Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009

WEG participant projections in flux

NUMBERS REMOVED FROM WEB SITE

By Linda B. Blackford - lblackford@herald-leader.com

Organizers of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have long predicted that there will be about 900 horses and 800 athletes from 60 countries coming to Lexington next year. Yet for a few weeks this summer on the official WEG Web site, those numbers were downgraded to 600 horses and 500 athletes.

WEG officials now say that was a mistake, stemming from an effort to stop talking about projected numbers of participants and spectators until actual numbers are available. The marketing department "thought we needed to lower our projections, which was a total misinterpretation," WEG spokeswoman Amy Walker said.

Walker said she had no idea where the marketing department got the lower numbers, which remained on the official Web site Monday morning. By noon, the site didn't list any projected numbers of participants.

A promotional sign at Blue Grass Airport states the expected number of entries for the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

The original number of horses was based on the most recent Games, in 2006 in Aachen, Germany. At that event, 773 athletes and 852 horses competed. That's what WEG organizers are roughly expecting here, Walker said.

The 2002 Games were held in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, bringing together 700 horses and 800 athletes.

But projected numbers have fluctuated ever since Lexington was chosen in 2005 for the 2010 Games. Originally, organizers said, 600,000 people would descend on Lexington. Now they say they expect to sell that many tickets, knowing that most people buy more than one ticket for the qualifying rounds and finals of their favorite events. So even if each person bought just two tickets, that would mean 300,000 visitors over 16 days.

The World Games in Aachen sold about 570,000 tickets, and officials there estimated that about 278,000 people attended. For the Jerez Games, about 300,000 tickets were sold, but actual spectators were not counted.

Regular ticket sales for the 2010 Games begin Sept. 25, a year before the event, and so organizers hope to have a better idea of attendance numbers soon after. The Games will be held Sept. 25-Oct. 10, featuring eight Olympic-level equestrian disciplines.

Walker said that some equestrian teams are already holding events to qualify within their own countries but that others might wait much longer to decide whether they will travel to Lexington.

The global economic downturn has made projections more difficult. Two years ago, when the dollar was weak compared with other currencies, organizers said they expected a huge influx of international visitors for the Games. Now that the downturn has affected other countries, foreign tourists might decide not to come.

"You try and put as much education and past statistics (as possible) behind those projections to come up with the numbers," said Bryan Pettigrew of Affinity Sports Marketing in Dallas. "But the economy has a lot to do with it, especially within the equine industry. You're transporting horses, making sure they're ready. There are a lot of challenges with projections."

Amy Borgman, vice-president of Equestrian Sports Promotions in Parker, Colo., said the economy has certainly affected all facets of the sport horse industry.

"Marketing this product will be very difficult," she said of the World Games, in part because they've never been held in the United States before, and in part because equestrian sport doesn't have as large a spectator following here as in Europe.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Midnight Gaming: How hard can you rock?

Blake Pettigrew (left) and Bryan Pettigrew of the Midnight Gaming Championship. Courtesy

 
By MATT GLEASON World Staff Writer

Bryan Pettigrew can handle himself in a game of "Guitar Hero," in which the 40-year-old rocks out with a fake plastic six-string.

However, if the former Broken Arrow resident entered one of his company's Midnight Gaming championships, Pettigrew wouldn't last long.

After all, Pettigrew, who owns and operates the tournament with his brother, said there's always a 13-year-old who "comes up and just beats you down."

The fourth annual 2009 Midnight Gaming Championship (MGC) comes to the Tulsa area Saturday and Aug. 22.

The contest will feature battles in: "Guitar Hero World Tour," "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," "Madden '09" and the Fast and Furious mobile phone game.

For contestants ages 13 and up, Pettigrew, of Southlake, Texas, had this to say:

"You can play your friends all day, and you can play against the computer all day, but it's fun to get out and socialize with other people and see if you're truly the best at your game in Tulsa."

