Exeter Ping! 2016 is ready to launch
The tables are coming, go play on the streets!
It will soon be GAME ON when the Ping! street festival returns to Exeter to serve up another fantastic summer of free outdoor ping pong. The fun launches this Friday 10th June at Princesshay when 6 tables will be laid out for the official launch of Ping! Exeter
The fun kicks off nationally with a ‘Ping Pong Bonanza’ on Friday 10th June in Bournemouth. Under the watchful gaze of the Bournemouth Eye tethered balloon, itself resembling a giant ping pong ball, the Lower Gardens will be populated with ping pong tables providing plenty of opportunities for the public to play for free; get involved in games and competitions, Beat the Champ, exhibition matches and even some ping pong magic!
This summer’s 7th annual festival will boast a record breaking number of tables, bats and balls bouncing into an unprecedented 21 English towns and cities, bringing with them the wonderful community spirit which always plays a vital part of the festival.
Ping pong tables will appear in surprising public locations across Exeter; from the library to Princesshay Shopping Centre with Ping! tables also being sited right the way across Exeter University campus and accommodation. Anywhere in fact that the public already enjoy spending time is ‘fair game’ to the power of Ping! Visit the table finder and enter your postcode to find your nearest table at www.pingexeter.co.uk.
The festival, funded by Sport England, is completely free to take part in; there are no catches, no hidden charges – all you have to do is grab one of the bats and balls provided at the tables, find a willing opponent and get playing! The aim of the festival is to get the nation active and enjoying playing ping pong, and to build a community of participants who want to continue playing table tennis long after the festival is over.
Five new cities are joining the party this year; Manchester, Barnsley, Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle and Bournemouth, while the legacy Ping! areas, including Exeter which has been delivering the festival since 2014 continue to innovate with different ways to engage a wide range of people.
Random Acts of Ping Pong
The first opportunity of the summer to play Ping! was at the Exeter Business Games on Tuesday 10th May when over 100 employees representing 25 local businesses competed over a 2 hour period to become King of the Ping!. The eventual winners in a closely fought final were the Met Office, who pipped Crowdcube Ltd at the post.
#TableTennisDay
This year's #TableTennisDay will be on Thursday 14th July. Last year our Ping! cities served up a range of exciting events to mark the day and this summer will be no different. So make a note in your diary and get involved find out more at www.tabletennisengland.co.uk/play/table-tennis-day/
Visit www.pingengland.co.uk/#events for details of events in your area.
Creating a Ping Pong Scene
While the Ping! festival itself only lasts for the summer months, the tables are a permanent fixture and in constant use in many indoor and outdoor locations fast becoming a big part of the social scene in many communities and workplaces.
Ping pong continues to keep its spot in the media too with recent coverage on BBC1’s 'How to Stay Young' with Angela Rippon examining the benefits of table tennis as exercise for the brain; and The Times and BBC Breakfast recently talking about how ping pong has put a new spin on the health of the economy with many businesses providing tables for their employees.
Get #INTHELOOP
Table Tennis England, the sport’s national governing body, has recognised this trend toward social ping pong and the many benefits it can bring with its suite of ‘Loop’ products. Loop brings social table tennis to everyday spaces, such as workplaces, clubhouses, university campuses, bars and cafes and other community groups. Over 160 businesses nationally and …. Locally have already taken advantage of Loop’s ‘Beat the Boss’ packages starting at just £180 and include everything you need to play ping pong at the office; tables, bats, balls, ladder boards and knock out posters.
To find out how you can get your workplace, clubhouse, campus or community #INTHELOOP; contact Active Devon on 01392 925150.
