January 14, 2012
2012 FSTA Winter Business Conference Agenda
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2012 Winter FSTA Conference and Research Symposium Sponsored By CBSSports.com Monday and Tuesday, January 16-17 Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, NV |
Room Reservation
The phone number to call and make reservations is: 800-499-6311 or 702-791-7444. When you call in, make sure you say that they you’re coming in for Fantasy Sports Trade Association in January of 2012 on 01/16 & 01/17. Book your rooms under the group’s block. However do not guarantee that space is still available. Reservations should be able to pull the group up by name but if needed, the is the block code: FSTMB.
Sponsorship
If you are interested in sponsoring the FSTA Business Conference and Research Symposium in Las Vegas, please review our Sponsorship Opportunities. Email Association Director Megan Van Petten for details.
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Special Feature
FSTA counsel Glenn Colton, a partner at SNR Denton US LLP, will be available to meet with conference attendees on a one-on-one basis at specified times during the conference (“Office Hours”). Both start-ups and mature businesses are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions privately of one of the industry’s most recognized legal experts.
January 16th – Conference Day 1
3:00 P.M. Conference Registration Opens- Bermuda Room
3:30 P.M. Elevator Pitch Enrollment
Elevator Pitch Guidelines
4:00 P.M. FSTA Board Meeting- St. Kitts
5:00 P.M. Cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception. Sponsored By: Advanced Sports Logic
5:00 P.M FSTA Experts’ League Baseball Draft hosted live on SIRIUS XM radio’s fantasy sports channel. Attendees will enjoy a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception.
January 17th – Conference Day 2
8:00 A.M.Complimentary Breakfast- Onda Restaurant Sponsored By:
8:30 A.M. Fantasy 101-St. Kitts
Are you new to the industry? Here’s a chance to meet with several industry veterans who will offer advice to emerging companies. You can help direct the discussion, and expect topics that include intellectual property protection, finding technical help, best practices, and more.
Note: Your company must be an FSTA member to attend.
Moderator: Peter Schoenke, RotoWire.com
Panelists:
Rick Wolf, Full Moon Sports Solutions
Glenn Colton, SNR Denton
9:00 A.M. Welcome and Opening Remarks- Paul Charchian, President, Fantasy Sports Trade Association- Bermuda Room
9:10 A.M. Welcome from Conference Title Sponsor
9:25 A.M. Professor Research
Drs. Billings and Ruihley will highlight some of the key motivation and consumption areas between sets of fantasy sports consumers. The first set will focus on the differences and similarities between male and female users while a second set will examine age groups. The findings present some interesting discoveries on these groups and is important because further identifying unique customer characteristics assists in marketing, advertising and recruitment/acquisition efforts. The professors will also address their new book project entitled, “The Fantasy Sport Industry: Games Within Games.” This book will offer the first comprehensive glimpse into the entire fantasy sports industry by utilizing comprehensive surveys, ‘insider’ insights from FSTA members and more.
Moderator: Howard Kamen, USAToday.com
Panelists:
Dr. Andrew Billings, Ronald Reagan Chair of Broadcasting, University of Alabama
Dr. Andrew C. Billings is a Professor and Ronald Reagan Endowed Chair of Broadcasting at the University of Alabama. He holds all three of his degrees in communication-oriented fields from Indiana University. He is the author of over 50 journal articles and six books including, Olympic Media: Inside the Biggest Show on Television. His research deals with sports media content, motivation and effects, particularly relating to megasporting events.
Dr. Brody Ruihley, Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Dr. Brody James Ruihley is an Assistant Professor of Sport Administration in the School of Human Services at the University of Cincinnati. He holds a Ph.D. in Sport Studies with a concentration in Sport Management from the University of Tennessee, a M.S. in Sport Administration from the University of Louisville, and a B.A. in Communication from the University of Kentucky. His primary research is in the area of fantasy sport and public relations in sport.
10:00 A.M. Fantasy Sports Consumer Behavior, Ipsos research
A Fantasy Consumer Engagement Study will be presented.
