Scrabble Champions Tournament Announcement
Scrabble® Champions Tournament Set to Debut in Prague.
Championship Event Evolves to Bring Exciting New Challenges and Formats to Scrabble® Players.
EL SEGUNDO, CA (May 17, 2013) Prague is set to play host to The Scrabble® Champions Tournament, an exciting new annual tournament that brings together the best Scrabble® players.
Formerly known as the World Scrabble® Championships, The Scrabble Champions Tournament will take place at the Andel’s Hotel, Prague from December 3rd – December 8th, with a guaranteed prize fund of $25,000.
The event celebrates top ranked players and encourages up-and-coming Scrabble game enthusiasts to take part in a refreshing new format.
"We are pleased to be creating an exciting new event that will not only create a great tournament for the very best players but will also encourage new players to get involved and challenge themselves in a fun and friendly format," comments Elizabeth Grampp, Global Marketing Director, Mattel Games.
"2013 is a year of evolution and enhancement for our Scrabble brand. Not only do we have a brand new look, new variations, and new community initiatives launching, but our commitment to the live Scrabble tournament scene is evolving thanks to our partnership with key territory associations and leading event management consultancy, Mind Sports (International) Ltd. It is an extremely exciting time for all Scrabble players," stated Grampp.
Honoring players that have competed for the past two years for a place at the prestigious event, The Scrabble Champions Tournament will this year adopt the same entry procedure as the past World Scrabble Championships. The newly created Elite Tournament is by invitation only and will recognize the qualification places pre-assigned to each participating country, with over 100 places going to the best, spanning five continents.
For up-and-coming players, an Open event has been created to sit within The Scrabble Champions Tournament. This event welcomes new players to the tournament for the first time and encourages broader participation.
The Elite and Open events within The Scrabble Champions Tournament will be conducted in English, with a series of language-specific side events set to take place as part of the annual Prague Mind Sports Festival Scrabble schedule, which takes place around The Scrabble Champions Tournament. This gives players from non-English speaking countries the opportunity to compete in their native languages and again encourages new players to test their skills, regardless of their knowledge of the English dictionary.
For further information on The Scrabble Champions Tournament, the event schedule and structure, please visit: www.praguemindsportsfestival.com.
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About Mattel
Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, Monster High®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends®, Fisher-Price® brands, including, Little People®, Power Wheels®, as well as a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2013, Mattel was named as one of FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the sixth year in a row. Mattel also is ranked among Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs approximately 30,000 people in 40 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. At Mattel, we are Creating the Future of Play. Visit us at www.mattel.com, www.facebook.com/mattel or www.twitter.com/mattel.
SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro, Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.
About Mind Sports (International) Ltd.
Mind Sports (International) Ltd. brings the world's most popular mind sports together, giving leading brands and players across the globe the opportunity to take part in the very best mind sports events and experiences. Official organizers of the Prague Mind Sports Festival and other global events, Mind Sports (International) Ltd. bring fun and excitement to millions of enthusiasts worldwide.
Contacts:
Mattel: Sarah Allen: Sarah.Allen@Mattel.com
Mind Sports (International) Ltd.: Peter Ramsay, Director of Marketing & PR, Living it Loving it: pramsay@livingitlovingit.com / +44 (0)7795 830839 / +44 (0)1752 231825
Websites:
Mind Sports (International): www.mindsportsinternational.com
Mind Sports Festivals: www.mindsportsfestivals.com
International Offices:
Bowman House
Beechwood Way
Langage Business Park
Plymouth
PL7 5HH
United Kingdom
International Offices:
3753 Howard Hughes Parkway
Suite #200
Las Vegas, NV
89169
USA