HSBC Bank USA Brings Authentic Wimbledon Experience to New York City June 21-25

NEW YORK, June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- HSBC, "The world's local bank" and official Banking partner of Wimbledon, today will launch their third-annual initiative to bring the tournament to life for tennis fans in New York. "HSBC presents Wimbledon 2010 at Rockefeller Center" will feature a week of complimentary activities from June 21-25, including live screenings at the HSBC outdoor viewing area and the opportunity to play tennis on Manhattan's only grass court.  

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100621/NY23007A )

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100621/NY23007A )

At the June 21 kickoff event on Day One of Wimbledon, former world No. 1 ranked players Monica Seles and Jim Courier will play with select fans on the authentic grass court.  The event will take place at noon at the HSBC outdoor Rockefeller Center venue (between 50th/ 51st Streets and 5th/6th Avenues), with former French Open doubles champion Luke Jensen serving as emcee.  

"As the world's local bank, HSBC strives to bring notable international events like Wimbledon to customers in our local markets," said Ashley Parker, Executive Vice President and Regional President, HSBC Bank USA.  "For this year's Wimbledon program, we're creating an even more innovative and interactive experience for tennis aficionados in New York City."  

Tennis Goes High-Tech

In a first for HSBC, out-of-home and print advertising here will feature high-tech QR (Quick Response) codes that, when scanned with a smart phone, will unlock exclusive Wimbledon content as a teaser to the event. QR codes will also be posted around the Rockefeller Center venue, offering attendees behind-the-scenes videos and tournament facts.  Also new this year, attendees can visit Wii kiosks to play EA Sports™ Grand Slam® Tennis with fans on-site at Wimbledon in London.

HSBC Complimentary Activities Bring Wimbledon Stateside

• Live Wimbledon Screenings – Catch exciting match play daily on a giant screen from 7:00am to 5:00pm, followed by classic tournament footage until 7:00pm, courtesy of ESPN. Tennis fans can enjoy their lunch or take a break while watching the action from a special seating area.
• Public Grass Court Play – Challenge friends to a match on the singles grass court. Sneakers required; Prince racquets and balls will be provided or players may use their own equipment.  Call 212.525.2367 to reserve court times.
• Prince Sports, Inc. Tennis Clinics- Passersby can get tips on tennis strategy, conditioning and stroke improvement from certified Prince teaching pros June 22-25 from 12:00-1:00pm and 5:00–6:00pm daily.   Walk-ins welcome. Tennis professionals are courtesy of Gotham Tennis Academy.
• Play EA Sports™ Grand Slam® Tennis at Wii kiosks vs. fans on-site at Wimbledon in London.
• Racquet restringing while you wait on-site courtesy of NYC Racquet Sports daily from 12:00–2:00pm.
• Photos with the Wimbledon Trophy – Through green screen technology, fans can pose with the Wimbledon trophy and walk away with a photo as a memento.
• Strawberries & Cream Carts – Enjoy the traditional Wimbledon treat! Strawberries and cream distributed 12:00-6:00pm daily, courtesy of California Giant Berry Farms.
• City Parks Foundation (CPF) Tennis Clinic  for Kids–On June 23 from 3:30-5:00pm, Jim Courier will host an invitation-only tennis clinic for children selected by the City Parks Foundation, part of HSBC's ongoing sponsorship of CPF.  Courier will take participants through a number of tennis drills on the grass court and conduct a Q&A session.  California Giant Berry Farms will provide healthy strawberry snacks.
• Police Athletic League (PAL) Tennis Clinic for Kids- On June 24 Courier will travel to Buffalo, NY, to host a tennis clinic on the hard courts at Delaware Park for children selected by PAL.

The grass court installation will be overseen by Sports Turf of Connecticut, using Diamond Zoysia grass from New Life Turf Farm in Norway, SC.  The regulation singles grass court will be trimmed to Wimbledon's 1/8th inch.

About HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

HSBC Bank USA, N.A. has more than 475 bank branches throughout the United States, with over 370 in New York State. The Bank also operates in Florida, California, Washington, D.C. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Illinois, Connecticut and Virginia. HSBC Bank USA, N.A. is the principal subsidiary of HSBC USA Inc., an indirectly-held, wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC North America Holdings Inc., one of the nation's leading bank holding companies by assets. Deposits in the United States are offered by HSBC Bank USA, N.A. Member FDIC.

About Tishman Speyer:

Tishman Speyer is the co-owner and manager of Rockefeller Center, the world-famous real estate, shopping and dining complex in the heart of midtown Manhattan.  Rockefeller Center is the site of numerous public exhibits and events, including large-scale installations of public art by world-renowned artists including Takashi Murakami, Jeff Koons and Jonathan Borofsky.  Tishman Speyer has earned a worldwide reputation for innovative utilization of public art in its signature commercial properties, which include Rockefeller Center and Chrysler Center.  Tishman Speyer is committed to the preservation and restoration of Rockefeller Center and recently refurbished and reopened the historic Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center, making it one of New York's top attractions.  Each day an estimated 350,000 people visit the Rockefeller Plaza complex, which during the holidays is home to the most famous Christmas Tree in the world. 

About California Giant Berry Farms

California Giant Berry Farms (www.calgiant.com) grows and ships over 20 million trays of berries annually (180 million pounds). Based in Watsonville, California, the company produces strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries and encompasses all aspects of growing, handling and shipping of fresh berries. The management and employees know the future depends on the actions of today and places concerns for the environment, food safety, excellent quality and service at the core of their business.

About Prince Sports, Inc.

Prince Sports, Inc, based in New Jersey, is a company of racquet sports enthusiasts whose goal is to create cutting edge, functional and technically advanced products that deliver performance benefits for avid players. The Company's portfolio of brands includes Prince (tennis, squash and badminton), Ektelon (racquetball) and Viking (platform/paddle tennis).  The Company has a history of innovation including inventing the first "oversize" and "longbody" racquets, the first "Natural Foot Shape" tennis shoe, the first "synthetic gut" string and the first electronic ball machine. Today, Prince markets leading technologies in racquets (EXO3), string (Premier LT), footwear (Lightspeed) and apparel (Aerotech).  It has operations on three continents with distribution in over 100 countries. For more information on players, products or programs please visit www.princesports.com.

SOURCE HSBC