Moderator: Stacie Stern, Head2Head.com
Presenter: Aaron Amic, Ipsos
10:35 A.M. Networking Break
Sponsored By:
Glenn Colton’s “Office Hours”
11:00 A.M. Changing Business Models
What strategies are product and content companies considering to grow their businesses? Where are there opportunities to increase reach and gain exposure to new audiences? How are fantasy businesses adapting to growing consumer acceptance of emerging models such as “freemium,” micro-transactions, applications and mobile platforms? A panel of fantasy business veterans with diverse backgrounds discuss these critical topics.
Moderator: Geoff Reiss, Professional Bowlers Association
Geoff Reiss is the CEO of the Professional Bowlers Association and President of Hardscrabble Advisors, a digital strategy and consulting firm. Reiss joined the PBA as Vice Chairman in March 2011 after previously holding several positions at ESPN, was CEO at Associated Content, and was Senior Vice President/General Manager of Newsweek’s digital division. While at ESPN, Reiss managed the launch of ESPN.com, NFL.com, NBA.com, and NASCAR Online. Reiss launched ESPN.com’s first fantasy game in 1995 and oversaw the development of over 20 free and premium fantasy products.
He also was Senior Vice President/General Manager of ESPN the Magazine, and managed ESPN’s relationships with Electronic Arts, Microsoft, and The Tribeca Film Festival. He developed and acquired the Peabody Award-winning Dan Klores documentary Black Magic. He started his media career at Spy magazine.
Panelists:
Danielle MacLean, CBSSports.com
Danielle MacLean has served as the Director of Fantasy Sports for CBSSports.com since 2007. She and her product team are responsible for CBSSports.com Fantasy News, the very popular March Madness Bracket games, and the industry-leading suite of fantasy games and leagues, including the award-winning CBSSports.com Commissioner.
MacLean joined CBSSports.com as a Product Manager in 2005 after working as a Database and Research Marketing Manager for the Indiana Pacers. She has earned both her MBA and Master of Science in Sport Management from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts (UMass).
J.B. Lee, Bloomberg Sports
Jay B. Lee is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Bloomberg Sports, which was selected by Fast Company Magazine as one of the “Ten Most Innovative Brands In Sports” in 2011. Lee was one of the original team members that conceptualized, developed, and launched the first-ever sports analytics division within global business leader Bloomberg LP, and has been responsible for helping craft the Bloomberg Sports business for fantasy baseball and football consumers as well as for Major League Baseball Players and clubs, since the founding of the division in 2007.The New Jersey resident has been overseen all operational, infrastructural, and technological needs to develop, sell, and support the professional MLB team and sports fan products Bloomberg Sports now offers.
In addition to his work with Bloomberg, the Rutgers University graduate has over 18 years of extensive business and Information Technology experience and is an expert in providing business solutions in an enterprise and global environment. He holds an M.B.A. in General Management/Finance from Columbia University as well.
Cassidy Morris, Ziguana
Cassidy Morris co-founded Ziguana in an effort to bring powerful algorithms to the average fantasy manager, with a strong emphasis on presenting digestible data. Running a growing operation requires Cassidy to be part product manager, part engineer, and part marketer. Outside of Ziguana, Cassidy manages online advertising for a multi-million dollar corporation, with an emphasis on Search Engine Marketing. He’s been playing fantasy sports with the same group of guys for 10+ years. Cassidy has a Bachelor of Arts in Statistics and Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ryan Bonini , KFFL
Founding KFFL in 1996, Bonini serves as KFFL’s General Manager and VP of technology for KFFL’s parent company, Big Lead Sports/Fantasy Sports Ventures. Bonini was named the 2009 Fantasy Football Writer of the Year by the FSWA and received honors with the Best Fantasy Football Series in `10, making him the first two-time FSWA football-award winner.
His work has been found in USA Today, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, CBS Sports, NFL.com, and many others. Bonini hosts Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio each Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. ET and has appeared on countless radio shows, as well as the NFL Network’s signature television show, Total Access. He is a member of the PFWA, FSWA and FSTA.
11:50 A.M. Sponsorship Pitches
Moderator: Paul Charchian
12:00 P.M. Complimentary Lunch & Networking- Onda Restaurant
Sponsored By:
1:15 P.M. Elevator Pitch
Do you have a new business or idea that will revolutionize the fantasy sports industry? This is your chance to get your idea out to a room full of decision makers! Get noticed by pitching your product at the FSTA conference.
Sponsored by:
Do you have a new business or idea that will revolutionize the fantasy sports industry? This is your chance to get your idea out to a room full of decision makers! Get noticed by pitching your product at the FSTA conference. Prize for best pitch!
