The X games for creators: How We Built the World of sponsor games
AUTHOR | Sara Loretta
LAST UPDATED | October 2026
Sponsor games at a glance
When Justin Moore (Creator Wizard) decided to take his signature program, Brand Deal Wizard, off-screen and into real life, the goal wasn’t to host another influencer summit; it was to create something entirely new: a live, gamified learning experience.
Sponsor Games is a two and half day event for creators to learn how to pitch and land brand deals through interactive gameplay. For the first two days, attendees work through Justin’s proven 8-step method to refine their sponsorship strategies. Eight finalists advance to the Pitch Tank, a live finale to live pitch a panel of judges for a chance to win cash and prizes.
For Creator Wizard, Sponsor Games represents a bold step; translating a proven digital education model into an in-person, gameplay-driven experience. The real challenge was timing. Each game, session, and activity had to flow seamlessly across two full days of structured play. Every transition — from team challenges to sponsor activations to the final Pitch Tank — needed to run like clockwork to maintain engagement and energy.
To ensure that, we coordinated a full dry run one month before the event, testing every beat of the agenda against real-world timing. This pre-production phase became critical to keeping gameplay and logistics perfectly in sync once doors opened in San Antonio.
By the time doors opened in March 2025 for the first event, Sponsor Games ran like a well-oiled machine. It’s proof that first-time formats don’t have to feel like experiments. Over seven months of planning culminated in a flawless three-day experience where every moving part, gameplay, sponsors, catering, and tech ran seamlessly. There were no delays, no technical issues, and no missed cues throughout the entire production.
Attendees described it as one of the most engaging creator events they’d ever been to.
Sponsors reported 100% satisfaction, citing clear communication, strong visibility, and meaningful engagement with attendees. For Creator Wizard, the success of Sponsor Games 2025 validated an entirely new event (and business) model; one that combined education, competition, and connection in equal measure.
Our work included: experience design, curriculum and agenda development, attendee communications, wayfinding, swag, and onsite production.
Years hosted
2025
2026
2027 coming soon!
Location
The Jack guenther pavilion at the western briscoe art museum
San Antonio, TX
110
Lifetime attendees
19
Lifetime sponsors
$17,500
Lifetime brand deals and cash awards given
Program Design
We designed the agenda around one idea: hands-on learning.Over two days, attendees participate in eight “games”, focused on each step of Justin’s Sponsorship Wheel model like pitching, negotiation, production, and feedback. Attendees were grouped into teams based on content they make and the platform they are on. This dynamic helped creators learn from one another and share own experiences in the sponsorship realm.
To lean even further into hands-on learning, we had attendees create content onsite and receive feedback in real-time from Justin’s coaching team and the Pitch Tank judges.
In 2026, we took things even further, and surprised attendees with the ability to win a $2500 brand deal before they left Sponsor Games. Five creators took home deals from brands like Lulu and KIT.
The Sponsor games sponsors
Sponsor Games has been made possible by partners who supported the experience through sponsorships and in-kind contributions.
Lulu, Paperform, KIT, SHURE, Level Up Creators, Lineage Provisions, Hard Rock Cafe San Antonio, Blobs Candy, Topo Chico, Senja, Linus Tech Tips (LTT Store), and Bitdefender
Sponsor Games wayfinding
When designing the wayfinding for Sponsor Games, we focused on making directional signage as clear and fun as possible, while emphasizing reusable items to reduce waste year after year.
The Food
Most onsite events have unforgettable, safe food. For Sponsor Games, we used food as the connective tissue for having great conversation, through local culture and memorable places in San Antonio.
Onsite Menu (2025):
Breakfast: Mexican pastries
Lunch day 1: street tacos, salad, rice & beans
Lunch day 2: pulled pork sandwiches, mac & cheese, cheviche, salad
Afternoon snacks: fresh churros and paletas
Welcome Party (2025) - 1Watson
VIP Dinner (2025) - Ambler Texas Kitchen + Cocktails
1st Attendee Dinner (2026) - La Margarita Mexican Restaurant + Oyster Bar
2nd Attendee Dinner (2026) - Hard Rock Cafe & Riverwalk Cruise (see below)
A coffee cart with laser-printed lattes
We work closely with Reunion Coffee in San Antonio for a daily coffee cart activation. Attendees can order various drinks throughout the morning, but the main excitement comes from the event logo being laser-printed on the top of every latte. This experience is one of the reasons why Lulu became our presenting sponsor in 2026, and in turn developed the Lulu Creator Lounge, making the coffee cart a hangout destination throughout each day Sponsor Games.
Attendee Swag
Each year of Sponsor Games, we create a limited edition swag item for attendees to take home as a keepsake. In 2025, it was a “no perpetuity” hat. In 2026, it was the coveted money gun & fake money, so when a creator lands a brand deal they can celebrate the W.
In 2026, we also created a booster bag to help attendees get through the day. This includes items like cord ties, Advil, UNREAL chocolate, single-use mouthwash, gum, a Lulu branded portable charger, and a special $100 bill with Justin’s face printed on it.
Every attendee also receives a copy of Justin’s book, Sponsor Magnet.
The Hard Rock Cafe Dinner River Cruise
For Sponsor Games 2026, UNMUTE™ landed a deal with the Hard Rock Cafe San Antonio to sponsor a special activation for all attendees — dinner aboard the river cruise! Attendees selected from various menu items like steak, salmon and burgers, then ate while listening to the history of the city.
