Photography by Hayley Louisa Brown
COMPANY
Flight Club
OVERVIEW
The Flight Club Invitational was born out of a milestone partnership: in 2023, Flight Club became the exclusive jersey and footwear partner of Crossroads School's Men's Varsity Basketball team - the brand's first-ever partnership with a high school basketball program.
The inaugural tournament brought nationally ranked teams to the Crossroads Sports Complex in Santa Monica, headlined by some of the most-watched young names in the game, including Bryce James, Alijah Arenas, Tajh Ariza, and standout Jason Crowe Jr.
More than a tournament, it was built to unite a community around basketball, extending Flight Club's deep roots in youth and sneaker culture off the shelf and onto the court.
MY ROLE
Producer + Sr. Project Manager
CAMPAIGN SCOPE
Event production
External production partner management
Venue coordination
Team & talent liaising
Vendor sourcing
Brand design guidance approval
Photo & video production
Livestream coordination
Website & RSVP management
VIP invite management
Digital content rollout
Cross-functional stakeholder coordination
Talent + livestream release forms
Custom jersey design
In-person shopping experience
We sent a formal invitation out to teams across the country, inviting the best programs to compete at the inaugural Flight Club Invitational. The cover letter set the tone for teams to be selected to compete in an all-expenses paid tournament, alongside other highly competitive high school teams.
A series of posters and social clips rolled out to tease the event - heavy on energy and excitement, light on detail. The goal was to pique curiosity and get the high school basketball community talking before any matchup was revealed.
The lineup announcement unveiled the rosters, spotlighting the standout names and nationally ranked teams set to compete, turning general buzz into anticipation as fans took note of who was stepping on the court.
Ahead of game day, we put the spotlight on our host team. We designed custom jerseys and provided sneakers for the Crossroads Roadrunners, dressing the team head-to-toe in custom Flight Club gear, then produced a dedicated photoshoot to capture it all. It brought the partnership to life visually and grounded the event in the school and program at the heart of the high school basketball community.
Two days of competition brought the teams, the talent, and the community into one gym, turning months of planning and promotion into the event itself, captured through day-of imagery of the matchups and the experience around them. The entire Crossroads gym was designed and fabricated by the Flight Club team, while the upstairs mezzanine was turned into a viewing room for attendees of the event that featured the livestream of the tournament, arcade games, and a lounge area.
Brand Director: Ilias Panayiotou
Lead Designer: Jae Jeon
Designer: Arianne Zhang
Sr. Content Manager: Art Derecho
Sr. Content Manager: Lisa Kwon
Copywriter: David Kim
Production: Recess Studios
Crossroads Coach: Anthony Davis
Sound/AV: Above the Line
Livestream broadcasting: Above the Line
Photographer: Hayley Louisa Brown
Custom jerseys: Lyes Aitou