SSAC

SSAC

By MIT Sloan Sports Analytics ConferenceSports
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SSAC episodes

  • MLS Growth Story: A Conversation with Don Garber and Jonathan Kraft
    Don Garber - Commissioner, MLS
     
    Jonathan Kraft - President, The Kraft Group 
     
    Taylor Twellman (Moderator) - Soccer Analyst, ESPN 
     
    Today, Major League Soccer (MLS) is one of the most successful growth stories in American sports history. The average MLS team is valued at $313mm (30% growth from last year) and team valuation growth outpaces every major US league team valuation growth by at least 2x. During its evolution, MLS has used creative concepts to bring in talent (the Designated Player Rule adopted in 2007) and witnessed impressive surges in attendance across the league (Atlanta United averaged 70,000+/game last year). Having launched with 10 teams in 1996, the league plans to expand to 30 teams by 2022. Learn how Commissioner Don Garber has shepherded the growth of MLS and soccer in the United States and how the guidance and partnership with one of the founding MLS investors, Kraft Group President Jonathan Kraft, has helped shape the opportunities, overcome adversity, and align the US to host the World Cup in 2026.
    55 min
  • Soccer Analytics: The Beautiful Game Meets the Analytics Edge
    Vosse de Boode - Head of Sports Science, AFC Ajax
     
    Devin Pleuler - Director of Analytics, Toronto FC 
     
    Ted Knutson - CEO & Founder, StatsBomb 
     
    Tyler Heaps - Director of Sporting Analytics, U.S. Soccer Federation 
     
    Grant Wahl (Moderator) - Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated 
     
    The arms race is on – more teams from FC Barcelona to Liverpool are using analytical tools to influence and inform their technical decisions, transfer market game plan, and scouting strategies. Learn how coaches, players, and executives are incorporating data and analytics into their decision-making process. This discussion will dive into the competitive advantages that can be unlocked through soccer analytics in the Manager’s office, on the pitch, and in the boardroom.
    55 min
  • Reinventing a Business: The Future of Sports Business
    Paul Caine - President, Endeavor/NFL On Location Experiences
     
    Amy Latimer - President, TD Garden 
     
    Jimmy Pitaro - President, ESPN 
     
    Amy Howe - President and COO, Ticketmaster 
     
    Abe Madkour (Moderator) - Publisher & Executive Editor, Sports Business Journal 
     
    50% of the leading companies in S&P 500 will be replaced in the next 10 years. Industry leaders in sports (ESPN and Ticketmaster), new entities spun out of leaders (On Location), and companies at the frontline of venue experience (Delaware North) are facing increasing competition. New entrants to the field, alternative entertainment options, and shifts in customer behavior require aggressive shifts. On this panel, leaders of some of the world’s most prominent companies driving the sports ecosystem discuss their proactive approach to understand customer needs, the changing business dynamics and the challenges keeping their businesses as industry leaders.
    55 min
  • From the Martial Arts to the Art of Negotiation – Sport, Science, Art, or Philosophy?
    Sensei Nick Theodorou – Owner & Founder, Theodorou Academy
     
    Deepak Malhotra – Professor, Harvard Business School
     
    When it comes to excellence and superior performance in the martial arts, sports, business or any other endeavor, how does one exceed the limits of science and truly become an “artist”? Are experts simply outstanding practitioners of their sport, or do they go beyond “practice” and develop their own philosophies? What are the limits of exceptional technique, and how do you go farther by mastering underlying principles? In a dynamic and wide-ranging conversation on the essence of mastery, Sensei Nick Theodorou (a 35-year practitioner of the martial arts and 6th degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu) and Professor Deepak Malhotra (a Negotiations Professor of 17 years at Harvard Business School and an advisor on deals and conflicts around the world) will discuss what accounts for greatness in the martial arts, in the worlds of negotiation and diplomacy, and in everything from sports to the performing arts to leadership. Come learn as well as participate in a conversation that will enhance your own game, whatever skill or domain you are trying to master.
    1 hr 1 min
  • Michael Lewis – Going Deep with Mike Leach – The Most Innovative Mind in Football
    Mike Leach – Head Football Coach, Washington State University
    Michael Lewis – Author & Journalist
     
    Coach; Author; Innovator; Eccentric; Brilliant; Unconventional. All these and more have been used to describe Mike Leach, who will sit down with bestselling author Michael Lewis for a one-on-one conversation on being arguably the most innovative coach in football history and how he has changed the way the game is played. Coming off an 11-2 season at the helm of the Washington State Cougars football program, Leach will take a moment to reflect on where he’s been, where he’s going, and why he might be the most misunderstood man in college football.
    1 hr
  • Competing with the Couch: Improving the Venue Experience
    Tom Garfinkel – President & CEO, Miami Dolphins
    Amy Latimer – President, TD Garden
    Brian Mirakian – Senior Principal & Populous Activate Director, Populous
    Pete Giorgio – Leader, US Sports Consulting, Deloitte
    Angela Ruggiero (Moderator) – CEO & Co-Founder, Sports Innovation Lab
     
