HK harbour race organiser and FTLife join hands to debut first harbourside playpark

Organisers of this year's New World Harbour Race and FTLife, premium sponsor of the event, have injected innovative elements to the race by debuting the first-ever harbourside playpark “FTLife Presents: #PowerUp on the Harbour".

The New World Harbour Race 2023, organised by Hong Kong China Swimming Association (HKGSA) and title sponsored by New World Development, saw over 3,000 swimmers completing the 1-km distance swim across the Victoria Harbour on 12 November. 

Apart from the mandatory racing and leisure groups, the event saw the return of the international category, in which top swimmers from all over the world are competing in the New World Harbour Race. Swimmers from the Greater Bay Area have also participated in the leisure group.

To engage with a wider audience and celebrate the theme of "Empower Happy Waves for All", the event organiser has partnered with FTLife to launch a harbourside playpark “FTLife Presents: #PowerUp on the Harbour", aiming to allow citizens to get close to the Victoria Harbour in a whole new aspect, swarming Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade with people.

The Harbour Playpark design embraced the concept of New World Harbour Race, the Victoria Harbour scenery, and happiness, and includes six attractions that are suitable for all citizens. 

The “Harbour on the Roll”, “Harbour Bounce” and “Blissful #PowerUp Floaties Pool” allow participants to enjoy themselves on the Victoria Harbour; while the “Infinity Swings” and the "New World Harbour Race Mega Buoy" allow participants to take “Instagrammable” pictures with the unique and stunning Harbour view as a background. The 10-metre-long “The Wondering Swimmer” is also the exclusive mascot of the Victoria Harbour in the event.

“As a much-regarded annual sports extravaganza, the New World Harbour Race provides swimmers with a unique opportunity to take a competitive dip in the Harbour,” said, Ronnie Wong, president of HKGSA .

“We would like to express our gratitude to the relevant government departments and organisations for their cooperation and to New World Development for their unremitting support, without which we would not be able to make the New World Harbour Race a success. It is also a great honour that the Race is reckoned as a 'M' Mark event, and we anticipate making the race an annual gathering of international swimmers," he added.

Nam Hoi Sitt, executive director of New World Development, said, “The New World Harbour Race is a sports event of the city, and also an incredible time for people to celebrate around the Harbour. NWD injects innovative elements into the iconic Hong Kong sporting event, and we are proud to debut the first-ever harbour playpark in Hong Kong, allowing the citizens to experience the beauty of the Victoria Harbour in a unique way. By hosting large-scale events along the globally acclaimed Victoria Harbour, we also anticipate enhancing Hong Kong's reputation as the city of mega events."

Man Kit Ip, chief executive officer of FTLife, said, “We are delighted to be the premium sponsor of this year’s New World Harbour Race, which is a perfect extension of one of our four life pillars ─ ‘PowerUp’ being our flagship campaign this year. It's gratifying to see the enthusiastic support from young families for our title-sponsored ‘New World Springboard Championship’ and ‘#PowerUp on the Harbour’ Playpark in Hong Kong. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with New World Development in the future, consistently creating unique and unforgettable ‘PowerUp’ experiences for every family.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to New World Development for more information. 

Back in September, New World Development and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build and operate a retail store at 11 SKIES, aiming to transform Lantau Island into the new "Travel-tainment" hub.

According to the MoU, the opportunities between New World and Hong Kong Disneyland could encompass retail and product collaborations to connect with the 26 million members within New World’s loyalty programmes ecosystem and marketing collaborations at different K11 locations across Hong Kong and the GBA.

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