Sports Summit Mexico, held last July 3 and 4 at The Westin Santa Fe, brought together more than 2,500 attendees, more than 150 industry executives and more than 70 media outlets, with a stellar line up of participants, which included leading executives such as Javier Tebas, president of LALIGA; Miguel Ángel Gil, owner of Atlético de Madrid; Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the World Boxing Council; María José Alcalá, president of the Mexican Olympic Committee; and football legends Juan Sebastián Verón and Jorge Campos.

Sports Summit Mexico 2024, the most important B2B congress of the sports industry in Latin America, organized by Sports Summit and COLOüRS, the pioneering agency in creating, owning, licensing and producing focused content platforms for the entertainment industry, returned to the country where it was first launched, with a new edition held on July 3 and 4, at The Westin Santa Fe.

The event offered two busy days, with presentations divided among two stages, which brought together attendees, clubs and companies, and speakers of the highest profile from multiple countries. The event welcomed executives from confederations, leagues and clubs, renowned sports personalities, athletes and tech companies, among others, to exchange experiences and address the latest in innovation, digital transformation, data, audiences and platforms.

Sports Summit Mexico 2024 was backed and sponsored by Caliente, Corona Cero, Infonavit, Join the Planet, lululemon, Mercado Ads, Ole Interactive, Azteca Deportes Network and VOLVO as strategic allies.

“It’s been a great joy for us to return to this country where we were born in 2019, and begin to write a new story with a great alliance with Cory Crespo and the entire fantastic COLOüRS team,” said Sebastián Lateulade, president and founder of Sports Summit .

“COLOüRS has more than 20 years working on sports platforms. Today we represent more than 120 artists. We were looking for the right sports platform and couldn’t find it, until we found the Sports Summit, an event designed to bring athletes closer to different brands and help brands translate what they need to athletes. This date was very important for several reasons: one month before the Olympic Games, where there are 108 Mexican athletes, and because in 2026 we will have the FIFA World Cup,” added Cory Crespo, CEO of COLOüRS.

FIRST DAY: JULY 3 – Featured panels

Digital Transformation: data and technology to personalize performance and experiences

The event’s first panel explored how digital transformation can improve the fan experience. It featured Edson Crevecoeur (Miami Heat), Franco Segarra (Valencia CF) and former football player Pavel Pardo.

“All operations generate data and are key for an organization to be successful. In order to be competitive and discover new opportunities you have to research and analyze your data,” Creveceour explained. “Miami Heat knows its fans and that starts from when the ticket is purchased. From the moment they enter the stadium, we begin to offer them products and services based on their experience and their interests.”

Segarra agreed: “Data helps you make better decisions for business strategy, to improve processes, cut costs, increase revenue and allows you to learn and understand better, to personalize experiences.”

Sports Marketing 3.0: how to attract and retain new audiences

Alberto Guadarrama (Mexican Baseball League), Gina Jesus Cervantes (MLB Mexico) and Luis Martínez (NFL Mexico) shared their strategies to attract and maintain new audiences.

Inspiring Stories: My Life Through Sport brought to you by lululemon

lululemon presented an inspiring talk with its ambassadors Arlette Esqueda, Eduardo Pérez Sandi and Lucas Baldin, who shared how sport has defined their life purpose and motivation.

Leaders Chat: LALIGA Global Expansion

Javier Tebas, president of LALIGA, spoke with Fernando Palomo (ESPN) about his vision in sport, his commitment to transparent competition and the protection of audiovisual rights in the industry.

Tebas highlighted the relevance of internationalization, stressing that there are companies in the US and Mexico that have invested in LALIGA equipment.

He explained that piracy is the most important problem in the sports industry: in Spain, 33% of viewers do not pay to watch football, while in Argentina the number is close to 60%. Tebas said he believes it’s necessary to pressure Google and Apple to remove all apps that broadcast matches illegally. In 2023, LALIGA reported 183 apps to Google and Apple: before they were taken down, 800,000 downloads had already been made.

Leaders Chat: How Atlético de Madrid built a top 10 brand in the international football industry and their take on the future of Mexican football

Miguel Angel Gil, owner of Atlético de Madrid, spoke with Oscar Guzmán (FOX SPORTS) about how he managed to build his brand and take it to the top in the world of football. He also shared his vision for the future of Mexican football.

Leaders Chat: From world football legend to the management revolution of Estudiantes de la Plata

Football legend, Argentine player Juan Sebastián Verón (Club Estudiantes de Plata), spoke with Marcelo Gantman (Sports Summit) about the football industry and his career as a player and president of the club.

“The club was born from the need for a space where children can carry out their activities on a playground in a comfortable and safe way,” said Verón. “Football has changed and has advanced in everything, technology, relationships between clubs and fans, networks, etc. All these issues must be part of the future, we must ask ourselves: How can we make the kids part of this?”

SECOND DAY: JULY 4 – Featured panels

The FOX Sports Tribute to Ernesto López

Colleagues and friends paid tribute to Ernesto López Robles (1968-2024) during the event.

“Ernesto brought out the best in everyone without having to speak. He landed your craziest dreams,” said Luis Rodrigo Gómez, who shared 18 years of work with López Robles.

The executive’s family participated in the tribute, as well as his colleagues Carlos Martínez (partner & advisor FOX Sports México), Luis Rodrigo Gómez (executive director of news and digital) and Andrea Pérez García-Escudero (general director FOX Sports México).

An Olympic Meeting

One month before the 2024 Olympic Games, Sports Summit México dedicated a part of its agenda to this event with speakers such as María José Alcalá, Alejandro Hütt, Julieta Galant, Renzo Manyari, Frida Matínez; as well as different athletes.

Brands: Connecting with new audiences, the power of sport for global brands

Rodrigo Gómez (PEPSICO), Alejandro Gershberg (Grupo Modelo) and Raymundo Cavazos (VOLVO) spoke with Daniela Limón (FOX SPORTS) about the impact of big brands in the sports industry and how they have been built hand in hand with it.

Beyond the challenge: Women who transform sport

Actress and activist Karla Souza, Olympic diver Azul Almazán, and the representative of UN Women Mexico, Moni Pizani Orsini, shared their stories of struggle and success in a world full of obstacles. The panel was moderated by Oso Trava, creator of Cracks.

ESG Agenda: Sustainability in sport, good daily practices and long-term commitment

Bart Ongenaet, commercial director of Decathlon México, and Marisol Rodríguez, social impact leader of Club Tigres, spoke to Rafael Veljanovich (Zoomin) about sustainable practices in the sports industry and the long-term commitment to the environment.

Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup

The day ended with a panel moderated by Fernando Schwartz, Presenter, FOX SPORTS México, in which Alejandro Hütt, Host City Manager of Monterrey, FIFA World Cup 2026; and Julieta Galant, General Coordinator, Guadalajara FWC26, spoke about the preparation for the FIFA World Cup to be held in Mexico, the USA and Canada in 2026.

The event was broadcast live, via YouTube, on the website www.sportssummit.mx.

After other successful editions in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Miami, the Sports Summit World Tour continues its journey in 2024-2025. The next destination will be Argentina (November 13 and 14), where more than 150 speakers, exhibition, networking, as well as the presence of the most prestigious media and brands are expected.