2009 MIDNIGHT GAMING CHAMPIONSHIP

When: Saturday at the McDonalds at 3800 S. Elm Place in Broken Arrow, and Aug. 22 at the McDonalds at 9535 E. 71st St. in Tulsa.

When: Registration at 5 p.m.; tournaments start at 7 p.m., tulsaworld.com/mgc.

Friday, Jul. 24, 2009

WEG and sponsors get creative

By Linda B. Blackford

When organizers started raising money to hold the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, they thought they could follow a pretty simple financial formula: Get six or seven big sponsors to underwrite the $76 million needed to put on the equine world championships.

That worked at first. Alltech, the Nicholasville-based international feed supplement company, quickly signed on with $10 million, the largest sponsorship in the Games' 19-year history.

But then global economic catastrophe struck, forcing WEG organizers into a very different kind of game."Corporations and businesses are not as prone to either the same levels of sponsorship, or sponsorship at all," said Jamie Link, the CEO of the World Games 2010 Foundation, the non-profit group putting on the first Games to be held in the United States. "A lot of them have taken a wait-and-see attitude, or given a lower dollar amount."

Organizers say they are confident they will meet the final goal, but admit that the Games' marketing division has had to take a more flexible and creative direction, looking for smaller sponsorships, along with more in-kind donations and products.

For example, says Terry Johnson, vice-president for marketing, John Deere, a major sponsor, has given some tractors for the Games. This counts as cash to the World Games budget, and helps John Deere with an excess of inventory. Also, the company has decided not to buy some of the luxury hospitality items as part of its sponsorship, such as extra tickets or special seating, as they might have in years past.

"There are luxury items that can be added to sponsorship packages, but now companies have to re-evaluate what is important," Johnson said. "

Johnson said he was recently negotiating with a major retailer over a sponsorship package that included signs that would be visible in television coverage of the Games, which will be broadcast all over the world.

"They said, 'That is not valuable to us because a year ago our corporation decided we would not do television advertising,'" he said. That meant less sponsorship revenue.

But, he said, the many in-kind contributions count as very helpful cash on the Games' budget. For example, Ariat International, an equine clothing company, is providing shirts and hats to thousands of volunteers and officials. L.V. Harkness, a local luxury goods store, is donating the trophies.

Getting Creative

The same kinds of changes are happening with sporting events all over, said Bryan Pettigrew of Affinity Sports Marketing in Dallas, who works with both John Deere and the American Quarter Horse Association.

"All of the people that are selling sponsorships are having to get creative and do things differently than they have in the past three to five years," Pettigrew said. "Some things they might have wanted in a partnership package last year is not necessarily something they want this year."

The World Games Foundation won't release any details about how much sponsorships are worth or what companies get in return, citing confidentiality agreements.

The Games are being paid for with revenues from tickets, sponsorships, licensing fees and trade show rental spaces. Currently, Games officials won't discuss the budget, but in previous months they estimated that sponsorships would make up about $30 million of the $76 million operations budget, while ticket sales would make up another $30 million.

Organizers expect to sell about 600,000 tickets for the event, which will take place Sept. 25-Oct. 10, 2010. Each person attending is likely to buy tickets to more than one event.

Taxpayer money is not being used for the Games, but the state has provided about $81 million to build an indoor arena and an outdoor stadium and provide extensive road upgrades at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Preferred Providers

Johnson said the new economic realities have made raising money more challenging. And past European Games have always been supported with government dollars.

Doing business with the Games usually falls into one of several categories:

-Sponsorships—when a company gives money or in-kind donations to the Games in return for a variety of benefits, such as signs visible on TV, naming rights, tickets, or VIP treatment. Sponsorships could also include the right to an "official" designation of the Games; for example, Alltech paid an additional $1 million for the right to make its Kentucky Ale the only beer available for sale at the Games.

-Contracts—when the Games foundation actually pays for services, such as catering or tents. Johnson said that, in most cases, the Foundation has put out a request for bids, trying to get the best product for the lowest price.

