GLOBAL EVENT BRANDING & PRODUCTION

Rubik's WCA World Championship 2023

The Rubik’s WCA World Championship 2023, the largest global Rubik’s Cube event, was held in Incheon, South Korea. Over 1,200 top speedcubers from 60 countries gathered to represent their nations and compete in an international celebration of skill and speed. As a board member of Korea Cube Culture United (KCCU)—the event’s hosting organization—I served as the lead designer for the organizing team. I directed the design team and oversaw the production of all key visual materials, including the opening ceremony video, on-site event experiences, official tournament branding, and exclusive merchandise design. My focus was on creating a visually engaging environment for both participants and visitors, enhancing the overall experience of the event.

Affiliation: Korea Cube Culture United

Duration: 2 years

Role: Organizer, PR leader

Video Figure

Opening Ceremony Video(lan: Eng, sub: Kor)

Issue

The event required a universal design approach that could resonate across cultures while reflecting Korean identity.
We needed to forecast international demand for event merchandise and manage inventory planning efficiently.
Ensuring a consistent visual tone across all media, from promotional content to on-site signage, was a key challenge within limited resources.

Solution

Designed a unified visual identity incorporating the national flag symbol and Obangsaek (five traditional Korean colors). Created a design guideline and distributed it to all team members to ensure consistency across outputs.
Curated a culturally rich opening ceremony featuring Korean traditional arts such as taekwondo and gugak (traditional music), presenting a powerful first impression to global participants.
Leveraged prior experience from international competitions to identify high-demand souvenir items, resulting in optimized stock management and merchandise selection tailored to foreign audiences.

Result

Achieved full registration of 1,000 participants in just 20 hours, followed by an additional 200-slot extension, closing the largest championship in WCA history within 24 hours.
The World Cube Association (WCA) praised the opening ceremony for its cultural richness, calling it one of the most memorable in WCA history. It later influenced a global trend of incorporating local cultural performances in major cube events.
Merchandise sales generated over 3,000% ROI, making it the first WCA World Championship to turn a profit, setting a new benchmark for future event planning.