I’m writing this a few weeks after the whirlwind of spikes, sand and sensations that was the Queen and King of the Court! This was my first time seeing a QKOTC event live and I was so impressed. The product that they create as a viewer is phenomenal, and something that I think we (and the Beach Pro Tour) should be learning from. Here are a few lessons I took from the event:
Lesson 1: Let the players be the stars
I love how player-centric QKOTC is. They have got rid of so much of the pomp and faff that standard beach volleyball has and allowed the players to show us who they are and what they are about. This comes through in lots of ways. The promotion before and during the event tapped into our home-town heroes; the Bellos were great ambassadors as always in the lead-up; Issa Batrane nailed some cool TikTok transitions to show us the venue; and Katie Keefe and Kirsty Star goofed around on camera to help sell tickets during the event. While the play was going, the loose reffing, fast pace and dramatic entrances let the players show their personality through how they play. There’s Quique Bello flexing at his brothers in the stands every time he scores a point during qualifying and, of course, Alex Ranghieri insisting he has to win the Slunks Bounce Off. Classic…
I find this so refreshing compared to the Beach Pro Tour, where there is a lack of engagement with players, and any engagement generally feels stale and forced. This felt authentic and fun.
Lesson 2: Energy attracts all the viewers, not just the die-hards
The promoters have so obviously done a great job of thinking about how to provide a high-energy experience that is packed with engagement. Points come thick and fast, there is pretty much always some jeopardy in each round, and the stadium hype guy was AMAZING. I want to know what that guy eats for breakfast. Every break he had another game or activity planned, his announcements were funny, well timed and not too much, and he was backed up by a DJ with the QKOTC’s own set of point jungles, which they didn’t overuse. That is one thing that I loved compared to the Beach Pro Tour – they only used the jingles when an ace was really good or a spike was really spectacular. It meant it stayed fresh and exciting the whole time.
Lesson 3: We want (and need) more
I saw so many people from around the UK community there, and pretty much everyone was blown away by the quality of the product. Well done to Sportworx (the company behind QKOTC) and Volleyball England for making it happen. The big thing I heard from everyone was – wouldn’t it be amazing if we could host things like this a couple of times a year? From speaking to Charlier Ford, VE CEO, it sounds like we will. And that’s a great thing. Because the number of young players I saw around the place watching on, inspired by the action, was incredible.
I’d love to know – what did you think of the event? Anything you learned? Let me know below.
Written by Sam Dunbavin – Fireball Founder & CEO
