SSAC

Sponsorship in the 2020s: Leveraging Technology to Uncover Gems

Robert Hofmann - Vice President, Account Director & Club Sponsorship Lead, Club Business Development, NFL

 

Lauren Riker - Global Marketing Analytics Manager, New Balance

 

Scott Tilton - CEO & Co-Founder, Hookit

 

Tiffany Frits (Moderator) - Business Operations Manager, ESPN Stats and Information Group

 

From headphones to tennis shoes, sponsorship influences buying decisions because of one simple reason: fans want to be like their sports idols. Though sponsorships improve sales, they have historically been difficult, if not impossible, to quantify. But with increasing ways to measure fan engagement, can we use data to truly understand and predict the value of sponsorship? This panel will examine how brands are utilizing machine learning, targeted advertising, and incentive-based sponsorships to predict successful athlete and league partnerships. Brands, leagues and sponsor tech will weigh in on how to succeed in this emerging and exciting space heading into the new decade.

MLS Growth Story: A Conversation with Don Garber and Jonathan Kraft

Don Garber - Commissioner, MLS

 

Jonathan Kraft - President, The Kraft Group 

 

Taylor Twellman (Moderator) - Soccer Analyst, ESPN 

 

Today, Major League Soccer (MLS) is one of the most successful growth stories in American sports history. The average MLS team is valued at $313mm (30% growth from last year) and team valuation growth outpaces every major US league team valuation growth by at least 2x. During its evolution, MLS has used creative concepts to bring in talent (the Designated Player Rule adopted in 2007) and witnessed impressive surges in attendance across the league (Atlanta United averaged 70,000+/game last year). Having launched with 10 teams in 1996, the league plans to expand to 30 teams by 2022. Learn how Commissioner Don Garber has shepherded the growth of MLS and soccer in the United States and how the guidance and partnership with one of the founding MLS investors, Kraft Group President Jonathan Kraft, has helped shape the opportunities, overcome adversity, and align the US to host the World Cup in 2026.

Soccer Analytics: The Beautiful Game Meets the Analytics Edge

Vosse de Boode - Head of Sports Science, AFC Ajax

 

Devin Pleuler - Director of Analytics, Toronto FC 

 

Ted Knutson - CEO & Founder, StatsBomb 

 

Tyler Heaps - Director of Sporting Analytics, U.S. Soccer Federation 

 

Grant Wahl (Moderator) - Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated 

 

The arms race is on – more teams from FC Barcelona to Liverpool are using analytical tools to influence and inform their technical decisions, transfer market game plan, and scouting strategies. Learn how coaches, players, and executives are incorporating data and analytics into their decision-making process. This discussion will dive into the competitive advantages that can be unlocked through soccer analytics in the Manager’s office, on the pitch, and in the boardroom.

Reinventing a Business: The Future of Sports Business

Paul Caine - President, Endeavor/NFL On Location Experiences

 

Amy Latimer - President, TD Garden 

 

Jimmy Pitaro - President, ESPN 

 

Amy Howe - President and COO, Ticketmaster 

 

Abe Madkour (Moderator) - Publisher & Executive Editor, Sports Business Journal 

 

50% of the leading companies in S&P 500 will be replaced in the next 10 years. Industry leaders in sports (ESPN and Ticketmaster), new entities spun out of leaders (On Location), and companies at the frontline of venue experience (Delaware North) are facing increasing competition. New entrants to the field, alternative entertainment options, and shifts in customer behavior require aggressive shifts. On this panel, leaders of some of the world’s most prominent companies driving the sports ecosystem discuss their proactive approach to understand customer needs, the changing business dynamics and the challenges keeping their businesses as industry leaders.

From the Martial Arts to the Art of Negotiation – Sport, Science, Art, or Philosophy?

Sensei Nick Theodorou – Owner & Founder, Theodorou Academy

 

Deepak Malhotra – Professor, Harvard Business School

 

When it comes to excellence and superior performance in the martial arts, sports, business or any other endeavor, how does one exceed the limits of science and truly become an “artist”? Are experts simply outstanding practitioners of their sport, or do they go beyond “practice” and develop their own philosophies? What are the limits of exceptional technique, and how do you go farther by mastering underlying principles? In a dynamic and wide-ranging conversation on the essence of mastery, Sensei Nick Theodorou (a 35-year practitioner of the martial arts and 6th degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu) and Professor Deepak Malhotra (a Negotiations Professor of 17 years at Harvard Business School and an advisor on deals and conflicts around the world) will discuss what accounts for greatness in the martial arts, in the worlds of negotiation and diplomacy, and in everything from sports to the performing arts to leadership. Come learn as well as participate in a conversation that will enhance your own game, whatever skill or domain you are trying to master.

