iSportconnect Launches Summit in Olympic Capital
September 28, 2017
iSportconnect, the largest global private network of sport business executives, successfully launched a new Summit format September 27 in Lausanne, the Olympic Capital.
The inaugural event, which was hosted in association with PwC and ThinkSport, took place in the spectacular surroundings of the Olympic Museum, where high-ranking delegates gathered to discuss a variety of issues impacting the future of the global sports business.
Attendees were given exclusive access to PwC’s Sports Survey 2017, which was first made public at the iSportconnect event.
Check out the highlights from our inaugural Lausanne Summit.
— iSportconnect (@iSportconnect) September 27, 2017
In the opening panel session, Timo Lumme, TV & Marketing Director at the IOC, Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director at UEFA, Peter Hutton, Chief Executive Officer of Eurosport, and Lorenzo Stoll, Vice President at SWISS International Air Lines, exchanged views on the image of sport and brand reputation.
In the following sessions, ESL Chief Executive Ralf Reichert offered an overview on the future of eSports, and Paul Barber, CEO of Brighton & Hove Albion FC, shared his insights on how a less wealthy team can compete at the top level.
The second panel of the day on the impact of digital disruption featured Jeff Haas, Chief International Officer at DraftKings, Ben Morel, MD & Senior Vice President EMEA at NBA, Alfredo Bermejo, Head of Digital Strategy at LaLiga, and Claude Ruibal, Executive Director at Infront Sports & Media AG.
Peer-to-peer discussions continued during a series of networking sessions overlooking Lake Geneva, providing guests with an inspiring setting in which to build new connections and consider potential partnerships.
Fittingly – given the Olympic-themed location – the third panel examined the challenge of hosting major events in times of austerity with Etienne Thobois, CEO of the Paris 2024 Bid Committee, Balázs Fürjes, Government Commissioner for The City of Budapest, and Marisol Casado, President of the International Triathlon Union, providing expert insights on the issues.
The day concluded with a fascinating debate on the subject of electronic officiating and whether technology could one day have the capacity to wrestle control away from human officials completely, with Steve Carter, Managing Director at Hawk-Eye, on hand to explain the latest innovations.
Overall, the stunning setting, distinguished panellists and a thoroughly engaged group of international delegates added up to a successful launch of the iSportconnect Summits in Lausanne.
The next stop on iSportconnect’s global Summit tour is Dubai, with Brett Gosper, CEO of World Rugby, and Adolfo Bara, General Manager Marketing & Sales at LaLiga, having already been confirmed as guest speakers.
Future Summits will also be staged in Beijing, Singapore, Madrid, New York, Mexico City, Moscow, Munich, Paris and London throughout 2018.
Please contact Chris Edbrook (chris@isportconnect.com) to register your interest in future events.
