Product Name:
FanDuel
Company Name:
FanDuel LLC
Product Description:
The FanDuel World Fantasy Football Championship was held on December 12 and 13 in San Diego, CA and hosted by legendary quarterbacks Dan Marino and Joe Montana. In total, 97 qualifiers arrived in San Diego to compete for $12 million in cash prizes, with $3 million given to the overall winner. Finalists qualified for the championship by winning one of the 120 qualifier contests that ran throughout the season and up until the weekend of December 6. Each finalist secured a VIP trip package including airfare and three nights stay at the Manchester Grand Hyatt along with a minimum prize of $20,000. The grand prize was awarded onstage by Montana and FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles. New to this year’s WFFC was first-ever interactive combine on December 12 at Embarcadero Marina South featuring all qualifiers and hosted by Marino and Montana. Finalists were put to the test with traditional drills such as the high jump challenge and quarterback accuracy challenge, and competitions involving a touchdown dance and beer pong. Montana started off the combine by tossing passes to contestants as they jumped into a ball pit while Marino end the course by playing life-sized beer pong with giant red Solo cups and pigskins instead of ping-pong balls. Each finalist then had the opportunity to take photos with both Hall of Famers as well as receive autographed memorabilia. Marino and Montana teamed up in the weeks prior to the event to shoot a series of fun videos to promote the weekend, underlining that even after 30 years, their competitiveness is still alive and well. Those spots were posted to the FanDuel YouTube channel and shared on social channels and in media outlets.
What Makes This Product Worthy of Winning This Category?
The key distinguisher between the live event FanDuel put together for its World Fantasy Football Championship and those of competitors is the interactive combine on Saturday, December 12. In short, the opportunity to be up close and personal with two Hall of Fame quarterbacks is a once in a lifetime experience. To be able to catch passes and hold extended conversations with them is an entirely elevated level. Marino and Montana coached qualifiers through a gamut of drills. Thanks to FanDuel, this is a memory our qualifiers will cherish for the rest of their lives. Qualifier Robert Lord from Michigan said of the weekend as quoted by SB Nation: “It’s great to see a company share back to its clients. I was allowed to bring some friends from Michigan out here, who are enjoying the great day and weather. All the contestants are friendly…It’s tremendous. It’s great to see.†Jay Raynor, the WFFC Combine Champion, said: “Having Joe and Dan here… you never get to experience this anywhere else. They went all out and it was amazing. It was really amazing.†The next day at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, video screens were situated in the entirely redone ballroom showing live scoring of games that day. Qualifiers built strong camaraderie amongst themselves by sharing personal backgrounds and their respective journeys to San Diego as well as daily fantasy strategies. The championship winner – Roman Edmond – stood onstage with Montana and FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles and held up the winner belt. His remarks shortly after: “I can’t believe I came in first. A lot of people couldn’t believe I wasn’t jumping up. I was really focused on winning. It was like a dream. Now, it’s sinking in even more.†These are life changing moments and opportunities provided by FanDuel to its users. Finalists could qualify for the weekend with as little as a two-dollar entry fee contest. In return, those winners received a fully paid trip package and $20,000 minimum, not to mention the aforementioned interactive combine experience with two of the best to ever throw the pigskin. That is why the World Fantasy Football Championship weekend should be worthy of winning the Best Fantasy Live Event category.
Product URL:
www.fanduel.com
Special Instructions:
Product Name:
Fantasy Football World Championships
Company Name:
Scout Fantasy
Product Description:
At the Fantasy Football World Championships in Las Vegas, we offer five full days of hosted entertainment including a fully catered kickoff party on Thursday night for the opening game as well as a Sunday viewing party at Tilted Kilt.
What Makes This Product Worthy of Winning This Category?
Our number one goal is to provide players with the best live drafting experience possible, so we provide our players with free food and free booze the entire weekend! (drops mic) Seriously, that helps, but our players told us numerous times this past year that this was our best event ever and we won this award a few years ago. We have we believe, the friendliest live event staff in the industry. Our facilitators have been described as patient and knowledgeable.
