What We've Done

World Poker Tour China

Bendigo Co. was hired by WPT Enterprises in fall 2006 to extend its brand into Asia, leading it’s China Joint Venture “Big Turn Asia” to explore opportunities with the China Sports Ministry.

Gambling is not legal in the territory, but Sofka learned that the beloved local game of “Traktor Poker” had been recently sanctioned as a Sport, and that new national rules had been created to unify the various styles of play across China. In 2007, the WPT signed an historic agreement with the Sports Ministry becoming their Exclusive Commercial Sanctioning Body and Marketing Partner, launching the first National Poker Tour in China. Bendigo and Big Turn operated the WPT entity in China, managing i

t’s 15 City Tour, Website and TV Debut on Nanjing TV in November 2008.

Big Turn Entertainment

Bendigo Co. was invited by China Sports Industry Group (China’s Sports Ministry’s commercial arm) to mine opportunities at its series of “Olympic Gardens” real estate properties across China. Sofka envisioned development of marketing partnerships which could be extended to Beijing Olympic Sponsors, allowing them to activate their rights at the properties.

Bendigo Co. co-created Big Turn Entertainment & Sports with partners Elite Sports Properties and Judson Patrick LTD to develop marketing partnerships on behalf of Olympic Gardens and other high-profile properties in China.

NFL Throwbacks

Baseball “owned” the sports nostalgia space until the NFL’s 75th Anniversary. As Sr. Director of Licensing at NFL, Sofka was inspired by the unlocked treasure-chest of NFL history at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and created and trademarked “Throwbacks, The NFL Vintage Collection”. Sofka presented a plan to the NFL Commissioner and Owners to take the field in Throwback uniforms on Throwback Week to celebrate the League’s 75th. On 9/20/94 every team wore their Throwbacks

as part of a year-long celebration. The NFL was named a BRANDWEEK Marketer of the Year”. NFL teams still wear their “Throwbacks” every year on Thanksgiving Day.

Clear Channel + NFL

The NFL was seeking to reach teens and drive ratings with hot music acts, and Clear Channel was seeking to leverage the power of its national radio platform. As Corp SVP at CC, Sofka created and negotiated the first ever “Officially Licensed National NFL Radio Promotion”.

Delivering 500+ CHR and Rock stations for 2002 Super Bowl Halftime Show Starring U2, and NFL Kickoff in Times Square 2003 starring Bon Jovi, both organizations leveraged key assets at no cost, generating incremental revenue and enhancing each other’s brands.

City of New York Intellectual Property Licensing Program

NYC’s intellectual property had been managed by individual agencies across the City. Sofka created NYC Licensing, centralized the marks, created new trademark and copyright protocol, capitalized on economies of scale, and hired licensing experts to manage the business in-house.

The program was launched and involved existing and newly created marks including NYPD, FNDY, NYC Parks & Rec., and newly created marks for the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission and Department of Transportation.

City of New York Marketing

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff established NYC Marketing in 2003, centralizing the City’s Intellectual Property authority into a new focused agency.

NYC Marketing was tasked with developing and deploying the City’s brand and marketing assets to help make the City a better place to live, work and visit.

Sofka was appointed Deputy Chief Marketing Officer of the City upon the agency’s inception, responsible for mining and developing the City’s marketing related assets and creating the architecture and go-to-market strategy for the new agency. Key contributions included creation of NYC Licensing, the NYC Brand Identity Initiative, NYC Taxi Branding and supporting Sponsorship programs with Snapple, Virgin America, Country Music Awards, and The History Channel. NYC Marketing is now part of www.nycgo.com

AirRep Systems

A small independent company out of Yarmouth Nova Scotia needed help getting is patented idea out to market. The “Batter Up” System had great potential, but struggled to grow. Sofka was asked to re-engineer the company from the bottom up, creating a new approach, new brand identity, new IP and broadening patent applications to re-launching the project. The new “AirRep Systems” company debuted at the 2007 Super Bowl.

United Football League

The UFL (www.ufl-football.com) hired Bendigo in April 2009 to lead development of Names, Logos and Uniforms for the new upstart

League which planned to take the field that October. In just six months Bendigo organized Brand, Naming and Design Agencies including www.purepartner.net and www.charleyinc.com to put the professional league on the field in exciting names, logos and uniforms.

Bendigo

then delivered over $350K in Official Outfitting agreements and directed the League’s E-Commerce and Merchandising during the League’s inaugural season, including the League’s Official Outfitter agreement with www.getgamewear.com

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