Two Weeks To Go – iSportconnect Adds Three More Speakers from LaLiga, Riot Games and NBA

iSportconnect is delighted to announce that three additional guest speakers have been added to the Beijing Summit line-up which is taking place on March 26-27th at the iconic National Aquatic Centre in the Olympic Park, Beijing.

Sergi Torrents, Managing Director, LaLiga China

Johnson Yeh, Managing Director China and Southeast Asia, Riot Games

David Wang, Senior Vice President of NBA China

Sergi has worked in China for over 12 years across varying sports including Football, Basketball and Motor Sports. Prior to LaLiga, Sergi was the chief executive officer of 11Group.

Johnson has held positions at Fidelity Investments and McKinsey & Company, he later went on to work for the World Economic Forum in Geneva. Now currently the Managing Director of Riot Games’ China, Johnson focuses on  building China’s business team.

David oversees many key areas of NBA China’s business, including Global Partnerships, Media Sales, Merchandise Licensing, E-Commerce and Interactive Gaming. An expert in sports marketing and licensing in the China market, David has nearly 15 years of experience developing and managing sports brands. Prior to working at the NBA, David held a key management role in the Organizing Committee for the Beijing Olympic Games. 

 

Confirmed speakers

Tom Glick – Chief Commercial Officer – City Football Group

Yang Yang – Two-Time Olympic Champion – Former IOC Member

Sergi Torrents – Managing Director – LaLiga China

Johnson Yeh – Managing Director – Riot Games China

Rouven Kasper – Managing Director – Bayern Munich FC China

David Wang – SVP of Global Partnerships – NBA China

Li Haojie – Board Chairman – Tianrong Group

Jonathan Levy – Director of Sponsorships – Clipper Ventures

Jason Ferguson – Chairman – WPBSA

Antoine Haincourt – Head of MSc – EMLYON Business School

Julia Cui – Partner – CGX Management

Duan Gang – Deputy Chairman & CEO – China Open Promotions

 

Please contact Niren Hirani (niren@isportconnect.com) for further information on ticket prices and remaining packages.

What makes the iSportconnect Summit so special?

∙ The Summit is open exclusively to Director/C-Suite level executives at sports rights holders, sponsorship brands and broadcasters.

∙ Event capacity is capped at 150 delegates allowing intimate access to key decision makers in the sports industry.

∙ No agencies or press in attendance and as we follow Chatham House Rules, all panel discussions will remain confidential.

iSportconnect Celebrates Women and Reveals Influential Women in Sport in their first London Directors’ Club

In celebration of International Women’s Day, iSportconnect (the largest global private network of sport business executives) held a special women’s panel to discuss topics such as female player participation and gender equality.

Unknown to the audience, iSportconnect had a guest speaker, Micky Lawler who awed the audience on her take on the matter via a video message.

This panel engaged the audience due to its great topics. In addition to the celebrations and with the help of a panel of experts, a list of influential women in sport was selected – please see below:

Steve Elworthy from ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 commented: “I found it extremely insightful. It was a wonderful session. I thought The Celebration Of Women In Sport Panel about the leadership, the involvement, the inclusive nature of where we are going in sport, particularly women in sport hugely enlightening.”

This unique event held at BMA House presented beautiful views overlooking the courtyard for the exclusive 140 attendees. The attendees from a selection of different sectors all came together to discuss and network over the industry’s current environment.

Following the success of the Women’s Panel, Steve Brown gave his take on the subject of women whilst discussing women’s participation in rugby.  There was a range of key themes addressed such as OTT and the evolution of Rugby.

iSportconnect will be holding a second London Directors’ Club in December. However, prior to the December, there will be a range of Masterclasses.

Please contact lovely@isportconnect.com to register your interest in future iSportconnect events.

 

Betting on Football 2018 to assess the prospect of regulatory backlash

This year’s Betting on Football (20-23 March) will assess the prospect of a regulatory backlash as established betting jurisdictions start to push back on the industry.

‘Is there a backlash coming?’ will be held as part of the Leadership track, which takes place on the second full day at Stamford Bridge (Thursday 22 March).

Speakers include Kindred Group CPO Britt Boeskov, IBAS Managing Director Richard Hayler and Wiggin Partner Stephen Ketteley, alongside Joe Saumarez Smith, Chief Executive for Sports Gaming, Chairman of Bede Gaming and non-executive director of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

The session, which will also debate if the industry is at fault for failing to implement effective self-regulation, is the fourth of seven in the Leadership track.

The action gets underway with an analysis of the philosophy of gambling, and whether there is an acceptable balance between the potential benefits of betting and its potential for harm.

Ahead of more industry consolidation, including GVC’s possible £4 billion takeover of Ladbrokes Coral, high-level panelists will be assessing the value of investment outside of the biggest players, and the state of play in the affiliate sector.

After headlining the ‘Managing Risk’ panel at last year’s event, Marek Smrha, Investment Manager at Penta Investments, is back to help delegates identify the ‘attractive risk’, with the support of Akur Capital Partner David Shapton, Better Collective Head of M&A Michal Kopec and David Levy, Business Development Director at XL Media.

Šmrha commented: “We are happy to share our experience as a long-term investor and partner for companies in CEE. With Fortuna Entertainment Group being one of our key assets, we have a vested interest in the future of the gambling industry in the region.”

Meanwhile, #bofcon2018 has embraced the ‘Creative approach’ shown by products such as BetBuilder and MatchAcca. How these request based bets are influencing trading will be debated by Sporting Index Head of Football Tom Palin, Betgenius Business Development Director Sam Hill, Sky Betting & Gaming Head of Sports Andy Wright and Steen Madsen, Managing Director at Betsson Group.

Hill added: “BetBuilder is an accumulator service which blurs the lines between pre-match and in-play betting, allowing punters to create their own narrative around any given fixture. Products like this highlight the role of trading functions in sports betting innovation, and are set to play a major role at this summer’s World Cup in Russia.”

Following the focus on regulatory backlash, the afternoon agenda is made up of a hat-trick of CEO panels, starting with the changing landscape for affiliates featuring Inbal Lavi from Israel XL Media, alongside OLBG’s Richard Moffat and Easyodds’ James Garmston.

The penultimate session of the track will see Mybet’s Markus Peuler and BetBright’s Marcus Brennan assess the importance of this summer’s World Cup for future business, before ‘Lands of opportunity’ provides a fittingly topical finale to the CEO trilogy.

As the state of New Jersey threatens to blaze a trail for the opening of the US sports betting market, Sportingtech CEO Tiago Almeida will be on hand to discuss how suppliers can plan for the opening of new markets, and whether operators are too reluctant to experiment with third party ideas.

Tickets for the event are still available, to get them please go HERE
There are also still a few sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available – to enquire about these, please contact us on sales@sbcnews.co.uk.

iSportconnect announces Goodform as official CRM & Data partner

iSportconnect, the world’s largest global private network of Sport Business Executives, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Goodform.

As part of the agreement, Goodform will become iSportconnect’s official CRM & Data partner.

Sree Varma, Founder and CEO of iSportconnect, said: “I am delighted to have Goodform on board. How organisations are using data to engage and grow their audience has developed into a key area within the sports industry and I cannot wait to share Goodform’s expertise with our wider network.

“Goodform’s consistently high standards are akin to our own and we have some exciting plans in place for this partnership.”

Goodform’s services focus on the use of data and insight to drive tangible growth – whether in revenue, participation or membership. Their client list includes EFL, British Athletics, Silverstone, Premiership Rugby, British Cycling, Welsh Rugby Union, Formula E, Watford FC, and NatWest 6 Nations.

Michael Jones, Goodform’s Managing Director, said: “We are thrilled to partner with iSportconnect during an exciting period in Goodform’s history. Our recent experience of working on major international tournaments including Rugby World Cup 2015 and IAAF World Championships London 2017, along with the key role we play for clients such EFL, British Athletics, and British Cycling ensure that we have unrivalled knowledge and expertise within the sports industry. iSportconnect represents the perfect partner and platform for us to share this knowledge.”

About iSportconnect

iSportconnect was launched in 2010 with the aim of bringing together sports business professionals around the world in a sports business networking community enabling them to meet one another, find information and obtain access to a wide range of relevant services.

The platform is now the largest global private network of sport business executives, where membership is exclusive and follows a strict door policy.

About Goodform

Goodform was established in 2002 to professionalise the marketing of sports venues, clubs, leagues, governing bodies and associations.

Today Goodform works with more than 50 professional sports organisations, helping them to engage and grow their audience.

 

iSportconnect kickstarts 2018 in style with the Broadcast Masterclass

iSportconnect, the largest global private network of sport business executives, kicked off 2018 in style with the Broadcast Masterclass.

Over 100 high-ranking delegates were present at K&L Gates’ London offices, which offered superb views over the St. Paul’s skyline in the capital.

The first panel featuring FEI, Olympic Channel, Canal+ and DAZN provided a great momentum and generated a lot of discussion about the new generation of video platforms.

Guest speaker Peter Hutton, CEO of Eurosport provided an engaging presentation in which he documented his experience and the lessons learned from his recent assignment at the Winter Olympics in Korea.

Audience engagement led to further discussion about the Case Study on Digital Production of Events. Networking opportunities as part of our partnership with Wildmoka were provided throughout the day for all the attendees.

Guests reconvened to watch a presentation on monetizing mobile audiences and were later enlightened by the third panel on Rights Competition: New Phase Ahead.

Partners were delighted with the level of attendees in the room, leading to plenty of valuable discussions, new connections and potential business partnerships.

Hutton said:  “I think the great thing about something like this, is that it’s all about the quality of the speakers and the quality of the attendance”.

Aarti Dabas, Head of Media Rights, Broadcast & Digital at the International Cricket Council said:  “This is the first Broadcast Masterclass I have attended. For me it was really nice listening to the other panelists and even Casey, the moderator giving little insights. There were people from completely different organisations to where ICC is and I personally learnt a lot from them.

“During the panel discussion, there were ideas floating in my head about what cricket can do and learn from other sports. Therefore, events like these are very important for the sports industry to grow.”

London Directors’ Club is next in iSportconnect’s stellar line-up planned for 2018.

Please contact Lovely Cheron (Lovely@isportconnect.com) to register your interest in future iSportconnect events.

Fantastec acquires OTT platform We Are Colony

Fantastec Sports Technology Ltd (Fantastec) has acquired We Are Colony Ltd (Colony), an OTT VOD technology company.

Fantastec through the acquisition aims to develop products, platforms and experiences which enable globally distanced fans to better connect and engage more deeply with the sports, teams and athletes.

Fantastec’s managing partner Steve Madincea said:  “We moved quickly with our investment group on Colony because they have the three vital ingredients we look for in any acquisition: industry leading technology, an inspired and capable leadership team, and an ethos of continuous growth and constant innovation which aligns with Fantastec’s ambitions.”

Colony CEO Sarah Tierney said: “In the face of enormous disruption across the film industry, we built Colony to empower content owners to easily reach engaged audiences around the world. Over the coming years, the sports industry will face similar levels of disruption from a globalising fan base along with rapidly changing tastes, demographics and habits.

“I am incredibly excited to join the Fantastec family and apply our advanced technology and comprehensive in-market experience to solving a range of challenges and opportunities in the sports sector.”

Fantastec was founded in 2017 by Madincea, an international sport’s industry entrepreneur.

 

Jockey Club Racecourses offer public free bespoke Wi-Fi

Jockey Club Racecourses have announced the installation of bespoke free public Wi-Fi across its 15 racecourses.

Free Wi-Fi is now available across all public areas at all 15 racecourse venues, including grandstands, bars, restaurants, hospitality areas, Owners & Trainers areas, parade rings and concourses. The Wi-Fi also provides use for The Jockey Club’s own business services and for its partners, such as access control, point of sale functionality and the Britbet pool betting service launching in July 2018.

The Jockey Club’s business services arm, Jockey Club Services also offers other UK sports organisations its expertise in designing and delivering multi-venue Wi-Fi systems through consultancy and central services that provide guest portal, web filtering, customer data aggregation, reporting and insight.

The Jockey Club’s racecourses are: Aintree, Carlisle, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs, Exeter, Haydock Park, Huntingdon, Kempton Park, Market Rasen, Newmarket July Course, Newmarket Rowley Mile, Nottingham, Sandown Park, Warwick and Wincanton.

Paul Fisher, chief executive of Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “It’s essential we continue to invest in enhancing the experience we offer to our customers. Racing is a fantastic day out and we are very clear that free Wi-Fi is a customer expectation, so I am very pleased we have completed what amounts to Europe’s largest multi-site system rollout.

“This also creates a range of commercial opportunities, including for partners, engagement through our app, customers sharing their experience on social media and for our forthcoming Britbet pool betting service.”

Alan Stewart-Brown, regional vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Xirrus, one of the technology providers involved in The Jockey Club’s Wi-Fi project said: “Xirrus are proud to be part of what is undoubtedly the largest multi-venue, high-density Wi-Fi installation in Europe.”

 

Smart Clothing and Body Sensors to debut as product showcase at SportAccord 2018

Making its debut at SportAccord 2018, smart clothing and body sensor brands will hit the runway in front of a global audience with a daily Product Showcase to ignite the senses at this year’s World Sport & Business Summit.

With more and more players entering this market, a growing variety of products are arriving on the scene. Sports apparel and footwear continue to lead the way with garments that provide more in-depth physiological and biometric data than has previously been available for wristbands and watches.

On top of this, professional sports teams continue to adopt the technology with the body sensor market set to achieve 92.1 million units in 2022.

The SportAccord 2018 Product Showcase provides a unique opportunity for a limited number of brands to get in front of their target audience – the international sports federations – and steal a march. Fitness wearables market growth is being driven by professional athletes, teams and consumers looking to gain performance advantage. Athletes and teams were identified as one of the biggest drivers at the International Federation (IF) Forum in 2014.

Compression technology for quicker athlete recovery, moisture management, smart footwear, wearable patches, connected sports and fitness apparel, all have the opportunity to be on stage at SportAccord 2018. Interested brands should contact sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 601 27 64.

With an average audience of around 700 delegates during each Product Showcase, brands will have the opportunity to reveal new products and apparel in front of the global sports community – including media.

Taking place in the heart of the exhibition close to the SportAccord Café, there are multiple packages available to suit all budgets starting at CHF 3,000 – a steal when the current rate per delegate is CHF 2,500. This package includes One Showcase, two delegate passes, and an advert in ‘The Daily’ SportAccord newspaper (digital and print). Brands will also benefit from exclusive ‘promo’ shots to raise visibility for use in media and marketing campaigns.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said: “The Product Showcase is an exciting opportunity for sports apparel, smart clothing and wearables brands to gain exposure on a world stage.

“Years ago, professional teams had straightforward competition and training kits. Now, we’re starting to see devices integrated into their athletic wear for performance analysis. On top of this, smart sports apparel is being designed with superior comfort and performance in mind, for both consumers and professional athletes.

“Of course, ‘branding and sponsorship’ is also an important aspect for sportswear too – both on and off the field of play, and is part of the theme for this year’s conference programme. The SportAccord Product Showcase is a golden opportunity for a few brands to take part and engage with their target audience.”

Brands who are interested in taking part in the SportAccord Product Showcase set to take place from Tuesday 17 April to Thursday 19 April throughout the day, should contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 601 27 64.

Brands will also have access to the SportAccord Official Schedule including well over 20 key networking events, a full conference programme, and a popular 3-day Exhibition, as part of the delegate experience. SportAccord is also host to the Annual General Assemblies of its GAISF members.

Eurosport records 76 million engagement digitally for PyeongChang 2018

Discovery and Eurosport’s coverage of PyeongChang 2018 on digital & social platforms reached a record 76 million – more than doubling the average number of users and reaching new and younger audiences.

Approximately 58% of the population watched on free-to-air and pay-TV in Discovery’s top ten markets across Europe, on its own channels, and those of its partner broadcasters, with a record breaking over 90% TV audience share achieved in Sweden and Norway.

And 76 million users enjoyed the games online, on social and through the integrated Eurosport app, which includes free content and premium sport streaming service, the Eurosport Player.

David Zaslav, Discovery Communications CEO, said: “Discovery is proud of the consumer response to Eurosport’s coverage of the Olympic Games, brought to life by innovative production, the latest technology and local stories for 48 countries in 22 languages.  Much of what we set out to do in PyeongChang, never has been done before, highlighted by delivering every minute of the action in the first-ever digital Games across Europe.”

Zaslav continued: “Our inaugural Olympic Games have surpassed expectations in terms of what we can achieve as a company, most notably with record audiences on free-to-air and pay-TV services, coupled with strong levels of traffic on our integrated Eurosport app, online and through our social channels.  We believe these fans have started or deepened their relationship with Eurosport and we are excited to keep them with us for more of the biggest sports moments all year round.”

 

LawAccord to focus on legal risks and contract negotiations for hosting big events

Delegates attending this year’s LawAccord conference will hear from leading experts on the legal risks and business implications for hosting major global sports events.

LawAccord will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 18 April during SportAccord at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre and is particularly suited to GAISF International Federation members and registered delegates from cities, legal teams, and sports stakeholders.

The opening session will examine how rights are awarded to host major events and will recommend the legal steps to undertake for contract negotiation.

Delegates will hear from Catherine Ordway, Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne who will discuss how inter-agency collaboration is increasingly needed to be organised by bidding cities to support traditional sports integrity efforts.

A special joint panel session will follow with CityAccord on the most important commercial considerations when preparing to bid for an international event to void disputes and conflict, supported by case histories. Legal and city panel experts include:

  • Craig McLatchey OAM, Lagardère Sports/EKS
  • Dr. Robert Kaspar, Assistant Professor for Sports Management, Seeburg Castle University
  • David Simon, President, Los Angeles Sports Council

A scene setter outlining the Dos and Don’ts in contract drafting will follow by Jeff Benz, CEDS, JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator and former General Counsel of the United States Olympic Committee. This will run alongside commentary from Francisco Lima, Director Governance & Institutional Affairs from the International Equestrian Federation, on special issues arising from the movement of horses. A panel session will follow and seek to identify the ten most important issues for any hosting agreement, including risk allocation between the event owner and host city. Commenting on his involvement in major event bids Benz said:

“I am pleased to participate in the LawAccord and CityAccord joint session at SportAccord on Host City Agreements.  Since my days as USOC general counsel through multiple event bids and hosting through today I have had the tremendous pleasure to work with a variety of parties in putting together the legal arrangements to conduct events in a variety of contexts. I am looking forward to sharing what I know about this subject and to deepening my knowledge learning from my fellow speakers and the audience. Putting together a solid event framework built on the basics business terms and legal agreements is the key to success in running events.”

This year’s LawAccord Keynote by Matthieu Reeb, Secretary General, Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), provides the essential annual update, a must attend for lawyers and sports administrators, where Reeb will share the most recent CAS cases and their impact on planning and decisions.

LawAccord Co-Chairs Stephen Townley, Active Rights Management (ARM) and Michael Lenard, ICAS, Vice President will announce the launch of the LawAccord global pro bono sports law firm of the year award 2019. This is supported by leading international academics Hayden Opie and Matthew Mitten as independent administrators for the award.

Host cities, as well as organisations and legal practices looking to attend LawAccord should register for SportAccord 2018 giving them access to the entire conference programme. As part of the Official Schedule, SportAccord will host well over 20 networking events, a 3-day Exhibition, and an extensive Conference programme to include: the Summit (Plenary), CityAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord, HealthAccord; as well as workshops delivered by Sportcal and Yutang Sports.