Hundreds of hockey fans gathered for the third installment of the World Cup of Hockey, which came to Toronto's Air Canada Centre from September 17 to 29. The sanctioned competition—which was presented by the National Hockey League, the National Hockey League Players' Association, and the International Ice Hockey Federation— was the first commissioned since 2004 and featured an abundance of action and excitement from brands on-site and off-site. The most notable element was the first-ever Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village in the Distillery District.
"The event presented an exciting opportunity for Scotiabank to showcase our longstanding commitment to hockey and to share in Canada’s unofficial fifth season—the hockey season—with the world," said Kristin McCleister, the brand's manager of Canadian banking communications and sponsorships. The free Fan Village had many corporate-sponsored activations from brands including Samsung, Molson Canadian and Rogers, which helped engage fans in some of the products being used for the event that could also be purchased outside of the game. McCleister explained that Scotiabank’s vision for executing the Fan Village was to present an exciting range of activations for fans of all ages.
Here's a look at some of the highlights from the tournament's Fan Village and offsite activations.
Scotiabank hosted its free Fan Village in the Distillery District from September 16 to 25. Fans were welcomed to the 10-day fest by volunteers from Scotiabank's Fanbassadors program.
Scotiabank, the title sponsor of the World Cup of Hockey and the event's Fan Village, presented a range of activations including the 360 Arena. Using a virtual reality format, fans could become a part of their favorite hockey teams.
Throughout the village, Scotiabank showcased interactive video screens where fans could catch up on tournament highlights.
As the official telecommunications sponsor of the event, Rogers set up its fan hub in the village, inviting guests to experience their favorite players and teams through a series of virtual and augmented reality offerings.
As the World Cup of Hockey technology sponsor, Samsung hosted its #GalaxyLife activation in the village. The interactive environment featured the full suite of Samsung Galaxy products.
Guests had the opportunity to test out the Samsung Tab S2 tablets, which the brand used to improve gameplay.
From September 16 to 20, Adidas worked alongside Rock-It Promotions and Big Entertainment Inc. to invite hockey players, media, and influencers to the brand's Athletics V.I.P. Lounge. Inside the offshoot activation, male guests could enjoy a complimentary haircut by the Fitting Room.
The lounge transformed the Andrew Richards Designs building into a showroom where guests could try on the latest Adidas gear.
The lounge showcased branded games including table hockey.
Lounge guests were invited to customize their gifted Adidas Z.N.E. hood with embroidery and patches by Peace and Cotto, which featured a selection of emoji and Canadian symbols.
