iSportConnect will be holding its 2022 Leadership Masterclass in the heart of London at the offices of Withersworldwide on December 7.
You will get the opportunity to network with influential senior executives from across the world of sport. Our Chatham House policy encourages our speakers to open up in a confidential environment that makes for lively and valuable discussion where rights holders, brands and broadcasters can express their views openly and honestly.
We will be debating the role that leadership plays in sport in today’s ever-changing landscape.
In this community roundtable we will be discussing the benefits CRM systems can have to your business, making sure you get the most you can out of your data.
In this community roundtable we will be discussing why it is important for brands to be culturally aware and why listening to fans is more important than ever.
iSportConnect’s Masterclass Series are sector specific and identify important emerging trends and developments across the business of sport.
An invitation-only event for our community of senior executives, our events provide a media/agency free opportunity to network and learn with like-minds, building relationships that will change our industry for the better.
iSportConnect welcomes you to join our fourth Masterclass of 2022 – The Brands Masterclass is especially for brands looking to maximise their engagement with sport as well as rights owners trying to improve the ROI they generate for brand partners.
There is much talk about the world lurching into a global recession which means that many marketing budgets face being cut. The marketing investments made in sport by brands will in turn be put under the spotlight. How can brands and rights owners evolve to ensure that the value of a partnership continues to grow and remain relevant into the future?
Join the debate with senior brand, marketing and partnerships executives across the business of sports to discuss how sport and sponsors need to evolve to remain relevant to each other.
iSportConnect’s Masterclass Series are sector specific and identify important emerging trends and developments across the business of sport.
An invitation-only event for our community of senior executives, our events provide a media/agency free opportunity to network and learn with like-minds, building the relationships that will change our industry for the better.
iSportConnect welcomes you to join our second Masterclass of 2022 – The Lausanne Masterclass, especially for International Federations and the community across the business of Sport in Canton Vaud.
As the world of federated sport is increasingly being disrupted by new sport formats and younger fans continue to gravitate towards online environments, many International Federations are already looking at how they can diversify and grow the revenues they need to survive and thrive in a new era.
Join the debate with senior commercial, marketing and digital leaders across the International Federations community and beyond to discuss how IF’s can optimise and grow the next generation of revenue streams.
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) in collaboration with key stakeholders from the global esports industry, is preparing for the inaugural ESIC Global Esports Summit (EGES) 2022 which is taking place at the ExCeL, London on the 13th to 14th of April 2022.
The EGES 2022 will bring together various key stakeholders from the esports industry including the top esports publishers, tournament organisers, teams, non-endemics, mainstream media and more. The conference was established by ESIC to become the meeting place and knowledge share hub for the global esports industry. In addition to subject matter expert speakers delivering highly specialised insights across two content streams, the EGES will host a collection of closed-door industry meetings designed at achieving tangible progress in key challenge areas.
This year, the EGES will begin on the 13th of April 2022 with an invitation only ESIC Masterclass on Crime, Fraud and Esports featuring guests from law enforcement and governmental bodies as well as ESIC Anti-Corruption Supporters who will delve into the experiences they have had within the industry. After the conclusion of day 1, the main conference day, on the 14th of April 2022, will feature two specialised content streams: Main Stage keynote sessions and Think Tank expert deliberations and collaborations as well as various closed door industry meetings.
KEY SPEAKERS ON THE MAIN STAGE
The EGES will be a landmark esports industry event and will give attendees an opportunity to hear from the industry’s top thought leaders. The Main Stage will be the centrepiece of the conference with over 15 high profile esports thought leaders from around the world coming together to present meaningful keynote presentations on important esports topics, sharing the depth of their background and personal experiences.
A must-see session on the agenda is that of Michał Blicharz, the VP Pro Gaming at ESL who will be recounting his experiences in managing and developing the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) tournament, the world’s oldest and most prestigious pro gaming tour, watched by 55 million people across 180 countries each year.
Michał will be sharing his personal journey with IEM and how it survived the COVID 19 pandemic in the session ‘Katowice: The Making of an Event’.
