(21 September 2010 - Hong Kong) Ocean Park Halloween Bash 2010 officially kicked off tonight with a 10th anniversary celebration ceremony cum Po Leung Kuk Charity Preview Night. Dr. Allan Zeman, Chairman of Ocean Park, who dressed up as Lady Gwai Gwai for the occasion, was joined by Mr. Quincy K.Y. Lui, Chairman of Po Leung Kuk, Dr. Pollyanna Y.W. Chu, Chairman of Organizing Committee cum Director of Po Leung Kuk and many other Board members, together with a star-studded line up of local celebrities and entertainers, including Po Leung Kuk Charity Ambassadors Moses Chan and Kay Tse, HotCha, horror movie director Danny Pang, Elanne Kwong, Rex Ho and Ciwi Lam, to unveil the most anticipated event of the Halloween season in Hong Kong.
Ocean Park Creates Community Care Platform for Hong Kong People to Support Charity
Dr. Zeman said, “The tenth anniversary is a truly significant milestone as it testifies to the remarkable success of Ocean Park Halloween Bash. Our cast of performers has grown ten-fold from 39 ten years ago to 444 this year; and the amount of our investment in this seasonal presentation has also gone up by a multiple of ten, as the people of Hong Kong have developed an interest that has grown to ten times the original for humour and fright. We are proud of having created an iconic and impactful seasonal event for Hong Kong and have prepared ourselves to meet a hundred times the challenges as we focus ourselves on bringing boundless fun to our guests. It also pleases us enormously that Ocean Park Halloween Bash has become an important community care platform. This year, we are thrilled to be working with Po Leung Kuk to present a Charity Preview Night, whereby all admission proceeds will be donated to Po Leung Kuk. Tonight’s guests get to support important charitable causes as they immerse themselves in our festive offerings, thus injecting warm sentiments into the Halloween season.”
Mr. Quincy Lui, Chairman of Po Leung Kuk, said, “Ocean Park and Po Leung Kuk are alike in having grown up with the people of Hong Kong, bringing them joy and sharing their spirit of self-betterment. As an organization that embodies the caring nature of Hong Kong, Ocean Park has contributed to the well-being of underprivileged children by co-hosting tonight’s Charity Preview Night.”
10 Years of Revolutionary Transformations
As a trendsetting Halloween event, Ocean Park Halloween Bash has earned Hong Kong international acclaim as a “Halloween City”, bringing to the territory new business opportunities and driving tourism development. The past ten years have witnessed a series of revolutionary changes to how Ocean Park presents its Halloween celebration.
Back in 2001, the inaugural Ocean Park Halloween Bash ran for nine nights only. The level of horror exhibited in the haunted house was low because Halloween was not widely embraced by the community. There were a total of only 39 performers, whose appearance were not particularly frightening. In terms of marketing, the first Ocean Park Halloween Bash did not have its own television commercials, but was promoted through a 5-second tag-on appended to the Park’s themed television commercial. At the time, print advertising featured only comic renditions of western characters and legends. And the Ocean Park Halloween Bash gift items were all existing merchandise offered by our business partners.
This year, the tenth Ocean Park Halloween Bash will run for 23 nights. All attractions and performances are highly interactive, employing the latest technologies like RFID and Augmented Reality. Not only are ghost stories from Hong Kong and mainland China included as themes, Ocean Park also pioneered the adapting of scenes from local horror movies to create haunted attractions, giving guests an even more dramatic experience. Advertising and promotion for Ocean Park Halloween Bash has also become exceptionally colourful and diversified. Besides introducing themed television commercials for the event, Ocean Park also works with different brands for cross promotion. The advertising budget alone reached eight figures. Moreover, culinary and retail offerings have been specially created for Ocean Park Halloween Bash, like the amulets, hair bands, plush toys and specialty snacks available this year.
Hot Date at Burned Alive for 200 Singles
Building on the past two year’s phenomenally successful collaboration with Yahoo! Hong Kong’s Yahoo! Personals portal (personal.yahoo.com.hk), Ocean Park is once again working with Hong Kong’s most popular online matching site among single guys and gals to present 「Yahoo!友緣人之『緣永續』友約會」. Two hundred singles are joining the event and those who have been matched through a series of interactive games, will be among the first to explore Burned Alive, the haunted house game presented by Yahoo! and experience the romantic sparks in a hot and horrifying setting.
Mr. Alfred Tsoi, Vice President and Managing Director of Yahoo! Hong Kong, said “Yahoo! Hong Kong greatly enjoys our continuous collaboration with Ocean Park over the past few years and is glad to present 「Yahoo!友緣人之『緣永續』友約會」in Ocean Park Halloween Bash. People in Hong Kong generally have a hectic lifestyle, and Yahoo! Personals offers them with a stress-free platform to make new friends, or even meet their life-partners, with no space or time constraints.”
