SPORTNXT UNVEILS ITS BIGGEST GROUP OF INDUSTRY LEADERS TO SPEAK IN SEPTEMBER AT SUMMIT
13 Aug 2026
MELBOURNE (NAARM) — With less than one month until the summit opens its doors on 7–9 September, SportNXT today revealed its biggest group of speakers for 2026 — 18 world-class industry leaders from across the globe, spanning the NFL, NBA, AFL, football, international player representation and the sports technology sector, alongside live events, advisory and academia.
The announcement includes San Francisco 49ers Chief Operations Officer Brent Schoeb and Takayuki Hioki, Representative Director & President of Cerezo Osaka and Board Member of the Japan Football Association, bringing rare insight into club leadership and governance in one of Asia’s most sophisticated football markets. They are joined by figures shaping the business of sport beyond the field of play — from global live events and stadium and precinct development to fan and sport consumer research.
Joining the SportNXT 2026 speaker lineup:
- Brent Schoeb — Chief Operations Officer, San Francisco 49ers
- Michelle Rosar — Senior Director, Partnership Marketing, San Francisco 49ers
- Takayuki Hioki — President, Cerezo Osaka | Board Member, Japan Football Association
- Michael Gietzen — Chief Executive Officer, Identity Group
- Dr. Troy Flanagan — Senior Performance Advisor, Milwaukee Bucks
- Kathryn McCann — Chief Marketing Officer, Tasmania Football Club
- Jérémy Botton — President, SSM Group
- Jonas Baer-Hoffmann — Chief Executive Officer, OneTeam International
- Peter Sprenger — President, Dutch Volleyball Federation (Nevobo)
- Roddy Campbell — Director of Partnerships & International Business, Tennis Australia
- Carly Duncan — Head of Tennis Brand Marketing, Tennis Australia
- Sidhhant Agarwal — Founder and CEO, SportVot
- Leanne Bats — Head of Digital and Innovation, Sport Waikato
- Megha Gambhir — Chief Executive Officer, Stupa Sports
- Pritish Narang — Vice President of Strategy, SI
- Katie McNamara — Partner, Project & Infrastructure Advisory, BDO
- Prof. Adam Karg — Director, Sport Business Lab & Professor, Deakin University
- Joseph Perry — Editor, SportBusiness Media
The line-up reflects SportNXT’s global reach, with speakers drawn from the United States, Japan, Europe, India, New Zealand and Australia — from global franchises like the San Francisco 49ers, and the Milwaukee Bucks to emerging clubs such as the Tasmania Football Club, and from established governing bodies to fast-growing sports technology ventures including SportVot and Stupa Sports.
The addition of these leaders reinforces SportNXT’s position as the southern hemisphere’s premier sports business summit, connecting global powerhouses with regional innovators. They join a growing 2026 roster featuring Peter O’Reilly (NFL), Kevin Demoff (Kroenke Sports & Entertainment), Jennifer Prince (Los Angeles Rams), Amanda Laing (Nine), Craig Drummond (AFL), Jason Gannon (Chelsea Football Club), Raelene Castle (Sport New Zealand and High Performance Sport NZ) and Todd Greenberg (Cricket Australia).
What to Expect at SportNXT 2026
Across a comprehensive three-day program, delegates will explore the biggest issues, opportunities, and innovations shaping world sport over the next decade—from new commercial and revenue models to the evolution of the fan experience, high performance, and athlete welfare. The summit features two days of keynotes, panels, and networking at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. The third and final day is reserved for SportNXT and the Victorian Government to host concurrent site visit tours, giving delegates an exclusive, firsthand look at Victoria’s world-class sporting infrastructure in and around Melbourne.
With the summit now less than a month away, further speaker announcements will be made in the coming weeks as the final program takes shape.
SportNXT 2026 | 7–9 September | Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
This is SportNXT 2026. Be in the room. Don’t watch from the sidelines this September.
–ENDS–