Winter Universiade 2013 – making Trentino the perfect candidate venue.
Background
Trentino Universiade 2013 is to be held over a period of two weeks in December 2013 across multiple venues at different Trentino resorts. Organised by the International University Sports Federation or FISU for student athletes aged between 17 and 28, the Winter Universiade is a first for Trentino and set to put the region firmly on the international sporting map.
A twist of fate
How we helped Trentino get there is a tale with twists and turns worthy of a slalom ski run. Originally, we developed branding and communications material for Trentino’s presentation to win the 2017 Winter Universiade but the bid was withdrawn owing to economic uncertainty in Italy. As things turned out, Slovenia the country scheduled to host the 2013 winter games could not guarantee they would be ready for the event in time. The FISU committee then came back to Trentino to discuss the feasibility of the region hosting the 2013 games.
Despite the short notice, Trentino was able to rise to the occasion as its resorts already have the experience and infrastructure in place to host big sporting events, including the Nordic and Alpine world championships held every year, along with other sports competitions.
Based on our earlier work with Trentino Sviluppo and the FISU organising committee during the pitch phase, we were brought in to promote the games and build a branded event, creating a legacy for Trentino as one of the top sporting regions in the world. Part of our brief was to develop an integrated campaign to build a loyal following prior to the games, during the run up and continuing after the events had ended.
Simply inspiring
Our original pitch was based on the core idea of ‘WE ARE READY…’ This we changed to 'ARE YOU READY?' To recruit volunteers to help stage the largest single sporting event in Trentino, we used social media to get the students of Trentino University involved in this wonderful opportunity. We kicked off with a short teaser animation to start building awareness locally and internationally for the coming Winter Universiade.
Now with the build up to games firmly underway, our core idea has evolved into 'INSPIRED BY YOU,' in recognition of the commitment of everyone involved from local volunteers and organisers to visiting athletes, their families and supporters. For our new campaign, famous athletes promote the games using this inspiring message, which also means being inspired by Trentino as well as by sporting excellence. The campaign is posted across various social media platforms supported by inspirational content, aiming to spread the conversation and keep it going.
Ready to inspire
Trentino Universiade 2013 is a great opportunity to increase awareness of the many excellent sporting activities available in the region, and also leave a legacy that carries on the conversation. We are developing a dedicated legacy website and mobile app to keep people enthused and inspired by outdoor sport in Trentino.