SPORTNXT ANNOUNCES 2026 SUMMIT DATES AT EXECUTIVE GATHERING
3 Mar 2026
MELBOURNE, VIC (3 March 2026)– SportNXT has officially confirmed that with the support of the Victorian Government, it will return to Melbourne in 2026, following an exclusive Executive Luncheon at CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park that brought together 300 of the most influential leaders in sport, business, and government.
The luncheon served as the official launch of SportNXT 2026, with organisers announcing that the next edition of the globally-recognised Summit will be held in Melbourne from 7–9 September 2026. The strategic shift will optimise attendance of global decision-makers and capitalise on the conclusion of the winter codes and the build-up to Australia’s blockbuster summer of sport, including the historic NFL Melbourne game.
Chaired by SportNXT Co-Founder Eddie McGuire AM, the luncheon featured a series of high-powered panel discussions exploring Victoria’s unrivalled major events calendar and the next wave of innovation in global sport. Guests heard from senior leaders from the LA Rams; Stephanie Cheng, VP/Head of International & Special Projects, and Jason Griffiths, SVP Partnerships.
Global representatives featured alongside key Victorian major event stakeholders, including Brendan McClements, CEO Visit Victoria, Martin Pakula, Chair, Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Travis Auld, CEO, Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Kylie Rogers, CEO Victoria Racing Club, Stuart Fox, CEO, Melbourne Cricket Club, and Tom Harley, COO AFL.
Since debuting in Melbourne in 2022, SportNXT has rapidly grown into one of the world’s pre-eminent sports business conferences. It has cemented Victoria’s status as a global centre of excellence and innovation in sport and major events, attracting decision-makers from rights holders, leagues, clubs, broadcasters, technology companies, and governments from around the world.
The 2026 Summit is expected to be the largest yet, featuring over 80 globally renowned speakers and over 1,000 attendees from 20-plus countries. On stage, speakers tackle the biggest issues facing the future of sport, while offstage, SportNXT has become a crucial business networking platform for senior leaders to connect.
SportNXT Co-Founder and Chair Eddie McGuire AM said the Executive Luncheon showcased the strength of Victoria’s major events ecosystem and set the tone for a landmark Summit in 2026.
“Today’s room was a snapshot of the people and organisations shaping the future of global sport. Bringing together leaders from Formula 1, the NFL, our iconic Victorian clubs and venues, and all levels of government and sports business visionaries under one roof shows exactly why Melbourne is the natural home for SportNXT.”
SportNXT Co-Founder, Bart Campbell, explained how, with the support of the Victorian Government, the strategic calendar shift will see SportNXT deliver its most significant event to date.
“Locking in our 2026 dates for early September allows us to sit at the perfect intersection of the winter and summer codes and on the runway to the first NFL regular season game in Australia. It means the biggest issues, opportunities and innovations in world sport will be on the table in Melbourne at precisely the right moment.”
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
“SportNXT has quickly become an important event for sporting heavyweights from around the world. SportNXT 2026 will again promote the very best of Victoria’s sport sector to an engaged and passionate global audience. This one-day networking event will be the ideal way to kick start the build up to the SportNXT Summit this September. As the sporting capital of Australia, there’s no better place to hold such an influential sports business gathering.”
Further details on SportNXT 2026, including the full program and speaker line-up, will be announced in the coming months.
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