class players, means the relationship is extremely important to us.
We are proud of our long and successful partnership with the Hong Kong Golf Association and look forward to welcoming players and spectators to this year’s Open which remains a marquee tournament in Asia’s golfing calendar.
What changes or additions to the tournament can we expect for this year?
We take pride in not resting on our laurels and the sponsorship team has been working tirelessly over the past 12 months to ensure that this year’s tournament breaks new boundaries.
While I do not wish to give too much away, there will plenty of improvements and surprises to this year’s edition. We continue to work closely with Asian Tour and the Hong Kong Golf Association and, for the first time, with the European Tour, to broaden the appeal of the Open and of golf in Hong Kong and Asia.
What do you see as the main benefits to UBS as a result of golf sponsorship, as opposed to say Formula One which UBS has recently became involved in?
Our sponsorship programmes seek to generate broad appeal among our clients, our employees and, more broadly, in the communities in which we operate.
Of course, our entry into the world of Formula One has generated a great deal of positive publicity and is an exciting development for UBS globally.
However, there is something unique about golf and the Hong Kong Open. I think in large part it is the accessibility of golf as many of our clients and employees play the game regularly. It is a factor which brings an entirely different aspect to our sponsorship activation.
Golf offers our clients the opportunity to make a connection with star players, whether they are accomplished professionals or first- time players. Golf is an aspirational sport with a context that goes far beyond the course. This aspect of the game has helped to fuel the growth of golf in the region and has become a very important factor in our sponsorship of the Open so we work extremely hard at the activation stage to maximize opportunities for spectators.
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