吕品德先生，珠海华发体育运营管理有限公司执行董事兼总经理
Peter Lv, General Manager of the Huafa Sports Operations Management
2015年1月，华发集团举办了第一届珠海WTA超级精英赛（以下简称WTA）；而首年这项赛事就获得巨大的成功。吕品德先生（Peter）拥有丰富全面的职业赛事管理经验，擅长于产品开发、品牌营销管理、商业推广等等。2015年，WTA的全球媒体价值达到3.27亿美元，今年该数值仍在持续增长。除了珠海WTA超级精英赛，Peter也在积极开拓国内外的人际网，寻求更多的发展机会。Peter精通日语与英语，并对澳网、法网和温网的赛事运营有深入的了解。在今天的采访中，关于Peter对今年珠海WTA超级精英赛的期望，以及他过去的经验是怎样令一场如此年轻的赛事看起来像已经举办多年的成熟赛事一样，DB对此进行了提问。
In January 2015, Huafa Group established the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai (WTA) and right from the very first year, the event has been a great success. Peter’s experience in tournament management covers almost all areas of the event, ranging from product development and brand marketing to large customer sales and event promotion. In 2015, the global value of the event reached USD 327 million and continues to increase each year. In addition to WTA, Peter is also actively exploring new developments which are reflective of his vast range of relationships both domestically and internationally. Peter is fluent in Japanese and English and has an in-depth understanding of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon operations. In today’s interview, DB finds out what Peter expects from the upcoming WTA tournament and how Peter’s experience enables him to organise a relatively young tournament with the appearance of a tournament that has been running for many years.
DB: 珠海连续多年蝉联中国最宜居城市，在市民的支持下，珠海正朝着“网球之城”的目标发展；作为WTA超级精英赛的承办方，(华发集团)在这方面自然起着关键的作用。您觉得活动成功举办能给珠海的文化旅游业带来怎样的好处？ Zhuhai is ranked the most liveable city in China and with the support of its citizens, aims to be a “Tennis City.” Hosting the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai naturally plays a crucial role in this. How do you think achieving this status will benefit Zhuhai in terms of tourism?
近年来，珠海有很好的发展机会。去年，中国政府宣布在广东省建立一个新的经济区域, 即珠三角大湾区城市群的概念。珠海在这个区域有夺天独厚的地理位置。未来港珠澳大桥的建成与通车，即意味着珠海将成为唯一一个连接香港和澳门的内地城市。在国家政策的支持下，珠海依靠自身独一无二的发展优势，这座海滨城市正逐渐地发挥着它的影响力。
In recent years, Zhuhai faces a very good opportunity to develop. Last year, the Chinese government announced that Guangdong province will be a new economic area, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Zhuhai is in a very good location. Once the Hong Kong- Zhuhai- Macau Bridge is built and opened, Zhuhai will be the only inland city that connects with Hong Kong and Macau. In this context, with its unique advantages, this seaside city is gradually exerting itsinfluence.
我住在珠海已经接近30年，时时刻刻关注着这个城市的发展，尤其文化体育方面。众所周知，珠海从1996年开始举办航展，经过20年的时间，珠海航展在国内外都有较大的影响力。而在体育方面，珠海仍缺乏具有国际影响力的盛事，WTA是珠海目前唯一一个国际性的体育赛事，也是继航展之后珠海的第二大活动。在精英赛举办期间，我们在珠海和其他城市宣传网球；我们组织“高校网球精英赛”，来自珠海和澳门两地的高校都会参与；我们亦举办“网球进校园”活动，在全市近20所学校不定期举办网球活动。随着网球经验的不断丰富，我们开设了全市网球训练班，为对网球感兴趣的市民提供培训课程。这些都是网球运动在珠海不断成熟之后所衍生的一系列活动。现在越来越多人对网球感兴趣，市民们不用出远门便能在家门口观看国际顶级网球赛事，越来越多的人正参与到这项活动中。
I have lived in Zhuhai for nearly 30 years and I have paid attention to this city’s development all the time, especially in culture and sports. As we all know, Zhuhai has run the Airshow Exhibition since 1996. After 20 years, the exhibition has great influence at home and abroad. Zhuhai, however, still lacks a world-famous sport event.WTA, however, is the only international sport event in Zhuhai and is the second biggest event hosted here. Around the time of the tournament, we promote tennis in Zhuhai and other cities. We organise “College Tennis Elite Trophy” for colleges in Zhuhai and Macau to take part in. We also run “Tennis goes into campus” and sometimes organise tennis activities in nearly twenty schools in Zhuhai. With our increasing experience, we also provide a training programme for citizens who are interested in tennis. These are the series of activities we run now that tennis is becoming more and more popular in Zhuhai. Many people consequently become interested in tennis and WTA then gives citizens the chance to see high levels of tennis played locally.
网球是世界流行的一项时尚的运动，在全世界遍地开花。珠海在过去很多年一直被社科院和联合国评为最宜居的城市，这里有宜人的气候，非常适合进行网球运动。珠海每年举办多项职业网球赛事，吸引了国内外众多的网球迷前来观赛，因为举办了这些赛事，珠海的国际影响力也日渐提升，这些对珠海的旅游业都有很大的积极作用。
Tennis is fashionable around the world. Zhuhai has been named the most liveable city by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and United Nations for the past few years. The pleasant climate in Zhuhai is suitable for people to play tennis all year round. Zhuhai hosts lots of professional tennis events and attracts numerous tennis fans from home and abroad. Due to these events, Zhuhai’s international influence has been increasing, which has a positive impact on Zhuhai’s tourism.
