B&T journalist Arvind Hickman attended the Australian Open on the Australia Day long weekend to find out what this year’s event, and brand activations, were really like.
It’s not hard to see why the Australian Open is regarded as the ‘Happy Slam’. The moment you walk down Melbourne’s Southbank towards tennis park, the buzz is electric.
Upon entering the precinct, you are flanked by kids’ Hot Shots activations, sponsored by the likes of Emirates. There are mini tennis courts, a huge slide, table tennis and a bunch of other fun activities that must be a drag for parents trying to rush to ticketed courts. Nonetheless, it’s fun and I have never seen any major global sports event provide so many activities for kids of all ages.
This includes the new top court section, which is positioned as a Gen Z getaway. It’s positioned further back from Melbourne Park proper and features a live stage with music, a ‘Game On’ hub where you can play a variety of video games, YoPro pickle ball courts, and food (including Shake Shack burgers) and drinks (Lipton Ice Tea and Red Bull).
It’s pretty cool if you need a break from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne Park and fancy playing your mate in a tennis game where you break a sweat.
Moving onto Melbourne Park and it’s clear that the crowds this year are bigger than previous times I have visited.
There have been some complaints about overcrowding and lines being too long. That can be the case if you have a ground pass and want to watch big matches in some of the free show courts, or if you want to get into certain popular pop up bars like the Terrazza Aperol or the Canadian Club Cabana Bar.
Even though it was crowded, I personally didn’t find lines to be an issue, partly because I had bought Rod Laver tickets and planned visits to John Cain arena well ahead of time.
This year there was a better balance of activities and activations.
You could spend a day walking around to all of the shops and brand activations, whether it’s the official AO shop (where you actually have to line) to other retailers (New Balance, Chemist Warehouse, Mecca, Ralph Lauren).
Check out: Australian Open sponsors wrap up
The choice of food and drink grows each year, one day you could try Australia’s first taste of a Shake Shack burger and the next indulge in some Malaysian cuisine at Ho Jiak.
There are so many bar options, including the impressive multi-storey Grey Goose courtside bar.
A lot of the activations are interactive. It has been a focus of Tennis Australia’s partnerships team, led by Roddy Campbell, to provide fan experiences rather than just logos and products for sale.
The hospitality suites are also top class; we were lucky to be invited to the Tennis Australia suite to watch some Jannik Sinner.
The overall festival vibe is what makes the Australian Open special. It is not prim and proper like Wimbledon. Fun is encouraged irrespective of how much you are into tennis.
Traditionalists might find this grating at times, but I have yet to experience a major sporting event that gets that balance of on and off court action so right.
Can the event continue to grow much larger during the major weeks? Perhaps not, but overall this year’s Australian Open was the best I have experienced combining outstanding on court action with festive fun.
Read next: B&T’s interview with Tennis Australia’s partnerships lead Roddy Campbell
