OUR EVENTS
PAST EVENT: 05/03/25
CHASING SUCCESS: AN EVENING WITH ALISTAIR BROWNLEE MBE
We kicked 2025 off for Digital Sport North on a high, with a fireside chat featuring Triathlon legend, Alistair Brownlee MBE.
From reflecting on Alistair's early love for sport, the journey to winning gold, to adjusting to post-competition lifestyle - it was fascinating to hear about the things he’s looking forward to doing more of, and those he doesn’t mind leaving behind!
Moving on to his approach to investing in sports tech businesses - Alistair spotlighted some incredible companies sharing his passion for removing barriers to participation in sport and encouraging active lifestyles, such as truefuels, Spatzwear, and GoJoe.
Along with some fascinating audience questions, there was so much to talk about! Thankfully, we had host Rich Williams to expertly lead the evening’s discussions.
Head of Charity at The Brownlee Foundation, Charis Palmer-Smeaton, also took to the DSN stage to share some of the incredible things they've been working on for 2025, with a huge host of exciting opportunities to get involved across the North, from volunteering to trying out triathlon for yourself.
We had the pleasure of showcasing Leeds Beckett University’s incredible School of Arts building in partnership with the Carnegie School of Sport, and as always, we enjoyed catching up with the network and over a few beers afterwards - and welcoming lots of new faces!
PAST EVENT: 21/11/24
GROWING THE SPORTS TECH ECOSYSTEM IN THE NORTH
This November, we brought the Sports Tech community together at The Knowledge Exchange in partnership with Leeds Beckett University’s Carnegie School of Sport for impactful conversations on the current landscape and how we can continue fostering growth in the region, as well as spotlighting innovative businesses ahead of the curve.
With all conversations expertly led by Rich Williams, we kicked off the evening hearing from the key players building and mapping the Ecosystem: Stuart Clarke MBE, Founder of Leeds Digital Festival and UK Tech Week, Alex Craven, CEO of The Data City, and Richelle Schuster, Chief Innovation Officer of new Sports Tech venture Virtual Sports Group. It was fantastic to start unpacking the ‘Sports Tech’ sector we’re talking about and put some numbers to things to highlight the incredible opportunities for growth and community we have right here in the North.
The second half of the evening spotlighted some of the incredible businesses making up the Ecosystem - welcoming James Thomas from Azzuu, Liam Parkinson from Engage Partnerships, and Michelle Anderson from Soul Padel to the stage for some open conversations about entrepreneurship and the journey of building a Sports Tech business, from gaining that first investor’s trust to matching the pace of a rapidly growing sector.
The evening wrapped up with plenty of drinks and networking - bringing good people together to share knowledge, do great things together, and build the connections that matter.
PAST EVENT: 19/09/24
COMPETING FOR ATTENTION:
LESSONS FROM 2024’s SUMMER OF SPORT
As part of Leeds Digital Festival, we returned to Belgrave in September for an insightful panel discussion unpacking everything Summer of Sport 2024 - from the organisations, individuals, and ‘challenger’ sports that cut through, to what we learnt from the Euros and Olympics, and the game-changing trends and tech that disrupted the landscape this summer.
Our expert panel included Steve Feekins, Social Media, Digital & Content guru at FIFA, Mark Holmes, Head of Publishing for one of our awesome key sponsors Planet Sport, and Spencer Hudson, Head of Product at Sky Sports.
Hosted by the brilliant Tanya Arnold, it was a fascinating discussion, offering some incredible insights into the changes we’re seeing in different spaces. With so much to cover and so many great questions, we could have kept talking all night!
It was great to see some familiar faces from the network as well as a new crowd brought in by Leeds Digital Festival, and there was plenty of time afterwards to enjoy a few beers and get talking.
PAST EVENT: 02/05/24
Leveraging Sports Fan Data for Growth
At their impressive Leeds office, Digital Sport North hosted an engaging panel discussion in collaboration with our esteemed sponsor, Walker Morris. Delving deep into the dynamic landscape where fan data and partnerships intersect, our panelists offered invaluable insights into harnessing data to drive both fan engagement and commercial success.
