2023 Featured Sessions


ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE

KEYNOTE: CHANGE IN THE FACE OF CONFLICT: THE STORY OF FC SHAKHTAR DONETSK

 

SERGEI PALKIN
CEO

The Shakhtar Donetsk story is nothing short of extraordinary. Despite having to play their ‘home games’ outside of Donetsk since 2014 due to the ongoing conflict with Russia, as well as having player contracts suspended by FIFA in 2022, the club has shown remarkable resilience to continue to thrive. Hear how the club has operated in a period of uncertainty and change, including:

  • The impact of FIFA’s decision to suspend player and coaching contracts in 2022
  • How they’ve continued to be successful on the pitch, despite disruption
  • How they’ve built a culture of resilience at the club
 

THE TRANSFORMATION OF BURNLEY FC

 

MARK THOMPSON
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

In this insightful organisational change masterclass with the Clarets’ Chief Operating Officer, you’ll learn how Burnley F.C.’s relegation essentially helped the club to start from scratch, rebuild, and succeed both on and off the pitch.

Specific points will include:

  • What was the impact of the Alan Pace-led takeover?
  • What happened post-relegation?
  • What are Burnley’s plans for the future?

LEADING THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS


CLARE CONNOR
CHAIR
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DAWN AIREY
CHAIR
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ANNA KESSEL MBE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

As governing bodies, leagues, broadcasters, and brands increase their commitments to the growth of women’s sports, we’ll hear from leading executives looking to supercharge that growth.

Specific topics include:

  • Gender pay disparity, underrepresentation in the media and female empowerment
  • The role of technology in shaping the sporting experience for women
  • How changes in boardroom leadership and organisational culture are driving commercial opportunities and progress from the top down

KEYNOTE: DAZN MEETS: ANDREA RADRIZZANI

DAZN

ANDREA RADRIZZANI
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

JOSEPH MARKOWSKI
CEO, NORTH AMERICA

DAZN recently announced an agreement to acquire the ELEVEN Group’s global sports media businesses. The deal expected to expand DAZN’s capabilities in the live sports streaming sector and establishes DAZN as a global leader in this rapidly evolving space. In this exclusive conversation we’ll delve into the following topics:

  • Why did DAZN buy Eleven? What did DAZN see?
  • Fan engagement strategies: How do you engage the modern day fan and younger audiences in general?
  • The future of sports broadcasting. It’s expensive, can a business be built just on sport alone?
  • The future of rights. Will rights come down?
  • With the acquisition, what is the future of DAZN?

SOCIETAL CHANGE

WHY IT PAYS TO BE PURPOSE DRIVEN

FIONA MORGAN
CHIEF PURPOSE OFFICER
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KISHI DICKINSON
GLOBAL SPONSORSHIP STRATEGY LEAD
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ALEX PIPER
SENIOR MANAGER, COMMERCIAL STRATEGY

Purpose-driven sponsorships are not just a moral imperative, they’re a financial one too. Hear from leading rights holders SailGP and Liverpool, alongside their purpose-driven partners Cognizant and Pledgeball, about why purpose is at the heart of their operations, including:

  • How Cognizant supports SailGP in measuring sustainable impact
  • Liverpool FC’s environmental and social equality commitments
  • Why SailGP’s Impact League ties purpose to performance

THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE ATHLETE

CHRIS RICHARDS
PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER

_____________________

ALAN REDMOND
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & HEAD OF GLOBAL FOOTBALL

Athletes don’t just do their talking on the field and nor should they. Instead, they are increasingly purpose-driven advocates with a significant media and audience platform to share their views. Hear from leading athletes and their representatives on how the athlete’s role has changed and what that means, including:

  • The importance of purpose-driven athlete partnerships
  • Why fans increasingly follow players over teams
  • What the next generation athlete looks like

TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE

HOW TO DELIVER A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

PHIL LYNCH
CEO, DIGITAL PRODUCTS & EXPERIENCES
_____________________
LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO
CO-FOUNDER
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ASHWIN LIMAYE
CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER

The digitisation of the way we watch, broadcast, attend, consume and engage with sports is ever-evolving. Hear from leading voices about how they’re working to connect and monetise their respective fanbase and implement an transformative digital strategy. 

Specific topics include:

  • Creating sticky digital experiences to develop more meaningful engagement with fans
  • Rewarding fans for their loyalty
  • Merging the digital and physical fan journey

BREAKING DOWN THE FC BARCELONA X SPOTIFY PARTNERSHIP

 

SERGEI RICART
CHIEF MARKETING & REVENUE OFFICER

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MARC HAZAN
VP & GLOBAL HEAD OF PREMIUM BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

In March 2022 Spotify and FC Barcelona announced a first-of-its-kind partnership to bring music and football together. Take a closer look at the expansive agreement to unpick the key goals for both parties, including:

  • How the deal enables both parties to capture new audiences in new markets
  • Women in music and sport: increasing exposure of Barca Women’s Team & female content creators
  • Growing features and content offerings to increase subscription value
  • The strategy behind combining storytelling and innovative tech to deliver sport to a Gen-Z audience