Hardbat Classic Ping Pong Tournament on ESPN
Empire was honored join with renowned producers Radical Media, FremantleMedia Enterprises, and The Mark Gordon Company to help produce the HardBat Classic Ping Pong Tournament at the Venetian / Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Presented by Bud Light and billed as ”the biggest, baddest throw down in the history of table tennis” the HardBat Classic was designed to relaunch Ping Pong as a renewed sensation and to bring “old school” table tennis out of the basement and into the big time as competitors fought for the $100,000 grand prize.
The tournament featured competition among over 500 players and hustlers, all played with old school bats made of only wood and rubber, pips out instead of sponge-padded bats. This style of play levels the playing field allowing amateurs and pros to compete fairly.Empire served as the event producer managing the design and execution of the physical build-out of the enormous Sands Expo Hall C space at the Venetian. The tournament village consisted of registration and equipment pickup areas, retail locations for sponsors KillerSpin and K-Swiss, a large central Bud Light bar & lounge area, a café and VIP area, mo re than 60 competition courts, four semi-final courts, and a carefully branded championship arena seating almost 500 fans.
The three day tournament featured exclusive VIP celebrity parties at venues including Tao, Lavo and the Stadium in the Palazzo which were attended by celebrities including Anna Kournikova, 30 Rock’s Judah Friedlander and Entourage’s Autumn Reeser.The grand champion match came down to a white knuckle challenge between 23-year-old Jack Baker and 73-yea-old Wayne Oberton, who played in shorts up to his chest and suspenders. In the end, beauty triumphed over age as Jack accepted the winners robe, medal and $100,000 grand prize amid a shower of glitter confetti.
Empire handled all physical design of the space, the creation of the championship arena, all staging, sound, lighting, décor, security, logistics, staffing, production management and stage management of the main events. In addition to Radical Media, the program partner’s included the Mark Gordon Company, Fremantle Enterprises, KillerSpin and the Venetian / Sands Expo.The HardBat Classic premiered on ESPN in October 2009.
Empire Entertainment has served as a producer and production partner on many broadcast events including live sports & entertainment specials.
Guests received their first taste of technological innovation at registration, where they were welcomed by name on a reactive LED screen installation covering the full width of the entry wall. A large lunch café was created with a décor scheme that incorporated custom-built, ceiling-high steel LED frames draped with foliage to create smaller, intimate restaurant-style spaces that displayed both technology and nature.
A series of breakout sessions presented content targeted to attendees’ varied interests, while imagery displayed throughout the venue showcased real-life applications of how products designed to empower developers help to unleash the power of data and reimagine possibilities that will improve our world.
Every element of Microsoft Connect(); from registration, breakfast and keynote, to lunch and evening cocktails, were custom-designed to communicate exacting brand messaging and to deliver a high-touch guest experience to this important audience. The keynote and breakout sessions were livestreamed through an onsite studio built for this purpose and content was watched online by millions around the world.
Empire is proud to collaborate with Microsoft on this annual, top-tier business communication event.
To view excerpts of Connect(); 2017, please visit https://www.microsoft.com/connectevent
