Pilbara Festival of Basketball 2025

MANA BRINGS BASKETBALL TO THE OUTBACK FOR RIO TINTO

The 2025 Pilbara Festival of Basketball, delivered by Mana Group on behalf of Rio Tinto, brought professional basketball clinics to the heart of regional Western Australia.

As part of Rio Tinto’s partnership with the Perth Wildcats and Perth Lynx, the multi-day event reached five remote communities in the Pilbara including Karratha, Roebourne, Pannawonica, Tom Price and Paraburdoo.

The event strengthened regional relationships, inspired young athletes, and reinforced Rio Tinto’s commitment to community engagement through sport. With plans to return, Mana is proud to be helping build a legacy in the Pilbara.

Mana Group is a key partner in Rio Tinto’s strategic partnerships program, working across Rio Tinto’s national sports portfolio. With expertise in event delivery, Mana was trusted to lead and execute the Pilbara Festival of Basketball initiative.

The festival brought together elite talent from the Wildcats (NBL) and Lynx (WNBL) to the Pilbara, delivering high impact clinics, skills and drills sessions, and driving community engagement. The event spanned a range of communities, from the coastal hub of Karratha to the red dirt courts of Tom Price, reaching close to 1,000 young athletes and giving them a rare opportunity to meet and learn from marquee players.

The Opportunity

DELIVERING TO REMOTE COMMUNITIES 

The Pilbara is one of Australia’s most remote and logistically complex regions. For young people living in the region, access is limited by distance and accessibility to sporting development programs.

Despite growing interest in basketball, there is often little exposure to professional players or structured coaching opportunities for young basketball players. Additionally, delivering an event of this nature, featuring marquee athletes across numerous days, posed significant logistical and operational challenges with players training schedules and obligations to their sporting organisations.

Mana adapted and adjusted, building a framework to deliver a professional, inspiring experience that could be strengthened and expanded year after year.

The Approach

With proven success delivering complex events across regional Australia, Mana was uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between vision and execution for Rio Tinto.

Working closely with the Perth Wildcats and Perth Lynx, Mana developed a strategic approach and event plan featuring basketball activation across five distinct areas. The program, consisting of school visits, clinic sessions, and player meet and greets, was designed to be engaging, inclusive, and tailored to each unique local community.

The Execution

Mana fulfilled the end-to-end delivery of the Pilbara Festival of Basketball, from concept and planning through to on-ground event execution and post-event logistics.

Operating under tight timeframes and schedule and across five different locations, the team at Mana coordinated all logistics, including athlete travel, equipment and signage transport, stakeholder engagement, and local outreach with communities.

Each activation was designed in close consultation with community schools and partners to reflect the unique needs of each location. From talent waivers, athlete management, stakeholder engagement and on ground execution, every element was professionally managed to ensure a seamless delivery.

Clinics were coordinated in collaboration with local schools and basketball associations, ensuring strong community participation and cultural relevance. Every detail, from scheduling, venue setup, media setup and community engagement, was carefully planned and executed to maximise impact and create a positive, lasting learning experience for all involved.

RESULTS

The 2025 Pilbara Festival of Basketball engaged around 1,000 participants over its three-day run. In the process of coordinating a seamless, high-impact program, Mana saw strengthened relationships with local schools, basketball associations, and community leaders. Mana also facilitated the engagement of Rio Tinto senior leadership on the ground, highlighting their commitment to sport-led youth engagement. The project sparked a noticeable increase in basketball interest and community involvement, and was successfully delivered on time and within budget.

KEY STATISTICS AT A GLANCE

  • 3 Days
  • 1,000 kids engaged (aged 7-17)
  • 19 Clinics
  • 2 Rio Family meet and greet events
  • 5 schools, 4 local basketball associations and 1 local PCYC
  • 9 Players (5x Wildcats, 4x Lynx)
  • 3 coaches (2x Wildcats, 1x Lynx)
  • 5,000+ km travelled
  • 2 Rio Senior Leadership Team members attended (Matt Holcz, Matt Kimball)
  • Media coverage achieved a total reach of 1.09 million across broadcast, print and online. Source: Meltwater – Rio Tinto Post Event Report
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