Back to School, Reimagined: Inside The Shops at Skyview’s Asian Pop Culture Activation

August 5, 2026

The Short Version

The Shops at Skyview turned a traditionally slower summer period into a four-week, school-themed activation celebrating Asian pop culture and designed for adult shoppers.
The program paired tenant collaborations, interactive contests and online engagement with a finale featuring K-pop star Kang Daniel.
Gamification encouraged participation across multiple weeks, while the activation helped drive retail sales and expand Skyview’s email and mobile marketing database.
The property recently concluded a second edition of the activation, aiming to build on the original campaign’s success.

A School-Themed Activation Designed for Summer Engagement

Rows of student desks lined the stage. A chalkboard welcomed guests to class. Yellow lockers collected school supplies for local students, while visitors posed for “school portraits” in replica Asian school uniforms before heading off to classes covering fashion, beauty, food, dance and martial arts. It had all the trappings of a school day inspired by campuses across Asia — but this was an activation inside The Shops at Skyview in Queens, New York.

At Skyview High Summer School, participants celebrated Asian pop culture over four weeks at The Shops at Skyview in Queens, New York, where they were encouraged to wear nostalgic high school uniforms. Photo courtesy of The Shops at Skyview

Last summer, the property introduced Skyview High Summer School, a four-week immersive activation inspired by Asian school culture and designed for adults. The experience celebrated learning while reflecting the diversity of one of New York City’s most multicultural neighborhoods. The campaign attracted more than 1,500 attendees, generated 225.3 million media impressions and delivered $5.6 million in earned media value. The 2025 campaign earned Gold in the 2026 ICSC MAXI Awards and returned for a second edition this summer.

Using Audience Insights To Drive Summer Traffic

Like many shopping centers, The Shops at Skyview experiences softer weekday traffic during the middle of summer. Customer analytics also showed that more than half of the center’s core audience was made up of single adults ages 25 to 35. Rather than relying on discounts to drive visits, the team saw an opportunity to create an experience that could encourage repeat trips and resonate with those shoppers.

Wesley Sin oversaw the activation last summer as regional marketing manager for Perform Properties and repeated the campaign this summer as senior marketing manager for Acadia Realty Trust after the property traded hands. He recognized that a school-themed experience rooted in Asian culture could resonate with that demographic, blending nostalgia with contemporary cultural interests. Despite the theme, “it’s not really for kids,” Sin explained. “It’s for adults. Summer school reminds everyone of a good memory. We wanted people to come back to school, meet new friends and learn something new.”

Many participants hailed from non-Asian backgrounds. “We found that people from all different backgrounds are interested in learning about different cultures,” Sin said. “They came here to experience something new, and then they also shopped.”

Skyview High Summer School incorporated interactive games into the shopping experience, encouraging guests to engage with the activation throughout their visits. Photo courtesy of The Shops at Skyview

From K-Pop Event to Summer School Concept

For Sin, the idea emerged from years of observing Skyview’s shoppers alongside the growing U.S. interest in Asian pop culture. “We’re located in Queens, one of the most culturally diverse places in the country,” he said. “When I started working at Skyview, I thought maybe we should position ourselves as a home for Asian culture — not just for Asian customers, but for everyone who’s interested in experiencing it."

The philosophy had already proven successful. In 2024, Skyview hosted a large-scale K-pop event featuring a member of the group B.A.P. The campaign earned Silver in the 2025 ICSC MAXI Awards and gave the team a foundation for expanding its culturally focused programming. Rather than simply repeat the formula, Sin looked to expand the concept. “I’m originally from Taiwan, and throughout many Asian countries there’s this school uniform culture,” he said. “We noticed visitors from around the world love dressing up in those uniforms when they travel in Asia. We thought that could become the foundation for something completely different.”

The shopping center developed its own fictional school identity, complete with a custom crest, uniforms, student IDs and themed décor that transformed common areas into a vibrant campus.

4 Classes, 1 Cultural Experience

The program unfolded over four themed “classes” drawing on different Asian traditions and contemporary cultural trends while engaging retailers in the experience. “We created different classes every week,” Sin said. “Some [were] focused on fashion and beauty, some on food, some on dance and wellness. It gave us a lot of opportunities to collaborate with tenants in different ways.”

