Doraemon success lights the way for Hong Kong’s event hub hopes

If the government wants the city to truly be a centre for mega events, it would do well to take lessons from the recent Doraemon exhibitions
There is an art to building hype, linking multiple events and creating memorable experiences, something the organisers did with aplomb

Alice Wu

Published: 9:30am, 3 Jun 2024

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A little over a week ago, Doraemon fans across generations gathered at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade to see 1,000 drones light up Victoria Harbour in the world’s first Doraemon-themed drone show. I got to see it up close with family and it was as delightful for us grown-ups as it was for my little one.

But there’s more to it than just being a great family event. The show was a prelude to the Doraemon exhibition next month, featuring 135 sculptures – most of which have never been seen before, even in Japan – showcased in Hong Kong, the first stop of a world tour.

There will also be interactive installations at the paid exhibition, while the Avenue of Stars will host Doraemon and other characters as part of the free public exhibition. Needless to say, it started with a big bang.

The government and other mega-event organisers should take notes on how AllRightsReserved has run things. If Hong Kong is truly going to be a mega events hub, as the government is working to rebrand the city, then it needs to learn from the pros.

There is an art to building hype, to getting people excited and anticipating something big. AllRightsReserved has that down to a tee.

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The World's First Doraemon Drone Show to light up Victoria Harbour on Saturday

Word initially got out that Doraemon was going to be one of the hundreds of mega events the city will host in the latter part of the year. Then, within two weeks, the organisers surprised the public and gave the world a sneak peek of the drone show with clips from the rehearsal. Details of the show became available, with information on the best locations to see it.

So it wasn’t just a Doraemon event for the second half of the year. It was meticulously laid out so there were two mega events rolled into one. Anticipation for the event was carefully calibrated.

Then, on the morning of the show, when tickets for the July exhibition went on sale, organisers launched two pop-up events. One was a surprise installation of a 12-metre-tall Doraemon figure, alongside 60 Doraemon character sculptures, at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park.

By nightfall, large crowds gathered at the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront for the drone show. The organisers, understanding the appeal of “first time ever” and the magic of scarcity, went big – limiting the tickets and even the time for the surprise pop-up. They knew that the subject matter would be a hit for locals and overseas visitors alike.

Fujiko Pro CEO Jitsuko Katsumata, left, with Lam Shu-kam, founder of AllRightsReserved, at The Fujiko F. Fujio Museum in Kawasaki, Japan, on April 4. Photo: Oscar Liu

This is the second time AllRightsReserved, a creative studio based in Hong Kong and headed by Lam Shu-kam, has brought Doraemon to Hong Kong in a big way. Lam called this year’s project a “miraculous thing”. He was approached by Jitsuko Katsumata, a daughter of Doraemon’s late creator Fujiko Fujio, to bring the “100% Doraemon & Friends Tour” to Hong Kong first.

Lam was also responsible for hauling into Victoria Harbour a 37-metre-long inflatable sculpture by Kaws – otherwise known as American street artist Brian Donnelly – and the 16.5-metre-tall inflatable rubber duck, a vision of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, which Lam brought to life.

Lam has a track record of pulling off large-scale art and culture events, sought after by artists and brands internationally. He is exactly the kind of person the government needs to approach if it is serious about running more than just conventions in Hong Kong.

A visitor photographs a sculpture of Chen Jinnan from The Deer and the Cauldron at “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial”, at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, on May 29. Photo: Elson Li

The free access element of the event is a winning formula, as we can also see from the “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial” statues on display since March. Giving the public access is key to holding mega events and getting them to feel the buzz of excitement.

The government did a good job with opening up venues and public spaces such as the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in facilitating these events. Going forward, it must tap into the creative minds of professionals and work with them for these types of events to make it truly successful as an events hub.

The city needs to go beyond creating “instagrammable” spots. There is so much more depth, expertise and understanding of culture that goes into creating a memorable experience for locals and visitors alike.

Alice Wu is a political consultant and a former associate director of the Asia Pacific Media Network at UCLA