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Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee, will headline ten new speakers confirmed to feature at the global thought-leadership summit, SportNXT 2023 to be held end-March in Melbourne.

During his tenure, Parsons has overseen two Paralympic Games, the world’s third largest sporting event, and launched the #Wethe15 campaign to transform the lives of the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities. The influential global leader will travel to Melbourne to deliver a keynote address, and lead a crucial panel discussion, about the Paralympic Movement, the power of sport, and inclusion.

Parsons will feature alongside more than 50 world-class global thought leaders speaking at SportNXT 2023. Speakers also announced include: Sir Rod Eddington, Independent Chair of the Rugby World Cup 2027 and 2029; Foxtel Group Chief Executive Patrick Delany; Victoria 2026 Chief Executive Jeroen Weimar; ARLC Commissioner Kate Jones; Lisa MacCallum Author and Co-Founder of Inspired Companies; Jacqueline Comer the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Areto Labs; Chief Innovation Officer of Be. by Animoca Brands Martin Beecroft; Executive Director, Strategy and Coordination, Victoria 2026, Dr. Bridie O’Donnell, and Catapult Chief Executive Will Lopes.

Along with Parsons, the end-March event in Melbourne will also feature keynote addresses or interviews with:

• Tesla and The Technology Council of Australia Chair Robyn Denholm, who will tackle the ‘new normal’ across business, sport and society;
• in-depth interviews with two of global sports most recognisable and influential leaders, prominent US sport bosses NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan;
• Peggy O’Neal AO, Chair of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, and one of Australia’s most credentialed leaders in business and sport, will give her views on female leadership and share the vision of Victoria 2026;
• AFL Chief EXecutive Gillon McLachlan will reflect on his time at the AFL and his view on the industry’s future; and
• Chatri Sityodtong, Founder and CEO of ONE, Asia’s largest sports media platform, will discuss what it takes to break through in an increasingly crowded and noisy market.

A panel of global leaders featuring Greg Barclay (Chair, International Cricket Council), Ramez Sheikh (MD, NBA Asia) Michael Miller (Exec Chair, News Corp Australasia) and Kate Roffey (President, Melbourne FC and Chief Executive, State Sport Centres Trust) will examine macro trends across the industry, looking at the state of sport now and giving a glimpse into its future.

The commercialisation and sustainability of women’s sport will be interrogated by Nick Hockley (Cricket Australia Chief Executive), Amanda Laing, (Chief Commercial and Content Officer, Foxtel Group), Kate Jones (Commissioner, ARLC) and Rachel Froggatt (Away We Go – Matike Mai).

SportNXT2023 also welcomes back doyen of sports broadcasting David Hill as he attacks the ever-evolving blend of art and science in live sports production with SportNXT Chair Eddie McGuire. The conference will see a rare coming-together of rival broadcasters Sky NZ (Sophie Moloney) and Foxtel Group (Patrick Delany) who will appear with DAZN co-Founder James Rushton to dissect the uprise of sport streaming and the fight back of linear television.

A deep dive into the opportunity that Australia’s upcoming Golden Decade of sport could bring to the nation will be a feature with Sir Rod Eddington (Chair, Rugby World Cup 2027 & 2029), Jane Fernandez (COO, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023), Catherine Clark (Paralympics Australia Chief Executive) and Dr Bridie O’Donnell (Executive Director, Strategy and Coordination, Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games).

Delegates interested in sports investment and future funding will be eager to hear from Stephen Evans (Managing Director, Silver Lake), Larry Kestelman (Executive Chairman NBL), Manoj Badale (owner, Rajasthan Royals) and Ravi Krishnan (Stepathlon Chief Executive) as they unpack the risks and opportunities that changing, non-traditional and new funding models for sport have for the industry.

SportNXT 2023 will also feature specialised concurrent breakout sessions featuring more global and domestic leaders in sport, allowing attendees to deep dive further into sports marketing and fan engagement trends, emerging and core commercial opportunities, innovative technology, and the changes in traditional and social media.

Partners return
SportNXT is delighted to welcome back returning event partners Crown Resorts (Premium Partner), Odgers Berndston (Gold Partner) and MI Global Partners (Silver Partner). The three returning organisations will be partnering with SportNXT for a further two years, highlighting the growing influence and opportunity the summit presents for brands seeking to engage with the sporting ecosystem.

Crown Resorts Chief Brand Officer, Danielle Keighery enthused “Crown Resorts is thrilled to be back on board as the Premium Partner of SportNXT. Sport and major events make up a large part of Melbourne’s DNA, and Crown is proud to play a central role in supporting that. By partnering with SportNXT, we hope to help future-proof Melbourne’s mantle as the sporting capital of Australia.”

International delegation  
The event continues to draw significant global talent and global interest, with the Victorian Government, through its trade facilitation and promotion agency Global Victoria, confirming over 80 global sports industry business representatives from 14 countries will attend. Representatives from China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom will descend on Melbourne in March.

Victoria Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos commented “Sport is much more than a game in Victoria – it is a key component to our major events industry and delivers a major boost to our economy each year.”

“We’re Australia’s sporting capital and that means more than just the best matches being played in Victoria – it means sport is one of Victoria’s economic drivers. Conferences like this demonstrate our leadership in this industry.”

Staged at Melbourne & Olympic Park’s state-of-the-art facility CENTREPIECE, SportNXT runs from 28th-30th March.

Delegate passes are on sale now and attendees are encouraged to take advantage of an early bird discount only available until the end of February.  

For future announcements and more information for delegates, sponsors and stakeholders please visit sportnxt.org/

Related Articles

1st February 2023 - New speakers announced for Melbourne’s SportNXT 2023 conference

2nd December 2022 - SportNXT confirmed for two more years in Melbourne

22nd March 2022 - Women in Sport Aotearoa and SportNXT collaborate on 2022 initiative

4th February 2022 - New SportNXT conference announces speakers for April event

17th May 2021 - Melbourne to host inaugural SportNXT summit

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