Featuring industry experts including David Ingham from Cognizant, Luke Jackson from Walker Morris, and Phil Porter, formerly of Chelsea Football Club and soon to begin the same role at Newcastle United, our panel explored the perspectives of clubs, sponsors, and partners.
With discussions expertly facilitated by host, Gareth Jones, attendees gained actionable strategies for harnessing data to propel growth in a legally compliant way, in addition to using fan data to drive sponsorship and optimise partnerships.
The event provided a platform for networking with a range of like-minded industry professionals including sports clubs, federations, digital leaders, marketers, product developers, data analysts, and commercial strategists, alongside legal experts, CEOs, investors, and tech professionals. Plus, attendees enjoyed delicious pizza and refreshments throughout the evening.
PAST EVENT: 24/04/24
THE RISE OF THE HUNDRED
In April, Digital Sport North brought together the content, digital and commercial experts behind the hugely successful cricket series, The Hundred, to tell its captivating story.
Our expert panel featured the brilliant minds from the ECB behind it all: Joe Steele, Marketing Director; Ella Voase, Marketing Manager for the Northern Superchargers; and Rob Johnson, Head of Content & Digital. They nailed it, painting a vivid picture of how this game-changing tournament has shaken up cricket - bringing in innovation, inclusivity, fresh audiences and brands, and upping the entertainment ante.
Having presented each match at Headingley right from the start of The Hundred, regular DSN host Rich Williams was the obvious choice to unpack this story and ask all the right questions of our guests, with discussions exploring the tournament’s strategy, fan engagement tactics and digital innovation
Back at Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds - home to the Northern Superchargers and the iconic Headingley Stadium, there was plenty of time for relaxed networking with like-minded professionals and discussing the evening’s insights over a couple of drinks.
PAST event: 29/02/24
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF TECH IN SPORT
Marking the first event of 2024, Digital Sport North hosted its Manchester debut with ‘Unleashing the Power of Tech in Sport’. A powerhouse of sport home to world-class athletics, rugby union & league, cricket, and countless others, the city provided the perfect backdrop for delving into the world-class tech behind our brilliant speakers.
The impressive lineup featured Phil Steele from GoJoe, Molly Brealey from e+sport, and Andy Etches from Rezzil. It was a fantastic opportunity to gain some fascinating insights journey of each co-founder and their respective visionary enterprises - offering a glimpse into the reality of starting and scaling a sports, health, and tech business, from securing investment to finding the best talent.
Expertly facilitated by esteemed host Rich Williams, discussions delved into how the synergy of sports and tech fuels participation, connects people and advances talent, from amateur right through to elite level.
With plenty of time for relaxed networking, attendees had the opportunity to discuss the evening’s insights with a diverse range of professionals, including industry leaders, experts, coaches, athletes, tech professionals, students, and sport lovers, as well as experiencing firsthand the spectacular Rezzil technology showcased at the event.
This November, Digital Sport North brought together prominent industry figures shaping the future of sport and technology for ‘DSN Next Gen’. Taking place at Leeds Beckett University’s prestigious School of Arts, several of our speakers were Leeds graduates themselves sharing their backstories and experiences with a view to inspiring the next generation of sports and digital leaders. Our incredible panel comprised Ethan Pickering from Bradford City AFC, Andrew Clark from Hull City FC, Michael Parsons from Rezzil, Steve Feekins from FIFA, Danika Priim from Sky Sports/ BBC, and Joe Mirtaheri from Fanatics.
Discussions centred around the current state of the sports and technology landscape and touched on career-related topics, ranging from entering the field to securing top talent. As is often the case at DSN events, we considered the transformative impact of technology in creating a level playing field and driving growth in interest, participation, and opportunities for all.
Attendees had the chance to engage with industry leaders, students, experts, coaches, athletes, and tech professionals. The audience ranged from students looking to kick-start a career in sports tech in the North, right the way through to C-Suite leaders, investors and employers seeking to grow talented teams. In line with the best DSN traditions, there was plenty of time for relaxed networking in the bar to allow attendees to meet and enjoy a few drinks, and discuss the topics raised.
DSN next genERATION
PAST event: 16/11/23
past event: 19/09/23
Can Tech be the Catalyst for Growth in Women’s Sport?
