What’s New for Hashtag Sports 2017

After a year-plus of refining, enhancing, and meticulous planning, it’s unbelievably exciting to say that Hashtag Sports 2017 in New York City is only one month away.

Incredible Feedback on Inaugural Event

Feedback on our inaugural conference, from the sports industry and beyond, was overwhelmingly positive. Ultimately, we were successful in our goal of uniting a rapidly growing community of stakeholders that are fueling the growth of the new sports economy and innovation ecosystem.

Despite the challenges of any first-time event, we hosted 1,000 attendees and successfully exhibited and championed sports innovation in a fresh way, laying the groundwork for an even bigger 2017.

Taking Hashtag Sports 2017 to the Next Level

Serving and celebrating the sports innovation ecosystem lies at the heart of the Hashtag Sports mission. With that in mind, we weighed your feedback heavily and made the following changes:

• Moved from Brooklyn to Times Square to enhance accessibility for sports, advertising, media, and tech companies and ensure a premium venue experience.
• Shifted to June from October to better accommodate the busy schedules of teams, leagues, universities, and athletes.
• Developed a new programming agenda format centered around nine hot-button content tracks, original insights, and new announcements.
• Heightened the focus on the requirements and seniority of speakers with over 90% at VP level or higher, giving Hashtag Sports an unmatched lineup and industry agenda.
• Enhanced the spotlight on content and media with an increased presence of publishers, brands, athletes, and agencies to better display digital’s role in disruption.

Elite Speakers and World-Class Thought Leaders

Our speaker lineup consists of true thought leaders in media, sponsorship, advertising, and tech who understand and shape the experiences of today’s Connected Fan. Over 90% of our 150+ speakers are VP level or higher, making them decision makers and visionaries with years of knowledge and expertise. We also challenged ourselves to put diversity on full display and landed a magnificent melting pot of executives, athletes, and innovators representing disparate genders, backgrounds, and viewpoints.

Our 2017 speakers include:

• Dawn Hudson, CMO, NFL
• David Stern, Commissioner Emeritus, NBA
• Jemele Hill, Co-Anchor, SportsCenter
• Jill Gregory, CMO, NASCAR
• Martellus Bennett, Super Bowl Champ, Green Bay Packers
• Keith Dawkins, EVP, Nickelodeon
• Alison Overholt, Editor-in-Chief, ESPN
• Roger Mason Jr., Commissioner, BIG3
• Dennis Crowley, Co-Founder, Foursquare & Kingston Stockade FC
• Patty Hirsch, VP and GM Digital, Time
• Chiney Ogwumike, WNBA All-Star, Connecticut Sun
• Anthony Morgante, Sports, Microsoft
• Zach Leonsis, VP & GM, Monumental Sports Network
• Chuboi, Esports Host/Streamer, FIFA
• Stephen Plumlee, Global COO, R/GA
• Kevin Merida, Editor-in-Chief, The Undefeated
• Laura Froelich, Head of Sports Partnerships, Twitter
• Dan Donnelly, Managing Director, Publicis Media Sports
• Matt Cenedella, COO, WTA
• David Samson, Team President, Miami Marlins
• Chris Klein, Team President, LA Galaxy
• Paul Rabil, MVP/Investor, NY Lizards
• Ann Wool, Partner & President, Ketchum
• Tobias Sherman, Global Head of eSports, WME | IMG
• Nick Sakiewicz, Commissioner, National Lacrosse League
• Issa Sawabini, Founder & CEO, Fuse
• and many more …

Fine-Tuning the Agenda

Our unprecedented agenda, set for June 26–28, consists of actionable and insightful conference programming, inspirational thought leadership, and impactful networking events all taking place in the center of the sports and media capital of the world. No other industry event can claim the breadth and scope of thought leadership and networking surrounding the future of sports, making our event the most efficient week in your sports business calendar year.

Our comprehensive track format allows for deep dives on a multitude of compelling topics of which other events are only able to scratch the surface. Thought leadership is delivered through a highly curated mix of power panels, executive keynotes, interactive workshops, original announcements, and entertaining showcases.

Our 2017 track themes will include:

• Content & Distribution, presented by Verizon Digital Media Services
• Fan Engagement, presented by Omnigon
• Transformational Analytics, presented by Microsoft
• Esports & Gaming, presented by Genius Sports
• Sponsorship & Advertising
• Athletes & Creators
• Investment & Startups
• Announcements & Demos
• Keynote Interviews, including David Stern, Dan Porter, Dennis Crowley, Chiney Ogwumike, and Roger Mason Jr.

A Growing But Balanced Schedule

The Main Stage hub of our event is the visually stunning TimesCenter, while the world-class Microsoft Technology Center across the street will also house a variety of engaging seminars and workshops.

Hashtag Sports 2017 kicks off at TimesCenter on Monday, June 26th at 9AM with an opening fireside keynote featuring David Stern and Dan Porter, followed by digital and media-driven programming on two stages and exhibitor kiosks all within the same venue.

On Tuesday, June 27th the event will expand to two venues as our third stage at Microsoft Technology Center will focus on data, analytics, and technology with core programming at TimesCenter. The final day of the event will take place exclusively at Microsoft Technology Center and feature programming focused on startups, investment, and fan-facing technologies.

While thought leadership and elite programming is the foundation for Hashtag Sports, we understand networking and business development opportunities is where the magic happens. In addition to networking between day sessions, we will host a VIP breakfast in the morning on Tuesday, June 27th while each evening will feature opportunities for networking in a relaxed atmosphere at our special events in Times Square.

The schedule is as follows:

• Monday (June 26th), Carragher’s — A hallmark soccer (dare I say football) pub with a brand new rooftop and classic New York City vibe
• Tuesday (June 27th), WeWork — A hip co-working space in the heart of Times Square featuring a 3-sided rooftop terrace and sweeping city views
• Wednesday (June 28th), Spark Labs — An ecosystem of international media and tech startups with an intimate meeting space just steps from Bryant Park

For more on our mission and Hashtag Sports, please visit our website at https://hashtagsports.com

Have any questions? Email me via anthony@hashtagsports.com