The series opened with Cultural Electives 101, featuring martial arts demonstrations, K-pop dance performances, quizzes exploring Asian history and traditions, and a claw machine stocked with snacks and craft kits. A Dance Cover Challenge generated more than 200,000 views on social media platforms and 5,200 interactions, while the School Style Contest invited participants to create personalized student IDs and compete for the best school-uniform look. About 2,000 people voted online to select the winner.

The activation’s themed “classes” explored Asian cultural traditions and contemporary interests through programming that included a martial arts demonstration. Photo courtesy of The Shops at Skyview

Creative Studio 201 spotlighted fashion, beauty and art. Sephora teamed with Japanese skincare brand Tatcha for live demonstrations and celebrity makeup artist Jane Cho showcased Asian idol-inspired beauty looks. Students from nearby Francis Lewis High School joined artist and educator Hyun Joon Lee to create a 48-panel mosaic celebrating Asian identity, while local artists customized more than 300 T-shirts and tote bags purchased by shoppers, giving them personalized keepsakes from their visits. Dolce & Gabbana hosted a custom perfume bottle station and reported a 25% sales increase during the event.

Food took center stage during Culinary Lab 301. Shoppers learned to make dim sum with tenant Grandma’s Dimsum and explored Southeast Asian desserts with Food Network chef Jae de Castro. Kawaii bento competitions drew on the Japanese aesthetic of cuteness, inviting guests to create character-inspired lunch boxes and share them on Instagram for a chance to make one alongside K-pop star Kang Daniel.

Throughout the series, 16 tenants — including Sephora, Uniqlo, Nike, Adidas, Converse, Foot Locker and Old Navy — participated directly in the programming.

Driving Repeat Visits Through Gamification

One of the campaign’s most successful elements wasn’t physical. Skyview developed a custom Attendance Report app that rewarded repeat visits. Guests scanned QR codes at each event to earn “school credits,” which unlocked VIP seating at the culminating graduation ceremony featuring a “commencement” speech from Daniel.

K-pop star Kang Daniel served as the “commencement” speaker at Skyview High Summer School’s “graduation” event. Photo above and at top courtesy of The Shops at Skyview

“We wanted to incorporate something digital,” Sin said. “Every week people came back, scanned their QR code, earned school credits and by the end, they could ‘graduate.’”

More than 600 guests accumulated over 2,500 credits. Participants could also secure graduation tickets with purchases of $100 or more, generating more than $20,000 in incremental retail sales while encouraging shoppers to visit participating stores. The finale attracted roughly 450 attendees.

Participants earned school credits through a school-themed app, gamifying the experience. Photo courtesy of The Shops at Skyview

Extending the Experience Into the Community

The activation also incorporated a charitable initiative, inviting guests to donate backpacks and school supplies for local students. More than 500 items, valued at approximately $3,500, were collected in bright yellow lockers located at the entrance to the center. The donations were distributed through The River Fund and the Queens Borough President’s Office. “We wanted to contribute to our community,” Sin said. “The charity component made the experience more meaningful.”

Participants donated backpacks and other school supplies to local students, totaling $3,500 in value, as part of the 2025 event. Photo courtesy of The Shops at Skyview

From Campaign Results to a Second Summer

Participating retailers reported stronger visibility, increased sales and higher customer engagement. The activation increased center retail sales by 10% compared with a typical day without special events and drove a 25% year-over-year increase in foot traffic. The Attendance Report app encouraged multiweek participation while expanding Skyview’s email and mobile marketing database for future outreach.

Skyview High Summer School returned from June 14 through July 23, 2026, with K-pop star Changjo of Teen Top as a featured performer. “What we’re trying to do is create something innovative where different cultures come together,” Sin said. “We want customers to experience something they haven’t experienced before.”

Sin said Skyview High Summer School will give way next year to another large-scale event featuring a yet-to-be-revealed theme.

By Halley Bondy

Contributor, Commerce + Communities Today