Michael Lewis – Going Deep with Mike Leach – The Most Innovative Mind in Football

Mike Leach – Head Football Coach, Washington State University

Michael Lewis – Author & Journalist

 

Coach; Author; Innovator; Eccentric; Brilliant; Unconventional. All these and more have been used to describe Mike Leach, who will sit down with bestselling author Michael Lewis for a one-on-one conversation on being arguably the most innovative coach in football history and how he has changed the way the game is played. Coming off an 11-2 season at the helm of the Washington State Cougars football program, Leach will take a moment to reflect on where he’s been, where he’s going, and why he might be the most misunderstood man in college football.

Competing with the Couch: Improving the Venue Experience

Tom Garfinkel – President & CEO, Miami Dolphins

Amy Latimer – President, TD Garden

Brian Mirakian – Senior Principal & Populous Activate Director, Populous

Pete Giorgio – Leader, US Sports Consulting, Deloitte

Angela Ruggiero (Moderator) – CEO & Co-Founder, Sports Innovation Lab

 

With increasing options for when, where, and how fans are able to watch their favorite teams play, legacy venues are trying to accommodate newer technologies and comforts to encourage fans to come to live games and engage with their team. Creating a new venue experience offers organizations the opportunity to incorporate state-of-the-art technology, local and gourmet food and beverage options, and more ways for fans to interact with each other and the game itself. But, it is also a long and expensive process. On this panel, executives will discuss how they are redefining the “street to seat” experience to fill their seats and create an unparalleled experience for longtime and new fans alike.

Sports Mythbusting

Darcy Norman – Performance Coach, US Men’s National Soccer Team

Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm

Jason Robins – Founder & CEO, DraftKings

Pablo Torre – Host, ESPN

Mike Zarren – Assistant GM & Team Counsel – Boston Celtics

Mike Maughan – Head of Global Insights, Qualtrics

Stephen J. Dubner (Moderator) – Author & Journalist

Jason Concepcion (Moderator) – Senior Creative, The Ringer

 

In the age of camera phones and social media, athletes and league officials can hardly do anything without it being captured and reported on. But what about the stories that have been passed along from generation to generation or unnamed source to blogger about people doing seemingly impossible or improbable things? Our panelists will run the numbers to prove or disprove the possibility of a number of famous sports myths and legends that have stuck around despite lack of evidence or unwillingness of participants to discuss. The veracity of those same myths though? That part is up to you. In this panel, Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics and Jason Concepcion from The Ringer will co-host, posing questions that help us separate fact from fiction.

It’s Complicated: Athlete Relationships with Social Media

Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm

Steve Magness – Performance Coach/Author, University of Houston

George Karl – Former NBA Head Coach

Matt Mayberry – Chief Operating Officer, Boundless Mind

Tom Haberstroh (Moderator) – NBA Insider, NBC Sports

 

Every league has, at least to some degree, embraced social media outlets like Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook as critical channels to connect fans more closely to the sports they watch. Players view these communities as opportunities to engage with fans, build their personal brands, and control their stories. However, these benefits to the teams and players come with costs. While phones have become inescapable to many of us, this growing obsession could be particularly detrimental in the context of a professional sports team. This panel will discuss the impact social media and phone dependence may have on team performance, ways ill effects can be mitigated, and whether these networks ultimately bring more harm than good.

Scoring Sponsorships: Metrics to Maximize Brand Value (Presented by Hookit)

Adam Grow – COO, KORE Software

Scott Tilton – Co-Founder & CEO, Hookit

Joe Ruggiero – VP, Strategy & Business Development

Rahul Kadavakolu – Executive Director of Global Branding & Marketing, Rakuten

Ian Fitzpatrick – Head of Global Content & Digital Marketing

Warren Zola (Moderator) – Executive Director, Boston College Chief Executives Club

 

With most aspects of our daily lives featuring advertising or sponsorships of some kind, it is increasingly difficult for brands to quantify and attribute the value that they get out of specific sponsorships. Traditional metrics like sales and clicks have become complicated by both improved technology and bad actors, and the time it takes to see meaningful results can vary widely. With more organizations focusing on data to drive strategic decisions, sports organizations seeking partners need to provide more than simply anecdotal evidence of what brands can stand to gain. This panel will feature discussion of what outcomes matter most to brands, how sports organizations value partnerships, and how more robust data can help inform decisions on both sides of the table regarding who they choose to partner with and in what way.