Product URL:
http://www.scout.com/fantasy/story/1559117-watch-the-fantasy-football-world-championships
Special Instructions:
Product Name:
Yahoo Sports National Draft Day
Company Name:
Yahoo
Product Description:
Celebrating the pinnacle moment of camaraderie and excitement for the Fantasy Football season, Yahoo Sports proclaimed August 29th the official “National Draft Day.†To ring in the holiday, Yahoo invited all Fantasy Football players and their friends to join and draft in Las Vegas for the day at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino with discounted room rates and a free epic party. With more than 600 people in attendance, fantasy players enjoyed free food, drinks, wi-fi and a whole lot of smack talk while drafting their leagues for the 2015 season. And with former football stars- Jim Kelly, Randall Cunningham and Dwight Clark- in attendance to meet fans and join a mock draft with our fantasy experts, the event buzzed throughout the afternoon. Fans were also invited to try out their leg at the Snickers Field Goal simulator and test out the Madden video game in the BestBuy Zone. Meanwhile, fans at home watched video content filmed at the event and received the latest expert advice so that their National Draft Day could live on and be celebrated beyond Las Vegas
What Makes This Product Worthy of Winning This Category?
2015 marks the third-annual National Draft Day, a growing tradition supported by fans, Yahoo Sports and advertisers alike. This was the second consecutive year the event was hosted at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, and attendance growth was more than 2x year over year. National Draft Day has become a Yahoo Sports franchise that our full season Fantasy Football players seek out and join us in celebrating each August.
Product URL:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fantasy-roto-arcade/expert-fantasy-football-advice-from-national-draft-day-2015-213100106.html
Special Instructions:
Product Name:
#MockDraftMonday
Company Name:
ESPN
Product Description:
#MockDraftMonday is a month-long multi-platform experience geared to allow fantasy football players around the world the thrill of drafting with members of the ESPN Fantasy Team.
What Makes This Product Worthy of Winning This Category?
There is simply no other experience like #MockDraftMonday. Every Monday in August, hundreds of thousands of fantasy drafts kicked off with players trying to gain experience before draft night. #MockDraftMonday allowed fans to draft with Matthew Berry, Eric Karabell, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Field Yates and more, giving them time to ask questions and pick the brains of the industry’s best. What started off as a simple social stunt turned into a worldwide trend and was featured on many flagship ESPN shows, including NFL Live.
Product URL:
http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/mockdraftlobby
Special Instructions:
Product Name:
The FNTSY Cup
Company Name:
FNTSY Sports Network
Product Description:
A two-day fantasy sports event held at the Jersey Shore, the FNTSY Cup gathered some of the industry’s best experts/celebrities and pitted them in head-to-head competition through a season-long league
What Makes This Product Worthy of Winning This Category?
We gathered a group that usually isn’t brought together for an expert draft — NFBC players, SiriusXM personalities, two former NFL players, a professional wrestler, season-long writers, a former adult film star, daily fantasy pros, and Adam Ronis all gathered to play against each other. Plus, we had a bar. And someone brought cupcakes.
Product URL:
http://fantasysportsnetwork.com/fantasyfootballweekend/
Special Instructions:
Product Name:
First Pitch Arizona 2015
Company Name:
BaseballHQ.com
Product Description:
Three-day conference packed with seminars, scouting and socializing at baseball’s premier off-season league. Pick the brains of the nation’s top baseball analysts. Participate in fun and challenging fantasy workshops and contests. Gain an unbeatable edge in your league by scouting 2016’s future stars from your own front row seat.
What Makes This Product Worthy of Winning This Category?
Dates were Nov 6-8, 2015. Held in Phoenix during Arizona Fall League. Event attracts top industry talent, and 150 fantasy baseball fans with one focus: Giving attendees the best information for them to win in 2016.
Product URL:
http://www.baseballhq.com/seminars/arizona.shtml
Special Instructions:
Product Name:
National Fantasy Baseball Championship
Company Name:
STATS LLC
Product Description:
The National Fantasy Baseball Championship is the industry’s only live high-stakes season-long event with regional drafts. The NFBC hosts simultaneous live high-stakes drafts at premiere venues such as the Bellagio Las Vegas, New York Hilton on Times Square and the Sheraton Northbrook in Chicago. Multiple drafts in each city take place at once as owners compete for the biggest prizes in our industry.
What Makes This Product Worthy of Winning This Category?
