Global Sports Week Ends on Challenge -- Conferences & Conventions

(ATR) The inaugural Global Sports Week Paris appears to have succeeded in its effort to explore the future of sport at the intersection of business and society.

The summit concluded on Feb. 7 with leaders of the international sports movement being called to embrace change in order to protect and increase sport’s impact in the world.

The challenge came from the "Young Sportsmakers", a group of 50 from 22 countries all under 25 years of age chosen to serve as spokespeople for the emerging generation.

"We are excited by the success of this first edition, which shows the world of sport has much to gain from listening to the new generation," Global Sports Week President and Co-founder Lucien Boyer said.

More than 2,000 delegates from 70 countries attended the two-day event. More than 250 investors and 130 international media were also at the summit organized under the patronage of UNESCO and the high patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron.

The agenda was dominated by issues including access to sport, digital transformation and athlete activism, alongside sport’s role in the climate emergency and driving gender equality.

"Global Sports Week clearly has its place in the world sports calendar," said French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu, one of the speakers at the event.

"We’ve been delighted to welcome such a diverse and international range of delegates, and impressed by their willingness to investigate ways for sport to change and to contribute across a wider range of social issues."

"We believe the sports movement is ready for change," Boyer added. "This is a journey we look forward to continuing at next year’s Global Sports Week Paris."

Concacaf President at SIGA Sport Integrity Forum

Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani will take part in a dedicated session at the 6th SIGA Sport Integrity Forum on March 24.

He will discuss the process of reform of both his own organization, which he has led since March 2015, and that of FIFA, where he was a member of the FIFA Reform Committee established following the corruption scandals faced at the global soccer body in 2015.

This year’s SIGA Sport Integrity Forum, to be held in New York City, coincides with the launch of SIGA America.

Among the key issues that will be addressed during one to one sessions and interactive panel discussions are gender equity and diversity; sports betting integrity; youth and culture change; and media rights and anti-piracy.

Early bird delegate passes are still available here.

OTT Summit in Atlanta Next Week

The inaugural OTT Summit USA is on Feb. 19-20 at Turner Studios in Atlanta. More than 300 sports business leaders will tackle topics ranging from the challenge of launching in new regions to the approach of niche sports and what to make of the streaming bundle wave.

Senior executives from Bleacher Report, fubo TV, NASCAR, and Tik Tok are a part of what organizers call "an unrivalled lineup of experts" speaking at the event.

Delegates will be able to take the WarnerMedia studios tour, go behind the scenes at the NCAA March Madness operations and tour Turner Sports' social media "War Room".

The second edition of OTT Summit Asia will again be in Singapore for 2020. SportsPro says the event, which will be on March 25-26, will focus on bringing the key stakeholders from the Asian and international markets together to connect on all aspects of the sports OTT revolution.

The just released full agenda features 20 deep dive sessions, dynamic panels and exclusive case studies, led by industry leaders including UFC, Facebook, HOOQ, Olympic Channel, BeIN Media, and the PGA Tour.

Click here for a 10 percent discount on passes to OTT Summit Asia. The offer ends Feb. 29.

In addition, the seventh edition of SportsPro Live will be taking place in London from April 27-29. LIke the 2019 event, the 2020 agenda will be structured around five pillars including Data, Smart Venues & Cities, Sustainability, Broadcast and Digital Transformation.

Executives from Sky, Eleven Sports, and Manchester United are the latest speakers added to SportsPro Live.

Soccerex Details for Europe, Americas

Soccerex unveils its plans for 2020 events in Europe and the Americas but says details on its China event will be announced "in the near future".

Soccerex Europe revealed last week that it will return to Oeiras, Portugal on Sept. 8–9, in partnership with the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and the Municipal Government of Oeiras. The venue will be the Mario Wilson Stadium.

The event will look to build on the success of the inaugural gathering in 2019, with more than 1,500 delegates expected in Oeiras. The city, part of greater Lisbon, is home to the Cidade do Futebol, the FPF’s state of the art headquarters and national team training centre.

Soccerex Americas will be in Miami on Nov. 16–17 at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry resort. This event will connect nearly 2,000 decision makers from across North, Central and South America. It is supported by the region’s key leagues and governing bodies, including Concacaf, MLS and US Soccer.

Last year, Soccerex China was held in May in the Mission Hills Haikou resort in Hainan province. But the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China appears to have delayed plans for 2020. Soccerex says "China continues to be a key strategic destination" and "is an important global football market that Soccerex has made a long-term commitment to".

"Heavyweight" Panel for Sportel Miami

The spring 2020 edition of Sportel in Miami includes a keynote panel on boxing in the digital era.

Among those discussing this will be Oscar De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy and former world boxing champion. Also on the panel are Eddie Hearn, boxing promoter and group managing director of Matchroom Sport, and DAZN executive chairman John Skipper.

The boxing panel is part of a high-end one-day conference that will be held on March 3 ahead of the three-day deal-making convention on March 4-6. The format is a first for Sportel.

Among the many panel sessions scheduled for the conference will be ones focused on sports media content, living with piracy, and whether North America is a major soccer territory.

"We took the decision to organize the conference before the convention in order to make sure everyone has their schedules clear, and it is not running in the middle of other events when clients are already busy in meetings. This way, it is an opportunity for us to gather our community to attend the conference," said Sportel CEO Laurent Puons.

Companies who have already confirmed their participation in Miami include ESPN, Eurosport, FIFA, Infront, ITF, NBA, Premier League, LaLiga, Turner and BeIn Media Group.

Esports Venue Summit Offers Discount

The new Esports Venue Summit will be at the home of England Rugby, Twickenham Stadium, on Oct. 21-22, 2020.

Organizers say the event is designed to inspire ideas, connect communities and generate exciting business opportunities for sports venue professionals.

Delegates will be connected to senior management from existing stadiums and arenas as well as esport specific venues, venue operators, developers, municipal officials with esports games publishers, esports tournament/league organisers and more.

Event organizers are offering a "founding partner" offer until the end of February. The benefits include a savings of 20 percent and a guaranteed speaker slot at the Esports Venue Summit.

Written by Gerard Farek

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