How Ping Pong Fight Club, a successful social sports brand, hit the wall during Covid-19 and pivoted to an online game show https://www.thebigsmokeevents.com/ping-pong-lockdown-challenge
'Responding to the Covid pandemic, Ade Leigh turned a successful nationally recognised social sports events brand that ceased operations, into a successful online ping pong challenge game show…from his living room.
It’s also a story about how vulnerability and hopelessness led to a moment of inspiration and making the final cut at The Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2020.
Background: Pre-Covid Ping Pong Fight Club, an inter-company ping pong tournament, team bonding and network party, had proudly disrupted the corporate events market. The first event in London in 2014, attracted the likes of Facebook, Spotify and Expedia amongst others, gaining a feature in the NY Times.
By 2019 Fight Club had expanded to 8 major cities in the UK attracting start-ups and global brands, transforming corporate culture and engagement, through a uniquely entertaining and inclusive social sport experience. Significant amount of media coverage included a feature piece on BBC Breakfast - https://youtu.be/uhe5kC6I5f4
It was during Ade’s Covid isolation he had his moment of inspiration. Through his work with Sport England and Table Tennis England, setting up social ping pong programmes in the workplace, universities and care homes in the UK, he’d learned about the incredible benefits of social ping pong on mental and physical wellbeing. He realised how important it was during these times, not just for people to stay safe, but be active, have fun and share recreational time as a household.
Ade set up a ’ping pong playground’ in his living room complete with nets, paddles and ping pong balls, set up a makeshift tripod (gothic candlestick!) with his phone attached to it, and hit record. Paddles soon graduated to playing with kitchen utensils, garden shed tools, lampshades and even wooden spoons, all the while his humourous videos gaining popularity across his social media channels.
This led to a ‘pivot moment’ and Ping Pong Fight Club’s Lockdown Challenge Show was created, a fully interactive online ping pong challenge experience enabling friends, family and work colleagues to connect, compete and have fun, all from the comfort of their homes. It was also to unwittingly pivot his own career, only this time as a game show host!
The show launched on June 6th and featured an action-packed 45 minutes of hilarious ping pong challenges, trivia and tongue-in-cheek game show banter, with bonus team points awarded for artistic interpretation and most colourful ping pong attire. The show became an instant success, not only for households but also for companies wanting their own Challenge Shows to connect, engage and have fun with their colleagues, regionally and internationally.
Ade recently made the final cut for this year’s prestigious Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Pivot category as worthy recognition of his spirit, determination and inventiveness in the face of extreme adversity.
Quote from Ade
‘If I were to win my category at GBEA it would mean the world to me, not just for Ping Pong Fight Club but an opportunity to leave a legacy to the sport I love’.
Quote from Keely Armitt Head of Participation -Table Tennis England
‘Adrian and his team at Ping Pong Fight Club have pioneered forward thinking initiatives for our sport over the years, several of them in partnership with Table Tennis England. Adrian's passion and talent for creating inclusive and spectacular events across the UK has significantly increased participation, whilst broadening the appeal for social ping pong. Having now pivoted his skills online, I'm sure Ping Pong Fight Club's unique brand of entertainment will continue to build on its fine accomplishments and see reach out to a global audience!
It comes as no surprise that Adrian should be nominated for such a prestigious award - he would be a worthy winner. All of us at Table Tennis England wish him the best of luck'
For press and general enquiries:
Contact: Adrian Leigh - ade@pongathon.com / 07971 555020
Socials
Fb/pingpongfightclubofficial
Instagram/pingpongfightclub
Twitter/pingpongfightcl
LinkedIn/Adrianleighpingpong