In recent years, many people have chosen to venture out, but Sion Yip, the Founder of Incubase Studio with nearly 20 years of curatorial experience, took a different approach. Despite the pandemic, he spent two and a half years successfully acquiring the rights to the popular anime One Piece, breaking new ground in the industry.

The company recruits local talents and utilize technologies such as 3D and VR to create an all-new entertainment experience called One Piece “The Great Era of Piracy” Exhibition Asia Tour. The exhibition will debut in Hong Kong next month and plans to tour seven countries and regions overseas over the next two years, with hopes of attracting 500,000 visitors.

Passionate about anime, Sion has previously collaborated with various brands to organize paid exhibitions in Hong Kong. Last year, he founded Incubase Studio with the goal of acquiring IP licenses from internationally renowned companies and producing high-quality exhibitions with local talents. He believes that the pandemic clearly showed that local talents can be relied upon, instead of relying on outsiders.

Sion mentioned that since 2017, he has organized paid exhibitions in Hong Kong, such as “The Frozen Exhibition” and a popup store for Demon Slayer. These exhibitions achieved remarkable success, with monthly sales reaching HKD 5-6 million for the Demon Slayer exhibition. However, in 2020, due to the outbreak of the pandemic and the restrictions on preventive measures, the exhibitions were severely impacted, with some being closed for up to three months. The number of exhibitions per year decreased from 3-4 to only 1 or even none.

10,000+ Sq Ft Exhibition Space, with Investment of HKD 20 Million
With an investment of over HKD 20 million, Sion spent over two years obtaining the rights to One Piece from Toei Animation, a leading Japanese animation company. He emphasized the importance of being faithful to the original work and gaining trust from the Japanese companies, stating that the companies prefer to work with someone who respect the original work and understand the licensing process. After acquiring the rights, he had to collaborate with different teams, including character design, art, animation editing, music and voice acting. The exhibition will incorporate 3D, VR and other technologies to create three main thematic scenes, including playing a game to earn bounties, re-editing 25 years of highlights, and recreating the battle between Luffy and Kaido.

While previous paid exhibitions occupied only a few thousand square feet, the upcoming large-scale tour exhibition will have a venue of over 10,000 square feet, with an investment of HKD 20 million. Sion expressed confidence in the project, noting that the perception of anime among Hong Kong people has shifted from “cartoon shows” to a broader appreciation of different anime and characters. He believes that Hong Kong can create a unique visual, auditory and carnival-style entertainment experience. He also plans to expand to seven regions and locations in the next two years, including Mainland China, Thailand and Indonesia, with the aim of generating HKD 100 million in revenue and attracting 500,000 visitors.

The exhibition in Hong Kong is scheduled to run from late November to early next year. Sion acknowledged that the quarantine measures for inbound travelers hindered business negotiations, and he expressed the hope that by then, the “0+0” quarantine arrangement would be in place so that the Japanese company could witness the achievements, and overseas contractors could also pay a visit to Hong Kong.

Looking ahead, Sion revealed that he is currently working on four to five IP licensing projects simultaneously, including a collaboration with a Hollywood film company to create a new horror movie experience while discussing with local literary giants to transform conventional novels into alternative performances.

Experienced Curator Seeks Industry Recovery, Aims to Double Workforce
As the exhibition industry in Hong Kong came to a halt during the pandemic, Sion mentioned that while paving the way for recovery, the company is facing a shortage of manpower. Many industry professionals have given up on the industry, either switching careers or emigrating. Additionally, producing large-scale exhibitions takes over a year, and new talents may hesitate to take risks. Currently, the company has only 7 to 8 employees and hopes to double the workforce.

Furthermore, many exhibitions in Hong Kong are held in shopping malls. Sion explained that Hong Kong lacks dedicated cultural and creative development spaces like Huashan in Taiwan or Akihabara in Japan. These places effectively utilize old factories, offering ample space and fewer restrictions. In contrast, organizing exhibitions in government museums in Hong Kong is limited by space and subject matter. Therefore, most exhibitions are held in private venues, including large shopping malls, which can attract crowds and mutually benefit both parties.

《Hong Kong Economic Times》：Click to read original feature