    With increasing options for when, where, and how fans are able to watch their favorite teams play, legacy venues are trying to accommodate newer technologies and comforts to encourage fans to come to live games and engage with their team. Creating a new venue experience offers organizations the opportunity to incorporate state-of-the-art technology, local and gourmet food and beverage options, and more ways for fans to interact with each other and the game itself. But, it is also a long and expensive process. On this panel, executives will discuss how they are redefining the “street to seat” experience to fill their seats and create an unparalleled experience for longtime and new fans alike.
    57 min
  • Sports Mythbusting
    Darcy Norman – Performance Coach, US Men’s National Soccer Team
    Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm
    Jason Robins – Founder & CEO, DraftKings
    Pablo Torre – Host, ESPN
    Mike Zarren – Assistant GM & Team Counsel – Boston Celtics
    Mike Maughan – Head of Global Insights, Qualtrics
    Stephen J. Dubner (Moderator) – Author & Journalist
    Jason Concepcion (Moderator) – Senior Creative, The Ringer
     
    In the age of camera phones and social media, athletes and league officials can hardly do anything without it being captured and reported on. But what about the stories that have been passed along from generation to generation or unnamed source to blogger about people doing seemingly impossible or improbable things? Our panelists will run the numbers to prove or disprove the possibility of a number of famous sports myths and legends that have stuck around despite lack of evidence or unwillingness of participants to discuss. The veracity of those same myths though? That part is up to you. In this panel, Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics and Jason Concepcion from The Ringer will co-host, posing questions that help us separate fact from fiction.
    1 hr 3 min
  • It’s Complicated: Athlete Relationships with Social Media
    Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm
    Steve Magness – Performance Coach/Author, University of Houston
    George Karl – Former NBA Head Coach
    Matt Mayberry – Chief Operating Officer, Boundless Mind
    Tom Haberstroh (Moderator) – NBA Insider, NBC Sports
     
    Every league has, at least to some degree, embraced social media outlets like Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook as critical channels to connect fans more closely to the sports they watch. Players view these communities as opportunities to engage with fans, build their personal brands, and control their stories. However, these benefits to the teams and players come with costs. While phones have become inescapable to many of us, this growing obsession could be particularly detrimental in the context of a professional sports team. This panel will discuss the impact social media and phone dependence may have on team performance, ways ill effects can be mitigated, and whether these networks ultimately bring more harm than good.
    58 min
  • Scoring Sponsorships: Metrics to Maximize Brand Value (Presented by Hookit)

    Adam Grow – COO, KORE Software

    Scott Tilton – Co-Founder & CEO, Hookit

    Joe Ruggiero – VP, Strategy & Business Development

    Rahul Kadavakolu – Executive Director of Global Branding & Marketing, Rakuten

    Ian Fitzpatrick – Head of Global Content & Digital Marketing

    Warren Zola (Moderator) – Executive Director, Boston College Chief Executives Club

     

    With most aspects of our daily lives featuring advertising or sponsorships of some kind, it is increasingly difficult for brands to quantify and attribute the value that they get out of specific sponsorships. Traditional metrics like sales and clicks have become complicated by both improved technology and bad actors, and the time it takes to see meaningful results can vary widely. With more organizations focusing on data to drive strategic decisions, sports organizations seeking partners need to provide more than simply anecdotal evidence of what brands can stand to gain. This panel will feature discussion of what outcomes matter most to brands, how sports organizations value partnerships, and how more robust data can help inform decisions on both sides of the table regarding who they choose to partner with and in what way.

    53 min
  • Basketball Analytics: Hunting for Unicorns

    Zach Lowe – Senior Writer & NBA Columnist, ESPN

    Mike Zarren – Assistant General Manager & Team Counsel, Boston Celtics

    Paul Pierce – NBA Analyst, ESPN

    Bob Myers – GM & President of Basketball Operations, Golden State Warriors

    Howard Beck (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Bleacher Report

     

    The game of basketball changes quickly – so in an era of three-point shooting, floor spacing, and versatility, it’s natural to wonder what the next iteration of the game will look like. Forecasting the relative value of future player types will be of the utmost significance for any franchise looking for that one special player to take the next step in their evolution. This panel will examine the ways in which teams are leveraging analytics to answer these questions and address other top-of-mind issues such as lineup optimization, “position-less basketball”, as well as finding and exploiting inefficiencies in an increasingly intelligent NBA.

    56 min

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