Commenting on what you can look forward to at his session, Michał said:
“In 2013 the prospect of a stadium event hardly looked like a guaranteed slam dunk. Today, you could say that the history of ESL is divided into two distinct eras: what came before Intel Extreme Masters Katowice and what came after. Join me at the ESIC Global Esports Summit as I talk about the lessons, we’ve learned between founding the event, transitioning the main tournament from League of Legends to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and navigating it through the COVID-19 pandemic”
Another notable speaker presenting to the EGES attendees will be David Harris, the Managing Director of Guinevere Capital. David will be sharing his personal experiences on the Main Stage with his session on ‘Investing in Esports’.
Speaking on his session and attendance at the conference, David commented:
“After 2 years of disruption with the pandemic, I’m really looking forward to joining an in-person event focused on the esports sector. There will be much to discuss with investment and consolidation in the esports and gaming sector reaching new heights over recent months, along with the increased focus on the metaverse and web 3.0. It’s an exciting time for the industry with both new challenges and opportunities arriving”.
The EGES will also feature the unique and insightful ESIC Think Tank content track. The ESIC Think Tank is a debate style panel session where subject matter experts discuss a topical issue relevant to their area of expertise with the aim of progressing the industry’s understanding of the issue. One of these topics includes ‘Tournaments in a Post COVID-19 World’ in which the leading esports tournament operators will join the moderator to discuss how COVID-19 has affected their tournaments as well as exploring the ongoing ramifications of the pandemic on the future of esports.
The all-star cast joining this think tank discussion include: Michele Attisani, the Co Founder and CEO of FACEIT, Valentyn Shevchenko, the Head of Business Development at WePlay Esports and Andrew Haworth, the Commissioner of BLAST Premier.
Andrew Haworth shares a brief statement about what attendees can look forward to at the conference:
‘Firstly I’m excited to be getting back to in person conferences and being able to hear from colleagues across the industry on the challenges, success stories and learnings from the Covid era. Secondly I’m looking forward to sharing our experiences of delivering a range of tournaments during that era, what we’ll take from this going forward and what mistakes we’ve made and hopefully what we learnt from those mistakes’
The Think Tank will also bring other interesting topics to the EGES such as the ‘Trends in Commercialising Esports: A Team’s Perspective’ session. In this session, top esports teams such as Fnatic and OG Esports discuss the importance of developing strong brands to create sustainable businesses. Edward Gregory, the Senior Partnership Manager at Fnatic will be sharing how he authentically connects brands to fans, through innovative content and activations to leave a lasting impression, with Edward adding:
“I am incredibly excited to be speaking at the ESIC Global Esports Summit this year, the work they are doing in the space to bring legitimacy to all aspects of the industry is brilliant. Having worked in traditional sports as well as esports I look forward to sharing some of the insights I have gained as well as showcase the significant positive trajectory the industry is on, leaning on experiences I have gained from our industry leading partnership at Fnatic”
For more information about the Think Tank content at the EGES, visit: https://www.eges.gg/think-tank
About the Esports Integrity Commission
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) is a non-for-profit, independent, industry member’s association with the mission to protect the integrity of esports by resolving key issues including match-manipulation, betting fraud and cheating in esports. Since its establishment in 2016 ESIC has slowly risen to be the guardian of integrity for the esports industry.
To date ESIC is recognised in several jurisdictions across internationally. ESIC has also acquired over 50+ industry members such as ESL, BLAST, WePlay Esports, and more.
How to get involved:
The inaugural ESIC Global Esports Summit 2022 is now less than a month away, and will be a landmark conference for the esports industry. Whether you will be attending with your colleagues, your friends or by yourself, be sure you don’t miss out!
iSportConnect’s 2022 Broadcast & OTT Masterclass will be taking place on Tuesday, May 10th at Twickenham Stadium in London.
iSportConnect’s Masterclass Series are sector specific and identify important emerging trends and developments across the business of sport. An invitation-only event for our executive community of senior executives, our events provide a media/agency free opportunity to network and learn with like-minds, building the relationships that will change our industry for the better.
While new distribution options have opened up opportunities for content providers, they have also created challenges to go with them. Reaching viewers and fans is easier than ever before but the proliferation of platforms means it can be harder too.
Join the debate with thought leaders in learning the new developments in Broadcast & OTT, and how sport and non-sport is event evolving its content distribution.