Ten Times the Frightful Fun with All New Haunted Attractions
To mark the 10th anniversary of Ocean Park Halloween Bash, Ocean Park has intensified the element of guest participation, pushing the terror index to new heights. From today until 31 October, as soon as the sun goes down every Friday, weekend and public holiday, daring Park guests can test their aim in a 4,000 sq ft laser tag battle zone at Zombie Hunt; or check into a haunted hotel from The Child’s Eye, the Pang Brothers’ latest horror movie. To ensure guests will experience the most fright, the most excitement and the most fun this Halloween, Ocean Park has prepared over a dozen games and shows, as well as dance, costume and cooking competitions. And to share the joy of this 10th anniversary, Ocean Park offers guests who purchase or renew a SmartFun Annual Pass, from today until 15 October, the opportunity to redeem a Halloween Bash Night ticket valid on designated days for HK$10 only.*
Terror Park, presented by Blue Girl, is Hong Kong’s first ever haunted attraction that features RFID (Radio-frequency identification) for increased interactivity. To escape this nightmarish dreamscape, guests will have to find a way to save lost souls. Following last year’s success at creating an environment even more haunting than their film creation, the Pang Brothers are returning to Ocean Park with another bone-chilling attraction based on their new movie, The Child’s Eye. Guests will get to journey through the adventure endured by the main character in an eerie hotel setting.
Tai Shue Wan is the site of Scaremonies 10, a grand musical in which the Ox God and minions go on a sensational quest to find superstars missing from this earthly world. In a cross-over collaboration between Ocean Park and fashion brand another, this year’s Halloween Bash offers guests the opportunity to take to the stage in the Demon Street Dance Competition and Halloween’s Next Top Model for an unprecedented level of fun. Zombie Hunt, one of this year’s headline attraction, features Hong Kong’s biggest laser tag battlefield, where thousands of brave souls will be duking it out with terrifying zombies using hi-tech laser gears every night. Inside the Haunted Tales of Guangdong, the creepy elders at No. 7 Fear Road will spin blood-curdling yarns, which will transport our guests to horrifying scenes from our neighbouring province. Voodoo enthusiasts among our guests would do well to visit the Black Magic Academy; while those looking for a free makeover to acquire the appearance of a vampire, a paper doll or a ghostly bride would need to stop over at Beauty in the Grave.
Guests arriving at The Waterfront will be greeted by the festive atmosphere of a ghastly party. After boogying with vampires at the Fang Club, presented by 5 Gum, guests will have to make their way through the final stretch of a maze in total darkness. Awaiting them at the nearby Burned Alive, presented by Yahoo!, is the most realistic crematorium attraction anywhere. And at the Museum of Horrors, fervent fans of Halloween Bash, both old and new, can revisit all the creepy Halloween Bash highlights over the last decade and the ghoulish trappings that Dr. Zeman put on in years past.
In the wacky world at The Waterfront, guests would need to outsmart four sinister living playing cards in the Goblin Landlord Game Show if they want to get out in one piece. And at the Cooking Monster show, they can escape the fate of being eaten alive only by making something delicious to nourish the shrivelled souls of ghosts and ghouls. Those who impress the judging panel from the underworld with their cooking skills might even receive spine-tingling rewards!
Dr. Zeman reminds everyone, “As tickets for 25 & 30 September are all sold out, this is no time to hesitate when it comes to grabbing tickets. The timid among our guests can embolden themselves by bringing their friends and by purchasing an amulet to ward off approaching ghosts—however, there are no guarantees except for a terrifically fun time for all!”
In addition to the brand new haunted attractions, Ocean Park is introducing 50 seasonal culinary delights and 120 gift items. Specialty foods include Buttered Sweet Corn and Hot and Spicy Meat Balls, both available at HK$10. Also on offer are scary looking dishes like Bloody Magic Bean and Coffin Hot Dog. Anyone who purchases a seasonal beverage can redeem a flashing glass for HK$15. Besides specialty foods, Ocean Park has created a variety of Halloween gifts, including pumpkin hats and different styles of hand bands, as well as spooky snacks shaped like joss sticks and paper gold money.
* From today until 15 October, guests who purchase or renew a SmartFun Annual Pass Gold Adult Pass, Silver Adult Pass, or Student Pass (HK$695/545/485) can redeem a Halloween Bash Night ticket valid on 23 September or 21/27/28 October for HK$10 only.
