Introduction

iMedia were appointed to produce a series of high profile poker events to promote the newly established International Federation of Poker (‘IFP’) and launch the IFP ‘Nations Cup’ (team duplicate poker championship) and IFP ‘The Table’ World Poker Championship.

The Objective

To create a series of high-profile events  and generate maximum publicity.

Strategy

Create a ‘world-first’ by staging a poker tournament in the iconic London Eye (and County Hall) on the banks of the River Thames. The event attracted most of the world’s top poker players (and a host of celebrities), had a prize fund of $500,000, and was broadcast ‘live’

The project was extremely complicated and required the seamless production of six simultaneous events:

• International Federation of Poker (‘IFP’) ‘World Congress’ (County Hall)
• Media Launch & Press Conference (County Hall)
• Welcome Reception & Launch Party (County Hall)
• International Mind Sport Association (‘IMSA’) ‘UK Festival of Mind Sports’ (The London Eye)
• Inaugural International Federation of Poker (‘IFP’) Duplicate Poker ‘Nations Cup’ (The London Eye & County Hall)
• Inaugural International Federation of Poker (‘IFP’) ‘The Table’ Poker World Championship (County Hall)

Event Venues

County Hall

• IFP ‘World Conference’
• Welcome Reception & Launch Party
• IFP ‘Nations Cup’ Duplicate Poker Championship (round 2)
• IFP ‘The Table’ Poker World Championship

The London Eye 

• IFP ‘Nations Cup’ Duplicate Poker Championship (round 1)
• IMSA ‘Festival of Mindsports’
• Hospitality

Events

IFP World Congress 

• Staging of the inaugural International Federation of Poker (‘IFP’) ‘World Congress’ attended by all National Federation presidents

Media Launch

• Immediately proceeding the IFP World Congress event, media were invited in for the official launch of IFP ‘The Table’ and IFP ‘Duplicate Poker Nations Cup’ events

Player Briefing

• The media launch was followed by a ‘player briefing’ for all teams playing in the IFP ‘Duplicate Poker Nations Cup’ to explain format and rules

Launch Party 

• Evening launch party hosted for x180 media and guests. Included welcome speeches, live music and hospitality

Poker Tournaments

IFP ‘Duplicate Poker Nations Cup’ / IMSA ‘UK Festival of Mindsports’

• Thursday 17th November
• The London Eye (x32 individually fitted-out capsules and total venue ownership)
• x12 ‘poker’ capsules (each with x6 players / x1 dealer / x1 scorer)
• x10 ‘mindsports’ capsules (two each for: chess; xiangqi; draughts; Go; bridge)
• x8 hospitality capsules (each with a maximum of x20 guests)

IFP ‘Duplicate Poker Nations Cup’

• Thursday 17th November
• County Hall – Riverside Suites 1, 2, 3, 4
• x6 remaining national teams (x36 players / x6 poker tables)
• x2 TV tables
• Awards ceremony and trophy presentation

IFP ‘The Table’ World Poker Championship

• Thursday 17th November
• County Hall
• x135 players playing Texas Hold’em
• $500,000 (total prize fund) / $250,000 (winner

Branding

• Each event required a unique brand identity and comprehensive suite of branded assets and materials to create a bespoke ‘look & feel’.
• Each venue had to be completely re-branded between events.

A unique set of ‘assets’ were required (designed and produced) for each event

• Poker chips
• Poker cards
• Secure card boxes (‘Nations Cup’)
• Poker tables (including ‘The Table’)
• Uniforms (‘Nations Cup’ teams / staff)
• Accreditation & lanyards
• Merchandise
• Trophies

TV Production

• The IFP ‘Duplicate Poker Nations Cup’ and IFP ‘The Table’ World Poker Championship events were both fully televised events
• IFP ‘Duplicate Poker Nations Cup’ was recorded for TV
• IFP ‘The Table’ was streamed ‘live’ across digital channels

Accreditation

Requirement to create, produce, assign and distribute unique accreditation for each event:

• IFP ‘World Congress’
• Media launch
• Launch party
• IMSA ‘UK Festival of Mindsports’
• IFP Duplicate Poker ‘Nations Cup’
• IFP ‘The Table’ World Poker Championship

• The project was logistically extremely complicated and required the seamless production of no less than six simultaneous events (including launch parties and press conferences)
• ‘World-first’ staging a poker tournament in the London Eye
• Successful staging of the inaugural IFP World Congress
• Successful staging of the inaugural IFP ‘Nations Cup’ team duplicate competition
• Successful staging of the inaugural IFP ‘The Table’ World Poker Championship