Updates
Full lineup and final speakers revealed
Tim Westcott – Senior Principal Analyst, Digital Content & Channels – Omdia
Tim heads Omdia’s research into TV and video programming and channel distribution, including investment in programming by channels and online video platforms, availability of linear channels and on demand services, and sports and movie rights. Tim joined Omdia’s predecessor company Screen Digest in 2004, where his areas of focus included TV production, animation, sports rights, and public broadcasting. He also edited more than 100 editions of the monthly Media and Technology Digest (formerly Screen Digest). Before that, Tim worked at the European Audiovisual Observatory in Strasbourg, France, and in a variety of journalism roles including the Financial Times Group, EMAP (now Ascential), and Television Business International.
Melissa Soobratty – Broadcast Director – World Table Tennis
Melissa Soobratty is the Broadcast Director at World Table Tennis (WTT) and oversees the global commercial broadcast strategy, broadcast production and innovations to expand the appeal and reach of the sport.
She has accrued a wealth of experience in the fields of sports media, OTT, business development, strategy and production over the years having been based in both Europe and Asia. Her previous roles include Vice President, Media at Football Marketing Asia (FMA), Business Development Director, APAC at Endeavor Streaming plus commercial roles at StarHub, Setanta Africa, Fox Sports and BBC Worldwide.
She is passionate about innovation, levelling the equality and diversity playing fields through empathetic leadership and supporting new talent to rise.
Abhishek Ranade – Head of EMEA Media & Entertainment Business – Tata Communications
Abhishek is a seasoned TMT (technology-media-telecom) professional based in London, with experience in building and managing multi-million-dollar businesses from scratch. Leading the Tata Communications broadcast, sports and service provider business in EMEA, he is commercially astute with the ability to build beneficial relationships across companies, continents and win transformational deals. Demonstrated ability to streamline business operations, improve processes to drive growth and profit.
April 12 – FIFA, ELEVEN, Sky, TV4 & more added to Broadcast & OTT Masterclass speaker lineup; Agenda revealed
You can now find our full agenda at the bottom of the page, here are some of our new speakers…
Dave Roberts – Director MA OTT & Digital – FIFA+
Dave is a senior digital and broadcast media executive that specialises in the sports sector. UK born but with a storied career that has given him senior global experience with the likes of ESPN, SKY, Discovery, and Fox.
Currently ‘Director, MA/OTT & Digital’ inside the Commercial Division of FIFA, his responsibilities centre on developing the digital future of football’s world governing body and it’s 211 Member Associations in areas of D2C, digital media and live production.
As former Vice President of Fox Sports, where he headed its sports business development unit, he also enjoys a full media production background having held positions as Senior Executive Producer, TV host and commentator.
Michel Masquelier – Entrepreneur / Former Chairman of IMG Media
Belgian born Michel Masquelier graduated with a degree in Law from the University of Louvain in 1984, before leaving his homeland behind to discover the world of international sport business in London. In 1985 Masquelier began his career in the UK working for the now international sports media giant IMG (International Management Group) as an intern. In 1990 he became a marketing consultant for the International Olympic Committee ahead of the Albertville Winter Games in 1992.
In 1993 he opened an IMG office in Belgium where he became a promoter for the Belgian Open of golf and tennis, as well as organising various concerts. He then became involved in the monetisation of media rights in 2000 for some of the most popular sporting events in the world (Wimbledon, Moto GP, Masters series, Americas Cup, Rugby Wold Cup and different professional football leagues). Consequently Masquelier became Director of Sales, before being promoted to President of IMG Media (production and distribution division) in 2009.
Anouk Mertens – Head of Studios – ELEVEN Group
Anouk leads ELEVEN’s studio capabilities and is CEO of NEO Studios. She creates award winning premium content for the Group’s network of platforms and for 3rd party distributors. Anouk joined ELEVEN in 2015 as Belgium MD and was Group COO between 2018 and 2021.
She has previously held senior roles with cable platform Telenet and media company Sanoma in Belgium. Anouk grew up a Beerschot supporter, but has developed Leeds United sympathies after the making of NEO’s documentary Take us Home.
Johan Cederqvist – Head of Pay Channels & Rights, TV4 & C More
Johan is Head of Pay Channels and Rights for TV4/MTV/C More, a part of Telia Company. Responsibilities include pay channels content and revenue across the Nordics as well as acquisition of sports rights. Has previously held positions as Head of Sports and Head of Sports channels and rights. Before joining the company, worked at IMG and SBS (now Discovery).
