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Against The Clock: How Eventistry Sports Delivered A Spectacular LPL 2024 Opening Ceremony In Just 4 Days

Date

2024

Client

LPL

Category

Events

CHALLENGE:

The 5th edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 was a landmark event, aiming to elevate the league’s status to compete with the best franchise leagues globally. With the addition of a new venue in Dambulla, alongside Colombo and Kandy, the league was poised to reach new heights. However, the opening ceremony presented unique challenges. Eventistry Sports was handed the responsibility just four days before the event, leaving minimal time for preparation. The stakes were high: this was the first time a new company was managing the ceremony, and there was a need to appeal to a diverse audience while setting a new benchmark for LPL ceremonies. Additionally, the event was clouded by controversy, as changes to the national anthem performance led to public uproar, further intensifying the pressure on Eventistry to deliver a flawless and impactful ceremony.

SOLUTION:

Despite the extremely tight timeline, Eventistry Sports rose to the occasion with meticulous planning and execution. Leveraging our extensive experience in both events and sports, we approached the challenge with a focus on precision and collaboration. The first step was to swiftly choose and confirm a lineup of entertainment acts that would resonate with various audience segments. We crafted a ceremony that blended traditional elements, such as regional drummers and fusion dances, with modern entertainment, featuring electrifying performances by DJ Mass, Apzi, Romaine Willis, and Yohani. The ceremony was anchored by a powerful rendition of the Sri Lanka National Anthem by Soundarie David and Soul Sounds, designed to give the audience goosebumps.

Logistics were a critical component of the success. The opening ceremony was set to take place in Kandy, requiring the transportation of stages, LED screens, and other essential equipment from Colombo. Our team’s extensive knowledge of event logistics ensured a seamless execution. Every detail, from sound and lighting to the precise timing of performances, was documented in detailed run-downs and show flows. These documents provided clarity and direction to all parties involved, including the Star Sports production team, our internal events team, performers, and LPL management. This level of documentation and preparation was instrumental in managing the live broadcast and ensuring the event ran smoothly, down to the second.

RESULTS:

The Lanka Premier League 2024 Opening Ceremony was an unqualified success, exceeding expectations across the board. Despite the last-minute nature of the assignment and the challenges posed by the controversy, Eventistry Sports delivered a performance that left a lasting impact. The feedback from key stakeholders was overwhelmingly positive. Team captains praised the seamless coordination, while Star Sports, responsible for the live broadcast, commended the attention to detail that gave them peace of mind throughout the event. The meticulous timing and coordination allowed for a flawless execution that was appreciated by spectators both in the stadium and those watching online and on TV.

The ceremony not only captivated audiences with its blend of traditional and modern performances but also successfully shifted the narrative surrounding the league. Eventistry Sports proved its capability as Sri Lanka’s first-ever dedicated sports marketing agency, setting a new standard for LPL ceremonies and cementing its reputation in the sports events industry.

