Fanatics Events launches with Lance Fensterman at the helm

We all questioned the place Lance Fensterman was off to when he left ReedPOP….and it seems he operating a model new occasion arm from collectible powerhouse Fanatics, known as, fittingly, Fanatics Events. Fensterman is becoming a member of the firm as CEO, reporting to Fanatics Chief Strategy Officer Tucker Kain.

According to the PR, the new firm will give attention to “the collectibles space, finding entry points to put a fresh spin on the biggest card shows and collectible gatherings. These events will be critical to Fanatics’ mission of growing the trading card and collectible hobby, welcoming new collectors, bringing current collectors together, and celebrating the fandoms of sports & entertainment in a format that is inviting and exciting for all fans.”

The branding will lengthen past sports activities to music, high tier athlete and celeb appearances, and massive manufacturers. Fanatics Events is majority owned by Fanatics, however has partnered with the company IMG, a division of the large company Endeavor, which owns issues like the UFC and the WWE.

“The launch of our new Fanatics Events business provides an opportunity to celebrate all aspects of fandom – including sports, collectibles, memorabilia, fashion, music, and entertainment – under one physical roof in a way that has never been done before,” mentioned Fensterman in a press release. “Fanatics is uniquely positioned to innovate the live event landscape, and these new touchpoints will reinforce our commitment to enhancing the overall experience for fans and collectors globally.”

Paul Caine, President of On Location and IMG Events added, “We are excited to partner with Fanatics to produce best-in-class experiences for sports fans everywhere. Fanatics Events will be super-charged by the full power of Endeavor’s flywheel, global network, and events expertise to deliver once-in-a-lifetime moments that fans will remember forever.”

The new firm comes at an fascinating time for the fan occasion house: ReedPOP, dad or mum firm RELX, FanExpo (owned by Informa) and different established corporations struggled throughout the pandemic shutdown and have been discovering their footing since.

On the different hand, Fanatics, like different collectible corporations, grew by leaps and bounds throughout the pandemic, with a mixture of buying and selling playing cards, merch, trend and even sports activities betting. An in depth story at Yahoo Sports has extra:

The new occasions will present yet one more avenue for Fanatics to additional promote the enterprise of its athlete, staff, league and union companions, a lot of that are additionally Fanatics traders (or in the case of athletes, traders in Fanatics ventures corresponding to Mitchell & Ness). Fanatics has mushroomed from a $6 billion enterprise to a $31 billion enterprise in simply the previous few years, largely on the again of its database of sports activities followers and its community of companions. With every new vertical the firm launches, it will probably immediately market that product to greater than 90 million followers globally, and make the most of relationships throughout practically each main sport.

With in individual the new hotness, the collectibles market is shrinking however reside occasions are rising once more, so the timing is definitely of notice.

Fanatics Events will give attention to sports activities to start with, with new occasions anticipated to start in 2024. But with Fensterman’s deep background in popular culture – and IMG’s deep bench of shoppers, starting from Corona Beer to Dolly Parton – all types of partnerships and occasions might outcome. As Yahoo put it:

Starting subsequent yr, Fanatics Events will create fan festivals that characteristic athletes and types from throughout the business, together with these in the Fanatics orbit. The imaginative and prescient is have ticketed occasions that resemble Comic Con or the NFL Experience held yearly at the Super Bowl.

Events that the new entity may placed on embrace:

- Fan & Collector Education – Access to business consultants offering steerage to the most seasoned collectors, whereas additionally offering the fundamentals that aspiring collectors must foster the subsequent technology of hobbyists.
- B2B Content – Helping interest retailers {and professional} collectors develop their enterprise.
- Collectibles – Unparalleled entry to occasion unique playing cards and memorabilia, plus limited-edition product launches from a wide selection of Fanatics companions
- Trading Floor – Collectors could have the alternative to purchase, promote commerce playing cards and collectibles in a well-known however improved surroundings.

- Athletes – Opportunities to have interaction with the greatest expertise from previous, current, and future that can lengthen nicely past the typical autograph alternative and into shared experiences that can create recollections to final a lifetime.
- Activations – Presence and choices from main manufacturers in amassing, footwear, attire, and extra. Fanatics can even work intently with the main sports activities leagues to convey premium content material to the occasions.
- Live Stage Events – Watch your favourite athletes talk about their profession & passions, see new product reveals, reside card breaks, and extra.
- Merchandise & Apparel – Unique, limited-edition product drops and collabs, plus a full-scale merchandise installations
- Exhibitions – World-class buying and selling card & memorabilia collections on show, corridor of fame caliber memorabilia, and extra.
- Evening Entertainment – Live performances from the hottest acts in music and conversations with thought leaders from the world of sports activities
- Betting & Gaming – Sports betting installations, free to play video games, and buyer sign-up touchpoints, in relevant jurisdictions
- Pop Culture – Guests and content material from the world of leisure that cross over into collectibles and sports activities

Even with the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes, there isn’t a lot hazard of SDCC turning right into a sports activities occasion…the overlap between popular culture followers and sports activities fans has historically been small.

But…there’s a brand new $31 million participant on the town, and we’ll be watching to see the place it goes from right here.