Best logical bet from Tri Xtreme 2008; First Look

We received our goodie bag from HSBC on “Tri Xtreme Challenge Season 2″ on 18th June 2008, 4 days after the Registration date @ Maggis Hua Ho.

//Registration at Manggis Hua Ho

This Goodie Bag contains
1. Tri-Xtreme Season II Polo Shirt
2. Tri-Xtreme Cap
3. Tri-Xtreme Badge with Team Number
4. Invitation to the Tri-Xtreme Post Event Celebration
5. Instruction to Stage 1 Challenge
5. The Bag itself?

//I like the design of the cap this year, it looks so much better and more sporty compared to the 2006’s version.

//They even have holes for ‘air free’. (I don’t know what do they call it). By the way, we are in Team 50, agreed on the name Silverplay by my team members of Shenny Tang, Carmen Chang & Han Luen.

//Introduction to Stage 1’s Card. (1 per team)

Photos of Season I is available in Facebook group – HSBC Tri Xtreme Challenge Season II

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Personally, I think HSBC spends a lot on this event, we are paying $20 ($10 for HSBC customer) and the benefits from the goodie bag itself is definitely worth more than $20 or $10. Even if the goodie bag doesn’t worth so much, try to view the event in the organiser’s perspective, there’ll be a lot of LARGE posters and banners to print for the event day itself, the cost of organising the games plus the printing of ‘folders’ with game/challenges instructions. The pre-event’s numerous printing of thousands of catalogs for awareness.

Let’s do a simple math.
B$60 per team (2 HSBC for $10, 2 Non-HSBC for $20)
$60 x 100 total team = B$6000

That’s B$6000 for the total ‘revenue’ they take earn from us.

And they are giving out money prizes as much as
No.1 = 8000
No.2 = 4000
No.3 = 2000
Total = 14k !

14k minus 6k = 8k to be spent from the bank’s pocket capital. This is purely a calculation on ‘Money in from us & Money out from them’ without adding all those advertisement and printing cost!

More benefits without ‘advertisements’
I have not include the free Ipod Touch/Ipod Nano8GB/Ipod Nano 4GB with sums up roughly $5200 for the winners! Wait, each of us will be receiving our very own Participation Certificate at the end of the day as well (printing cost?). In all of the rounds, participants will be receiving free supply of foods from local fast food restaurants (Ayamku, Ideals etc in 2006’s event) and these are added up to theirs costings as well.

//The celebration for the post-event 2006 were luxurious!! (more costing =p)

In 2006’s event, buffet of different foods (western, eastern) are placed in a long stretched table displaying mouth-watering appetizers, food, meals and deserts along the man-made beach in Marine Centre @ The Empire Hotel. There were unlimited sushis and the quality of the food are definitely of high standards. We could ask for lambs, beefs and fishes as much as our stomach can take it. This year, the post-event celebration will be held at the same place as well. (these are costs to HSBC as well)

We got Goodie Bag, proof of Cert, Luxury Food, Exciting Game! Without further calculation, we all understands that the benefits from just joining the event worthed more than $20 (or $10).

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But WHY? Why are they spending so much in giving prizes and benefits to us? What do they gain?

1. Brand Building? Make the word HSBC looks more class + powerful yet friendly?
2. Encouraging more users to sign up accounts with HSBC?
3. For the fun? HSBC, more than a bank?

4. Someone like YC will question and blog about it? Free advertisement? If that’s one of their aim, they had achieved it =P

What do you think? Well, whatever the reason is, the challenge is on this Sunday, 22nd June 2008 and I’m excited.

Best Dream Bet = Stage 1 > Stage 2 > Stage 3 > Prize + Lavish Dinner
Best Logical Bet = Stage 1 > Lavish Dinner > Secretly ‘Tapao’ ? (I’m kidding)

SATA (Something about the author) – My laptop’s modem broke down and there’s no espeed/broadband/nearby wireless for me to use. =[ I can only surf and blog in cafes for the time being. Work remains to same but it’s already been a long time since I’ve gone up to Ulu Ulu Resort. I miss that place and heard that the place has been improved further. There’s gonna be a pool table some more! UBD has not been calling me and I’m nervous. I don’t really like the “media function” in WP which whenever I need to upload a picture, i need to press “add media button > media library > show > insert into post > repeat add media button”. I’m want a Canon dSLR~