-Partnerships— include simple agreements, in which money may or may not change hands. For example, the Games Foundation is required to arrange transport for the participating horses. Peden's, which has a long history of equine travel, is the "official" transport company of the Games, but they are paid by the various athletic delegations that use their services.

Every agreement, however, can be structured differently. Air 51 is the "preferred" provider for private aviation at the Blue Grass Games, an agreement that caused some waves because a larger provider, TAC Air, had planned an $11.5 million expansion to coincide with the Games.

According to WEG hospitality director Kim Bennett, they chose Air 51 because its officials contacted them first, and it is co-owned by Alex Boone, who is from a prominent local family and was an early supporter of the Games.

Johnson said that Boone approached the World Games organization with an idea of creating a greeting area for VIPs, and transporting guests to and from the airport.

"It's true that he understands this equestrian community very well and that's why he knew what was needed," Johnson said of Boone. "But Alex is writing us checks, we're not paying him anything. This is not a good-old-boy situation."

He declined to say how much Boone is paying.

TAC Air officials were not available for comment on Thursday, but have said previously they suspected the choice was made regardless of aviation issues.

As for the biggest sponsor of all, Alltech officials say the recession is nothing compared to the benefits the World Games will bring the company.

"If you were to ask Dr. Lyons today, he would tell you without hesitation that he considers Alltech's $10 million bet on the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games the best decision he has made in his career," said Susanna Elliott, an Alltech spokeswoman, in a statement.

For Immediate Release March 6, 2009

What: Mavs Host “Guitar Hero World Tour” Mavs Band Challenge

When: Sunday, March 8^th & 22^nd at 2 p.m. (Registration begins at 1 p.m.)

Where: NorthPark Mall, Level Two

(The common area outside the GameStop and Mavs Ultimate Fan Shop)

Player Info: On March 8^th, JJ Barea will sign autographs for all participating contestants from 2:30-3:45 p.m.

On March 22^nd, Josh Howard will sign autographs for the contestants from 2:30-3:45 p.m.

More Info: The “Guitar Hero World Tour” Mavs Band Challenge, presented by GameStop, will give video game aficionados and their friends the chance to show off their skills.

On Sunday, March 8^th and Sunday, March 22^nd, fans can participate in the preliminaries in front of GameStop and the Mavs Ultimate Fan Shop at NorthPark Mall. The top two bands each day will receive a $25 GameStop gift card for each band member, a copy of Guitar Hero World Tour: Metallica and two tickets to the Mavs vs. Denver game on March 27^th.

The finals will take place on Friday, March 27^th at 5:30 p.m. before the Mavs home regular season game vs. Denver on the AT&T Plaza. The four band finalists will compete on the main stage with a chance to be crowned the official “Guitar Hero World Tour” Mavs Band and win the grand prize: a $100 GameStop gift card for each band member and the opportunity to play in front of 20,000 Mavs fans during the April 8^th game vs. Utah.

The “Guitar Hero World Tour” Mavs Band Challenge presented by GameStop will be powered by locally based Affinity Sports Marketing. Visit mavs.com for official rules.

"Best Event Staged in Multiple Locations"

(SOUTHLAKE, TX) February 24, 2009 - Affinity Sports & Event Marketing, a sports and event marketing agency headquartered in Southlake, Texas, has been awarded the coveted Gala Award 2008 for "Best Event Staged in Multiple Locations" for the Midnight Gaming Championships hosted by McDonald's, I-Play Mobile Gaming, Coca-Cola, 1-UP, Headplay and Gameznflix. The award ceremony took place in San Diego, CA on January 30^th.

The Gala Awards are the oldest and most prestigious award in the event industry presented by Special Events Magazine http://www.specialevents.com. This year's competition drew nearly 400 entries in 35 categories from Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, England, Germany, Spain, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Affinity's winning event, the Midnight Gaming Championships, was the largest video game tournament in the country and the first to have consecutive tournaments in multiple cities on the same day. The event was a 16-city tour held over 16 weeks www.midnightgamingchampionships.com.

