GROWTH x WOMEN'S SPORTS

Opening Words

The Fan Project Live: Women’s Sports Leaving Money On The Table

Technology and innovation are reshaping the sports landscape, and the industry at large needs to rethink how we invest in women’s sports. The Sports Innovation Lab is leading a ground-breaking research project called The Fan Project that is dedicated to accelerating investment in women’s sports. The Fan Project is using the power of fan social media data to highlight the untapped business potential of women’s sports and create a report to show that investing in women’s sports is more than the right thing to do- it’s a savvy business decision. Learn more about The Fan Project, and join the movement here.

• Jen Welter, First Female NFL Coach
• Sanya Richards-Ross, Olympian
• Megan Perry, Sports Innovation Lab

Athletes in Action: The Importance of Community Engagement

No sports league has been more essential to the social justice movement than the WNBA. While in 2020, this took the form of athletes in action on the national television stage, the momentum of the movement began long before through the power of engaged communities—local communities, the league community and an unrivaled online community. Join us as we discuss how athletes are amplifying social causes in 2021 through conversation, community interaction and a cultural presence, and explore how and why the athletes of the W continue to lead the way.

• Kelsey Taylor, Twitter
• LaDondra Wilson, Dallas Wings
• Kim Adams, Basketball Analyst & Reporter

Networking Session

Making Gains: Raising Visibility of Women in Sports, Media & Culture

This group of industry veterans will discuss their individual and collective efforts to raise the visibility for women through marketing, partnerships and content. Leveraging brands, talent, properties, academia and media, we will dive into how these leaders are driving the equity agenda and making measurable change for women in sports – as consumers, fans, industry executives and athletes.

• Chloe Pavlech, TOGETHXR
• Shiz Suzuki, AT&T
• Nadine McHugh, Association of National Advertisers
• Thayer Lavielle, Wasserman

[Workshop] Preparing for the NIL Era: The Power of Female Athletes Across Social & Content in College Athletics

As the next class of Gen Z student-athletes enters college, they are bringing friends, fans and more to campus via social media, and often, female athletes have more social reach than their male counterparts. Learn how and why the structure of your staff can directly impact content creation, athlete accessibility, and department-wide revenue and engagement growth, and hear how Duke WBB has driven record video views over the past twelve months.

• Selena Castillo, Duke WBB

Don’t Be Late to the Party: Where & How to Support Women’s Sports Right Now

Women’s sports fandom is soaring, but how do you make a business case to jump in when numbers aren't 1:1 with traditional sports sponsorship? Learn how brands already in the game forge partnerships with both leagues and athletes to drive unmatched engagement, measure sponsorship success, and generate ROI.

• Kristen Gambetta, Rakuten
• Kirta Carroll, Foot Locker
• Monica Mody, Budweiser
• Andrew Cohen, Visa
• Ilana Taub, Golden Tree PR

Growing Media Coverage of Women's Sports

Featured Panel presented with Just Women's Sports

Learn how this group of powerful women, including the reigning WNBA MVP, 2019 Rookie of the Year, and founder of new platform Just Women's Sports are growing media coverage of the women's game, and hear why the two bright young athletes are dabbling in content creation with their own podcast, Tea with A & Phee.

• A'ja Wilson, 2020 WNBA MVP
• Napheesa Collier, 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year
• Haley Rosen, Just Women's Sports
• Angel Gray, Sideline Reporter