2026 Agenda
Monday, May 18
6:00-9:30 PM
Sports Business Awards: Tech Location: "The Venue" at The Hard Rock Hotel, NYC
Tuesday, May 19
9:00-11:30 AM
Tech Leader Alliance Private Meeting Members Only
10:00-11:00 AM
Tech Seminar
Hosted by Honeywell Location: Microsoft Office Invite Only, Inquire to Attend: jtong@sportsbusinessjournal.com
11:00 AM-12:30 PM
Tech Seminar
Hosted by Next League Location: Microsoft Office Tim Brady, Next League SVP, Strategy & Solutions Scott Gutterman, Next League Chief Digital Officer Nick Rend, NASCAR VP, Interactive & Emerging Platforms
Anthony Santora, USGA Managing Director, IT
Invite Only, Inquire to Attend: jtong@sportsbusinessjournal.com
State Of The Industry At Tech Week
12:45 PM
Doors Open for Registration Location: The Times Center, NYC
1:10 PM
Opening Remarks
Taylor Bloom, Sports Business Journal Head of Sports Technology Business David Nugent, Next League Co-Founder & CEO
1:15 PM
Navigating the Evolving Ticketing Landscape: A Conversation with Ticketmaster’s Global President
Saumil Mehta, Ticketmaster Global President
1:50 PM
From Passion to Purchase: Emotional Intelligence in Live Sports
Matt Fleckenstein, Genius Sports Chief Product & Technology Officer
2:05 PM
From Field to Frame: Reinventing the Broadcast with Animated Alt-Casts
Phil Orlins, ESPN Vice President, Production Technology & Innovation
Michael "Spike" Szykowny, ESPN VP, Edit & Animation, Graphics Innovation & Creative Production
2:20 PM
Fireside Chat with Next League
Moderator: David Nugent, Next League Co-Founder & CEO
2:50 PM
Tech Talk/Partner Insight
3:05 PM
Industry Insight
Oscar Fernandez, New York Mets SVP, Technology
Michael Zeto, Boingo Chief Commercial Officer
3:20 PM
Networking Break
Hosted by American Tower
3:55 PM
Panel Discussion/Fireside Chat
4:25 PM
Industry Insight
4:40 PM
Cutting-Edge Technology and Strategic Road Maps for New Facilities
Katee LaPoff, Oak View Group CTO
Justin Stahl, United Center & 1901 Project CTO
5:10 PM
Building a Modern Sports Franchise: Growth, Innovation, and the Future of Women’s Sports
Jess Smith, Golden State Valkyries President
5:45-7:00 PM
Cocktail Reception & Networking
Location: The Times Center, NYC
Wednesday, May 20
8:30 AM
Doors Open for Registration
8:45 AM
SBJ Connect: Structured Networking & Plated Breakfast
SBJ Connect: Structured Networking is a facilitated networking experience focused on:
- Connecting attendees through guided conversations and topic-driven discussions
- Sharing insights and exchanging ideas
- Building lasting professional relationships in a structured yet relaxed setting
RSVP Required.
9:40 AM
Opening Remarks
9:45 AM
Innovation, Ownership, and Opportunity: A Conversation with Rashaun Williams
Rashaun Williams, Harbinger Sports Partners; ABC’s Shark Tank; Atlanta Falcons Founder, CIO; Guest Shark; Limited Partner;
10:20 AM
The IBM Technology Driving UFC Insights
Alon Cohen, UFC EVP
Jonathan Collins, IBM Build Engineering Program Director
10:35 AM
The LA28 Blueprint: Scaling Venue Connectivity for a Decade of Global Events
Christian Lau, Los Angeles Football Club Chief Technical Officer
Kamal Sadarangani, LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Vice President, Head of Telecoms
Moderator: Jason Caliento, Boldyn Networks Chief Commercial Officer
10:50 AM
Networking Break
11:25 AM
Scaling Sports Technology: Driving Innovation Across the NHL, NBA, MLB and AEG
Peter DelGiacco, NHL CTO
Diana Lovati, AEG Worldwide CISO
Krishna Bhagavathula, NBA EVP & CTO
Sean Curtis, MLB CTO
11:55 AM
From Reactive to Predictive: The Future of AI in Live Events
Kate Dramstad, SeatGeek Director of Engineering
12:15 PM
Industry Insight
12:30 PM
Networking Lunch
Hosted by Lumenalta
1:45 PM
Technology Leadership in New Sports Leagues
John Spade, Athletes Unlimited CTO
Andrew Macaulay, TMRW Sports CTO
Scott Harniman, United Football League SVP, Technology
2:15 PM
Tech Talk/Industry Insight
2:30 PM
Modernizing Data at Scale: Building a Transparent, AI-Ready Architecture
2:45 PM
Transforming with Intention: AI Leadership in a Changing World
Michael J. Jabbour, Microsoft AI Innovation Officer
3:15 PM
Closing Remarks
3:45 PM