2:30 P.M. Non Traditional Revenue Streams
Most companies in the fantasy industry are deriving revenue from a sign-up/subscription model. Our panel discusses a variety of revenue alternatives, and answers key questions for any company looking for new monetization methodologies. What new revenue streams are being developed now? Are there emerging platforms that your company can develop now to be ahead of the curve? Is the subscription model evolving or devolving?
Moderator: Paul Charchian, League Safe
Panelists:
Clay Walker, Big Lead Sports
Clay Walker is the Executive Vice President & Chief Affiliate Officer of Big Lead Sports, the largest independent digital sports media and marketing company in the U.S. Big Lead Sports develops custom social media and marketing program for clients such as Coke, McDonalds, Sprint, P&G, Coors and Ford. He is responsible for managing the strategic direction of BLS’s affiliate network. With more than 250+ affiliates and 20 million monthly unique visitors, Big Lead Sports is now the 5th largest online sports property in the U.S., according to comScore. He also founded the Fantasy Sports Association, a trade organization that was dedicated to growing the fantasy sports industry. Prior to joining Big Lead Sports in 2006, he served as the senior vice president of the NFL Players Association’s licensing and marketing arm (PLAYERS INC) for 13 years. Clay earned a B.A. in English from East Carolina University, an M.B.A. from Colorado State University and an M.S. in Labor Relations from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Chuck Yu, TrialPay
Chuck Yu is a Senior Director of Business Development at TrialPay, where he oversees general business operations and is responsible for both advertising and merchant account management teams. Chuck is an attorney and a member of the California State Bar. Chuck has a BA in History from UC Berkeley and JD from UC Hastings College of the Law.
Robert Weber, W3i
Rob Weber is Co-founder & SVP of New Products for W3i (http://www.W3i.com), a leading provider of user acquisition and monetization solutions for consumer desktop and mobile apps. Through Rob’s leadership, W3i has connected users to an app over 650 million times since inception. W3i is currently partnered with 16 of the top 25 grossing apps on iOS. This year, he has spoken at the Game Developers Conference, Game Developers Conference Online, and APPNATION. Rob has been an avid fantasy sports player, and is interested in meeting fantasy sports professionals interested in alternative distribution and monetization strategies for their mobile app.
3:15 P.M
New Product Demo Panel
Take a spin through some of the hottest new fantasy games, products and tools. The creators of these new applications will take us through a 2-5 minute high quality video demo and then discuss the market opportunity for these new applications.
Moderator: Ted Kasten, Advanced Sports Media
Panelists :
Jon Goldstein, SIdeBets
Jon Goldstein has owned and operated an entertainment properties company called Highline Investments for six years. The company has been profitable since its inception. Mr. Goldstein has over 10 years experience in corporate finance, small business development, and implementing technology solutions for his real estate and movie theater investments. SideBets is part of a diversification strategy for Highline. Mr. Goldstein received a Masters of Business Administration Degree in Finance from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from the University of Michigan.
Tom Griffiths, FanDuel.com
Tom is a co-founder of Hubdub, the company that operates FanDuel.com. Since launching in 2009, FanDuel has become the leading daily fantasy sports site paying out $10m in daily fantasy prizes this NFL season. Tom heads up the product and development teams from FanDuel’s New York offices. Prior to co-founding Hubdub, Tom founded two previous startups, a web design agency and a mobile social network.
Michael Falato, TxtStation
Michael joined Txtstation in early 2006. Michael has sales experience in Television, Internet and Radio for over 23 years. His career history includes Premiere Radio Networks, Warner Bros. Online, Monster.com, Factiva (A Dow Jones & Reuters Company) and KECY-TV. Michael also served his country by serving 12 years in the Air Force National Guard Communications Division as a Combat Cameraman. Michael is originally from Chicago and moved to Los Angeles in 1997. He now resides in Austin, Texas as of Sept 2006. Michael has been on the cutting edge in the Internet space and has a strong passion for new innovations and solutions to help organizations increase their revenues. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Sean Weinstock, numberFire.com
Sean is a co-founder of numberFire. Since officially launching in 2011, numberFire has become the leading algorithmic projection tool in fantasy football, outperforming all major competitors and signing up 20,000 registered users along the way. Its analytics extend to handicapping where it went 57% Against the Spread and 53.5% on Over/Unders this NFL season. Sean has been dubbed “Business/Law guy” and oversees the development of user acquisition and revenue channels. Prior to his involvement with numberFire, Sean co-founded a ticketing service for college events while at Carnegie Mellon and advised entrepreneurs on their venture pitches and early business models as a Fellow at InSITE while attending NYU Law.