TV4 and MTV are the leading commercial channels in Sweden and Finland, and C More offers 17 pay channels and an SVOD service throughout the Nordics. Sports rights include, domestic ice hockey leagues, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championships as well as UEFA Champions League, La Liga and Serie A. C More is part of Telia Company, a major telecommunications provider and TV operator.
Richard Nockles – Creative Director – Sky Immersive
Richard Nockles has been at the cutting edge of immersive technologies since 2011, producing XR films for Google, the UN, SKY, BBC, Channel 4 as well as developing custom experiences for brands and advertisers across a range of interactive formats.
Currently working as Creative Director at Sky Immersive, Richard has helped shape and accelerate the output for the broadcaster’s in-house production team across sports, drama and documentary. Richard sees the integration of game engine and holographic capture as the evolution of entertainment, and develops content across a range of genres and experiences for VR and AR platforms.
Tuesday, 5th April – YouTube and Eurovision Sport added to lineup
Richard Lewis – UK Head of Media Partnerships – YouTube
Richard joined YouTube in 2012. He and his team are the custodians of the Media, Sport and Health Company partnerships for YouTube in the UK. He is responsible for implementing the commercial frameworks and global distribution initiatives for YouTube partnerships with the UK’s leading content producers, broadcasters, leagues, networks, distributors and health care providers.
Previously he held executive positions at HTC, Sony Pictures and Paramount Pictures. A keen sportsman but confident far beyond his abilities in both cycling and triathlon. Husband and proud father of three.
Jean-Baptiste Casta – Head of Strategy & Business Operations – Eurovision Sport
Jean-Baptiste Casta took over the role of Head of Strategy & Business Operations of Eurovision Sport in February 2021, stepping up from the position of Head of Business Development, a role he held since January 2019.
Before joining the EBU, Jean-Baptiste was SVP Acquisition & Operations at Sportfive International, owned by French Lagardere Sport, where he was part of the Management Board. Jean-Baptiste joined Lagardere Sport in 2008 as New Media Director, after having worked 5 years for French TelCo SFR, within Strategy and Sport Rights departments.
Jean-Baptiste began his career as Business Development Manager at DigitalRum in 2001, a UK based startup developing shopping platforms for TelCos.
Born in France, Jean-Baptiste (aged 46) was educated at University of Marne La Vallée where he gained a Bachelor in Economics. He holds a master’s degree in International Marketing from Neoma Business School in France as well as from Universidad de Deusto in Spain.
What will we be covering during the event?
The Evolution of Broadcasting
How have broadcasters adapted to the technological challenges of the cross-platform ecosystem? What are the most effective and scalable solutions for optimising content delivery and monetisation potential?
The Challenges of Being Linear
How can free-to-air broadcasters improve streaming and personalisation to remain relevant and effective for advertisers? How are FAST (free ad-supported streaming) services developing? How do content formats need to change? What are the implications for the rights market?
What’s Next for Viewers?
How far away are AR and VR experiences? Will they become must-haves for audiences? What other innovations lie ahead? How can companies build partnerships to promote sustainable innovation?
Making Sports Content Pay
As cord-cutting continues, how can pay-TV companies and platforms adapt their content offers to retain and grow the subscription base? What lies ahead in terms of unbundling? Or aggregation?
Our Host Venue
A huge thank you must be in order to our hosts for the day, London’s Twickenham Stadium.
As technology disrupts the business of sport, are you keeping abreast of how the shift to web3, virtual worlds and blockchain could revolutionise your business and open up new audiences and revenue streams?
When it comes to harnessing the power of tech, sport often plays catch-up relative to other sectors. At the Web3 Summit, you’ll learn from innovators who are already making Web3 work for them in gaming, music, fashion, art, retail and consumer marketing, as well as the sports business pioneers to help upskill yourself and your team, but also find out what you need to do and what resources you need to invest so that your organisation becomes Web3-agile and proactive in seizing opportunities and not caught on the back foot by accelerating innovation.
The Web3 transition is already underway. Future-proof yourself and your organisation by joining us at the Web3 Summit at the Emirates Stadium in London on June 28/29 to begin your journey to understanding how Web3 and a decentralised internet will reconfigure the foundations of sport and the sports business.
iSportConnect are delighted to reveal our first return to physical events since the coronavirus pandemic, with the announcement of our 2022 Digital & Data Masterclass, taking place in London on Tuesday, March 29th, between 9am to 5pm.
Digital & Data is an area which has become a cornerstone of the sports industry with ever-evolving aspects, meaning a constant uptake of knowledge are necessary in order to stay at the forefront of the latest innovations.
The importance of data and utilising it in a manner which is effective to your organisation is critical across every sector, as the digital world has allowed for further analysis and tracking to become available in places they may not have been in prior decades, creating an abundance of knowledge to gain insight on whether your business processes are being successful.
Digital, meanwhile, has opened up a whole new world for sport as we are all aware, but it does not stand still. Technological advancements are changing the digital space on a near-weekly basis so staying up to date is imperative.
Our sessions
Speakers
Thursday, March 10th – Full lineup
Tuesday, March 1st – Four weeks to go: Snap Inc., InCrowd and Nagra join event roster and full agenda revealed
Anmol Malhotra – Global Head of Sports Partnerships – Snap Inc.
Anmol Malhotra oversees sports partnerships globally at Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, leading relationships with leagues, broadcasters, and rights holders including the NFL, NBA, MLB, UFC, FIFA, Fox, Turner Sports, and NBC. In this role, he also focuses on strategy for several content partnerships and sales initiatives with leagues, teams, and athletes to help them engage new audiences, experiment with innovative forms of distribution and achieve their business objectives. In addition, Anmol helps manage international growth initiatives with sports partners across Asia, Europe, MENA, and Latin America. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and resides in New York City.
Anthony Smith-Chaigneau – Senor Director of Global Sports Marketing and Market Development – NAGRA
Anthony is a digital TV veteran who throughout his career has focused on interactive and value-added services for the consumer.
Alexandra Kyrke-Smith – Audience Strategy Director – InCrowd
Ali is a data insight expert with extensive experience in sport. She has developed fan data strategies for organisations including the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Rugby League World Cup 2021, and led major research projects including for the EFL, Rugby World Cup 2015 and notably Formula 1’s award winning Fan Voice platform. Ali oversees insight delivery for InCrowd’s customers, with a particular focus on how data informs strategy and drives revenue.
You can find the full agenda for the day, containing a full download, available at the bottom of the page ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Wednesday, February 23rd – Tepper Sports & Entertainment, TikTok and the England and Wales Cricket Board revealed in speaker lineup.
Alison Crowe – Director of Digital and Data – England and Wales Cricket Board
Alison joined the ECB in January 2020 as Director of Digital and Data. She manages the Digital and Data function for the ECB across all aspects of cricket from elite England teams, through the domestic professional game, The Hundred and recreational and junior cricket. As an avid sports fan she has brought together her love of cricket with vast digital experience from her previous roles at Credit Suisse, Channel 4 and Hays. She has spent twenty years shaping digital customer experiences, enhancing digital ecosystems, representing the audience and voice of the customer and ensuring a data-led approach to product development and digital communication.
Sean Phaler – Director of Digital Marketing – Tepper Sports & Entertainment
Sean got his first taste of the digital world in eighth grade when he was offered a $60k job as a web designer after winning an online contest. The offer was subsequently rescinded when the company figured out he was only 14. Not to be deterred, Sean has been working in web marketing world pretty much ever since. From creating a custom e-commerce website selling car parts in 2001 to where he is at today with the Carolina Panthers & Charlotte FC.
After four years of high-level college basketball and a short stint as a professional basketball player, Sean launched a successful web design and digital marketing company that catered to small businesses in the Charlotte area. He later took his talents to the NBA, where he expanded the digital footprint of the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets) with expansive interactive web elements, microsites, e-mail marketing, social media, photo/video work and mobile app adoption.
As the Manager of Digital Innovation at Pentair, Sean flourished by disrupting the old B2B manufacturing model and transition the once Fortune-500 company into a leading digital powerhouse. At Ingersoll Rand Sean led two Global Center of Excellence Programs (COEs) in digital marketing and demand generation for a $16B organization. Also, during his tenure he was part of the enterprise marketing team to spinoff and brand an all new pure play climate company – Trane Technologies.
Now at Tepper Sports and Entertainment, Sean is driving digital marketing strategies across the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte FC and Bank of America Stadium. Under owner David Tepper, the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC are looking forward to a new era of continued success, business growth and even deeper engagement with the community, fans, marketing partners and other constituents.
Dominic Burns – Director, Global Business Development – TikTok
In his role as Director, Global Business Development, Dominic is responsible for building partnerships with major content owners and rights holders from the worlds of entertainment and sport at TikTok. Prior to TikTok Dominic was Senior Vice-President, Brand Management & Commercial at NBC Universal International Studios and occupied a similar role at Fremantle, where he looked after the commercial and digital strategies around some of the world’s foremost TV IP. Dominic started his career at Eurosport, where he moved up the ladder to become Sales Director for UK, Benelux & Nordics and Head of Commercial Strategy.
Tuesday, February 8th – Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Evil Geniuses and the Kansas City Chiefs join our lineup.
Christian Magsisi – Vice President, Technology & Digital – Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Christian Magsisi is Vice President of Technology & Digital at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) where he leads Product Design, Engineering, Research and Development. He works with MLSE’s professional sports teams (Argos, Leafs, Raptors, TFC) and business operations to create technology solutions for front office, coaches and players, as well as enhance the digital fan experience for those watching at home as well as the fans in MLSE venues such as Scotiabank Arena and BMO Field. Prior to joining MLSE, Christian has worked in technology for 15 years starting with telecom at Rogers, then moving into software consultancy, building digital products globally for: energy, retail and government sectors.
As an immigrant to Canada from the Philippines, Christian is passionate about uplifting the lives of families in developing countries and works with several charities to leverage technology for good by assisting with shelter, stem education and humanitarian relief. Outside of his professional work, you will find Christian in his woodshop building furniture as a hobby or chasing his daughter and wife through the many trails in Durham region where they reside.
Nicole LaPointe Jameson – CEO – Evil Geniuses
As the CEO of global esports organization Evil Geniuses (EG), I’m proud to head up a legacy sports brand that has helped to define the modern era of competitive gaming and continues to break boundaries today. Overseeing strategy and operations around EG’s competitive sports, technology, education, streaming and entertainment, and merchandise as well as masterminding expansion into new business sectors, I lead a team across Seattle, Belfast, Monaco, and LA focused on ensuring one of the most successful brands in gaming remains as competitive and fan-focused as ever.
Founded in 1999, EG has since expanded to encompass over 35 professional players, streamers and influencers spanning 6 distinct games. In my tenure, the org has undergone a major brand relaunch and made winning debuts in multiple competitive esports, including a franchise slot in the League Championship Series (LCS), the third most popular overall sport between 18-34 year olds in North America. Additionally, I’ve personally championed major commitments to increasing diversity and representation in the gaming space, working with content creators, competitors and collaborators who reflect the multi-faceted audience they represent.
A statistics graduate of Columbia University, I enjoy drawing from my analytical background to make calculated decisions on business operations and strategic opportunities on behalf of EG. As an associate at PEAK6 Investments, I drove the due diligence assessment prior to the acquisition of EG and ultimately stepped in to lead its revitalization as CEO. With experience in capital allocation through private equity and portfolio company operations, twinned with a deep understanding and affinity for the digital and gaming audiences, it’s my ongoing goal to bring the worlds of esports and business operations together for successful fan experiences. A native of Connecticut and currently splitting time between Seattle and Oahu, I’m also a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Business Insider 2020 Transformer, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Esports Business Summit.
Robert Alberino – Vice President, Content & Production – Kansas City Chiefs
Rob Alberino re-joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 as the Vice President of Content and Production after originally serving as the club’s Vice President of Media and Marketing for three years (2010-13). He enters his fourth season with the club and his 27th season in the NFL in 2021.
He spent seven seasons (2013-19) as Vice President/Executive Producer for the San Francisco 49ers between his stops in Kansas City. With San Francisco, Alberino oversaw all marketing, creative and design, as well as the launch and direction of 49ers Studios, the team’s in-house production division. His group created all multimedia and broadcasts across all platforms, while he managed branding, events, social media and new media.
Prior to joining the Chiefs in 2010, Alberino spent 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (1997- 2010) as Vice President of Broadcasting where he helped launch the Eagles Television Network, earning 38 Regional Emmys and more than 100 Tellys and other regional accolades. He spent two years (1995- 97) as a filmmaker/producer with NFL Films where he was a writer/director for HBO’s “Inside the NFL.”
Monday, January 24th – Warner Music, Boots & The Gym Group announced as opening speakers.
Scott Cohen – Warner Music – Chief Innovation Officer, Recorded Music
Scott Cohen is Chief Innovation Officer, Recorded Music, Warner Music Group. Scott works closely with Warner’s senior management team to help chart the long-term course of the company at the intersection of music, technology, and culture. A prominent public speaker and lecturer, Scott travels the world evangelizing new business models for the digital age. An outspoken proponent of AR, VR, Blockchain and AI, he is also testing the limits of technology and biology and became a cyborg in 2016 after developing the NorthSense.
In 1997, Scott and Richard Gottehrer founded the first digital distribution company for music, The Orchard, to provide independent artists the ability to sell their music to mainstream audiences. Two decades after its formation, the company was sold to Sony Music and remains the largest distributor of music in the world.
Paula Bobbett – Boots – E-Commerce Director
Paula is an experienced e-commerce professional with over 20 years’ of retail experience across a number of different sectors. In December 2020, Paula joined Boots UK as Director of boots.com, to manage and develop the online and digital capabilities of the leading health and beauty retailer.
Jim Hingston – The Gym Group – Digital Product Director
Jim is an experienced product & digital leader working for the Gym Group where he has led their digital transformation to deliver the Gym Group’s mission of breaking down barriers to fitness for everyone in the UK providing top quality gyms and fitness at affordable prices. Jim has experience across retail, eCommerce and telco sectors where he has built world class products and lead the teams who have delivered them.
What will we be covering during the event?
Driving Digital Innovation in Music
The music industry has been navigating disruption to traditional business models for decades and it feels like we in sport are in many ways walking in their footsteps. How have the challenges they faced evolved, where is the music industry today, what’s next and what can sport learn?
Data Driven Customer Experiences
The business of sport has become adept at collecting data but arguably not so adept at leveraging that data to improve fan experiences. In this panel we explore specific use cases and experiences of leading experts from inside and outside of the sports industry to unearth the secrets to data success.
The Loyalty Debate: Build Versus Retain
Sport faces increased competition for the attention of new generations of fans as well as international fans. How do we find the right formula of engagement with our current fans to optimise loyalty while investing in building relationships with new fans?
The Future of Sports Content Consumption on Social
The role of social media in sport and society in general has evolved since the early days of Facebook. Gen Z have grown up with a plethora of platforms and content formats to choose from. What can we learn from the consumption habits of emerging generations that can help us to understand how we can better leverage social media.
The Evolution of D2C
Sport has talked about going direct to consumer for many years. However, the offerings have evolved little beyond OTT video platforms. How can the industry go beyond the focus on OTT video and enter a true direct to consumer era driven by the needs of fans?
Information
iSportConnect’s Masterclasses are a place to connect, to inspire, to share ideas, to start conversations and open doors through the world’s largest private sports business network.
Our events provide a media & sales free opportunity to network and learn with like-minded people, building the relationships that will change our industry for the better.
This is an invitation-only event for our iSportConnect community, which is free to sign up to for anyone working within the sports industry. If you would like to register your interest in attending, please follow the ‘register interest’ button at the bottom of the page.
In a market where fans watch content on an ever-growing variety of platforms and the demand for shorter and more tailored content keeps growing, how can broadcasters, digital platforms and right owners use AI and other emerging technologies to deliver on the great promise that the future holds as broadcasting evolves?
How can they add value to ‘plain vanilla’ sports video? How can they optimise production workflow and enhance the viewer experience? How can they develop collaborations that build on the strengths of all the partners in creating and delivering sports content?
Join us for learning and networking with the iSportConnect Community and find out more about the evolution of Broadcast Technologies.
Speaker Announcement – Tuesday, October 5th
Adam Azor
Adam Azor is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) & has held senior marketing and leadership roles for leading agencies and businesses such as CSM, BMB and Jack Morton prior to joining Sportradar as the Director for Product Marketing in 2018 before being promoted to Global Head of Marketing.
Adam has led marketing campaigns and strategy for several global brands including Microsoft, Molson Coors, LinkedIn, Qualcomm, Eaton Power, Sony, Universal Pictures, Nintendo and Coca-Cola. He has worked across the full marketing mix from Advertising and Digital through to live Events, for both B2C and B2B businesses. Adam has also previously been a Non-Executive Director of the Institute of Promotional Marketing (IPM).
