iSportconnect Stage Insightful and Informative Digital Media and Technology Masterclass

April 15, 2015

The iSportconnect Digital Media and Technology Masterclass returned to London in style today with a record turnout for the event at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel.

The event, in association with Seven League, made its return to the English capital after a successful edition in Lausanne in September 2014 and was certainly the best one yet.

This morning’s event attracted its biggest ever audience with delegates from major sports teams, clubs, federations, governing bodies and brands in the digital media and technology sector, all attending what was a very popular event.

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Audience members included representatives of AC Milan, Arsenal FC, BBC Sports, Celtic FC, Chelsea FC, City Football Group, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), EY, ESPN, European Tour, FC Barcelona, Juventus, Liverpool FC, Manchester United FC, MP & Silva, NBA, Premier League, RFU, Sky Sports, SL Benfica, Tottenham Hotspur FC, UFC, World Rugby, WPP, WTA and many more.

The high level audience was largely due to the quality of the panellists assembled for this edition of the Masterclass.

There were a total of four panels assembled with panellists from across several sports and beyond.

The first panel, moderated by Seven League CEO Richard Ayers, was made up of David Sternberg, Head of Media at Manchester United FC, Jerry Newman, Head of Digital Marketing & CRM at Chelsea FC and Joaquim Cardona, Head of Digital Business at FC Barcelona.

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Representing three of the biggest football clubs in the world, the trio discussed the challenges they face in the digital world in their respective roles, such as commercialising digital and the digital opportunities they are exploring. They also touched on fans’ consumption patterns on platforms such as mobile and tablet.

Speaking after the event, David Sternberg said: “It was a great event, this is the second iSportconnect event I have been to and both have been fantastic, really well planned and with a great mix of speakers.”

Jerry Newman added: “It was a great event; it was a pleasure to sit on the panel with David and Quim. It’s always good to speak about what Chelsea is doing and it’s good to hear what other organisations are doing.”

The second panel, moderated by Omnigon Managing Director Alex Chamberlen, included Murray Barnett, Head of Broadcast, Commercial and Marketing at World Rugby, Tom Kingsley, Director of Sport and Sponsorship at EY, Tom Lister, Marketing Manager at the RFU and Mike Norrish, Executive Producer at BT Sport.

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The quartet touched on the subject of how digital is captivating rugby fans and driving engagement in this World Cup year. They also discussed how to use digital to engage with a wider audience and how to engage fans with new technologies emerging.

Giving his thoughts on the event, Murray Barnett said: “It was great, it’s always good to have different perspectives from different sports. The networking is always important, but also hearing what other sports are doing in areas where we haven’t focused that much”

The third panel, moderated by Exponential-E Lead Technologist Steven Harrison, was Damian Smith, Head of IT at the ECB, Bruce Bale, Head of Social Games and Development at Sky Betting and Gaming, Hywel Sloman, IT Director at Arsenal FC and Mark Lichtenhein, CIO – Head of TV, Digital and Technology, PGA European Tour.

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The panellists spoke about the relationship between sport and betting and the challenges of wearable technology and data among other things.

And the fourth and final panel, again moderated by Richard Ayers, was made up of cross-sector experts from the entertainment industry which included Matt Locke, Director of Storythings, Alice Taylor, Founder and CEO of MakieLab and Martin Talks, Founder of 10x Army.

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They gave an interesting insight into their experiences from a digital and technology perspective outside of the sports industry. Other topics they gave their views on were interaction, fandom and 3D printing and the opportunities this creates.

Overall, the delegates were treated to a really insightful and thought-provoking Masterclass with expert opinions on best practice in the digital media and technology industry.

The next edition of the Digital Media and Technology Masterclass will return to Lausanne in September. iSportconnect will also be staging the first ever Media and Communications Masterclass in June.

For more information on our upcoming events please visit our website HERE.

Event networking pictures below

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