DB: 2016年通过媒体的广泛传播，珠海WTA精英赛获得惊人的媒体价值8.49亿美元，您认为今年这个数值会进一步增长吗？ In 2016, through media and broadcasting coverage, WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai obtained a media value of an astounding USD 849 million. Are you anticipating this value to increase even more this year?
是的，我们期望媒体价值会逐年增长。我们在珠海市内、广东省内、全中国乃至全世界都做了许多的推广。第一年，赛事全球转播覆盖约20个国家和地区，第二年，这个数字增长到30个。今年，我们预计赛事全球转播将覆盖更多国家地区。我们的活动会在多个电视媒体进行直播，在中国，包括中央电视台、广东电视台、爱奇艺等等。在国际上，我们接触顶级的电视媒体，如CNN、BBC等，让赛事在全球范围内得到广泛的传播。除此之外，我们在珠海和其他广东省地区做了许多广告和宣传，所以今年的媒体价值应该会增长。
Yes, we expect the media value to increase year by year. We do lots of promotions around the world, in China, in the Guangdong province and in Zhuhai. In the first year, the event was broadcasted in twenty countries and areas. In the second year, it was broadcasted in nearly thirty. This year we expect it to be broadcasted in even more countries. Also, various television channels and media will broadcast our event live. In China, it is broadcasted on CCTV, Guangdong TV, as well as through new media such as IQIYI. Internationally, we reached some elite television channels, like CNN and BBC, to name a few. This ensures that our event can be broadcasted worldwide. In addition, we do a lot of advertising and promoting in Guangdong and Zhuhai and so the media value will increase accordingly.
DB: 运营一个如此大型的活动肯定需要投入大量人力物力和准备工作。 目前为止，你们在筹备这个项目遇到哪些挑战？ Hosting such a big event requires devout work and preparation. What kind of challenges have you encountered so far in the run up to the big event?
举办这种规格的专业网球赛，我们需要有良好的声誉。网球在世界上不是一项新的运动，大满贯也已经有上百年的历史。但相对来说，网球在中国是一项比较新的运动，只发展了大概二、三十年。对我们来说，最大的挑战在于如何提升整个珠海的网球氛围。众所周知，像北京、上海这样的大城市，因为人口基数大，因此网球人口也具备一定的规模。这有助于提升赛事的观赛人数及现场上座率，在招商方面也相对容易。但人口不足200万的珠海，在这方面就需要我们下功夫去营造珠海的网球氛围，为赛事打造一个有利的外部环境，这也有利于网球赛事在珠海的长远发展。因此我们这几年所展开的“网球进校园”、“网球进社区”、“高校网球赛”、“业余网球赛”等，无一不是为了这方面展开。好在我们的赛事在全国和全球范围内都有较大的影响力，加上前期我们做了很多的宣传工作，最后的结果很好，我们得到很多赞助商的支持；而去年我们比赛的上座率也达到87%。
To operate this kind of professional tennis tournament, we need to have a reputable appearance. Tennis is not a new sport in the world and Grand Slam has already been running for a hundred years, whereas tennis is a relatively new sport in China, with only twenty to thirty years of history. The biggest challenge for us is how to enhance Zhuhai’s environment for playing tennis. It is easy for big cities like Shanghai and Beijing to increase the occupancy rate and attract business for their large population. On the other hand, it is harder to find sponsors in Zhuhai as it has a population of less than two million people. We need to work harder to provide the environment for people to play tennis and for our event. This will benefit further development of tennis in Zhuhai. Subsequently, we organise events such as “Tennis goes into campus”, “Tennis goes into community”, “College Tennis Elite Trophy” and “Amateur tennis competitions.” Due to the great influence of our event at home and abroad, as well the promotions and activities we do, we get lots of sponsors. Last year, we occupied 87% of the stadium.
DB: 今年是第三年举办珠海WTA超级精英赛，华发集团也在继续努力争取进步。 作为一个如此重要的全球性赛事的其中一部分，可谓书写着珠海的历史，请问您对此有着怎样的感觉？ This will be the third year of the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai and the Huafa group continue to strive for improvement. How does it feel to be part of such an important global event and to be making Zhuhai history?
我觉得非常骄傲可以运营这么一项赛事。珠海是一个适合打网球的地方，而我们又在这里建了一个这么漂亮的网球场，我们会考虑在未来举办各种各样的赛事。我们会继续推广网球，让珠海因网球而被世界上更多的人熟知。明年，我们可能会去大满贯赛事——温布尔顿网球锦标赛的新闻发布会现场，与世界上的顶级网球赛事做交流，这不仅能让我们学习到更多成熟的运营经验，也有助于珠海“网球之城”城市名片在国际上的推广。我真得很自豪可以成为这其中的一份子。
I am very proud to operate. Tennis is naturally suited to Zhuhai and we have built a very beautiful tennis stadium here. This year, we will consider what kind of tournaments we will operate in the future. We will continue to promote so that Zhuhai will be known around the world for its tennis. Next year, we might even go to the Grand Slam in Wimbledon for a press conference to communicate with a world-class tennis event. This will not only help us to learn more about mature event operations, but will also help to promote Zhuhai as a “tennis city.” I am proud to have the chance to be a part of this.