The numbers are compelling… Hundreds of dedicated fantasy baseball players travel to these live drafts for different types of competition, including 12 and 15-team drafts and auctions. The NFBC hosts many private leagues and national contests, with the NFBC Main Event awarding the top prize of $125,000. In 2015, SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio broadcast four live hours of the NFBC Platinum, STATS’ $13,000 entry fee private league that awarded a top prize of $100,000. More than $2.8 million was awarded to the most die-hard fantasy baseball owners in the industry last year as 2015 was the 12th season for the NFBC. Since 2004, the NFBC and its football counterpart, the National Fantasy Football Championship, have awarded more than $30 million in prizes.
Product URL:
nfbc.stats.com
Special Instructions:
Product Name:
FantasyAces.com – FAWBC FantasyAces World Baseball Championship Live Final @ Angels Stadium
Company Name:
FantasyAces
Product Description:
FAWBC FantasyAces World Baseball Championship @ Angels Stadium $100k top prize.
What Makes This Product Worthy of Winning This Category?
It was an amazing event. It was the first ever live final at a pro stadium (Angels Stadium). The 20 Finalists took part in a home run derby @ Angels Stadium. Following that the Live FInal Viewing Party int he Halo Club inside the stadium. 100k was paid out to the 1st place winner. The event Kicked off with a Yacht Party in Newport Beach CA. A truly once in a lifetime experience.
Product URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLO32fOg1wA
Special Instructions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLO32fOg1wA Live Final Promo Video
Product Name:
Big League Impact
Company Name:
RealTime Fantasy Sports
Product Description:
Big League Impact, Inc. is a nonprofit organization with the mission to help meet basic human needs like food, clean water, medical care and shelter, in an effort to restore dignity and hope to people in the local community and around the globe. In order to accomplish this we offer fun, exciting and one-of-a-kind experiences that combine America‰Ûªs two favorite sports ‰ÛÒ baseball and football. Founded in 2013 by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and his brother Trey Wainwright under the name ‰ÛÏWaino‰Ûªs World,‰Û the organization was intended to offer St. Louis fans the opportunity to make significant contributions to charity and reward them with seats in a private fantasy football league with players from the local big league team. The inaugural season raised more than $120,000 which was distributed between a St. Louis area food bank Operation Food Search and an international clean water engineering organization Water Missions International. The year was so successful that the Wainwright Brothers invited other professional baseball players to join them by hosting leagues in their home towns. The result is Big League Impact. In 2014, six leagues were launched by Adam Wainwright, David Wright, Max Scherzer, Freddie Freeman, Justin Masterson and Skip Schumaker and had raised more than $450,000 to benefit 20 non-profit organizations that provide desperately needed care in communities here and around the world. This year, Big League Impact is reaching out to all 30 professional baseball teams and their community funds in an effort to serve more people than ever in 2015! HOW IT WORKS Leagues: Each league is divided by regions and led by a local big league player, who invites his teammates and other local pros to participate. For example, in 2014, St. Louis Rams Hall of Famers, Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner joined Adam and other Cardinal players in the St. Louis league. Table: Each pro is assigned to a table with twelve seats. Eleven of those seats are available for purchase. Draft: Each league varies, but, most consist of a ‰ÛÏDraft Day at the Park‰Û, including a live in-stadium draft, behind the scenes stadium tour, a pass to observe on field pre-game batting practice and a suite for the game that night. Contest: The League is based on an 11 week regular season and playoffs to decide an overall winner. Prizes: A personalized bat from Rawlings, autographed player jerseys, Bud Light Mini Fridges, the right to throw out a first pitch (where available), a customized BLI jersey, and free entry into next year‰Ûªs draft. Mid-Season Challenge: A King of the Mountain style mid season fantasy competition.
What Makes This Product Worthy of Winning This Category?
This is the most unique fantasy contest around, giving fantasy owners a chance to play with professional baseball players and celebrities while raising money for charity. Owners get a chance to do a live draft at a baseball stadium with several pro players, getting a chance to interact with professionals that day and throughout the season. The live draft event is one of kind, including a live in-stadium draft, behind the scenes stadium tour, a pass to observe on field pre-game batting practice and a suite for the game that night. This draft experience is one of a kind for fantasy owners, making it the most unique fantasy event around.
Product URL:
http://www.bigleagueimpact.org
Special Instructions: