SSAC

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.

Basketball Analytics: Hunting for Unicorns

Zach Lowe – Senior Writer & NBA Columnist, ESPN

Mike Zarren – Assistant General Manager & Team Counsel, Boston Celtics

Paul Pierce – NBA Analyst, ESPN

Bob Myers – GM & President of Basketball Operations, Golden State Warriors

Howard Beck (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Bleacher Report

 

The game of basketball changes quickly – so in an era of three-point shooting, floor spacing, and versatility, it’s natural to wonder what the next iteration of the game will look like. Forecasting the relative value of future player types will be of the utmost significance for any franchise looking for that one special player to take the next step in their evolution. This panel will examine the ways in which teams are leveraging analytics to answer these questions and address other top-of-mind issues such as lineup optimization, “position-less basketball”, as well as finding and exploiting inefficiencies in an increasingly intelligent NBA.

Soccer Analytics: Shaping the Future of the Game (Presented by OptaPro)

Brian Bilello – President, New England Revolution

Kristine Lilly – Former United States Women’s National Soccer Team Member

Ben Mackriell – Head of OptaPro

Isaac Guerrero – Technical Director, FC Barcelona Football School

Grant Wahl (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated

 

As the beautiful game continues to adapt to the rise of analytics, player positions are evolving in accordance with these changes. With the rise of data collection at the back of this impending revolution, new methods of evaluating player value, contracts, and incentives are coming to the forefront. While the game moves away from formal positional roles, teams uncover what skillsets were previously under- or overvalued. As the sport sits at the precipice of thrilling analytical revolution, every element of the sport from training to game strategy stands to change. This panel brings together perspectives from across the sport to discuss the state of the game today and where soccer goes from here.

Data is the New Black: Building Data-Driven Organizations

Maryann Turcke – COO, NFL

Amy Howe – President of Ticketmaster, North America

Jessica Gelman – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group

Mike Zarren – Assistant GM & Team Counsel, Boston Celtics

Michele Steele (Moderator) – Studio Anchor & Reporter, ESPN

 

Traditional management principles need to be revised—data is shaping the way in which best-in-class organizations build teams, drive strategy, maximize revenue, and create culture. What are the challenges in acquiring and analyzing data in sports? How can organizations be best structured to ensure consistency of data across the organization and the ability sift through endless quantities of information to define impactful insights about their businesses? This panel brings together industry leaders who have led, are leading, and are at the forefront of redefining how data can be the heart of decision-making and innovation.

Making the Modern Athlete: A Conversation with David Epstein and Malcolm Gladwell

David Epstein – Science Writer & Investigative Reporter

Malcolm Gladwell - Author

 

Authors Malcolm Gladwell and David Epstein meet again, five years since their initial 10,000 Hours vs. The Sports Gene talk, to resurface the important and long-standing question of whether nature or nurture determines one’s athletic success. In this one-on-one discussion, Gladwell and Epstein sit down to evaluate what has changed, including Epstein’s latest argument that contrary to popular belief, generalists are the ones who actually succeed in a specialized world.

Direct-to-Consumer: Disrupting & Engaging Today’s Sports Fans (Presented by Rakuten)

Kat Frederick – CMO, Ticketmaster

John Forese – Chief Product & Data Officer, Rakuten Intelligence

Portia Archer – VP of Direct to Consumer Services, NBC Sports

Jennifer Ferron – Chief Marketing Officer, Kraft Sports & Entertainment

Carolyn Tisch Blodgett – Senior VP & Head of Global Brand Marketing, Peloton

Kristen Bernert (Moderator) – SVP Business Operations, MSG Sports

 

The ability to create and view content on-the-go has changed how fans engage with their favorite teams on game days and beyond. With closer access and more real-time insights, the amount of data available to personalize and customize the fan experience has evolved as quickly as the emerging technologies giving teams, media companies, partners, and brands unparalleled consumer insights. Learn how companies are broadening their content offerings and define how best to engage an audience accustomed to microtargeted suggestions and on-demand experiences. This panel will explore how companies are differentiating themselves through their content offerings, fostering customer loyalty, and using a growing fan desire to be continuously engaged to generate revenue, subscriptions, and sales.

Metrics are the Mike: Football Analytics

Kevin Demoff – COO & EVP of Football Operations, Los Angeles Rams

Warren Sharp – Founder, Sharp Football Analysis & Sharp Football Stats

Karim Kassam – Analytics Coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers

Mina Kimes (Moderator) – Senior Writer & Columnist, ESPN

 

Football is rapidly shedding its reputation for being slow in the uptake and application of advanced analytics, as today’s teams are more readily harnessing the power of data to inform their decision making. Hear from some of the brightest minds in the game as they tackle today’s most pressing topics, including how newly available league-wide tracking data is shaping in-game strategy and team building, what mechanisms are being put in place by teams to handle today’s onslaught of information flow, and of course debate over which stats matter most for player evaluation in the modern game.

Achievement Unlocked: Esports Analytics

Nicole Pike – Global Managing Director, Nielsen Esports

Sebastian Park – Vice President of Esports, Clutch Gaming

Doug Watson – Head of Esports Insights, Riot Games

Kasra Jafroodi – Senior Business Analyst, Strategy & Analytics, Activision Blizzard

Ed Chang – Director of Business Strategy, EA

Ryan Garfat (Moderator) – Senior Editor – Esports, ESPN

 

A multitude of esports leagues and tournaments are thriving globally across various blockbuster games. With the start of another exciting year for the esports industry, sponsorship, marketing, and activation agreements with the leading games continue to grow. Getting visibility into the performance and ROI of these partnerships isn’t always simple. Esports leagues and teams navigate performance metrics in unique ways in the online digital space – coming up with creative, but fair methods of measuring value and league health. In this panel, industry thought leaders will shine a light on how esports league work with sponsorship partners to generate insights, establish trust, and help brands find the best opportunities to engage with fans.