Miami business conference featuring Tom Brady goes awry over signing fiasco
Fans that purchased VIP tickets to a business conference in Miami over the weekend where seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady was expected to be one of the guest speakers were disappointed when the $3,600 tickets they purchased, which included a signed autograph from the NFL legend, didn't turn out the way they had hoped.
Several attendees posted on social media and spoke to other media outlets about their experience at the EXMA event, where several claimed that their prized Tom Brady-memorabilia was ruined by what they said was an unrecognizable signature.
But the New England Patriots legend was reportedly equally surprised by the turn of events.
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"We were never told that our items had to be preapproved," Glenn Gagnon, one of the 100 individuals that purchased VIP tickets, told cllct. "If our items were not approved, I would have much rather him not sign it than what we got. He defaced our stuff."
Another attendee, Brad Jarrett, claimed in a lengthy Facebook post that ticket purchasers were not told that there were any item restrictions. Jarrett, who had a 2000 NFL Draft ticket, claimed the signature he received was "poor quality," but better than what most others received.
But a source with knowledge of the situation told Fox News Digital that Brady fulfilled contractual obligations, which included signing a set number of autographs on gifts meant to be purchased by the vendor.
The source added that despite fans' understanding, under the contract, EXMA was required to purchase the items Brady was supposed to sign through an "approved vendor" and that those items were to be given as gifts to those VIPs.
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The contract details, first reported by cllct’s Darren Rovell, included a speech given by Brady, and 100 photos and autographs. It also specified that the sponsor was "responsible for the purchase of the items through an approved vendor."
A source told the outlet that only photos and Brady’s book, "The TB12 Method," were preapproved.
According to the report, another issue arose when an unaffiliated memorabilia dealer began promoting the event to collectors as a signing event.
Founder and CEO of EXMA Fernando Anzures told cllct that there was a miscommunication about the vendor’s responsibility regarding the items that were supposed to be signed and reaffirmed that Brady did in fact fulfill his obligations.
"EXMA should have been more explicit in our communication with ticket holders regarding what items were permitted at the event," his statement read.
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Fanatics, who some claim was involved in the signing fiasco, released a statement on X disputing this.
"Fanatics weren’t in anyway a part of, or present at this event. That said, we are sorry that you and other fans had a less than ideal experience."
The entire situation has left some fans still looking for answers. According to cllct’s report, some attendees were refunded, while others were trying to wipe the signature off their items. For those with the unfamiliar signature, they are running into issues trying to get those items authenticated.
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