THE SPOT 2019 Opens Registration

THE SPOT has opened registration for the sport and innovation event from May 28-29, 2019, in Lausanne, Switzerland, with an early-bird price of CHF300 for the first 100 tickets.

After the successful inaugural edition this year, THE SPOT expects to draw over 1000 delegates in year two to the SwissTech Convention Center.

  • In the Marketplace and the Demo Zone, participants will be able to present and discover brand new products and solutions with changing stands every day.
  • A conference and workshops in non-traditional formats will connect the participants with pioneers in innovation and generate exceptional conversations.
  • Dozens of young companies will go toe-to-toe in a start-up battle where your vote will go toward crowning the ultimate champion.
  • Numerous networking opportunities will make THE SPOT the birthplace of new cross-sector partnerships and projects.

Several speakers have been confirmed already, including:

  • Kim Blair, senior manager at Exponent, Inc., and MIT Sports Innovation Programme founder
  • Benjamin Penkert, founder of SportsTechX and head of consulting at leAD Sports
  • Anna Rozwandowicz, co-founder of The Story Mob
  • Ian Smith, integrity commissioner at Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC)
  • Mounir Zok, co-founder and managing director at N3XT Sports

THE SPOT is organised jointly by ThinkSport, the Swiss Tech Convention Center, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the Canton of Vaud.

Go to www.thespot2019.org to join in the adventure and register.

Just 3 Days To Go Until iSportconnect’s 2018 Corporate Regatta

There are just three days to go until iSportconnect’s 2018 Corporate Regatta in partnership with Clipper Races. 

The exclusive event is taking place in Portsmouth this Thursday 18th October.

UBS, LaLiga, HOK and Table Tennis England are among the attendees for the Regatta, which offers a unique opportunity for sports business executives to experience a taste of Clipper Round the World yacht racing combined with networking among some of the most influential people in the industry.

Sree Varma, iSportconnect‘s Founder and CEO, said: “This year’s Regatta should be very exciting. Some fantastic companies are taking part and, as always, the event offers a brilliant opportunity for top-level executives to do business and build relationships.”

Only 5 spaces remain for the 2018 Corporate Regatta – please contact Chloe McCombie (chloe@isportconnect.com) to register your interest.

Invitation Policy: The 2018 Corporate Regatta 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 to attend.

Countdown Continues Towards Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup

There are now less than 50 days to go until this year’s Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar in India.

Host city Bhubaneswar is gearing up with a number of activities to engage incoming fans ahead of the 14th edition of the tournament, which opens on 28th November.

Starting this week, Indian hockey legends Dhanraj Pillay and Dilip Tirkey will be taking part in an exhibition match at the inauguration of the newly-refurbished Kalinga Stadium, which will be hosting all of the tournament’s matches.

Bhubaneswar is also holding the first Ekamra International Sports Literary Festival 2018, on the 2nd and 3rd of November, where sports stars, journalists and actors will come together under one roof.

Meanwhile, the state of Odisha is engaging with various celebrities and influencers, ahead of next month’s hockey World Cup. Oscar-winning music composer A.R Rahman has been instrumental in the production of the Official World Cup Song, titled ‘Jai Hind Hind, Jai India’.

Ahead of the tournament’s opening day, Bhubaneswar will be completely Wi-Fi enabled, after agreeing to add 1,800 Wi-Fi access points across the city. Fan parks will also be set up for people to relax and enjoy the 19-day hockey competition.

MLB Attendance Slips Again

As the high-profile playoffs get into full swing, Major League Baseball is digesting another decline in total attendance for the marathon regular season of 162 games per team.

Total attendance of 69.67 million, a decline of 4.1% from last year, was the lowest since 2003.

Average attendance dropped to 28,830, the lowest since 2003 after 14 consecutive seasons topping 30,000.

In a season unusually cold and a large number of rained out games, attendance fell for 17 of the 30 teams.

The team with the best attendance for the sixth consecutive year was the Los Angeles Dodgers with with a record total of 3.86 million including their victorious NL West tiebreaker against the Rockies on October 1.

The Miami Marlins ranked last with a total of 811,104, the first team to finish below 1 million since the Montreal Expos in 2004.

The Expos moved to Washington D.C. and became the Nationals in the 2005 season.

New Era At Spurs As Club Confirms Headwear Partnership

English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur has announced a licensing partnership with U.S. cap manufacturer, New Era.

Under the terms of the deal, New Era will become Spurs’ official headwear licensee, and produce branded headwears to be sold across online and in-store retail channels as well as via the London club’s retail outlets.