In addition, other top nominees in this category were Event Architects in Chicago producing the "2008 Procter & Gamble My Black is Beautiful Tour" and Circ Corporate Experience of Germany for its "Marketplace of Innovations" for a chemical company corporate event.

About Affinity Sports Marketing

Affinity Sports Marketing is a leading sports and event marketing services agency that provides unique and impactful events, as well as, communications, publicity and marketing services. Affinity's management has been involved in the sports and entertainment business for a combined 35 years. Other clients include McDonald's, Dallas Mavericks, Chesapeake Energy, Southwest Airlines, American Quarter Horse Association, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

(SOUTHLAKE, TX) February 26, 2009 - Affinity Sports & Event Marketing has hired Kelly Spivey to handle all financial and accounting responsibilities. Spivey formerly worked as Director of Shared Business Services at Dr. Pepper-Seven Up, Inc./Cadbury Schweppes. Kelly is a graduate of Brigham Young University and is a CPA.

Affinity Sports & Event Marketing is a full-service sports marketing & event production firm specializing in professional sports, entertainment & corporate events, sponsorships sales and marketing programs. Affinity (www.affinitysportsmarketing.com) was recently awarded the Gala Award for "Best Event Staged in Multiple Locations" for its Midnight Gaming Championship national event (www.midnightgamingchampionship.com).

About Affinity Sports & Event Marketing

Affinity Sports & Event Marketing is a leading sports and event marketing services agency that provides unique and impactful events, as well as, communications, publicity and marketing services. Affinity's management has been involved in the sports and entertainment business for a combined 35 years. Other clients include McDonald's, Dallas Mavericks, Chesapeake Energy, Southwest Airlines, American Quarter Horse Association, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

About Midnight Gaming Championship (MGC)

Midnight Gaming Championship, presented by McDonald's, is produced by Affinity Sports & Event Marketing. MGC 2007 partners included Ziff Davis Game Group including the 1Up Network, I-Play, Coke Zero, 2K Sports, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Konami, Time Warner Cable, Verizon Wireless and Spike TV. In 2007, MGC hosted over 50 national events and flew 220 contestants into its championship tournament. Visit http://www.midnightgamingchampionship.com for more information.

AFFINITY SPORTS MARKETING TO PRODUCE BLOCKBUSTER'S SUMMER GAMES 2008

(SOUTHLAKE, TX) July 2008 - Affinity Sports Marketing, a sports and entertainment marketing agency headquartered in Southlake, Texas, has been hired by Blockbuster to manage and produce its Summer Games 2008 family gaming promotion which takes place August 5^th - September 8^th in ten markets across the U.S.

Affinity has produced other video gaming events for Blockbuster, like the Guitar Hero 24 Hour Marathon, as well as gaming tournaments for other companies including the Dallas Mavericks and McDonald's.

Bryan Pettigrew, President of Affinity Sports Marketing, says, .We are thrilled to partner with Blockbuster again for this exciting event that will bring families together..

Blockbuster will hold tournaments at ten of their store locations to give families the chance to compete against other families on Wii games, including baseball, tennis, bowling and boxing. 

About Affinity Sports Marketing

Affinity Sports Marketing is a leading sports and entertainment marketing services agency that provides unique and impactful video gaming events and tournaments, as well as, communications, publicityand marketing services. Affinity's management has been involved in the sports and entertainment business for over 16 years. Other clients include McDonald's, Dallas Mavericks, Chesapeake Energy, Best Buy, Southwest Airlines, American Quarter Horse Association, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

GAMERS GATHERED FOR BATTLE TO SEE WHO WAS THE BEST

Midnight Gaming Championship Finals Produced by Southlake Company

(SOUTHLAKE, TX) October 23, 2007 - Gamers from around the country descended upon the AT&T Plaza at Victory Park in Dallas early this month to determine who was the best gamer at the Midnight Gaming Championship finals. When the doors opened at 8:00 p.m., the ultimate battle of gaming skills began and culminated with the crowning of the Midnight Gaming Championship Champions.

