The opening of the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Alicante last week marked the official start of the 10th edition of the world’s toughest yacht race and the first year that PUMA has participated.
PUMA’s presence in the Volvo Ocean Race is part of its on-going global marketing strategy to expand its brand and products into sailing and lifestyle collections. In line with the spectacular design of their boat, Il Mostro PUMA unveiled a brand-new hospitality pavilion called PUMA City, which is open to the public in the race village.
Designed by New York-based architects LOT-EK, PUMA City is a tour de force of architecture and design, a massive 11,000 square-foot structure made from twenty-four, forty-foot long steel shipping containers, each weighing eleven tons. The containers form a unique new hospitality concept combining a merchandising store with a night club setting. kubik Inc., one of the world’s foremost experiential marketing and environments companies, was appointed by PUMA Ocean Racing to aid in the installation and dismantling of PUMA City.
kubik is responsible for handling the installation of both PUMA City and PUMA’s mobile merchandise store which is erected at several stopovers during the around-the-world race. In its role as preferred supplier, kubik will co-ordinate and manage all on-site services and requirements that are needed to ship, build and dismantle the pavilion.
This role matched kubik‘s expertise perfectly as kubik has extensive experience as event partners with the 2005-06 Team ABN AMRO entry in the Volvo Ocean Race. kubik‘s project management team have already helped PUMA overcome logistical and operational challenges associated with the Volvo Ocean Race as the race travels to stopovers around the world.
PUMA City is a bright red landmark structure with three distinct levels incorporating natural outdoor spaces, large overhangs and wide open terraces, which can be used for in-port race viewing. The PUMA retail space on the ground floor offers a selection of the PUMA Sailing, Motorsport, Urban Mobility and PUMA Archives apparel, footwear and accessories collections.
As the official supplier of Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009, the retail space on the second floor features the entire Volvo Ocean Race collection, which will be the only location where those products can be purchased in the race village. The upper container is a long, open area containing a bar, lounge and event space spilling out onto an oversized wooden deck. This area will be used for concerts, parties and other events where all race goers are welcome.