The Bellagio in Las Vegas is one of those places in the world where fantasy becomes reality. That will never be truer than when the Fantasy Sport Trade Association lands at the Bellagio Jan. 15-16, 2015 for its annual Winter Conference. The two-day event promises the excitement of the annual FSTA Experts Draft combined with an examination of the current state of fantasy sports and where the industry is headed.

The 2015 Winter Conference will showcase industry-leading companies and thought leaders brought together to look at the key issues in the industry. The Jan. 16 sessions will include updates on legal issues and the latest industry research. It also features the popular Elevator Pitch, sponsored by Thinking Fan Design, which will give new companies and new ideas a chance to showcase their ideas in 3 minutes or less.

The conference begins Jan. 15 with a golf outing at the Royal Links at 9 a.m., followed by new member orientation at 2 p.m. and enrollment for the Elevator Pitch at 2:30 p.m.

The opening day highlight will be the annual FSTA Experts’ League Fantasy Baseball Draft, which will simulcast live on SIRIUS XM radio. MGM Resorts, one of the Gold Sponsors of the FSTA Winter Conference, will offer a $1,000 resort credit to the winning expert.

January 16 will feature a full day of conference presentations from industry experts. These will include a discussion of how national restaurant chains that cater to fantasy drafts are now expanding their offering to players throughout the season. Another session will feature a presentation of the latest industry research on the differences between daily fantasy players and traditional players, followed by a panel discussion on the topic. The full agenda is available here.

Optimal Payments is the Platinum Sponsor of the 2015 FSTA Winter Conference. Fan Duel, MGM Resorts and Skrill are the Gold Sponsors. FantasyData.com is the Social Media Sponsor, XML Team is the Wifi Sponsor, RealTime Fantasy Sports is the Draft Technology Sponsor, Thinking Fan Design is the Elevator Pitch Sponsor, ZwillGen is the Lanyard Sponsor and FantasyAlarm is the Video Highlight Sponsor.

The 2015 Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) will hold its annual Winter Conference on Jan. 15-16 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Among the planned events is the FSTA Experts’ League Fantasy Baseball Draft, Live on SIRIUS XM Radio, on Jan. 15 and sessions on fantasy sports legal issues, new product launches and marketing fantasy sports on Facebook. To register for the winter conference, go to www.fsta.org.