The event, produced by Affinity Sports Marketing, featured 230 winners from the previous Midnight Gaming Championship tournaments held at various McDonald's locations in 19 cities across the U.S. from June through September. Those finalists competed for a fierce prize package of $3,000 cash, an MGC Championship Trophy and bragging rights of being named the best gamer.

.The Midnight Gaming Championship was created to give gamers an opportunity to compete in a tournament where they might not otherwise have a chance,. said Bryan Pettigrew, president of Affinity Sports Marketing. .We have been pleased with the growth of the tournament, and look to expand it to even more cities next year..

Pettigrew also commented that this tournament provided more than just the opportunity to be the best gamer. .We were privileged to provide some of the participants the chance to travel out of their home states and on airplanes for the first time..

The games and their champions were: Chris Cade from Oklahoma City, OK, who was the champion of Super Smash Bros. Melee from Nintendo; Nation Meyer from Petaluma, CA, who won the NBA 2K7 by 2K Sports, and Danny Sandoval from Lakewood, CA, was the champ of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (GRAW2) by Ubisoft. Additionally, Seth Monteleone from Dallas, NC, was the champion for the first ever 3-D tournament from Headplay featuring GTR2 FIA GT Racing Game published by Viva Media; and, Ian Estes from Ogden, UT, won the first ever mainstream mobile tournament from I-play featuring The Fast and the Furious: Fugitive.

As a bonus, MGC officials gave spectators a chance to compete in free gaming tournaments for their chance to win cash and prizes, too. The winner of the All Pro Football 2K8 tournament, Robert Jackson from Plano, TX, received a trip to the Spike Video Game Awards presented by Time Warner Cable and Spike TV. Additionally, Duwan Baker from Charlotte, NC, won the Wii Bowling tournament and Game Chavez from Haltom, TX, won the Konami Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer '07 tournament. Lucky gamer, Reynaldo Gonzales from Daly City, CA, won the Ultimate Gamer Gear Raffle - valued at $2,500 - which included a Microsoft Xbox 360, a Sony PS3, a Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and Headplay personal cinema system.

.This is the second year McDonald's has sponsored the MGC tournament and we are thrilled to connect with the young adult consumer in a fresh way,. said Jerome Elenez, McDonald's Dallas-area marketing director. .The gaming community has enthusiastically embraced the tournaments, and we look forward to a continued partnership..

About Midnight Gaming Championship (MGC)
Midnight Gaming Championship, presented by McDonald's, is produced by Affinity Sports & Entertainment Marketing. Contributing partners include Ziff Davis Game Group including the 1UP Network, I-play, Headplay, Coke Zero, GameZnFlix, 2K Sports, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Konami, Time Warner Cable and Spike TV. Visit http://www.midnightgamingchampionship.com for more information.

May 16, 2008.Education is Freedom is a favorite charity of the Dallas Mayor's Office and Blockbuster CEO, Jim Keyes. This year they both challenged other CEO's in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to get involved and donate money to this worthwhile foundation. In addition, Keyes and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert kicked off the event performing their favorite Guitar Hero songs live in front of the huge crowd.

Affinity Sports Marketing of Southlake, TX provided Blockbuster an ultimate turn-key event, working with the city of Dallas on permitting, developing the contests and its official rules and delivering a professional gaming experience for all that attended the 24 hour event.

SCORE! Worldwide created the event logo for Blockbuster along with various promotional and event materials.

Click to view full story from the Dallas Morning News

About SCORE! Worldwide:
SCORE! Worldwide, LLC is an independent marketing and communications agency based in Southlake, Texas created to deliver powerful marketing communications through inspired strategy and impactful creative. Contact James Welsh at james@scoreworldwide.com for more information on how SCORE! Worldwide can help your brand transform potential customers into loyal brand fanatics. Go to scoreworldwide.com to learn more.

