Ping! is run by Oxford City Council and was first organised in 2013, lasting from July through to September. Players taking part are provided with hundreds of free balls and bats, and 36 table tennis tables.
The 2013 festival attracted 21,000 people, and the council sought to build on that success by promoting it heavily in the lead-up to the launch of this year’s event.
In addition to using promotional flyer and poster printing supplied by Print companies in Oxford, the council placed tables at other events in the local area – including the Oxford Foodies Festival and the Race for Life – to get the word out to people in the city.
Mark Lygo, from the council, told the Oxford Mail:
“To have tripled the number of people taking part in this sporting festival this year is an exceptional achievement for all involved and great for the people of Oxford.”
The Templars Square Shopping Centre, which proved a popular location in 2013, hosted a table again this year, and there were a further nine at places like Gloucester Green and University Parks.
The success of the event has led Table Tennis England to earmark Oxford for priority development of the game.Get a Free Quote for Print