Official Press Release

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference to spotlight recession tactics, the true value of icon players, globalization, and the evolution of the fan experience

Boston Celtics All-Star guard Ray Allen and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to speak

Cambridge, Mass., February 11, 2009 – As sports leagues and franchises face pressure to drive and sustain profitability during the economic downturn, industry leaders are increasingly turning to techniques from the corporate business world such as statistics, analytics, and modeling techniques. On March 7, 2009, the Third Annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference will bring together executives from major U.S. professional leagues, academics, researchers and MBA students to discuss evolving analytic trends in sports management. Organized by the MIT Sloan Entertainment, Media & Sports Club, the conference will be held at the Stata Center on the MIT campus from 8am to 6:30pm.

Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets, and Jessica Gelman, the Kraft Sports Group and New England Patriots director of New Business Development and Operational Initiatives, are co-chairing the conference. Slated speakers include:

• Ray Allen, Boston Celtics All-Star guard
• Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner 
• Adam Silver, NBA deputy commissioner 
• Brian Burke, president & general manager, Toronto Maple Leafs 
• Mark Waller, SVP sales & marketing, NFL 
• Casey Wasserman, chairman & CEO, Wasserman Media Group
• Steve Pagliuca, managing partner, Boston Celtics and Bain Capital
• Bill Simmons, columnist, ESPN 
• Jeff Van Gundy, NBA analyst, ESPN

“As a leader in analysis, technology, and business innovation, MIT is ideal to host the event each year,” says Morey, who is also an alumnus of and has taught sports analytics at MIT Sloan. “With the support of MIT administration and student leadership, the conference has become the leading venue to discuss this important trend in sports.”

Conference panels will tackle timely topics. Executives will discuss what steps and strategies they are taking to adjust to the current economic downturn in, among other areas, ticketing, salaries and advertising.
 
A globalization panel will look at the business opportunities that international markets offer to the sports industry in areas such as merchandising, media, and partnership/sponsorship.

“Evolution of the Fan Experience” will look at how new technology, game innovations, and customer initiatives are taking the fan experience to the next level.

And, while Boston has emerged as a championship town with the “team-first” Patriots, a Celtics team with three hall of fame hopefuls, and a Red Sox team whose biggest bat overstayed his welcome, it begs the question as to how much is team chemistry worth and can it be taught or even measured?  A “Team Chemistry” panel will offer perspectives from professionals who deal with these issues every day.

Last year’s sold-out conference was attended by more than 350 industry leaders and students.  Past speakers have included Wyc Grousbeck, CEO and managing partner of the Boston Celtics; Bill James, senior advisor to the Boston Red Sox; Bill Polian, president, Indianapolis Colts; and sportswriter Peter Gammons. 

“In the current economic climate, where spending by fans and sponsors is increasingly discretionary, an even higher premium is placed on winning on the field and on the quality of the fan experience. Innovation and differentiation are imperative,” explains Gelman. “On March 7, the people driving change in sports will be at MIT Sloan to share their perspectives.”

This year’s sponsors are:

• The Parthenon Group, a boutique provider of sports industry management consulting: www.parthenon.com
  
• yOOnew, the world’s first futures exchange for event tickets – designed to help consumers save money and time when buying and selling tickets: www.yoonew.com
  
• SPARQ, whose mission is to enable every athlete to reach his or her potential using natural and analytically-driven training methods: www.sparqtraining.com
  
• Adidas, the global leader in the sporting goods industry with sports brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle: www.adidas.com 
  
• ESPN, the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a broad portfolio of multimedia sports assets with over 50 business entities: espn.go.com

For more information or to register for the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, please visit  http://www.sloansportsconference.com/ or contact Mike Beaser at michael.beaser@sloan.mit.edu. For press inquiries, please contact Patricia Favreau at pfavreau@mit.edu

The MIT Sloan Entertainment, Media & Sports Club was formed in 2001 as a student-run club to fulfill the growing interest at the MBA program in the business of entertainment, media, and sports. For more information on the club, please visit: http://sloanems.org

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