UMI Sports Gala
How UMI participants working with the Alumni created a sporting event that turned into a powerful network for busy professionals.
Client
Uganda Management Institute
Year
2025
The Uganda Management Institute (UMI) is one of Uganda's premier institutions for management training, development, and research. Its alumni network spans thousands of professionals across government, private sector, and civil society.
The reality of professional life meant that these individuals rarely had opportunities to connect beyond the classroom. Busy schedules, demanding careers, and family obligations left little room for networking, and even less for physical activity.
Recognizing this gap, a group of UMI participants conceived the Uganda Management Institute Sports Gala, a new initiative designed to bring together current students and alumni in a relaxed, energetic environment.
The vision was to create an event that would foster meaningful network connections among busy professionals while also promoting health and wellness through sport.
From its inception in 2024, UMI sought a creative partner to bring this vision to life, and PLASTRA was appointed as the official Creative, Advertising, and Marketing partner.
Launching a brand-new event is always a challenge, but the UMI Sports Gala presented unique complexities. The target audience – busy professionals was notoriously difficult to reach and even harder to convince to dedicate a full day to a non-work activity.
The event needed to compete not only with other sports events but also with the countless demands on professionals’ time.
PLASTRA needed to build awareness and excitement for an event that had no prior history, no established reputation, and no existing community. The event had to appeal to two distinct audiences, current students and alumni, each with different motivations and relationships with the institution.
The branding and communications also needed to position the gala as more than just a sports day. It had to be seen as a valuable networking opportunity, a wellness initiative, and a celebration of the UMI community.
We developed a vibrant, energetic brand identity for the Sports Gala that captured the spirit of competition, camaraderie, and celebration. We created a memorable logo, tagline, and visual system to give the gala a strong, recognizable presence across all touchpoints.
The messaging strategy emphasized the two core benefits of participation: networking and wellness. Communications highlighted the opportunity to reconnect with former classmates, build new professional relationships, and engage in friendly competition—all while staying active and healthy.
PLASTRA deployed a comprehensive promotional campaign across digital and traditional channels. Social media teasers, WhatsApp group outreach, and on-campus activations built momentum in the weeks leading up to the event. Countdown posts, participant spotlights, and team announcements created a sense of excitement and urgency, driving registrations and engagement.
Beyond promotion, PLASTRA designed the on-ground experience, from event branding and signage to team kits, trophies, and photo opportunities.
PLASTRA built the brand and campaign with scalability in mind. The visual identity, messaging framework, and activation model were designed to be easily adapted for future editions, ensuring that the Sports Gala could grow into a sustainable annual tradition.
PLASTRA delivered a full suite of branding, advertising, promotion, and activation services.
The work included:
Brand Identity Development: including logo design, color palette, typography, and visual language.
Developed and executed a multi-channel advertising campaign to drive awareness and participation. This included social media content, digital ads, posters, and banners.
Designed all event collateral, including team kits, jerseys, banners, signage, registration materials, trophies, medals, and certificates.
Designed and managed brand activations on event day, including welcome areas, photo booths, sponsor activation zones, and interactive activities.
2000+ attendees participated on event day, comprising current students, alumni, faculty, and guests
20+ teams competed across multiple sporting disciplines
Post-event survey indicated that 92% of attendees felt the gala successfully facilitated meaningful networking opportunities
98% of participants expressed intent to attend the next edition
