SPORTEL is back in the Americas with a whole new format for the international event series that will deliver better value and ROI to its community on March 14th and 15th in Miami, USA.
Focusing on the best networking experience and new opportunities, SPORTEL adapted the event to the current context and developed a very attractive pricing strategy, with a safety policy against COVID-19.
In addition, to complement the business and networking meetings, several Americas-focused panels will explore the latest trends, changes and developments in the sports media and technology industry, with topics covering a variety of relevant areas of interest to the global community.
The iGaming Brazil portal is the only Brazilian representative of the betting segment that will promote the coverage of the event in loco.
To clarify some doubts and understand even more about the renowned event, we did an exclusive interview with the executive director of SPORTEL Rendez-vous, Joanna Merchie, who spoke about the main topics that this year’s event will address.
Check below the exclusive interview with Joanna Merchie, executive director of SPORTEL Rendez-vous
iGaming Brazil – What do you expect from the event and what are the main news?
Joanna Merchie – Returning to business within the Americas. SPORTEL Monaco has assured us that there is a real willingness to meet in person; That’s why we chose Miami for our first edition of SPORTEL Rendez-Vous, as we are convinced that it is the ideal place to meet and reconnect with the main international players within the Americas.
SPORTEL Rendez-vous is a new format and concept for the international event series, which will deliver better value and ROI for our community.
It’s a more streamlined and intimate 2-day event with a variety of new products at competitive prices. For example, we are offering our exhibitors new opportunities such as “meeting pods” with select brands and attendee passes, allowing them to gain visibility at an affordable premium. On the other hand, the “exhibitor suites” can be fully equipped and replace the traditional meeting booth.
And of course, we always come up with numerous sponsorships and lots of networking opportunities that I think everyone is especially looking forward to. We also put in place a series of marketing initiatives for attendees to extend the SPORTEL rendez-vous experience, with more to announce up until the day of the event.
To complement the business meetings and networking, an Americas-focused conference will explore the latest trends, changes and developments in the sports media and technology industry.
Topics cover a range of relevant areas of interest to the SPORTEL community, such as: enhancing the broadcast experience, culture and diversity in sports media leadership; OTT and network giants expanding their reach; what’s next for soccer in the USA? Live sports betting; the future ‘fancentric’; the sporting adaptation to the short form; the role of the UGC and social media; exploring NFT’s as a new revenue stream and much more!
iGaming Brazil – What was the biggest difficulty you encountered in organizing this event (still during the Covid-19 period)?
Joanna Merchie – We know that the health situation remains uncertain and that some of our customers are reluctant to book and confirm their participation long ahead of time. That’s why we want to provide our community with a new format offering better value and adapted to the current context.
We had to develop a very attractive pricing strategy and a “Covid-safe” policy, to attract and convince them. We offer a great entry price, the “early flamingo” fee, as well as a significant discount on the regular fee compared to our previous overseas events.
iGaming Brazil – How are companies responding in terms of demand for the event? How is the demand for tickets?
Joanna Merchie – I am pleased to confirm that our strategy has paid off and that many customers from North and South America as well as Europe and beyond have already registered with multiple participants.
We have a significant list of participants, including many long-time customers such as: BeIN Media Group, Bundesliga International, Canal+, CAA Eleven, DAZN, Deltatre, ESPN, FIBA, Fight Sports, FIFA, Fox Sports, Fubo TV, Infront, LaLiga , Matchroom, Mediapro, MLB, NBA, NBC Sports, PGA Tour, Premier League, Red Bull Media House, Snapchat, Sportradar, Sunset+Vine, Team Marketing, Telstra, TYC Sports, WWE and many others.
In addition, we have some newcomers: All Elite Wrestling, Joymo.Tv, New Cell, Rush Sports, SPIIDEO etc; who will participate in SPORTEL for the first time. We look forward to welcoming you to this highly anticipated event for our community.
iGaming Brazil – What led Sportel to put up a panel on sports betting? How likely is it to have the same panel in Monaco?
Joanna Merchie – The topic of sports betting in the US is very hot as the 26-year-old federal ban was lifted in 2018. Since then, legislation still differs in every state.
In 2021, the US sports betting market has doubled, thanks to launch and legalization in 11 new states, as well as billions of dollars spent on marketing by bookmakers looking to attract new customers.
Naturally, our American customers are moving into this new sector. It’s a hot topic!
This session, organized in collaboration with SportsBusiness, will be one of the highlights of SPORTEL Rendez-Vous, and will feature the participation of the PGA Tour, Phenix’s Real Time solutions company, among others that will discuss the whole picture from the potential from revenue to data usage and latency.
We are interested in doing more main focuses and yes, it is definitely a topic that could be added to the Monaco conference program in 2022 or beyond.