Posted by SCORE! WORLDWIDE LLC.at 1:18 PM

'Guitar Hero' challenge in Dallas' Victory Park!

If you're in the Dallas area, and you're a 'Guitar Hero' axe-master, you might want to stop by Victory Park, near the American Airlines Center, a couple of hours before the next three Dallas Mavs home games (April 2nd, 8th and 10th).

Each night's top five finalists will win tickets to that night's Mavericks game and an opportunity to play on the main stage!

The overall winners will get a chance to compete for even more prizes on April 16th including a 'Guitar Hero' performance during a quarter break of a First Round Playoff game... GULP!

No pressure there....

Details after the jump.

...The "Guitar Hero Challenge," presented by GameStop and Activision, where video game aficionados will have the chance to show off their skills and sign up to play under tournament conditions on the AT&T Plaza outside the South Entrance of American Airlines Center .

Starting two hours prior to each home game between March 20th and April 10th, fans can sign up to participate in the preliminaries, with the top five point-getters from each night having the opportunity to play on the main stage. The top five finalists will receive two tickets to that night's game.

The top score from each of the six main stage competitions will advance to the Championship round on April 16th. All six finalists will receive two tickets to the April 16th game versus New Orleans and will receive a $100 GameStop giftcard.

The six finalists will compete for the chance to win the Dallas Mavericks "Guitar Hero Challenge" grand prize - the chance to play "Guitar Hero" during a quarter break at a First Round Playoff game, two-tickets to the game, a Guitar Hero Game pack and an autographed Mavs Authentic jersey.

The Dallas Mavericks "Guitar Hero Challenge" presented by GameStop and Activision will be powered by locally based Affinity Sports Marketing. Visit mavs.com for official rules.

Friday, Dec. 28, 2007

Video Game Industry Zeroing in on Hispanics

By A. Lee Graham

Staff Writer

Latino Gamerz Match may lead some folks to scratch their heads, but not Bryan Pettigrew.

By planning the curiously named event, the Southlake executive hopes to win over an increasingly lucrative customer.

.[Hispanics] are a very significant part of the gaming movement,. said Pettigrew, a Southlake executive betting that the competition vaults his firm to the top of what analysts consider a $10.5 billion industry.

Joining Major Gaming Championships of Southlake is Inspire, a Dallas-based advertising firm also hoping for success in what organizers consider an unprecedented console-gaming tournament.

.A lot of our research shows that [Hispanic] players spend two-to-one over Caucasian players in video-gaming and software yearly,. said Pettigrew, president of Affinity Sports and Entertainment Marketing, parent company of the Southlake firm that organizes gaming events and tournaments for McDonald's, Wal-Mart and other sponsor partners.

Its next step sees the Southlake firm unveil Latino Gamerz Match next year in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. The tournament will feature console-gaming and mobile gaming events.

Serving high-tech Hispanics is no game for Pettigrew and the small team working from a 3,000-square-foot office at Continental and South White Chapel boulevards. From the modest space, the Southlake business strikes partnerships with McDonald's, Best Buy and other firms courting mounting interest in video-gaming.

Not only did the McDonald's deal stir interest with the 2007 Midnight Gaming Championship, it helped spread the word that the burger giant is open 24 hours.

.It helped support their message that they're open late,. said Pettigrew. Restaurants in 52 cities participated in the summer event. Another deal saw Pettigrew's firm help Best Buy create a professional video-gaming team pitting its skills against others in national gaming competitions.

.If you ask kids who play, they consider it a sport,. Pettigrew said.

Like NASCAR drivers displaying corporate logos on their vehicles, Best Buy gamers display the corporate insignia.

.Best Buy was an early adopter of sponsoring video game teams. It's a great marketing opportunity..

So is the upcoming five-city tournament.

