ANNOUNCEMENT: Diversity And Inclusion Panel Confirmed For Leadership Masterclass

iSportconnect are excited to announce our Diversity and Inclusion Panel, in association with DIAL Global which will take place at our Leadership Masterclass.

Taking part in the panel will be Colonel Lucy M Giles, President of the Army Officer Selection Board, Chloe Targett-Adams, Global Director of Promoters and Business Relations at Formula 1, and iSportconnect’s own Chief Operating Officer, Ray James.

Chloe Targett-Adams

Chloe Targett-Adams has worked for Formula 1 for more than a decade, now holding the position of Global Director of Promoters and Business Relations, leading and managing the race promotion operations.

She previously held the position of Senior Counsel with the company, working across F1’s business activities on a global level. Chloe went to the University of Leeds prior to graduating from BPP Law School.

Colonel Lucy M Giles

Colonel Lucy Giles was commissioned in 1992 after studying at Exeter University. Early regimental duty in the newly formed Royal Logistic Corps and after gaining her Masters and completing the Advanced Command and Staff Course from 2001-03, she was posted to HQ Northern Ireland.

LaLiga President Javier Tebas and Chief Executive of The European Tour, Keith Pelley, will also be speaking at the event.

She commanded 47 Air Despatch Squadron and also led a training sub-unit prior to her appointment as an instructor at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in 2011. Here she focussed on command, leadership and management, represented the College in military ethics and leadership development gaining her PGCE in 2013.

Appointed Commander of New College RMAS in January 2015, she received an entry into the Debretts’ People of the Day in 2016. She won the ‘Inspirational’ and ‘Woman of the Year’ awards at the inaugural Women in Defence event in October 2016. She is an ambassador for First Women UK, is part of the Girls School Association teachers’ mentoring programme and received an honorary doctorate from Exeter University for services to the military in July 2017. Promoted in 2018, she is now President of the Army Officer Selection Board in Westbury.

Lucy is married to Nick. They have two children; Jess and Alex. She enjoys drama, singing and support to Girl Guiding.  She also coaches, competes and runs orienteering to UK Armed Forces level.

Ray James

Our very own Ray James will also be speaking on the panel about his own personal experiences throughout his career in the world of sports business.

Ray is Chief Operating Officer at iSportconnect and has held major roles at Chelsea Football Club, Sky Sports, City Football Group and Millwall Football Club.

Moderator – Leila McKenzie-Delis

The Panel will be moderated by Leila McKenzie Delis, CEO of DIAL Global. DIAL stands for Diverse, Inclusive, Aspirational, Leaders. The purpose of the organisation is to further develop diversity, inclusion and belonging within business & wider society by giving leaders the knowledge and network to foster sustainable & positive change.

Leila has spoken at “Women in Sustainability” and the Diversity Dividend Conference, She has also hosted events such as “Celebrating Diverse & Inclusive Leadership” and “Women in Leadership” so is a perfect fit to lead the diversity and inclusion panel.

With a maximum of 150 invite-only delegates, iSportconnect provides a media/agency free opportunity to network with influential senior-level sports business executives. We are famous for our intimate and relaxed environment, encouraging ideas exchange and helping to introduce you to the right new connections.

To register your interest in attending the 2019 iSportconnect Leadership Masterclass, please contact Joe at joe@isportconnect.com

Invitation Policy: The Leadership Masterclass is a complimentary event for iSportconnect members who are from governing bodies, sports teams, brands and broadcasters. There is no fee to become an iSportconnect member. No sports agencies, professional service providers & suppliers are allowed.

For limited partnership opportunities, please contact brandon@isportconnect.com

iSportconnect Partners With Sports Tech Nation Summit

iSportconnect is proud to announce a new partnership with sports technology group Colosseum Sport in the lead-up to the Sports Tech Nation Summit 2019 taking place from 24-25th of November 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Sports Tech Nation is the international summit of the sports tech industry, gathering the most disruptive technologies and tackling the main investment trends. Among the guests at the summit will be top tech investors, leading clubs, sport organizations, and startups.

Sports Tech Nation 2019 will feature top executives and speakers from 30 countries with over 500 participants and discuss the two major themes of Sports Investment and Sports Tech trends for 2020.

“We are very pleased to begin working with Colosseum and look forward to the Summit in Tel Aviv, “ said iSportconnect CEO Sree Varma. “Innovation is at the core of iSportconnect’s outlook and Sports Tech Nation will offer a unique place to get acquainted with the most exciting ventures and explore business opportunities with the Israeli tech ecosystem.”

Tickets to the event are available now at: https://www.sportstechnation.com/2

About Colosseum

Colosseum Sport provides technology access and know-how to sports organizations, startups and corporates to improve their performance, gain international exposure and be at the forefront of innovation. Its end-to-end solutions help all key players in the sports tech ecosystem learn, grow, and innovate. 

Colosseum Ventures will focus on helping early-stage sports tech startups scale worldwide, thus fuelling the growth of the ecosystem in Israel and abroad. The strategic team is composed of key players of the sports business, investment, and technology industries.

International Esports Federation Look At Moving Headquarters To Dubai

President of the International eSports Federation Colin Webster says the federation would ‘love’ to move their headquarters to Dubai.

There are plans by the federation to bring a number of eSports events to the region, including their annual conference.

