The most important meeting of the sports industry in Latin America welcomed more than 5,000 attendees and over 100 speakers, and was the last stop of the 2024 Sports Summit World Tour.
Olé Sports Summit returned to the Usina del Arte in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Tuesday, November 12 and Wednesday, November 13, bringing together leaders, professionals, executives, athletes, legends and media platforms, along with the sports industry’s main brands.
The attendance numbers show the event’s consolidation in Argentina. During the two days that the event lasted, there were more than 5,000 attendees, and more than 100 speakers from more than 40 countries.
“Once again, the event’s great differential lies in the very high level of global and local speakers who participated, and the attendance of c-level professionals from the entire sports ecosystem generating new business opportunities. This second edition in Argentina marks the consolidation of the event as the highest reference in the sector and we will continue working on building value for 2025”, said Sebastian Lateulade Founder & President Sports Summit Global.
Olé Sports Summit Argentina 2024 was organized together with Olé, the leading sports media outlet in Argentina and an international reference, and was attended by important figures from the sports industry such as: Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA; Javier Tebas, president of LALIGA; Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA); John Textor, Chairman (Eagle Football Holdings), Ramón “Monchi” Rodriguez Verdejo, President of Operations (Aston Villa FC), Michele UVA, Director of Social and Environmental Sustainability at UEFA; Monserrat Jiménez, Deputy General Secretary and Legal Director of CONMEBOL; as well as renowned legends and personalities such as: Maxi Rodríguez, Leo Ponzio, Facundo Conte, Alejandro Fantino, among others.
The topics addressed were diverse: digital transformation, audiences and platforms, Fan Engagement, eSports, sports marketing, innovation and technology, sustainability, artificial intelligence, mental health, management and governance, equality and inclusion, among others. In addition, during the two days, attendees were able to take advantage of the networking sessions, a unique opportunity to establish contacts and generate high-impact networks with investor brands in the segment, executives and sports clubs.
“Other than the notable attendance, the most relevant thing is the quality of the panels, the topics covered and some of the presentations. There were also standout moments, such as AFA’s tribute to its anonymous champions, which generated big emotions and was not on the script. This challenges us positively to incorporate different elements in each new edition”, said Mariano Dayan, director of Olé newspaper.
Networking, building bridges and discovering new ideas
Some of the speakers participating in this edition highlighted the importance of this type of event to continue building and consolidating the sports industry:
“The Sports Summit is the benchmark event for the international sports industry. For us, as the most important e-sports platform worldwide, being at this event is a ‘match made in heaven’. It is an alliance that had to happen. This is the best possible forum to share what we have done, the plans that are coming and how e-sports are genuinely experienced as a professional sport,” said Gamaliel Soriano, general manager of Riot Games.
“Sports Summit is a perfect platform to share best practices in South America and experiences that also come from Europe. For me, these spaces are part of the learning process, because it is important that the diversity of our cultural and sporting approach is part of the success,” said Michele Uva, Director of Social and Environmental Sustainability at UEFA.
“I thought it was wonderful because spaces like these spread knowledge and exchange views; we meet, we diversify, we discuss views and we don’t all think the same thing. They allow us to grow,” said Alejandro Fantino, Journalist, Graduate in Philosophy and TV host.
“These are necessary spaces to be able to share what one does, to be able to listen to others and realize that we are all working in some way, whether it is companies, whether it is from the social sector, the private sector, governments, we are all working; but if we all work together it will be better, it will yield more in the transformation, it will have more impact and we will go further,” said Clara D’Onofrio President of the River Plate Foundation.
“It is a space to share and look at sport from various angles, as a physical exercise practice, healthy exercise, a place to socialize, as a business, as an industry, as a vehicle to improve our way of living with gender issues, environmental sustainability and inclusion; to listen to success stories that motivate us in our work to continue promoting sport as a driver of human development,” said Claudio Tomasi, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Argentina.
Sports Summit World Tour continues its journey in 2025
Sports Summit continues to consolidate itself as the most important B2B event in the sports industry in Latin America. Since 2019, it has traveled to different corners with its editions in Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Miami, and in 2025, it will reach European soil when it lands in Madrid.
When the next editions will be held:
Sports Summit Latam: March 5 and 6 in Mexico City together with COLOüRS
Sports Summit Madrid: June 18 and 19 in Madrid, with MADCUP.
Details about the agenda and speakers of these events will be communicated soon on the event’s official website and social networks.
