Touchdown Media Inc., the leading Multicultural advertising firm, today announced the launch of the sixth season of the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee. MetLife, a leading global provider of life insurance and other financial services, returns as the title sponsor of the contest.  
 
The event is open to children of South Asian descent up to 14 years of age. It will give South Asian children a chance to test their spelling skills in their core peer group. Interested spellers need their parent or guardian to register them online at www.southasianspellingbee.com.
 
Organized by Touchdown Media Inc., the 2013 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee will be conducted in 12 locations across the United States starting on June 15. Regional level events will be held in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Washington DC Metro, New Jersey, New York and Boston. This year Orlando has also been added to the roster. All events will be free to attend and open to the public.
 
“It's great to be celebrating the 6th year of the South Asian Spelling Bee. With the help of our sponsors and media partners, a great platform has been built for the community where spellers can test their skill and have the thrill of being on television. We have expanded to 12 cities across the US and over these past few years we have seen some amazing talent and lots of new talent develop. The Bee has become a critical platform for the youth and we aspire to continue this effort year after year,” said Rahul Walia, CEO of Touchdown Media Inc. and founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee.

Each competition will begin with a written test of 25 words. The participants must spell 15 or more words correctly to advance to the afternoon oral round, which will be conducted by experienced pronouncers and judges. The top three in the oral round will receive prize money.
 
The top two spellers of each regional competition will advance to the finals to be held in New Jersey in August. Like last year, MetLife has inducted the $10,000 champion’s scholarship that will be awarded to the winner at the finals.

"MetLife is pleased to serve once again as the title sponsor of the South Asian Spelling Bee competition,” said Laurel Daring, assistant vice president, Diverse Markets, MetLife. “This event allows youth from across the country to test their spelling skills in a national forum that can provide a tremendous boost toward fulfilling a student’s educational aspirations. By challenging themselves in this manner, all of the participating students can see the potential that can be unlocked through hard work, talent and dedication.”  

Along with MetLife, airline major Air-India and education company C2Education have also come on board as sponsors for this event. As always, SONY Entertainment Television Asia is the exclusive broadcast partner for the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee and will be airing the series across 120 countries.

“Once again, we are proud to be associated with the Bee and this year, have planned on a series of episodes highlighting the journey of this event since its inception. SONY will be broadcasting a total of 6 episodes in 2013 giving sponsors, participants and viewers an insightful look at the Bee. We look forward to yet another successful year,” said Jaideep Janakiram, Head of North America, Sony Entertainment Television-Asia.

For a complete schedule, registration and any other information, please visit: www.SouthAsianSpellingBee.com.

Find us on Facebook at South Asian Spelling Bee and you can follow us on our Twitter handle at Spell South Asian.


About MetLife:
MetLife, Inc. is a leading global provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs, serving 90 million customers in over 60 countries.  Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.  For more information, visit www.metlife.com.
 
About Sony Entertainment Television Asia:
Since its launch on the Indian subcontinent in 1995, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has enjoyed rapid success, leading to the establishment of European, North American and African feeds known as SET Asia.  SET and SET Asia are now available in over 150 countries.  The channels offer their viewers a distinctive blend of entertainment programs twenty-four hours a day, including, soap operas, dramas, sitcoms, concerts, movies, and game shows. For more information, visit www.setasia.tv.
 
About Touchdown Media Inc.:
Touchdown Media Inc. is a specialized South Asian advertising and promotions firm based in New Jersey. Now in its 10th successful year, Touchdown has helped clients- both mainstream and otherwise, reach out to the lucrative South Asian market, Touchdown Media represents more than 35 years of collective experience in this niche market. As a full service ad firm, Touchdown has helped many clients achieve their media and marketing goals within the South Asian Diaspora in the US.

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