Budweiser Hotel by Pestana Officially Opens Its Doors With FIFA Man Of The Match, Presented By Budweiser Press Conference; Unveils Budweiser Hotel Calendar Of Events

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, officially opened the doors to the highly anticipated Budweiser Hotel by Pestana at Copacabana Beach today with a kick-off press conference and panel discussion to launch the 2014 FIFA Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser.  The award, which is determined by fan voting and will be presented after every match of the tournament, recognizes the top player who had the most significant impact or influence on their team's performance.

During the press conference, former FIFA World Cup™ players Juliano Belletti (Brazil), Davor Suker (Croatia) and Pierre van Hooijdonk (Netherlands) shared their expert analysis, predictions and insights on players to watch and potential breakout stars for their year's tournament. Additionally, the players revealed a redesigned Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser trophy for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.

The FIFA Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser, will continue to bring football fans closer to the game that they love, as the award is determined by fan voting. In addition to voting on FIFA.com, the program will feature an all-new, Twitter voting mechanism, where, when users tap the #ManoftheMatch Tweet from @FIFAcom either online or from their mobile device, a custom Twitter Card will display featuring side by side player photos, giving users the chance to cast their vote for the Man Of The Match. Users who tap one of the photos to vote will automatically generate a Tweet with their selection.  Voting for the FIFA Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser, begins at the start of the second half of every match, closes at the final whistle, and will now be available in six languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Arabic.

As appointed by Thierry Weil, Director of FIFA Marketing, "The FIFA Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser is an important FIFA sponsor programme which plays a key role for fan engagement during the FIFA World Cup™. Through an innovative collaboration with Budweiser we will for the first time offer fans the opportunity for social media live voting, from the start of half time to the end of the match. This illustrates our commitment to giving the fans the opportunity to be part of the sport they love."

Budweiser Hotel by Pestana:
Brand Unveils Full Concert Line-Up, Partner Parties and more 
Last month, Budweiser rolled out exciting plans for the Budweiser Hotel by Pestana on Copacabana Beach, establishing the premier destination in Rio de Janeiro for exclusive events during the FIFA World Cup Brazil™.   Today, the brand revealed additional event programming that will continue to infuse sports and entertainment, including an epic concert line-up, rooftop pool parties with world-class brand partners, and an abundance of special appearances from former FIFA World Cup™ legends and celebrities.

Andrew Sneyd, Global Vice President Budweiser, said, "We are excited to officially open the doors to the Budweiser Hotel by Pestana. Our Rise As One FIFA World Cup™ campaign focuses on footballs unique ability to unite a global fans base in celebration of the game and we are thrilled to bring fans from all across the world together at the Budweiser Hotel to celebrate the beautiful game with best-in-class entertainment and experiences."

Further establishing the Budweiser Hotel as the premier destination in Rio, Budweiser has partnered with multiple world-class brands to host exclusive events and parties where Budweiser guests can soak up the sun, enjoy music, dancing, and a cold Budweiser. Select partner events include:

• VICE
• UFC
• EA Sports
• FIFA Interactive World Cup
• Kicking + Screening Film Festival
• Playboy

In addition to previously announced musical performances by world-renowned EDM DJs Nicky Romero, Zedd, Major Lazer and Above & Beyond, the Budweiser Hotel by Pestana will also feature performances headlined by several other musical stars including:

• Fatboy Slim
• Felguk
• Faul & Wad Ad
• Howie Lee
• Brazil's own Jorge Ben Jor

For more details on Budweiser's Rise As One campaign and for the latest Budweiser FIFA World Cup news, please visit www.RiseAsOne.com and follow @BudweiserFC on Twitter.

About Budweiser & Football
Budweiser has a strong commitment to football globally, having served as official beer sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™ for over 25 years, and with an ongoing commitment through the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. 

About the Budweiser Hotel by Pestana
Budweiser, together with leading global hotel group, Pestana, will transform the Pestana Rio Atlantica hotel into the Budweiser Hotel, the destination for marquee events during this year's FIFA World Cup™.  Pestana Rio Atlântica is a 5 star hotel in Rio de Janeiro, located on Atlântica Avenue with a dazzling view overlooking the iconic Copacabana beach.

About Anheuser-Busch InBev
While Budweiser will serve as the official beer of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, Anheuser-Busch InBev will once again leverage its portfolio of beers around the world by extending local sponsorship rights to its leading brands in select football markets, including Brahma (Brazil), Harbin (China), Corona (Mexico), Jupiler (Belgium and The Netherlands), Siberian Crown (Russia), Cass (Korea), Hasseroder (Germany) and Beck's (Italy), among others. 

Anheuser-Busch InBev is a publicly traded company ABI based in Leuven, Belgium, with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange BUD. It is the leading global brewer and one of the world's top five consumer products companies. Beer, the original social network, has been bringing people together for thousands of years and our portfolio of well over 200 beer brands continues to forge strong connections with consumers. This includes global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; international brands Beck's®, Leffe®, and Hoegaarden®; and local champions Bud Light®, Skol®, Brahma®, Antarctica®, Quilmes®, Victoria®, Modelo Especial®, Michelob Ultra®, Harbin®, Sedrin®, Klinskoye®, Sibirskaya Korona®, Chernigivske®, Cass®, and Jupiler®. Anheuser-Busch InBev's dedication to heritage and quality originates from the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium dating back to 1366 and the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery, with origins in St. Louis, USA since 1852. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, Anheuser-Busch InBev leverages the collective strengths of its more than 150,000 employees based in 25 countries worldwide. In 2013, AB InBev realized 43.2 billion USD revenue. The company strives to be the Best Beer Company in a Better World. For more information, please visit: www.ab-inbev.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140609/105993

SOURCE Budweiser