IBM AI Sports Club at The Park

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

For two weeks every year, the US Open electrifies New York City, yet the vast majority of fans never make it inside the stadium. IBM has powered the digital fan experience at the tournament for decades, but to shift public perception from a "backend infrastructure provider" to an accessible innovator, the brand needed to bring its technology out from behind the curtain. To accomplish this, IBM created the "AI Sports Club in the Park," a four-day architectural takeover of Madison Square Park located directly outside its new global headquarters. This open-air installation democratized the US Open tournament experience for the local community by featuring a communal viewing area to watch live matches, alongside interactive table tennis and trivia that let fans experience the exact computer vision and generative AI models powering professional play at Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

IBM aimed to deepen its roots in New York City, home to its new NYC headquarters, by engaging influential local communities that shape culture and innovation. Building authentic, ongoing connections required more than visibility—it demanded participation. Hosting curated events for business, tech, and cultural audiences set the benchmark for success, measured by attendance, partner engagement, and community enthusiasm for future activations that reinforce IBM’s role as an active contributor to NYC life. 

Objective

IBM is a global technology leader known for enterprise innovation and AI. Yet much of that innovation powers the world behind the scenes, leaving few opportunities for the public to experience it firsthand. This work was born from a simple but ambitious goal: bring IBM’s AI out of the background and into the real world—where people could see it, play with it, and feel its impact.

The moment was perfect. As AI captured global attention, IBM had an opportunity to demonstrate its leadership through experience. At the same time, the US Open—one of New York City’s most electric sporting events—was about to take over the city. Through its long-standing partnership with the USTA, IBM’s AI powers the digital fan experience behind the tournament. Now, with IBM’s new global headquarters overlooking Madison Square Park, the brand would bring that innovation directly to the public.

The IBM AI Sports Club transformed that opportunity into reality—an open-air playground where fans, New Yorkers, and curious passersby could interact with IBM’s AI in surprising and joyful ways. By blending sport, technology, and community, IBM turned enterprise innovation into a cultural moment, celebrating its partnership with the US Open while inviting the city into the experience.

Strategy & Execution

The AI Sports Club at the Park transformed Madison Square Park—directly across from IBM’s new global headquarters—into a shared cultural hub where enterprise AI met everyday life. A large-scale live viewing amphitheater invited commuters, tourists, and locals to gather and watch the semifinals and finals together, recreating the energy of the stadium in the middle of Manhattan. A building wrap, branded selfie wall, and digital out-of-home placements extended IBM’s presence throughout the neighborhood, embedding the experience into the daily flow of the city, while startup and media happy hours hosted more than 90 journalists, founders, and industry professionals.

Participation was central to the idea. “Calling the Shots,” an AI-powered table tennis arena, allowed fans to experience the same watsonx AI technology used at the US Open, generating real-time commentary and performance stats from live play. “AI Trivia” further transformed spectators into participants, using generative AI to create personalized challenges based on individual tennis knowledge.

Organizations

• IBM

  George P. Johnson Experience Marketing

  FIELD.IO 

Links

•   Website

Featured

• The impact of the physical build was expanded with a comprehensive communications plan that spanned social

• earned
• and paid media
• analyst relations
• and IBM’er comms. We kicked off opening day with a live recording of the Served with Andy Roddick podcast (74
• 000 video views
• 160
• 000 subscribers) and hosted a ping pong battle between New York Assembly Member Harvey Epstein and City Council Member Erik Bottcher
• which was heavily promoted on social. The activation was featured in Arvind’s CNBC Mad Money interview with Jim Cramer and covered in outlets such as NY1
• Adweek
•  and Event Marketer. To further amplify visibility
• we engaged social influencers - The Hulett Brothers (4.4M Instagram followers
• 3.6M TikTok followers) and Maria Isabelle Parada @sportsgirlNYC  (16.7K Instagram followers) - as well as analyst Dan Newman
• who recorded an episode of the Six/Five with Ritika Gunnar.

Credits

Zachery Bishop
Global Lead Corporate Thought Leadership
IBM

Jonathan Adashek
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications
IBM

David Shor
Group Creative Director
George P. Johnson

Annabelle Lamy
Executive Producer
George P. Johnson

JoAnne Blais
Sr. Account Director
George P. Johnson

Donny Fox
Experience Strategist
George P. Johnson

Jenni Wieme
Associate Producer
George P. Johnson

Romina Hausmann
Creative Director, Blue Studio
IBM

Cory Calhoun
Executive Producer, Blue Studio
IBM

Adam Dansky
Engagement Partner
IBM

Kristi Kolski
Marketing Program Director, Sports and Entertainment Partnerships
IBM

Jon Gaffney
Sr. Director Strategy Planning
George P. Johnson

Dan Tucker
Group Creative Director
George P. Johnson

Matthew Calkins
Director, IBM Brand Identity and Experience Design
IBM

Kameryn Stanhouse
Vice President, Sports & Entertainment Partnerships
IBM

Catherine Mosher
Director, Integrated Production
George P. Johnson

Emily Early
Sr. Director, Integrated Production
George P. Johnson

Macklin Andrick
Business Systems Analyst
George P. Johnson

Natalie Heddles
Producer
George P. Johnson