Mark Taffler
Mark Taffler is Chief Commercial Officer of Green Jade Games. He has worked in a variety of sales and business development roles throughout his career, which includes time at Chelsea Football Club, Samsung and sports governing bodies.
Speaker Announcement – Tuesday, October 5th
Nick Doff
A veteran of the industry with a wide-ranging deal-making career from working at, then owning and running, one of the largest award-winning post-production and play-out companies in London, Nick then worked across the industry from visual-effects to technology and TV channel launches. He joined the Network 4 group in 2018 as Development Director from an investment bank that advised Andras on a restructuring.
He has since worked with developing the OTT side of the business and developed relationships with many of the key suppliers such as The NFL, The Bundesliga, and other major content and platform partners. Nick produced the strategy for the OTT services and was the main specifier of the systems, which include the ability to work with major content owners such as the Bundesliga and fully utilise the cutting enhanced TV offerings and be able to deliver ServerSideAdInsertion of addressable advertising using Google DFP.
His organisation, Network 4, is headquartered in Luxembourg and is the largest independent channel group in Hungary, operating four entertainment channels and one sports channel (Arena4), with its supporting OTT service Arena4+. N4 have licensed The Bundesliga, Austrian Football League, Scottish Premiere League, GP, Scottish Premiere League, IndyCar, Formula E, NCAA, The NFL, NHL etc. Arena4+ is both an SVoD service, plus a multi-live event streaming service.
Gabriela Vidal Castillo
Gabriela works in the Sports Partnerships team at Facebook, based out of London. She has been at Facebook for two years and her primary focus is working alongside Leagues & Federations across EMEA and helping them grow across Facebook’s family of apps.
Prior to joining Facebook she spent time working in Copa90’s Media Partnerships team and before that she was at Google working in the Video Strategy Team focusing on the monetisation of premium content on YouTube.
Abhishek Ranade
Abhishek is a seasoned TMT (technology-media-telecom) professional based in London, with experience in building and managing multi-million-dollar businesses from scratch. He is commercially astute with the ability to build beneficial relationships across companies, continents and win transformational deals.
Speaker Announcement – Thursday, September 30th
Brian Leonard
Highly respected Head of Engineering: Post and Workflows for IMG Studios, recognised for delivering on behalf of the business, clients and sports federations for over 20+years,while growing and retaining profitability. Leading high performing units & divisions in developing innovative commercial strategies.
Olek Loewenstein
Olek Loewenstein is an International Media Executive. He serves as President of Sports Content for TUDN in the USA and Mexico. He manages operations for sports across all TUDN’s platforms and leads strategic initiatives focused on the growth and profitability of the business.
He is a team-oriented leader with a successful track record and over 20 years of experience spanning global corporate management, technology, strategy consulting & disruptive media initiatives.
Nathan Rothschild
Co-founder and partner at GTG Network (http://gtgnetwork.com), where we power big ideas with world class technology. Our products are focused on generating large-scale consumer engagement through data analytics and gamification, producing unprecedented insights. GTG was created in 2016 to provide a parent group for all of the Genius products.
Speaker Announcement – Tuesday, September 28th
Dennis Galejski
Dennis has been working in DFL’s audio-visual rights department as Deputy Head of Audiovisual Rights International. He looks after the strategic development of Bundesliga’s international product portfolio, orchestrates Bundesliga’s international production and works with their broadcast partners across the globe. He has been part of the DFL for six years after a role at SPORTFIVE.
Jason Wilson
Jason G. Wilson is the chief operating officer of 1/ST Content, which oversees the global media and content rights of affiliated racetracks Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park, Pimlico and Golden Gate Fields as well as unaffiliated racetracks. Part of 1/ST Content’s mission is to increase engagement and grow the audience for North American horse racing.
About our eMasterclasses
Our digital eMasterclasses take the same format as our physical events:
Invitation-only, open exclusively to top-level executives at brands, right holders and broadcasters.
Capacity capped at 300 delegates allowing intimate access to key decision-makers.
Unique Networking break out sessions to create an intimate & relaxed environment for everyone in the room to connect & exchange ideas, no just the speakers.