4:00 P.M. Elevator Pitch Announcement Winner!
Prize Presented by:
One year FSTA membership and $100.00 Mirage Chip!
4:05 P.M. Networking Break
Sponsored By:
Glenn Colton’s “Office Hours”
4:30 P.M. Accuracy Challenge Winner Award Announcement
4:30 P.M. Facebook Fantasy Follow-up
As a follow up from the Facebook presentation we will be discussing the engagement of the simplistic social nature on Facebook.
Moderator: Stacie Stern, Head2Head.com
Panelists:
Jason Manasse, ACCUSCORE
As CEO of AccuScore, Jason Manasse leads the company’s vision and appearance in the market place. In his role, Manasse is responsible for the overall company, establishing and negotiating the major relationships and is accountable for all financial aspects of the business. He lead the company through two rounds of funding, taken the company to profitability, and secured deals with the major industry players, and plays an integral role in the development of the company’s products. Prior to founding the Company, Manasse spent 8 years in Business Development, Sales, and Marketing in software sales and licensing including distribution deals of over $2 million in under a year-and-a-half. He also managed the renegotiation and evaluation of technology agreements that led to company saving more than $1 million dollars. Manasse spent over 6 years at Quisic.com structuring licensing deals, raising capital, maintaining low overhead, and selling to new markets. Manasse holds a BA in Communications from Vanderbilt University.
Kevin Gralen, ShopTab
Kevin has 25 years of experience in Sales, Marketing, Business Development and General Management. He began his career at IBM and Siemens and moved into executive leadership roles with smaller public, privately-held and venture funded technology companies. He shifted his focus in 2003 from B2B to B2C Internet-based businesses when he bought, grew and sold the 2nd largest subscription fantasy sport site, Head2Head Sports, to a Wicks Private Equity in 2007. His online media experience lead him to the Chief Operating Officer position at EmpowHER where in 18 months he helped to grow the company into the 4th largest Women’s Health and Wellness site with over 1.6 million monthly visitors and rank in the top 2,000 of all websites. He recently formed Watershed Software with the purchase of software assets, including ShopTab (www.shoptab.net) and HomeKey (www.homekeyapp.com), to lead the market in the deployment of e-commerce and vertical marketing applications inside of social networks.
5:15 P.M. Power Tweeters
Twitter has significantly altered the way fantasy players receive and exchange information. This panel will feature “power users” who have mastered the platform, and they’ll discuss: How has their non-tweeting fantasy analysis (and their own drafting decisions) been altered by their tweeting? What causes their follower-numbers to grow? What negative “twitterverse” experiences have they had, and what did they learn from them? Has a too-hasty posting ever gotten them burned? How much time does it take up, and how does it contribute to The Bottom Line?
Moderator: Matthew Berry, ESPN
Panelists: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Maurice Jones-Drew is a 3-time Pro Bowl running back for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Jones-Drew has amassed over 70 touchdowns and nearly 10,000 yards from scrimmage since his selection by the Jaguars out of UCLA in 2006. He is the host of “Runnin’ with MJD” on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio and works with Bloomberg Sports and Football Diehards to promote their fantasy football tools. Jones-Drew, who has over 220,000 followers on Twitter, also provided a fantasy football column for SI online last year.
John Shahidi, Rock Live
7:00 P.M Complimentary Awards Banquet and Dinner- Montego BCDE
Sponsored By:
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association and The Fantasy Sports Writers Association are the exclusive providers of the most prestigious awards offered in the fantasy sports industry. The FSTA’s annual awards are designed to recognize member companies pursuing excellence with their products and services. The FSWA’s annual writing awards recognize outstanding editorial contributions to the industry, and the FSWA Hall of Fame honors those whose work has had a lasting impact on fantasy readers and/or others working within the industry.
Wednesday, January 18th
Networking Breakfast 8:30-10:30 –Onda Restaurant Sponsored By:
