Review of SPORTELMonaco 2019 with chief executive Laurent Puons
Laurent Puons, chief executive of SPORTEL, reviews the 2019 edition of the convention in Monaco.
How do you evaluate the success of the 2019 edition of SPORTELMonaco?
"We are very pleased with how this edition went. We had more participants and brands than last year, so everyone can see how the event is flourishing. The week was a success, and the conference was still a staple of those involved in the sports business industry, carrying on the 30-year tradition we have of being the best event of our kind in the market.
"We had a number of brands who upgraded to become exhibitors for the first time, and other brands which attended SPORTELMonaco in general for the first time. We’re grateful to all of them - those who came here for the first time, and those who have continued to come for many years."
How has this year’s Sportel changed and adapted from last year’s edition?
"This year we created a new innovation zone, for start-up brands, which reflects that the international sports media and technology industry is changing. It again shows that SPORTELMonaco is providing opportunities for all levels of investments. Of course, we also attrracted some very large brands and sponsors here, but we were definitely more aware that we needed to cater for the companies that are just starting out. It’s really important for us to help those companies grow, so that we can work together in future."
30 years on from the first conference, how is SPORTELMonaco progressing and adapting?
"As we have passed the 30-year anniversary of SPORTELMonaco, we have been very pleased at the progress the conference has made and continues to make. I think SPORTELMonaco is a great event, the number one in the world, and of course we want to continue this development. In order to do this, it’s very important for us to listen to our attendees each year and adjust our events accordingly.
"We want to keep developing the event, in order to keep attracting new brands and new companies. All of these new companies will give us more opportunities to do business."
How are plans progressing for the SPORTEL Summit event in Miami in March?
"At the end of SPORTELMacau earlier this year we organised a survey, and our community wanted to go back to America. So, we took the decision to go back to Miami, because we are convinced that city is the ideal place for an event like SPORTEL.
"We will open SPORTELMiami 2020 with a one-day conference before the convention, which will feature some boxing heavyweights to get the event off to a good start. The day after this conference, there will be the usual three days of exhibitions and the convention.
"We took the decision to organise the conference before the convention in order to make sure everyone has their schedule clear for it, and it is not coming in the middle of other events when guests are already busy. This way, it is an opportunity for us to gather all our guests and participants to attend the conference.
"We are convinced that in order for this event to flourish, we need to keep attracting new guests and attendees from all over the world."
How do the two events complement and align with each other?
"I believe the two events can work alongside each other well. SPORTELMonaco is the main event, which attracts more than 3000 participants, and it is the place to be. We have then organised the spring event, which is currently switching between Asia and then the Americas, in order to give European companies and participants the opportunity to meet American and Asian brands and companies and thereby develop their business. It’s also an opportunity for us to take brands in America and Asia and introduce them to our European colleagues and exhibitors.
"We will see how the Miami event next year goes before making any decision on where future spring events will take place, as we were in Asia for the two years previously. We will review all aspects of the event, and then see what is the best policy going forward."