Victoria Hawksley, Tottenham Hotspur’s Head of Retail Merchandising, said: “We are delighted to begin this exciting relationship with New Era, recognised as the leading brand in the headwear category.

“We look forward to introducing the new collection to our fans both here in the UK and in key overseas markets.”

Paul Gils, Vice President EMEA at New Era, added: “Tottenham Hotspur is built upon the passion of its fans and we are absolutely thrilled to be launching our headwear collection to those supporters at such an exciting time for the club.”

Spurs face Barcelona at Wembley on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League group stages.

Leicester Belt Up For Vehicle Partner Deal

English Premier League football club Leicester City have named Sandicliffe Ford as their Official Vehicle Partner for the 2018/19 season.

Under the terms of the agreement, the dealership will provide vehicles to the club’s Grounds Team, Supporter Engagement Department and LCFC Community Trust.

In return, Sandicliffe Ford will benefit from brand exposure through the creation of unique content for City’s social channels.

Jonathan Gregory, Leicester City’s Commercial Director, said of the deal: “We are delighted to welcome Sandicliffe Ford to Leicester City as an Official Partner. This deal demonstrates our commitment to working with local leading companies and we look forward to enhancing Sandicliffe’s reputation as one of the most trusted businesses in the region.”

Nick Osborne, Group Commercial Manager at Sandicliffe Ford, added: “We are delighted to partner with Leicester City, a club that shares our passion for providing the very best experience for our audience. We are proud to provide key departments across the club with high-quality vehicles that will enable them to continue their great work.”

eToro Joins Final Speaker Lineup At 2018 Lausanne Summit Powered By PwC

iSportconnect is delighted to announce that eToro has joined the final speaker lineup for the 2018 Lausanne Summit, powered by PwC and in association with ThinkSport, taking place on September 25th, 2018. 

Dylan Holman, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at eToro, is the last addition to the summit programme.

In his role at eToro, Dylan leads the company’s landmark partnerships with seven English Premier League football clubs, with each deal paid for via the cryptocurrency, bitcoin. Prior to eToro, Dylan worked in the sports industry for over a decade at companies such as Fast Track, where he delivered both global and grassroots sponsorship campaigns.

Dylan will be joined at the 2018 Lausanne Summit by:

  • André Stöckli,  Head of Sponsoring, Raiffeisen Schweiz
  • Joey Tan, Head of Global Strategic Initiatives, Alibaba
  • Mo Fadl, Head of eSports, Riot Games UK
  • Kalvin Chung, Director of MnM Gaming
  • Sébastien de Chaunac, Head of Communication and Brand Activation, Formula E program, ABB
  • Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF
  • Sébastien Audoux, Head of OTT Sports, Canal+
  • Daniel Marion, Chief of Information and Communication Technology, UEFA
  • Brent Barry, Head of eSports, Logitech
  • David Dellea, Head of Sports Business Advisory, PwC
  • Simon Morton, COO, UK Sport
  • Javier Alonso, Executive Director of Kosmos & CEO of Kosmos Tennis
  • Candice Mudrick, Senior Client Director, Newzoo
  • Felix Blank, Director of Digital Platforms, Sportradar
  • Diego Gilardoni, International Consultant, Author & China Specialist, Hofstede Insights
  • Marco Tinnirello, CEO, Eurovision Media Services

 

 

 

iSportconnect’s 2018 Lausanne Summit will bring together some of the key leaders from the world of sport business, to debate the topics that are currently transforming the industry. 

The 2018 Lausanne Summit will be an opportunity for top-tier executives to experience and enjoy the unique learning and networking benefits available at this exclusive invitation-only event. All discussions will remain confidential under the Chatham House Rule.

Invitation Policy: The 2018 Lausanne Summit is an invitation-only event. Complimentary invitations will be overseen by PwC at its own discretion. If available, iSportconnect may issue a limited amount of tickets for purchase on a first come first serve basis. Invitations are personal and cannot be transferred.

For limited partnership opportunities, please contact Hugo Millns (hugo@isportconnect.com)

Kosmos CEO Alonso Will Feature At Lausanne Summit

iSportconnect is pleased to announce that  Javier Alonso, Executive Director of Kosmos and CEO of Kosmos Tennis, will feature as the subject of the Interview of the Day at the 2018 Lausanne Summit, powered by PwC and in association with ThinkSport, taking place on September 25th, 2018.

Before joining Kosmos, Javier spent 25 years in the management team of Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder for leading motorcycling championships including the MotoGP series.

As Dorna’s Managing Director of Events, he was responsible for the organisation of all the group’s international racing events. He was also Executive Director of the World Superbike Championship.

