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Context
Have you ever wondered what’s it like to find yourself in a massive venue surrounded by some 4,000 of the world’s most enthusiastic sports data minds for two full days? Welcome to the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
Held on the first Friday and Saturday (usually) of March, several thousand sports data aficionados pour into one of Boston’s two expansive convention centers for a captivating two days to share research insights and predict the next major sports trends. The event is an enlightening sports business spectacle. With ubiquitous networking opportunities and icons from Statistician Bill James to President Barack Obama in attendance, the Conference offers unparalleled relationship-building opportunities and insights.
While I'm not affiliated with the Conference, here are a few rough statistics about the 2023 event:
3,500+ attendees: 40+ states, 20+ countries, 130+ academic institutions
3,300+ livestream viewers
600+ organizations, 120+ teams represented
75+ sessions
From my vantage point, the organizing team is talented and meticulous. With abundant Conference event content on their site and account platforms including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X, there are numerous ways to engage, regardless of whether you’re at the venue. You can also utilize the event app, which becomes more comprehensive and impressive each year. The platform provides the ability to build out a personal schedule, connect with other professionals, map out optimal routes and locations across the conference venue, etc. With an extensive YouTube channel brimming with videos from the panels, you can watch each in full length.
With the sports analytics landscape evolving rapidly, the range of topics at the Conference expands each year. Some of the hottest current focus areas are:
Streaming and media
eSports
Virtual reality
Artificial intelligence
Ticketing solutions
Data capture
Gambling and betting
International franchise growth
Frictionless stadium experience
Fan engagement
As a seven-time Conference attendee, I’ve learned the secrets to optimizing one's experiences. Because I've loved every minute, I'd like to help aspiring sports data professionals by supporting them in hitting the ground running.
How did I get here?
While previously in Business Intelligence with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Baseball Journalism with the Staten Island Yankees, I’m currently in eCommerce Analytics at Fanatics, within their Collectibles division. Since joining the team last summer, I’ve focused on Topps insights, especially sales.
Though primarily in healthcare analytics in recent years, I’ve kept a close pulse on the sports industry (my passion), attending the Sloan Conference since my Binghamton University days. Through the event, I’ve curated 350+ contacts, attended 120+ sessions, gained expertise in 65+ new topics, interviewed with 72+ world-class sports organizations, and uncovered my Tampa Bay Lightning analytics internship!
Planning Strategy
It’s tough to choose which sessions to attend. Most are concurrent, with nearly 10 distinct events taking place at some of the busiest points. Often, I’ve found each session type to deliver unique benefits. For example, if you're seeking an exciting, high-level conversation among sports industry luminaries, attend a large panel. While these are fun, because they're relaxed and laughter-filled, they generally offer less chance to interact with the speakers following the event vs. smaller sessions (such as the limited-speaker Competitive Advantage rooms and/or workshops - see below). So, when conceptualizing your Conference schedule, consider attending both types for maximal value, while allowing space for ad-hoc conversations with current or prospective contacts. For reference, here’s the schedule from the first day of the 2023 event:
Perspectives on Features and Sessions
For my thoughts on some of the most valuable resources, check out the section below, with these ranked by importance.
Career Opportunities / Networking
It’s networking galore throughout the event. Depending on your personal objectives, you're able to develop 50+ new sports contacts each time you attend. As the hallways between session rooms are massive, don't hesitate to start a conversation there.
There are plenty of other good opportunities to convey your personal brand, including:
Resume Book - Looking for a job? Submit your resume when you buy your ticket, and organizations can reach out if they’re interested in your background. Often, if a company likes your background and you’re attending the event live, they’ll arrange in-person interviews.
Resume Review - Interested in getting detailed resume feedback from industry professionals? Kind industry volunteers may offer you some powerful words of wisdom (and may lead to new contacts, as well!)
Career Conversations - These can make a meaningful impact on your career! You’re paired with a couple of professionals in a similar area of focus for a 5-10 minute chat. It’s a great opportunity to begin developing a professional relationship, and I’d recommend following up via email or LinkedIn after the Conference to continue to stay in touch. Conduct research ahead of time to uncover the background of your potential new connection, to maximize both your time and the impression you make.
Job Board - A highly-recommended resource, especially for those actively looking to break into the sports industry or exploring new roles. Be aware that you'll have access to the Job Board only if you buy a Conference ticket. However, you don’t need to physically attend to access it. This resource is how I discovered my Lightning internship!
Diversity Mentorship Program - An excellent opportunity to gain mentorship through a more formalized program from numerous professionals across varied backgrounds who attend the Conference.
Content
Panels - Conference content is often cutting-edge. Panel sessions, specifically, may allow 50 - 4,000 attendees with the opportunity to learn about specific topics for 30 - 60 minutes and to potentially connect with panelists after each session. You'll find panel sessions to be a great way to uncover novel strategies being leveraged across sports, but not necessarily shared yet in the public press, among successful sports organizations. Among the 110+ panels I've attended over seven years, I really enjoyed The Last of Sports, which was informative, funny, and engaging.
