SportsInnovation 2024 will take place on 20 and 21 March in the MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA in Düsseldorf. The centrepiece and special feature will be four innovation games, in which the latest technologies and visions for the future will be demonstrated live. Three games will be played by football teams, the fourth will be an American football game.
SportsInnovation 2024 will take place in Düsseldorf.
Image: SportsInnovation
In addition to the innovation games, this time renowned national and international speakers will be appearing on two stages in the stadium. They will represent sports leagues and arenas as well as clubs, business and science, among others. An overview of the speakers and the programme can be found on the
SportsInnovation 2024 website. At the innovation fair, numerous exhibitors from sport, media, technology and sports facilities will present the future trends in their fields. It is taking place for the third time. The last SportsInnovation in 2022 was attended by around 1,200 guests, with more than 60 exhibitors from 17 countries presenting their innovative products, services and ideas for the future. The event was hosted by the DFL German Football League, together with sports event specialist D.SPORTS and sports business conference organiser Spielmacher.
A selection of the speakers (in alphabetical order): Aaron Amendolia - Deputy CIO, NFL Aaron Amendolia is a recognised thought leader and strategist in his field, championing the implementation of new technologies in sports and entertainment. As Deputy CIO of the NFL, Amendiola brings a competitive, pragmatic approach focused on achieving long-term results through adaptable and sustainable structures. He has built authentic and mutually enriching technology partnerships with globally recognised brands that have resulted in industry-leading solutions - including Riedel Communication and leading data and data tracking providers.
Christina Chase - Co-founder & Managing Director, MIT Sports Lab Christina Chase is a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also the co-founder and managing director of the MIT Sports Lab, which works with the sports industry to evaluate data streams. Chase's research focuses on the intersection of sports, data, technology and innovation - and complex challenges around game strategy, player health and performance or fan engagement. She advises start-ups and is a member of the External Evaluation Panel 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 technology industry. As Managing Director of Sportec Solutions AG, a joint venture between Deltatre and the DFL, he is responsible for the development of innovative next-gen solutions in the areas of match data and sports technology. With their help, Sportec Solutions aims to help clubs, leagues, associations and media to achieve their strategic goals and drive their business development. Christian Holzer has more than 20 years of experience in sports technology and innovation, with positions at Simi, Impire AG and deltatre AG.
Monisha Kaltenborn - Entrepreneur Monisha Kaltenborn was the first female manager in Formula 1 to take over a third of the shares in the Sauber F1 Team in 2011. She was subsequently Team Principal from 2012 to 2017. One focus of her work was on combining data and immersive technologies with motorsport. In 2019, she moved into eSports and took over as CEO of Racing Unleashed AG until 2023. From 2019 to 2022, Monisha was also a member of the executive committee of Austrian football club Rapid Vienna. Born in India, the Austrian entrepreneur holds a Master of Law in International Business Law.
Ari Kaplan - Head of Technical Evangelism, Databricks Ari Kaplan is one of the leading minds in the fields of AI, data and analytics. His analytics and scouting experience around Major League Baseball was incorporated into the script for the US sports drama "The Art of Winning - Moneyball". He also advised the McLaren Formula 1 team and supported their racing strategy experts with the introduction of AI models. He also uses his data analysis skills for humanitarian purposes, for example to support the search for prisoners of war. Ari received awards from the California Institute of Technology as Alumni of the Decade and from IBM as Data Science Celebrity.
Ben Ladkin - Managing Director, MLB Europe Ben Ladkin spent eleven years as General Manager for the Arsenal FC media group before moving to Major League Baseball in 2019 to become its Managing Director in Europe. Since then, he has been responsible for the growth strategy. His role includes responsibility for content, live events and participation programmes. During his time at Arsenal Broadband Limited, Ben Ladkin was responsible for all in-house content and digital platforms - from social media to broadcast - for the London football club.
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 with 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 developed in partnership 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, German Football League Dr Steffen Merkel is Managing Director of DFL GmbH. As Director of the Audiovisual Rights Department, he was responsible for national and international product management, national media tendering and the protection of audiovisual rights against copyright infringement before his appointment to the management board. His previous positions include Head of Corporate Strategy at the DFL and Head of Global Operations at the DFL subsidiary Bundesliga International. Steffen Merkel, who holds a doctorate from EBS Business School, worked for The Boston Consulting Group before joining the DFL.
Shelly Palmer - CEO, The Palmer Group Shelly Palmer is Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He is also CEO of The Palmer Group, which advises Fortune 500 companies on technology, media and marketing, and is the author of numerous books on these topics. Shelly Palmer was named "Top Voice in Technology" by LinkedIn and appears regularly on television, where he reports on technology and business for the TV programme "Good Day New York" and is a commentator for the TV channels CNN and CNBC. He also hosts a livestream named after him.
Julie Souza - Head of Sports, Global Professional Services, Amazon Web Services Julie Souza leads the Global Sports Practice for AWS Professional Services, driving innovation in sports data (tracking, AI/ML/CV), virtualised production, direct-to-consumer interactivity and monetisation, fan data and analytics, and smart venue solutions. Prior to joining AWS, she led strategy and business development at Second Spectrum, the official data analytics partner of the NBA, EPL, MLS and others. Similarly, she has worked for ESPN, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports Network. Julie holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
(Stadiaworld, 08.03.2024)