Kosmos is a Barcelona-based holding company founded and chaired by professional football player Gerard Piqué, and backed by Hiroshi Mikitani, the Chairman and CEO of e-commerce giant Rakuten.

Earlier this year, the International Tennis Federation unveiled a 25-year, $3 billion partnership with Kosmos aimed at transforming the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and generating substantial revenues for global tennis development.

From 2019, the competition will see 18 nations and the world’s best players compete in a week-long season finale to be crowned Davis Cup champions.

Kosmos is currently building a global portfolio of sports, media, and entertainment ventures, leveraging strategic synergies across content, platforms, technologies and geographies.

They will be joined at the 2018 Lausanne Summit by:

  • Joey Tan, Head of Global Strategic Initiatives, Alibaba
  • Stephane Fillastre, Head of Brand, Licensing & Retail, FIA
  • Sébastien de Chaunac, Head of Communication and Brand Activation, Formula E program, ABB
  • Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF
  • Sébastien Audoux, Head of OTT Sports, Canal+
  • Daniel Marion, Chief of Information and Communication Technology, UEFA
  • Brent Barry, Head of eSports, Logitech
  • David Dellea, Head of Sports Business Advisory, PwC
  • Marco Tinnirello, CEO, Eurovision Media Services
  • Candice Mudrick, Senior Client Director, Newzoo
  • Felix Blank, Director of Digital Platforms, Sportradar
  • Mo Fadl, Head of eSports, Riot Games UK
  • Diego Gilardoni, International Consultant, Author and China Specialist, Hofstede Insights
  • Simon Morton, COO, UK Sport

 

iSportconnect’s 2018 Lausanne Summit will bring together some of the key leaders from the world of sport business, to debate the topics that are currently transforming the industry. 

The 2018 Lausanne Summit will be an opportunity for top-tier executives to experience and enjoy the unique learning and networking benefits available at this exclusive invitation-only event. All discussions will remain confidential under the Chatham House Rule.

Please contact Chloe McCombie (chloe@isportconnect.com) to register your interest in attending the 2018 Lausanne Summit.

Sandoz Foundation (Lausanne Palace) is our Hotel Partner for the 2018 Lausanne Summit. In order to book your accommodation for the event at a special rate, please click here.

Invitation Policy: The 2018 Lausanne Summit is an invitation-only event. Complimentary invitations will be overseen by PwC at its own discretion. If available, iSportconnect may issue a limited amount of tickets for purchase on a first come first serve basis. Invitations are personal and cannot be transferred.

For limited partnership opportunities, please contact Hugo Millns (hugo@isportconnect.com)

Manchester City Profits Up As Revenue Hits Record High

Manchester City’s revenues reached an all-time high of £500.5 million for the 2017-18 financial year, breaking £500 million for the first time, an increase of 44% in five years.

The club is now in its fourth year as a profitable enterprise, with profits bouncing back to a reported £10 million.

Profits reached £20 million 2015-16 before slipping to £1 million the following year.

Commercial revenues for 2017-18 grew by 7% to £232.3 million as Gatorade, Tinder and Marathonbet signed on as new partners and several of partnerships were renewed and extended.

Partners all developed engaging activations during the year, most notably SAP, Wix and UBTECH.

Broadcast revenues were up 4% to £211.5 million.

Matchday revenue increased by 9% to £56.7 million.

Club Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said “most of the developments visible today are the result of a carefully crafted strategy — one in which organic evolution has also been allowed to thrive.”

Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano (in photo) said: “We recognise that the sporting challenge continues. Consistent domestic success and further development in the Champions League will be our focus in 2018-19 and the seasons to come.”

The photo comes from the 2014 iSporconnect Brands Masterclass hosted at City Football Group headquarters, in which he took part in a two-way session with WPP Chairman Sir Martin Sorrell.

UK Athletics Chief Steps Down

UK Athletics Chief Executive Niels de Vos is stepping down after eleven years at the governing body, effective at the end of this month.

Nigel Holl, UKA’s Strategy and Partnerships Director, will assume the role of Interim Chief Executive.

An open recruitment process will commence shortly.

With De Vos at the helm, the UK delivered the successful IAAF World Championships and World Para Athletics Championships and established the Anniversary Games as well as this year’s newly-launched Athletics World Cup.

Richard Bowker, Chairman of UKA said: “Niels has been a fantastic servant to not only UKA, but the sport of Athletics as a whole. The sport has grown and been hugely successful under his leadership. Today’s announcement is the culmination of a number of months dialogue about his ambitions to set up his own business. He leaves with our enormous thanks and we wish him well for the future.”

UK Athletics will retain the departing CEO’s services in a limited capacity so that a number of important issues where he has led discussions and negotiations can be wrapped up.