.It'll be set up like a festival atmosphere,. said Pettigrew, citing Dallas and surrounding communities as comprising one of the nation's leading Hispanic video game markets. Seizing a chunk of that thriving industry prompted Pettigrew and his 10-member staff to select Inspire, a minority-owned agency known for courting the Hispanic consumer.

.Reaching the Hispanic youth market goes beyond the traditional passion points of music and soccer,. said Inspire President Tommy Thompson. .We're excited to work with [Major Gaming Championships] to make Latino Gamerz Match a huge success..More information is available by calling Affinity Sports Marketing at

Tempo Espresso - NY Post

December 06, 2007

The Latino Gamerz Match

The Latino community purchases over $700 a year in video game products and starting next year 2008 there will be a video game tournament geared to Latinos called .Latino Gamerz Match.. The competition will take place in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, and Miami. Personally I don't see the need for a Latino video game tournament since video gaming is pretty much a level virtual reality playing field. But Tommy Thompson president of .iNSPIRE!. a Latino advertising agency and Blake Pettigrew president of Major Gaming Championship feel it is the best way to reach the Latino gamers.

.Everyone wants to be special and for the Hispanic community having something that is dedicated to them and then realize somebody is putting this out specifically for me, I think that is a very strong proposition,. says Thompson. .It is the same thing with TV, why do a bilingual TV network when this consumer speaks English. The reality is that everyone wants something custom made for them whether it's an ethnic consumer or not&.

Then I wondered what makes a Latino gamer different from a general market gamer. Both Thompson and Pettigrew pointed out that Latino gamers when it comes to sports games tend to buy FIFA Soccer over Madden, Latinos tend to play more in groups then individually, and there are more Latino male video gamers then female. This I have to say is true because when I think about it in my video game collection I do have FIFA Soccer, I always enjoy playing video games with my friends, and there was hardly ever a girl with us playing video games.

Buzz up!Posted by Javier L. Orellana on December 6, 2007 09:36 PM

Hispanic Gaming Competition Formed, Tournaments Launch in 2008

iNSPIRE! and major gaming championships create 'Latino Gamerz Match'

Southlake, TX--(HISPANIC PR WIRE - BUSINESS WIRE)--November 29, 2007--Latino gamers looking to compete in a major gaming tournament will get their chance in 2008. The Latino Gamerz Match, produced in partnership with Major Gaming Championships and Dallas-based, Hispanic advertising agency iNSPIRE!, is the first major console gaming tournament targeted directly to Latino gamers.

The Latino Gamerz Match will run in five Hispanic-focused markets across the U.S. including Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Miami and New York beginning in early 2008. The tournament will feature various console gaming competitions as well as a mobile gaming opportunity.

.The Latino Gamerz Match will run in five Hispanic-focused markets across the U.S. including Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Miami and New York beginning in early 2008..

"The Hispanic gaming community purchases over $700 in gaming products each year, but don't have a gaming tournament targeted to them," said Blake Pettigrew, president of Major Gaming Championship. "Major Gaming Championships and iNSPIRE! recognized an opportunity to bring these gamers their own tournament."

"iNSPIRE! understands that reaching the Hispanic youth market goes beyond the traditional passion points of music and soccer, which is what most of the industry focuses on," said iNSPIRE! President Tommy Thompson. "The initial response from major media partners in the Latin television and online world has been very positive, and we're excited to work with MGC to make the Latino Gamerz Match a huge success."

Major Gaming Championships is a privately-owned company headquartered in Southlake, Texas. They produced turn-key gaming events and tournaments for their sponsor partners throughout the U.S. including the 55 Midnight Gaming Championship events in 2007 at Wal-Mart and McDonald's locations nationwide.

iNSPIRE! is an independent, minority-owned, full-service advertising agency focused on connecting with the Hispanic consumer, and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas with 11 branch offices throughout the U.S. iNSPIRE! redefines marketing to Latinos by going beyond language and knowledge of the culture to effectively meet clients' marketing needs.