SportAccord is the only event that annually brings together international Olympic Committee (IOC) members, international sports federations, rights holders, organising committees of major global sports events and leading sports players worldwide and it’s being hosted in Australia for the first time in 2019.

Taking place from 8 – 9 May 2019 at the Gold Coast Conference & Exhibition Centre, Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord, said: “We have a strong line-up of speakers for this year’s SportAccord Summit sharing their views and expertise on why big data and analytics matter to sport, with sessions covering key touchpoints such as teams, athletes, brands, manufacturers and of course – fans.

“This year’s Summit places fan engagement and experiences at the heart of the matter and looks at the ways technology, content, media and entertainment interconnect.

“As technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, blockchain and others start to go mainstream, fans will be able to take a much more active role and feel richer for the experience.”

Global leaders from across the sporting industry are among the first speakers (in session order) confirmed for this year’s SportAccord Summit, including:

• Deon Newman (Keynote), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Vice President of Strategy, IBM Asia Pacific
• Darren Birch, General Manager – Growth, Digital and Audiences, Australian Football League (AFL)
• Nick Hockley, Chief Executive Officer, ICC T20 World Cup Australia 2020
• Chris Nunn, Managing Director APAC, Futures Sport & Entertainment
• Luke Bould, CCO & CMO, Football Federation Australia
• Sally Hancock, Managing Partner, Y Sport
• Matt Kamienski, Vice President and Executive Director – Presidents Cup, PGA TOUR
• Andrew Reid, General Manager, TEG Analytics and TEG Insights
• Barbara Kendall, Vice President, International Surfing Association (ISA), Non-Executive Director ofARRIA
• Heinrich Zetlmayer, General Partner, Blockchain Valley Ventures (BVV)
• Stephen Smith, CEO & Founder, Kitman Labs
• Ian K. Partilla, Vice President – Head of Global Revenue, GumGum Sports
• Natalie Cook, 5 x Olympian and Gold Medallist – Australia, Beach Volleyball

Delegates will also have the opportunity to discuss the Summit topics further with speakers and panellists on Day 2 during the five Summit Hub Breakout track sessions:

• Big Data and Fan Engagement
•  Marketing and Customer Behaviour
• Athlete/Player Performance via Wearable Technology, Big Data
• Application of AI for International Federation (IF), Event, & Sponsor Performance
• Blockchain Technology in Sport

In addition to the SportAccord Summit, the full conference programme includes 4 other conference streams taking place across the week: LawAccord, CityAccord, MediaAccord and HealthAccord.

Delegates can register for SportAccord and attend conference sessions and the many networking opportunities offered within the Official Schedule.