Melbourne to host inaugural SportNXT summit

Melbourne is to host the inaugural sport business summit - SportNXT - from 17th to 19th November at Melbourne Park ‘s new event centre CENTREPIECE. Held during the week of the rescheduled Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, the summit aims to attract sport industry leaders both in person and in a virtual capacity from around Australia and globally.

The Victorian Government provided support for the event in 2018 and after plans for a 2020 launch were thwarted by COVID, the event is now confirmed to launch on the world stage.

The SportNXT Melbourne 2021 global sport business summit is anticipating the participation of around 1,000 people with the conference providing a platform to promote Victoria’s sports businesses and industries – and major events expertise.

The SportNXT organisers have struck a multi-year deal with the Victorian Government to help fund the event, which will be chaired by broadcaster and former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire.

McGuire notes “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.”

The summit is expected to attract senior leaders from fields including rightsholders, media, government, academia, finance, technology, infrastructure, integrity, medicine, health and wellbeing.

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula adds “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.”

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.

Sport is a passion in Victoria and contributes more than $4 billion annually - 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 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.

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Image above: SportNXT 2021 advisory committee