After two years of cancellations, thousands of fans united in London, UK, and online for the Pokémon World Championships 2022. The event offered fans of Pokémon—trading cards, video games, apps, tournament play and merchandise—the opportunity to celebrate their inclusive community on an international stage.
GRAPEVINE, Texas, Dec. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Trade Group, an award-winning event marketing company, is pleased to announce that its client, Pokémon Company International (Pokémon), has been recognized by Cynopsis Media for their collaboration on the Pokémon World Championships. The event was held at the ExCeL Convention Center, London, UK, August 18-22, 2022.
Each year, Cynopsis Media's Tempest Awards shines a spotlight on the innovation driving the competitive gaming industry. The Pokémon World Championships earned a Tempest Award for Best Social Experience and was also a finalist in three other categories. The Trade Group provided design and event management services in collaboration with Pokémon's event management team.
This was the first time the Pokémon World Championships was held outside North America. It was an international event in the truest sense, with countries from across the globe represented. After two years of cancellations, the event's primary goal was to reunite fans with an epic reunion and celebration unlike anything fans had ever experienced.
According to Kelly Katon, Manager of Events at Pokémon, "We have very unique fans, and what Worlds does is bring fans of all the pillars (Pokémon TCG, the Pokémon Sword and Shield video games, Pokémon GO, Pokémon UNITE and Pokkén Tournament DX) together. Pokémon means community, and we've been dedicated to creating this community for 25 years."
Pokémon Senior Event Planner, Justin Helling, adds, "For many of our fans, Worlds and other Pokémon championship events are the highlight social events of the year, they feel like they belong, but it's a larger community. At Worlds in London, the natural sense of inclusiveness and community, combined with coming off Covid and people wanting to celebrate, all came together to create a great social experience."
The event included competitions for all of the distinct Pokémon pillars. Since fans would be experiencing the event both in-person and online, it was critical to design a competition stage that was compelling for everyone watching while representing the unique and beloved attributes of each of the Pokémon pillars.
Allowing each pillar to shine and incorporating design elements that celebrated London was key during the design process. As TTG VP of Business Development, Neeshu Hajra, explains, "Creating an equal stage, where each pillar had its own space, worked out really well. The stage design included a multitude of entrances, with people entering and exiting from London-influenced bridges and phone booths, allowing each pillar to have its own moments. It was a very compelling experience."
The event also required a complex suite of broadcasting and Wi-Fi management technology. To manage more than 2,000 Wi-Fi connections and 25 livestreams simultaneously, a dedicated team of Wi-Fi technicians worked tirelessly to ensure the integrity of the tournament for all players. The event's online success was evidenced by the more than 2.6 million views on the Pokémon YouTube channel.
Katon was pleased with both in-person and online participation during the event by fans of all ages. "While Pokémon initially targeted today's millennials 25 years ago, Pokémon Go really opened the brand to all generations—we had 75,000 unique Go logins at Worlds. And while we only had badges for 10,000 people inside Worlds, we had at least 75,000 people walk through the ExCeL center to just experience the fun social aspect of Worlds," Katon says.
To learn more about the creative design and event management services available through The Trade Group, visit the company's website at http://www.tradegroup.com or call (800) 343-2005 to speak with a sales consultant.
ABOUT THE TRADE GROUP
The Trade Group is an award-winning, full-service event marketing company specializing in event management, exhibit design and fabrication, graphic design and production, videography, experiential marketing and more. Since 1986, the company's team of event, design, and engineering experts has helped thousands of clients amplify their brands and successfully navigate a wide range of events and experiences.
Media Contact
Sierra Reed, The Trade Group, (800) 343-2005, [email protected]
SOURCE The Trade Group
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