One of the most significant sport business summits in the Southern Hemisphere will be held in Melbourne in November, drawing industry leaders in person and by video from around Australia and the globe.
The SportNXT Melbourne 2021 global sport business summit will take place from 17-19 November at the new event centre CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park.
With SportNXT expecting around 1,000 people to participate, the conference will provide a platform to promote Victoria's globally-renowned sports businesses and industries - and our major events expertise.
The Andrews Labor Government provided support for the event in 2018 and after plans for a 2020 launch were scuttled by the pandemic, the event is now confirmed to launch on the world stage.
The summit is expected to attract senior leaders from fields including rightsholders, media, government, academia, finance, technology, infrastructure, integrity, medicine, health and wellbeing.
Topics for discussion include women in sport, the future role and relevance of global sporting events, the changing media environment, the growth of esports, and sport and climate change.
International keynote speakers who will be appearing live via video include president of World Athletics and IOC member Lord Sebastian Coe, US women's soccer captain Megan Rapinoe and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. The global leaders will be joined in person by a range of Australian figures.
Victoria is proud to be the sporting capital of Australia, and that leadership extends beyond the playing field. Sport is a passion in Victoria and a major part of our economy, contributing more than $4 billion annually and employing 20,000 full-time-equivalent workers.
SportNXT will also provide a platform for the Government's network of 23 international trade and investment offices to provide global opportunities for Victoria's class-leading sports companies.
Victoria's major events are major tourism drawcards - including the Australian Open, the Spring Racing Carnival the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix. Pre-COVID, major events contributed $2.5 billion to Victorian Gross State Product each year, attracting 6.9 million visitors and directly supporting 3,350 local jobs.
For further information on the summit and to register to attend, go to sportnxt.org.
As stated by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula
"SportNXT will provide the perfect opportunity to promote our sports sector and the scores of innovators who make it a standout on the world stage."
As stated by SportNXT chair Eddie McGuire
"The SportNXT vision is to create the 'Davos of sport'. A unique opportunity to gather the best and brightest minds from around the world to share ideas about the future of the sports industry."
