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SportsInnovation 2024 will take place on 20-21 March, with the MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA in Düsseldorf the venue once again. The Innovation Games, in which the latest technologies and visions for the future are demonstrated live, will once again be at the heart of the event. Three of them will be played by football teams, the fourth by American football squads.
In addition to the Innovation Games, renowned national and international speakers will appear on two stages – one integrated in the stands of the stadium and the other inside the main stand. The speakers represent sports leagues, arenas and clubs, as well as the industries of business and science, among others. An overview of the speakers and the programme can be found on the SportsInnovation 2024 website.
This will be the third edition of the innovation trade fair, at which numerous exhibitors from the areas of sport, media, technology and sports facilities present the trends of the future. The last edition of SportsInnovation in 2022 attracted around 1,200 visitors and saw more than 60 exhibitors from 17 countries showcase their innovative products, services and ideas for the future. DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga will be hosting the event together with the Düsseldorf-based sport event specialist D.SPORTS, as well as the sport business conference organiser Spielmacher.
A selection of speakers (in alphabetical order):
Aaron Amendolia – Deputy CIO, NFL
Aaron Amendolia is a recognized thought leader and strategist discovering and evangelizing the adoption of emerging technologies in sports and entertainment. Currently serving as Deputy CIO of the NFL, he brings a competitive pragmatic approach that is focused on driving long-term outcomes through highly adaptable and sustainable structures. Aaron has built authentic and mutually enriching technology partnerships with world-wide recognized brands that have resulted in industry-leading solutions, Riedel Communications and leading data and tracking companies. Over the last year, he has focused on the application of optical tracking and AI to the NFL’s game operations and fan engagement platforms.
Christina Chase – Co-founder & Managing Director, MIT Sports Lab
Christina Chase is a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Furthermore, she is the co-founder and Managing Director of the MIT Sports Lab, which works with leaders across the sports industry to assess and leverage new streams of data to address complex challenges in areas such as athlete identification and development, game strategy, player health and performance, fan engagement, and data-driven decision making. Christina serves as an advisor to multiple sports technology start-ups and a Member of the External Evaluation Board for EIT Health, the European Union’s Institute of Innovation and Technology.
Christian Holzer – Managing Director, Sportec Solutions AG
Christian Holzer is a leading expert for data ecosystems in the sports tech industry. As Managing Director of Sportec Solutions AG, a joint venture between Deltatre and DFL, he is responsible for the development of innovative next-gen solutions in the fields of match data and sports technology that help clubs, leagues, federations and media to drive their business growth and achieve their strategic targets. He is looking back at more than 20 years of experience in the field of sports tech and innovations, with positions at Simi, Impire AG/ deltatre AG.
Monisha Kaltenborn – Entrepreneur
Monisha Kaltenborn was one of the first women to command senior management position in Formula 1. In 2011, she took over a third of the shares in the Sauber F1 Team, and from 2012-2017, she was appointed Team Principal of the Sauber F1 Team, the first woman to hold this position in any Formula 1 team. She focused on utilising the advantages of the world of data and immersive technologies in motorsport. In 2019, she entered eSports and took over the CEO position of Racing Unleashed AG until 2023. Furthermore, from 2019-2022, Monisha was also a member of the presidium of Austrian football club Rapid Vienna. The Indian-born Austrian entrepreneur holds a Master of Law in International Business Law.
Ari Kaplan – Head of Technical Evangelism, Databricks
Ari Kaplan, is a leading influencer in AI, data, and analytics. The popular movie “Moneyball” was partly based on Ari’s analytical and scouting experiences innovating Major League Baseball. He traveled the world with McLaren Formula 1, assisting the racing strategy team to bring AI models to production. He also uses his data analysis skills for humanitarian purposes, for example to support the search for prisoners of war. He was awarded California Institute of Technology s “Alumni of the Decade” and IBM “Data Science Celebrity”.
Ben Ladkin – Managing Director, MLB Europe
Ben Ladkin was the General Manager for the Media Group at Arsenal FC for eleven years before becoming the Managing Director of Major League Baseball Europe in 2019. In his role at Arsenal he was responsible for all in-house content and digital platforms from social media through to broadcast and his role at MLB now includes overseeing MLB’s fan growth strategy for Europe, covering content, live events and participation programs.
David Lehansky – EVP Business Development & Innovation, NHL
David Lehanski is responsible for technology and innovation for the National Hockey League. Since his start in 2005, he has been instrumental in building the league’s technology infrastructure – involving partners such as AWS, Apple, SAP, Sportradar, Rogers and Verizon. Successes include the introduction of EDGE (puck and player tracking) technology, the launch of the NHL in-arena coaching system, shot and save analytics co-developed with AWS, and the use of 5G wireless technology in NHL arenas. Previously, David was a founder and consultant in the sports business.
Steffen Merkel – CEO, Deutsche Fußball Liga
Steffen Merkel has worked for DFL GmbH since August 2014. Before his announcement as CEO. he was responsible for national and international product management, national media tenders and the protection of audiovisual rights as DFL’s Director of the Audiovisual Rights Department. Initially, he has worked as a management consultant and as Head of Corporate Strategy at DFL and Head of Global Operations at the DFL subsidiary Bundesliga International. Steffen, who holds a doctorate from EBS Business School, also worked for The Boston Consulting Group.
Shelly Palmer – CEO, The Palmer Group
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Furthermore, he is CEO of The Palmer
Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, and is a regular commentator on CNN and CNBC. He hosts the Shelly Palmer LIVE livestream and is a prolific author of a daily newsletter and several books.
Julie Souza – Head of Sports, Global Professional Services, Amazon Web Services
Julie Souza leads sports globally for AWS, driving innovation in sports data, virtualized production and distribution, fan data and analytics, generative AI, smart
venue solutions and more. Prior to joining AWS, Julie led Strategy and Business Development for Second Spectrum, the official tracking and data analytics partner of the NBA, EPL, MLS, and others. She held similar roles leading business development and driving strategy for ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and CBS Sports Network. Julie holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
