“SportsInnovation 2018” starts on Tuesday

07.05.2018 – “SportsInnovation 2018”, the new industry platform for innovations in competitive sports, starts at the Düsseldorf ESPRIT arena on Tuesday. Over two days, 42 technology providers from 10 countries will be presenting their new developments and giving insights into the sports technologies of the future at this inaugural trade fair – including in real time in the context of three specially organised football matches. Each of these matches will be produced by the DFL subsidiary Sportcast with 29 cameras, which is well above the production level of top Bundesliga matches and constitutes a worldwide unique media production for this format.

Some of the cameras were developed specially for this event, the first of its kind, and have therefore never been used for football productions in this format before. In the context of the matches, the exhibitors will be presenting their new and pioneering products and services in business suites of the ESPRIT arena, and a programme showcasing specific technologies will also be available on the central stage in the stadium.
“SportsInnovation 2018” is organised by Messe Düsseldorf in partnership with the DFL. The opening of the event on Tuesday will feature a keynote speech by DFL CEO Christian Seifert.

The first day will focus on the topic of “match analysis”, including a look ahead at future data use in the media and sports industries as well as the first innovation match, featuring the U17 teams of Fortuna Düsseldorf and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. As in the other matches, the DFL subsidiary Sportec Solutions will be responsible for all data gathering. Mark Waller (Executive Vice President, International & Events of the NFL), Lars-Christer Olsson Chairman of European Leagues, formerly EPFL) and Andreas Heyden (CEO of DFL Digital Sports) will engage in form of an “Executive Experts Talk” at the “SportsInnovation Night” held in the evening.

The second day of the trade fair will focus on the topics of “broadcast” and “stadium experience”. In addition to the two remaining innovation matches (one between the U23 teams of Fortuna Düsseldorf and Borussia Mönchengladbach and one between mixed U23/U17 teams of 1. FC Köln and MSV Duisburg), Wednesday’s schedule also includes a presentation on the subject of the requirements for staff of the future at clubs and associations as a result of technological development as well as an outlook entitled “The stadium of tomorrow – wishes and needs of users and operators”.

A current list of exhibitors at “SportsInnovation” is available here.