Sportel Monaco Welcomes IOC, Esport

(ATR) Sportel Monaco comes to an end. CEO Laurent Puons says more delegates, new exhibitors and plans for Sportel Miami show this expo for the international sports media and technology industry is growing.

The conference celebrated its 30th year this week.

Puons talked with ATR’s Heinz Peter Kreuzer as Sportel 2019 wrapped up at the Grimaldi Forum.

What is your impression of Sportel 2019?

Sportel 2019 is a success. We have increased regarding the participation more than three percent. Regarding the exhibitors sport we have more than15 new brands. We could say that Sportel is the place to be for all the brands in the sport business.

What trends do you notice after the event?

Piracy is a very important topic at Sportel. We have a lot of exhibitors involved in this sector, because it is very important to the industry to protect their content.

Other important sectors on Sportel are the fan engagement and esport as well. Fan engagement and esport are now part of the business of sport. And it is very important for Sportel to add these sectors in our community.

Is esport the future?

It’s difficult to reply to this question. For my point of view, I believe in esport. I think there is a business model around the esport. If my vision is good I think that this sector will be better and better year after year.

You are a partner of the IOC. What is the Olympic part of the Sportel?

IOC and Sportel are partners since the beginning. We would like to develop with them our collaboration, because it is important for Sportel, to have a good relationship to the IOC.

How you will develop the relationship?

First, we will have more participation of the IOC on the exhibition floor. We just had a meeting with them and we will see how they could add their presence on the exhibition floor. We would like to develop as well their participation in the Sportel Awards like we did this year.

In March 2020, there will be the Sportel Miami. What could we expect?

It is an important event for us. We took the decision to be back in America, because our community requested to go back to Miami. And we will change the formats of the event.

That means we start by one day with the conference and will be followed by two and a half days of exhibition floor.

Like this it could be an opportunity for us to attract new participants during the conference program. And the second point is very important, the organization of the day before the exhibition floor. This will give the opportunity for all the participants to be on the exhibition floor during the full two and a half days.

What is the aim for the spring market in Miami?

Going to North America means we can connect with the American companies who don’t travel to Monaco. The aim is to facilitate relationships between our European clients and these major U.S.-based players. If we want the spring market to develop, it is imperative that we bring new faces to our clients.

Reported from Sportel Monaco by Heinz Peter Kreuzer.