SportNXT organisers have today confirmed revised dates and a world-class speaking line-up for the inaugural SportNXT event – a global sport thought and leadership summit to be staged in Melbourne from 6-8 April in 2022.
The city will take centre stage for world sport as the summit takes place during the same week as the rescheduled Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix 2022.
SportNXT will be held at CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park, the new state-of-the-art conference and events facility in the Melbourne & Olympic Parks precinct.
The summit is set to feature an incredible line-up of international and domestic speakers with the calibre of talent never seen before at an event of this kind in Australia.
Organisers were delighted today to announce the first 22 of over 50 leaders who will feature in the program, with more local and global talent due to be announced in the coming weeks and months.
The inaugural summit will see an unprecedented list of international speakers participate in discussion via live video or in person, with organisers confirming global heavyweights including:
- Adam Silver – NBA Commissioner
- Megan Rapinoe – Captain, US Women’s National Soccer Team
- Lord Sebastian Coe – President, World Athletics and IOC Member
- H.E. Sandiaga Uno – Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia
- Raelene Castle ONZM – CEO, Sport New Zealand
- Sanjog Gupta – CEO, Star Sports Network
- Dev Bajaj – Chief Corporate Development Officer, Dream Sports Inc
Leaders of Australia’s sport and media industries are also due to attend and participate in SportNXT including:
- Josephine Sukkar AM – Chair, Australian Sports Commission
- Andy Penn – CEO, Telstra
- Marina Go – Chair, Netball Australia; Non-Executive Director, Energy Australia; Chair,
- Ovarian Cancer Australia
- Neil Wilson – Chair, Victorian Racing Club
- Kate Jones – ARL Commissioner; Former Queensland Government Minister for Tourism and
- Major Events, Innovation and Climate Change, and the Commonwealth Games
- Gillon McLachlan – CEO, AFL
- Jane Fernandez – COO, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
- Craig Tiley – CEO, Tennis Australia and Tournament Director Australian Open
- Amanda Laing – Chief Commercial and Content Officer, Foxtel
- Andrew Westacott – CEO, Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix
- Nick Hockley – CEO, Cricket Australia
- Mike Sneesby – CEO, Nine Entertainment Co
- Matthew Tripp – Advisor and Shareholder, BetMakers Technology Group
- Geoff Jones – CEO, TEG – Australia’s largest events, ticketing and data business
- Scott Dinsdale – Managing Director, FutureNext
SportNXT’s purpose is to bring global industry leaders together to create, share and connect while creating a platform for Australian businesses to tell their stories to a global audience, boosted by the support of Global Victoria’s network.
Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula said: “On and off the sporting arena, sport and recreation is the lifeblood of Victoria, injecting $9.2 billion into our economy and generating more than 70,000 full-time jobs from stadia designers to sports administrators. The SportNXT Conference will provide the perfect opportunity to further promote the internationally renowned expertise of Victorian sport sector-based industries on a global stage.”
SportNXT Chairman Eddie McGuire said: “Our ambition is to create the world’s preeminent sports leadership summit, in the globally recognised sporting capital, Melbourne. There has never been a more important time for our industry to connect, engage and inspire. We will bring together Melbourne and Australia’s brightest minds, alongside global sports thought leaders, to tackle the challenges we face and to share ideas about the future of the sports industry.”
“SportNXT seeks to identify innovation and opportunity in the sports business landscape; plotting the path to future success. We are delighted to confirm our revised dates, alongside the Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix, bringing the focus of the sporting world to Melbourne in April 2022.”
McGuire also confirmed the appointment of experienced major event industry executive, Hamish Anderson, as CEO of SportNXT.
Anderson joins SportNXT from Visit Victoria where, as Head of Major Event Acquisition and Strategy, he had been responsible for the development of Melbourne’s award-winning major event calendar.
Delegate passes are now on sale with a special pre-Christmas early-bird price available to attendees who book now.
SportNXT offers both an in-person live summit experience for Australian and Asia-Pacific attendees and also digital only passes for International delegates if they are unable to attend in person.
For more information, please visit sportnxt.org