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DAVID SAMMEL
He has coached three Olympians, Barry Cowan (Sydney 2000) with Liam Broady and Marcus Daniell involved in Tokyo 2021 where Marcus made history with Mike Venus, winning bronze, New Zealand’s first ever tennis medal. Apart from success in tennis on the ATP/WTA tours, he coaches mindset to private clients including international cricketers, a pro golfer who recently won her first European Tour title, several college athletes and is a consultant who has worked with the likes of Chelsea and Fulham Football Clubs. He has a best selling book Locker Room Power and a successful online program called Mindset College. A graduate of the Berkeley Executive Coaches Institute (BECI) as well as earning a European Mentoring (EMCC) diploma. He illustrates that whilst his coaching is based firmly in applied psychology, sound theory sits behind his knowledge.
ANKUSH ROY
The romanticism in Ankush is primarily sparked by anything to do with sports. Far from being a dreamy kind of impulse, it is a burning desire to get sports events underway with maximum efficiency, providing athletes a setting to perform without limitations and for fans, an event worth their while. For over 15 years, Ankush has been at the forefront of India’s sporting setup, engaging with world-class franchises such as the Indian Premier League, Indian Super League, Star Sports Premier Badminton League and Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League as a proven specialist in Tournament Direction and Event Operations Management. More recently, he was also involved in the Lanka Premier League as Head of Operations and Marketing. Ankush joins the ranks at Eventistry Sports in bringing his ‘A-Game’ to Sri Lankan sports arenas. Based on his extensive track record, the local industry is undoubtedly going to benefit from a much needed international-level approach to sports marketing. Ankush himself is excited at the prospect of working with the massive potential Sri Lanka has in becoming a sports tourism destination. Through his collaboration with Eventistry Sports, Ankush believes a new paradigm for sports and branded events is inevitable and that ground zero when it all happens, will be right here in paradise isle.
ISHARA GOONERATNE
Ishara is in his element when the need of the hour is content for channels or channels to drive content. This ability of being able to manage superhuman volumes of communication streams makes him a critical asset in Eventistry Sports’ evolved angle for modern sports marketing, where the effective use of tech will determine the achievement of set objectives. Not much for engaging in physical sports, Ishara is an extreme e-sports fan showing deadly competence on Call of Duty. He does however, love cricket and derives a sense of pride from the Sri Lankan team’s exploits on the field, focusing on it as an effective touchpoint for driving audience engagement on social media. Since joining Eventistry Sports, Ishara has steadily gained an understanding on the dynamics of sporting events and their marketing aspect. To date, he has many projects under his belt, for which he has exclusively managed the marketing and digital media execution, as well as more specific deliverables such as setting up of media services, live-streaming events and real-time content generation. As is to be expected, Ishara’s vision for sports marketing involves the integration of tech and using its capabilities of connectivity and engaging content delivery to create unforgettable experiences for fans both on and off-ground, while simultaneously enhancing the reach brands have with their audiences.
KARIN WIJERATNE
Rebellious in attitude and proven exceptionally capable through a string of global brand communication experiences, Karin brings her innate understanding of the interplay between sports and sporting fans to create campaigns of heightened appeal. Her grounding in sports comes from early childhood itself, when she took on the demanding yet exhilarating training regimes of ballet, before subsequently also engaging in competitive swimming and tennis at a later age. As a fan, a variety of sports capture her passionate interest; from F1 (favourite team being Red Bull), ice skating and gymnastics (for their display of strength and artistry) and Baseball (Dodgers FTW!). Lately though, through her time in Eventistry Sports, Karin has also become a devout follower of Rugby and Cricket. Being so athletically inclined, Karin knows exactly what kind of setting makes for a great sporting event, one that delivers on fan expectations while inspiring athletes and teams to perform at their best. A visceral and innovative thinker, she sees opportunities for their holistic value and gets about constructing platforms that allow sporting talents to shine. As a result, every event becomes a value-driven engagement where brands and fans have much to gain from. Karin believes from her core that the world of sports has much untapped potential and that Eventistry Sports would be there at the forefront to take on the challenge of expanding the boundaries sports, enabling both athletes and brands to grow within its sphere.
IFHAM ARIFF
A firebrand by nature, Ifham has always been ahead of the curve with his outlook for sports in Sri Lanka, so much so that in founding Eventistry Sports, he was also establishing the country’s first and only dedicated sports marketing agency. The realm of sports and what it represents has been captivating, driving and inspiring Ifham throughout his life, across many milestones. As a school-going athlete, he was constantly engaged in playing multiple sports with basketball, rugby and cricket taking centre-focus. And, when he wasn’t playing, he would be following cricket, football and of course, F1 racing with frenzied interest, passionate fandoms that if at all, have intensified with time. As far as professional experience goes, Ifham has built himself a solid repertoire starting with his extensive accomplishments at Red Bull (including setting up Red Bull’s global cricket asset – Red Bull Campus Cricket), to promoting sporting events in collaboration with Sri Lanka Tourism and now, providing leadership to every single project Eventistry Sports takes on. With the continued success of his companies Eventistry and The Quest Ltd., Ifham displays a good head for business, always ensuring that the numbers are met in delivering optimal outcomes for collaborating brands and sporting teams. Competitiveness, survival and strategic victories, closely held values all drawn from sporting discipline, make Ifham a true catalyst for the evolution of the sports medium in Sri Lanka. Ifham’s vision for sports marketing is ambitious. He believes it to be the driver for raising the country’s sports industry to a professional level that is on par with global standards, where athletes can have sustained careers both on and off-field. Achieving this however, require brands and corporates to also believe in the potential of sports as a compelling platform for driving awareness and connecting on an emotional scale with audiences. With attended events making a comeback and sporting interests diversifying, the scope is finally opening up to take sports marketing several notches higher. In short, Ifham’s mission has now kicked into high gear.