Webster said: “I have been to Dubai before and every time I return, I just get blown away by the incredible pace of development here. It is an incredible city, with a great vibe and we would love to shift our global headquarters to Dubai. I believe Dubai can be the global hub of esports.

“We would love to bring our annual IeSF summit here next year, especially since it is the year of Expo 2020 here. We are looking forward to working alongside Dubai Sports Council and the local esports federation to launch new international competitions that will be held here in Dubai. To organise this tournament at a venue like, say, Hamdan Sports Complex would be just amazing.”

iSportconnect: The Weekly Deals Update

Here are some of the big deals from this week in the world of sport:

Tottenham + HSBC

West Ham + Bundled eSports

Jockey Club + Alzheimer’s Society

Eurosport  + Twitter

Formula One + Hard Rock Stadium

Bayern Munich + Stryking

Axe + League of Legends

Vinfast + F1 Vietnam GP 2020

Nike + TraceMe

ERT + Basketball Champions League

Seven League + RWC

City Football Group + Cisco

Scottish Premiership + Infront

Manchester United + Marriott Hotels

Bayern Munich – Vejo

Stockholm To Be Home Of Largest Permanent Esports Venue In Europe

Europe’s largest permanent esports venue is set to built in Stockholm by Swedish Company ‘Space’.

The site will be 7,500 metres squared and contain 500 gaming stations, as well as containing an 800-seat auditorium.

Space founder and Head of Esports for Universal Music Group, Gustav Käll, said: “In online culture, people are interested in gaming, music, and content creation. They are the three biggest pillars in terms of what the youth enjoy. We want to bring that under one roof.”

Anna König Jerlmyr, mayor of Stockholm, added: “Space Stockholm, with its unique location at the heart of Sweden’s capital, is poised to become a cultural landmark – not only for the city, but for the entire country. It promises a bright future for Sergels Torg by creating a modern, progressive hub for digital culture.”

NBA’s Financial Losses From China ‘Substantial’ Says Adam Silver

Financial losses from the NBA and China’s recent issue are ‘substantial’ says Commissioner Adam Silver.

It has been far from ideal preparation for the new season, with Silver and co having to deal with the ramifications that came after Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted supporting freedom for Hong Kong.

The commissioner told the Time 100 Health Summit: “The losses have already been substantial. Our games are not back on the air in China as we speak, and we’ll see what happens next. I don’t know where we go from here. The financial consequences have been and may continue to be fairly dramatic.”

“We made clear that we were being asked to fire him, by the Chinese government, by the parties we dealt with, government and business. We said there’s no chance that’s happening. There’s no chance we’ll even discipline him.”

ING Become Turkish Basketball Super League Title Sponsor

The Turkish Basketball League has a new title sponsor in global financial company, ING.

ING have agreed a three-year deal with the league, having previously been a main sponsor.

Infront brokered the deal, with their Managing Director, Ender Uslu, saying: “ING is a globally-recognised brand that has consistently aligned itself alongside some of basketball’s top properties. The company has already seen the value that the Turkish Basketball Super League can offer as a Main Sponsor and I’m delighted to continue working with them in their new expanded role within the competition.”

FIFA Women’s World Cup Seen By More Than A Billion

This summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in France reached 1.12 billion viewers, either on TV at home, on digital platforms or out-of-home.

The final was seen live by over 260 million viewers, and the average live match audience more than doubled from the 2015 edition.

An estimated 481.5 million people accessed coverage of France 2019 on digital platforms, equivalent to 43 per cent of the total audience reach. The digital audience, which overlaps with the linear TV audience, was up considerably on the estimated 86.0 million in 2015.

City Football Group Announce Cisco As New Global Partner

Manchester City and City Football Group have agreed a new multi-year partnership with Cisco.

This is Cisco’s first major partnership with a football organisation, which also covers New York City FC, Melbourne City FC, Yokohama F. Marinos, Sichuan Jiuniu FC and the women’s teams in Manchester and Melbourne.

City Football Group will utilise Cisco’s networking and other key technologies to enhance the operations of each club and strengthen connectivity across the Group as a whole.

“We are delighted to announce this new partnership with Cisco which will span four continents across the City Football Group network,” said Damian Willoughby, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at City Football Group.

“CFG is an organisation built on people and we are excited to embrace Cisco’s technologies to better connect our clubs, players and fans across the world. ”

Brian Eaton, Director of Global Sports Marketing at Cisco, added: “In City Football Group we found a global organisation that is relentless in its pursuit of excellence and taps into people’s passions in a way that few other things can.”

Rugby League World Cup Gaming And eSports Tender Won By 7League

Rugby League World Cup 2021 has announced that Seven League, the digital sports consultancy has won the strategic gaming and eSports tender for the tournament.

Seven League have won the appointment in the hope of driving forward the digital element that will be behind the entire 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

Jonathan Neill, Commercial Director at RLWC2021 commented: “We want to explore the positive role that gaming and esports may play alongside the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments at RLWC2021 in meeting our overall objectives.”

Richard Ayers, Founder and CEO at Seven League, commented: “I’m thrilled that RLWC2021 has chosen Seven League to explore the ways in which the tournament can connect with fans and communities through gaming and esports. We look forward to using our extensive experience of working with both ‘traditional’ sports clients and esports/gaming clients at this important intersection between the two worlds.