Competitive Advantage (CA) Sessions - While typically smaller than most panels, these generally feel more personal. One type of CA session is called "Career Playbooks," where professionals share their career journey and highlights along the way. Highly specific, they also allow ample opportunity for Q&A, with the ability to chat with speakers afterward. One of my favorite sessions (46:20 into video) was learning about Josh Brickman’s sports career path.
Competitions
Hackathon - A nice feature providing an opportunity to leverage your technical, problem-solving, and communication skills to uncover actionable insights. This type of session is particularly valuable because the judges are primarily sports industry professionals, enabling you to get powerful and quick feedback.
Startup Competition and Trade Show - Another personal highlight, this event features innovative organizations (~20 usually), across the sports industry and beyond, that are developing beneficial tools, especially in technology, to pitch to attendees. Definitely worth checking this out if you're there. For example, one of the most intriguing products I’ve learned about was the Proteus Machine, which is the first-ever exercise machine to accurately measure strength and power across the entire spectrum of human movement. I chatted with an MLB pitcher at the event, about the value he’s gained from using the device to enhance his pitching effectiveness, and found his perspectives thought-provoking. Because these companies are lined up throughout the hallways outside the session rooms, you can’t miss them, and they’re great to explore because they’re featuring avant garde products!
Research Paper Competition - A great program, where some of the best research in sports analytics is selected and presented at the Conference. Those with papers that have been selected will develop posters about their projects, which are featured in the Conference hallways. Poster researchers are often standing near their work, as well, providing attendees the ability to meet live and ask follow-up questions about the research. There is also a dedicated “Research Papers Competition” room, where such projects are discussed in depth. I highly recommend checking this room out, in addition to the posters. The talent and insights shared here are exceptional. One paper I found intriguing was Leveraging Batter-Pitcher Matchups for Optimal Game Strategy, which focused on identifying the best pitching strategies for consecutive batters and methods for successful repetition based on limited data samples.
First Pitch Case Competition - If you’re a Graduate student and collaborating with other students on a strategic and analytic business goal, this is a great opportunity to present your work in front of sports industry leaders.
Additional Resources
Other Company and League-Specific Meetings - While not directly part of the Conference, many sports teams and leagues hold their own separate meetings even before the Sloan event takes place. While such meetings are generally restricted to those working for those specific organizations, if you’re in the sports industry, I’d recommend attending these to stay current on your company or league's latest trends.
Demo Room - A cool area where you’ll see prototypes and other products gaining traction across the sports space. As the technology and biomechanics in these demos are interactive, and the visuals are engaging, the room provides a fun opportunity to "switch gears" slightly from the more lecture/knowledge-based sessions.
Analytics-related Workshops - If you want to dive directly into coding and learn applied strategies during the Conference, I’d recommend these workshops. These are usually held in smaller rooms of about 25-100 people, where attendees often bring computers to code along with the instructor leading the workshop.
Key Takeaways
With many Conference resources at your disposal, the two days can feel overwhelming. So, here’s a quick “cheat sheet” on how to maximize value at the event:
Identify Objectives
Figure out what you want to accomplish at the event ahead of time (meeting specific people, learning certain topics, etc.)
Build your schedule in advance and identify the appropriate rooms for each session - Doing so will make it easier to navigate during the event
Research
As this is one of the world’s premier sports analytics conferences, study recent sports trends and news in order to be prepared to discuss the content
Research panelists ahead of time to learn about their backgrounds and so that you can ask strategic questions during sessions
Networking
Leverage the Conference app and set up conversations with current and prospective contacts
Take the initiative to share personal information to stay connected, i.e. connecting on LinkedIn (if you’re not familiar, you can efficiently connect with someone by scanning their profile QR code in the app search bar), exchanging business cards, etc.
Use social media, especially LinkedIn, to engage your network about the event - Share an update with your network before and/or after the event and convey how the event was impactful for you and could be to others (again - my personal view)
Make your interactions brief, strategic and direct - Since everyone is busy, if you want to make an impression, it’s important to ask thoughtful, strategic questions after a session to demonstrate your knowledge while connecting for the future
Insight Gathering
Take notes about the topics discussed in sessions, as well as about the conversations you have with other professionals you meet, to use in tracking the development of topics, technology and teams over time
Do more than simply exchange LinkedIn connection requests. Try to schedule a follow-up call in the next week or two to solidify your initial connection
Consider how you can add value to those you’ve met, even if you are early in your career, and seek out opportunities to do so
Energy Management
Take breaks between sessions (sometimes a great spontaneous discussion can emerge over coffee or Cokes)
As it can be challenging to listen to numerous, consecutive hour-long sessions and maintain a high level of focus, why not bounce around to the other types of activities?
Check out what kind of sports tournaments might be taking place at the Conference too as there is generally some type of physical matchup going on - i.e. Pickleball, Ping-Pong, etc.
Once you've actually attended the Conference, which other tips did you find useful? What can you add? To exchange insights, feel free to let me know.
P.S.
This year’s Conference is already sold out (wow!). Since it sells out (quickly) every year, be sure to buy next year's tickets when they go on sale in the fall.
Join the 2024 Waitlist if you’re still looking to attend this year's event (3/1 - 3/2). Maybe I'll see you there!
The sports industry is expanding rapidly, with market size projected to continue growing past the $480B total in 2023. When you consider the future of sports, what comes to mind? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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