SPORTEL Monaco is back with the one of the most impressive delegate list in years, aided by the presence of executives from across Asia-Pacific for the first time since 2019. How does it feel to bring the world’s sports broadcasting industry back together in Monte Carlo?

As a reminder in 2020, we had to cancel the organisation of SPORTEL Monaco because of the unprecedented global situation. In 2021, we came back with the first international Convention in the sector to have been organised 100-per-cent face-to-face. We were very satisfied with the participation and the quality of the event even if the market was much more European than in previous years.

For this 2022 edition, the biggest players in the sports industry from all over the world are back, notably the major North American organisations (Amazon, ESPN, Fight Sports, Major Baseball League, NFL, NBA, Snapchat, Veritone, Viewlift, WWE etc.), as well Asian (Asian Football Confederation, Dentsu, Transvision, Nippon Television Network, ONE Championship, etc.) and European organisations (DAZN, LaLiga, Eurosport, Bundesliga, FIFA, Feedconstruct, Sportway, Infront). We also have more than 50 companies that have never attended SPORTEL before.

My team had taken up the challenge to return to our pre-Covid level. We already achieved our main goal of filling up our trade floor, notably with the two traditional exhibition halls (Ravel and Diaghilev) and the number of visitors should be equivalent to 2019, with more than 2000 participants (not including SPORTEL Awards which is now a separate event).

This year’s conference will see panels covering a wide range of hot topics in the sports broadcasting industry, including private equity and the sports industry’s quest for growth in uncertain times. Which masterclass panels should attendees be looking out for?

Located at the very heart of the market, the open space Speakers Corner will host a three-day Conference Summit reuniting a mix of sports leaders and technology innovators, through a series of masterclasses, keynotes and cutting-edge presentations.

The six masterclasses will address, as mentioned, private equity investment in sports and the challenges faced by the ever-expanding calendars of sports properties, but also diversity in sports media leadership and the championing of women’s sports. In addition, it will be the opportunity to discuss the new tech innovations and trends used to grow new fan bases and revenue streams, such as AI, the cloud, automated live sports production, data management, OTT, streaming, social media, the digitilisation of assets including NFTs, the Metaverse and Web 3:0.

Other highlights at Speakers Corner include keynotes from three prominent industry figures: Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga, will return to explain how today’s fans follow football. Peter F. Gontha, CEO of Transvision and host of SPORTEL Rendez-vous Bali, will give an overview of the Indonesian audiovisual landscape. And, Chatri Sityodtong, Founder & President & CEO of ONE Championship, will share how they strengthened their presence in the US, exclusively on Prime Video.

Finally, 16 participating or exhibiting organizations will present their latest innovations: SPORTALL, Studio Automated, ViewLift, SPIIDEO, Pixellot, Iron Mountain Entertainment Services, NativeWaves, WSC-Sports, Synamedia, BlockSport, Ross Video, LiveU Sports, Nielsen, Visaic, Perfect Memory and Harmonic.

The rise of Web 3.0 will be a key feature at this year’s conference. What can attendees learn from this year’s SPORTEL Monaco conference and take back to their boardrooms?

Indeed, the digital age is heading towards the third generation of the evolution of web Technologies, Web 3.0. It is a new era where NFTs will allow for the creation of one-of-a-kind collectibles and experiences, the Metaverse will offer the unique opportunity to fan avatars to explore virtual stadiums and other environments, and cryptocurrency maybe be used to purchase everything from content to experiences. All of these variables and subjects will be more and more in the loop to boost fan engagement.

During SPORTEL, speakers will notably address how blockchain is more than just a financial tool, how the message has to be simplified as well as the long-term effects of cryptocurrencies and NFT’s and of course how the SPORTEL community can evaluate blockchain based solutions for potential implementation in their business strategies.

Next year sees SPORTEL break new ground in beautiful Bali, Indonesia. What can potential delegates expect from next year’s Rendez-Vous? How much will it cost to attend?

Indeed, following the success of the first edition of SPORTEL Rendez-vous held in Miami in March 2022, we decided to expand our ‘Rendez-vous’ series by adding another event in the first semester of 2023.

After four years of absence, SPORTEL will be back in Asia, giving the opportunity to the SPORTEL community to reconnect and do business with the Asian continent.

For the first time ever, SPORTEL will host an event in Bali; from February 23-24, 2023 in the outstanding setting of the entirely privatized Grand Hyatt Bali Hotel. This new initiative is organized in partnership with the Indonesian pay TV company, Transvision, and Java Festival Production.

From May 9-10, 2023, we will be back in Miami at the Marriott Biscayne Bay, for another “Rendez-vous” with a focus on the Americas.

The concept for both events is similar: cheaper attendee passes and exhibit options, negotiated hotel rates as well as numerous networking events and sponsorship opportunities, to guarantee a better ROI to our participants. Attendee passes will start at $550 for the Early Bird rate and exhibiting options at $2800.

Our strategy today is very clear. SPORTEL Monaco remains our flagship event, bringing together the whole sports industry in one location. SPORTEL “Rendez-Vous” are additional opportunities to do business internationally, in different markets and continents, all throughout the year, in a smaller, more intimate and affordable format.