Many international licensors and licensing agents choose Hong Kong as their strategic base to expand their licensing business in the Asian market. However, due to the impact of the pandemic, there has been a continuous loss of curators promoting licensing projects in Hong Kong over the past two to three years. Incubase Studio, a startup company based in Hong Kong, founded by Sion Yip, aims to reignite Hong Kong’s creative industry. Starting from November 24th, they will launch their first licensing exhibition project, One Piece “The Great Era of Piracy” Exhibition Asia Tour in Hong Kong. The exhibition will provide an immersive experience through the use of different technologies, sound effects, lighting, virtual reality, theater and sculptures. It aims to take the audience into a three-dimensional world, allowing them to experience different epic battles and enhancing their overall sensory experience through visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory and gustatory scenes.

Established in December last year, Incubase Studio is not only a curator company but also a creator. They actively introduce international licensing exhibitions and focus on developing original content and experiential projects in Hong Kong. Sion Yip, the Founder of the company, has extensive experience in curating. In the past, he has been involved in researching, conceptualizing, designing, producing and operating large-scale festival installations in shopping malls, including themed exhibitions “The Frozen Exhibition” and ” The World of Studio Ghibli’s Animation Exhibition”. These exhibitions allowed visitors to take photos and play games inside the venue. In 2019, he launched an innovative and special experiential program called “Amazing Digestive Adventure” in a shopping mall, using interactive methods to teach children about the digestive system, combining education with entertainment. It was well-received by the public, but unfortunately had to be terminated due to the pandemic.

The First Original Immersive Entertainment Experience
Regarding the reasons behind the concept of the One Piece immersive experience project, Sion stated, “As early as 2017, when I purchased the One Piece licensing exhibition from abroad, there were few competitors in the market. This inspired me the idea of creating an alternative licensing experience in Hong Kong, rather than the typical festival-style events in shopping malls, to bring a completely new and exciting entertainment experience to the public. This time, we have contacted market investors and allocated over two million Hong Kong dollars to rent a large venue of over 10,000 square feet, incorporating various innovative elements. We hope to present 100% of the scenes from the One Piece animation, such as the intense battle scenes between Luffy and Kaido.”

With the advancement and increasing popularity of VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), and MR (Mixed Reality) technologies in recent years, the scope of experiential marketing strategies for businesses has expanded. One Piece, which has been running for 25 years, has gained a strong following and love from manga fans through its animated series. To enhance customer experience, Incubase Studio conceived an immersive experience exhibition based on the theme of One Piece, incorporating the original environmental design from the authorized manga.

The exhibition will be held from November 24th to January 21st at iSQUARE International Plaza. Creative design is the main selling point of the exhibition. “We have designed eight virtual reality games with interactive scoring systems. We have also created approximately four-meter-high, life-size sculptures of twelve vivid characters, allowing them to move through different scenes, even appearing above the audience’s heads. This allows the audience to immerse themselves in the world of One Piece, reliving the exciting and unforgettable moments from over 20 years of animation. We hope to move both new and old fans with intense battles and increase their interest in One Piece,” said Sion. They also plan to establish a membership system to enhance benefits, allowing participants to purchase desired products using accumulated points.

Sion revealed that the project has an investment of approximately 20 million Hong Kong dollars. Starting from Hong Kong, the exhibition will tour multiple locations including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and mainland China, with an expected tour of six to seven destinations by the end of next year. He estimated that the exhibition will attract around 500,000 visitors, driving consumer spending on authorized products and various related activities, amounting to over 100 million Hong Kong dollars. Sion acknowledged the substantial investment and the scarcity of authorized exhibition companies in Southeast Asia, making their main competitor themselves. He emphasized that the success of the project relies on the team’s enthusiasm, creativity, cohesion, and teamwork.

He expressed the hope that this immersive experience project will achieve good results, creating a wave of excitement and discussion in different cities. He mentioned that the project is not limited to a few stops but will continue to be organized and toured for several years. Additionally, Incubase Studio may develop its own original authorized projects and other licensed products in the future, using One Piece as the launching point, aiming to showcase Hong Kong’s creative side to licensors.

Event venues to support industry development
When discussing the challenges faced by the licensing industry, Sion acknowledged that Hong Kong lacks cultural spaces, especially venues suitable for international authorized animation. Many people question whether animation is considered mainstream culture. However, the annual anime conventions attract many young people who purchase various products and models, indicating a certain market demand. The reinterpretation of original licensed experiences also offers a fresh perspective. Sion mentioned that the licensing industry is an emerging sector facing difficulties such as substantial investment, lack of venue space, the impact of the pandemic on visitor participation and support, and a shortage of new talent entering the field. He hoped that the government would open up art galleries and other venues for the industry to use, as well as real estate developers allocate land for the industry’s development.

To attract more young people to join the industry, Incubase Studio actively recruits talents from overseas, seeking to leverage the expertise and professional knowledge of individuals from different cultures and backgrounds, as well as various brands and partners, to achieve synergy. Through innovative licensed experiences, Sion hopes to raise awareness of the local licensing industry and film and television licensing projects among Hong Kong people, especially the youth, and introduce different experts and competitors, resulting in a thriving industry.

Reinterpreting film and literary works
Regarding future development, Sion mentioned that immersive experiences, which combine IT technology and interactive devices, offer a new form of entertainment with great potential for development. With local creativity, they can shine and create unlimited business opportunities, bringing satisfaction to young people engaged in this industry. He plans to conceive four to five original immersive experience projects each year, drawing inspiration from film and television works, literary works, Japanese and Western authorized works, and international licensed brands, and using a fresh perspective to create innovative experiences. For example, if the exciting scenes from a popular local science fiction novel series, which features a male protagonist going through numerous adventures and challenges, are reinterpreted and presented in a new way, it would be both impressive and moving, increasing the audience’s interest in the work.

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