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The NCAA Final Four continues to be a significant event for SportsMark and our clients. This year, we continued our longstanding partnerships with NCAA Corporate Partner, The Hartford and broadcaster, CBS, creating truly memorable guest experiences for our clients and their important guests.

As an NCAA Corporate Partner, The Hartford activates throughout the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

This year, SportsMark created marketing events in 12 tournament cities around the country and at the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis.

In planning these business-centric events for The Hartford, our focus was to create opportunities throughout the tournament that fostered networking and business development.

For the fourteenth year in a row, SportsMark managed all aspects of CBS Television Stations’ hosting program for key advertisers during NCAA Final Four weekend. 

In addition, SportsMark’s creative team designed and produced exclusive NCAA Corporate Champion and Partner Pre-Game hospitality events at the Indianapolis Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.

The pre-game events featured performances by rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Steve Miller Band, local cuisine, and a hosted bar.

Production included a complete build out of the theater, including a CBS and NCAA-branded entrance tunnel and interior, including:

• One-of-a-kind concert posters designed by in-house SportsMark artist
• Customized branded motion graphics and highlight videos running on screens throughout the venue
• Unique CBS Sports/NCAA Final Four-themed sculptures capturing great moments throughout Final Four history
• Life-size video gaming on 10x10 ft screens
• Customized DJ booth in a large 10ft high basketball hoop
• Classic arcade games
• Comfortable, inviting lounge areas
• Buffets with specialty linens, tiered glass and themed props
• Guest, staff, and artist credentials and staff uniforms reflecting the event’s theme

The pre-game event has become an integral component of Final Four weekend, producing added value and sponsorship leverage for CBS Sports and the NCAA Corporate Champions and Partners.

This year’s pre-game events each hosted more than 1,100 guests and continued to strengthen the NCAA sponsorship asset as a “must attend” exclusive guest experience.

SportsMark received tremendously positive responses from CBS Sports, the NCAA, and the NCAA Corporate Champions and Partners.