International speakers to address key ways to attract crowds

The 2012 Sport is Fantastic 'Achieving Bigger Crowds' conference at Sydney's Allphones Arena next week is set to be "game changing" according to conference organiser Simon Arkwright.
Over recent years, Sport is Fantastic conferences have created a niche by utilising numerous international keynote speakers to address cutting-edge sport, venue and entertainment topics ï¾ that other conferences and events then duplicate in subsequent years.
However, delegates at Sport is Fantastic conferences gain an advantage on competitors by learning about industry developments first ï¾ and this year the Sport if Fantastic conference will lead the way with international venue managers, including speakers from Manchester City and Chelsea Football Clubs, addressing ways for venues to achieve bigger crowds.
Arkwright, Chief Executive of the Sport Research Group, says his focus in organising Sport if Fantastic conferences is always about providing the opportunity for Australian sport, entertainment and venue managers and marketers to hear from some of the world's best about what works in their own markets, wanting his events to get down to what is working for the world's successful teams.
He explains "delegates need to hear the nitty-gritty; what is working, what is not and why sport marketing is essentially the same the world over.
"It really helps local professionals to be able to hear from the likes of Manchester City's Danny Wilson, Phil Stephan from Chelsea and Bart Wiley from Seattle Sounders FC, the MLS team that comedian Drew Carey has a ownership stake in."
Arkwright said being able to entice Manchester City FC's Danny Wilson was quite a coup, adding "I am certainly very pleased that I have been able to successfully approach the strongest team in the EPL and attract their leading sport marketer down to the conference. "Dannyï¾s credentials and achievements are very impressive and I believe that delegates will gain a number of insights from his presentations."
From past experience, Arkwright expects that over the next 12 months, businesses and organisations attending the conference will implement the ideas and insights that they will learn at the conference, recalling the NRL's trialling of dynamic pricing during the Origin Series as just one of many examples of something that was started at the conference; in this case, a presentation by Russ Stanley from MLB's San Francisco Giants at last year's event.
The Sport is Fantastic 2012 Conference ï¾ Achieving Bigger Crowds is being held at the Allphones Arena, Sydney from 25th to 27th June.
Arkwright adds that one of the notable aspects of this year's conference is the seniority of many of the delegates, concluding "at last count, there were almost 50 delegates at GM level or above. The conference is certainly packed with sport industry decision makers."
For details and bookings contact Simon Arkwright of the Sport Research Group on + 64 4 567 0908.
simon@sportresearchgroup.com
http://www.sportisfantastic.com