The Hong Kong Sevens 2007, which kicks off today and ends on Sunday, is known for being three days of unadulterated drinking, eating and partying, with a little bit of rugby on the side. But it is no secret that it serves as a major corporate hospitality event, especially for the high-flying banking and finance industry.
Thousands - if not tens of thousands - of bankers, brokers, traders, dealers and others from the glitzy world of finance are expected to descend on Hong Kong from all corners of the globe for what some describe as the party of the year.
Each year the list of corporate box sponsors reads like a who's who in the investment banking world, with the likes of UBS, JPMorgan and title sponsor Credit Suisse competing not on financial deals but for the best decor and best dressed title.
Box holders from previous years have included household names such as HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Standard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank, CLSA, ING, ABN Amro and American Express.
Credit Suisse, which maintains a corporate suite on pitch level right next to the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union box, and two more at the executive level, will decorate its boxes with an anniversary theme to reflect its 10th year as title sponsor. The other title sponsor is Cathay Pacific. And then there are those other bankers and financiers who just come for the rugby.
Perhaps the best example of this is Hong Kong's most famous Rugby Sevens fan, the 'Pie Man', Martin Hollis, who used to be a forex trader from London.