This September, as part of Leeds Digital Festival 2023, we hosted a panel discussion at Leeds venue, The Wardrobe, on the potential for digital and technology to pave the way for even greater scale, audiences, and opportunities to put women's sport on a genuinely level playing field.
We welcomed back the brilliant Tanya Arnold, this time as host, and were joined by an exceptional all-female panel featuring Leanne Norman from Leeds Beckett University Carnegie School Of Sport, Caroline Julian from British Cycling, and Charlotte Swift from the BBC.
It was a great evening of relaxed networking and interesting conversations that brought together like-minded professionals working in and around sports and tech, and sparked some fascinating discussions on how we can drive positive change and further empower women in sport across the North.
PAST Event: 12/07/23
DSN SUMMER MIXER
In July, Digital Sport North hosted a Summer Mixer at The Adelphi in Leeds, bringing together a dynamic mix of professionals from the digital and sports industries, along with individuals who share a keen interest in these fields.
With an impressive turnout and crowd, the meet-up provided a great opportunity for attendees to catch up with familiar faces from the network while also making some interesting new connections over a drink or two.
These kinds of events are a fantastic way to build networks and exchange knowledge. True to signature Digital Sport North style, it was a relaxed evening of good company and great conversation, offering a welcoming environment for like-minded individuals to make valuable connections and gain fascinating new insights.
PAST Event: 27/04/23
Football & The media:
A Complicated relationship?
In April, Digital Sport North returned to Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds, where a panel discussed the complicated relationship between football and the media.
As part of Leeds Digital Festival 2023, we were thrilled to welcome back Rich Williams to introduce a great panel featuring Matthew Quinn from Liverpool FC, Tanya Arnold and Ben Gallop from BBC Sport to debate this very topic.
The evening featured our usual relaxed, knowledge sharing and networking event environment, with good people, comments from industry-leading experts, great conversation, with some great pizza thrown in too.
PAST Event: 22/02/23
Data In Sport Special
Digital Sport North delivered a wealth of insight into the way data is used in the global sports industry in a great afternoon at Flutter's fantastic Leeds base. We brought you a wealth of experts in the field of sports data technology from the DSN network to share insights and content about the use of data in the world of sports.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn from and engage with these specialists and some of the leading sports and sports technology businesses and individuals working in the North of England.
We presented speakers and real industry experts from StatsBomb, Catapult, VentureAxis, Visualising Data, Hudl, and Panintelligence. These businesses are at the very forefront of sports data technology and their presentations and views provided valuable insights into how data is being used to improve performance, enhance the fan experience, and drive innovation in the world of sport.
The event was like all DSNs, a great opportunity for professionals working in sports, data, and technology to network and learn from one another. This unique event allowed our network to hear from real industry leaders and network with like-minded professionals. We hosted a sold-out room of coaches, athletes, data scientists, and data professionals, and provided a deeper understanding of the role that data plays in the world of sports and how it is shaping the future of the industry.
SOLD OUT
PAST Event: 22/09/22
AN EVENING WITH PETER HUTTON
A hugely respected figure in the sports media industry, Head of Sports Partnerships at Meta Peter Hutton returned to Leeds to talk about his glittering career working on every major sport event, launching and running sports channels across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa and the Indian sub-continent.
Peter’s gave us some incredible insight on his journey from a junior sports radio reporter in Leeds, through the early days of Sky Sports, to leading ESPN/Star in Asia, via stints at Fox and IMG, before becoming CEO of Europe’s largest sports channel, the Discovery-owned Eurosport, where he was instrumental in their growth and rebrand from an eclectic mix of sports rights to their acquisition of the Olympic Games and development as the ‘Home of Cycling’.
Peter now works in Silicon Valley, where he leads Meta’s sports strategy and media partnerships worldwide, helping rights holders, broadcasters, agencies, athletes and producers leverage and make the most from Meta’s suite of technologies; Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Meta Quest and Portal. The information he shared about how audience engagement is shifting with the bleeding edge tech he and the teams at Meta are working with was incredible.
PAST Event: 27/04/22
We presented a panel discussion discussing the ways in which consumers’ sport consumption habits are changing, featuring ITV’s Ian Cottrell, Football365’s Sarah Winterburn, William Hill’s Manjit Bhatti and Sporting Life’s Gareth Jones.
HOW DIGITAL SPORT IS CHANGING
