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Global Sports Business Forum

Thank you to those who attended the second annual Global Sports Business Forum

Here are some highlights from October 6, 2023
Past Events Highlights
 
Beyond the Court: Culture, Community and Commerce thumb

Beyond the Court: Culture, Community and Commerce

Harnessing Opportunity in the Business of Sports thumb

Harnessing Opportunity in the Business of Sports

Sports Case Competition Final Round

Team USC Solves the Conference Problem

The Future is Here

Sports Media Partnerships

The Next Generation of Pro Sports

What Does Values-Driven Global Growth Look Like?

Making Plays

Women Reshaping Sports Brands, Teams and Narratives

Julie Uhrman, Valorie Kondos Field, Ann Meyers Drysdale

Empowering Women Who Lead in Sports

Sports and Social Impact - Kenny Washington

Why the Los Angeles Rams Made Kingfish

Moving The Needle

A Conversation with NFL’s Anquan Boldin

Sports, Tech, Fandom, Impact

Partnerships that Empower Communities

Empowerment Spotlight

A Conversation with Leigh Steinberg

Games People Play

The Future of Interactive Entertainment

Martin Jarmond, Andy Campion

UCLA Bruins Talk Leadership in Sports

AI and Gaming

Redefining Game Development Teams

E-Sports

What Will Keep Fans Engaged?

College Athletics: NIL

What Athletes Need to Know about Name-Image-Likeness

The Plays The Thing

Fan-Friendly Innovation in Sports Venues

Tracking Trends to Stay Competitive

The Media Measurement Paradox

What Persuades Advertisers to Spend on Sports?

Game Changers

Navigating the Intersection of Sports and Entertainment

Brooke Singer Women's Football Alliance

Gender Dynamics and Pay Inequity in Sports

Sports Betting

Will Sports Betting Supercharge Gaming?

Managing Nil

The Business Sense of Name, Image, Likeness

Influencers In Sports And Gaming

Pro Gamers and Developers Get Down to Business

Diversity In Gaming

Pro Gamers, Actors, Writers All Need to Be Represented

Gamer Centric Economics

The Future of Digital Ownership

On The Cover

Sports and Entertainment Partnerships in Gaming

Metaverse Environments

The Future of Gaming and Business

Leign Steinberg Steinberg Sports And Entertainment

The Premiere Sports Agent on Players’ Rights and Safety

Sports And LATAM Culture

Understanding Latin American Sports Fandom

Nez Balelo Global Sports Forum

Bringing Athletes to the World Stage

What Skills Are Needed for Sports Analytics?

What Skills Are Needed for Sports Analytics?

Creating Positive Influence Through Sport

Creating Positive Influence Through Sport

How Will Los Angeles Shape the 2028 Olympic Games?

How Will Los Angeles Shape the 2028 Olympic Games?

A Fox Sports Strategist Leverages Fan Insights

A Fox Sports Strategist Leverages Fan Insights

The Role of NFTs and Web3 in Sports

Opportunities in Sports

A New NFT Marketplace for Basketball Hall of Fame

Social Media, Sports Titles and Fandom

Social Media, Sports Titles and Fandom

Head Injury Recovery Through Innovation Tech

Head Injury Recovery Through Innovation Tech

A Sports Conference in the Heart of the Sports Business Capital

 

Please join us at UCLA’s historic Pauley Pavilion for the second annual Global Sports Business Forum, hosted by the UCLA Anderson School of Management. The event will bring together an international cohort of decision makers and business professionals representing teams, leagues, media, talent agencies, brand partners and technology innovators, while showcasing the power of the sports community in Los Angeles — home to Super Bowl LVI, the 2022 MLB All-Star Game and the 2028 Summer Olympics. 

Top Industries Executives Will Explore
 
memes global forum pauley
  • Innovation: Wired arenas, emerging technologies and new fan experiences
  • Monetizing fan engagement: Analytics and audience measurement, sports betting, blockchain and NFTs, and TikTok
  • Brand partnerships: Creating compelling experiences for fans to drive growth in the industry
  • Entertainment: Leveraging film, TV, streaming, music and gaming to promote sports, raise awareness and passion, and tell great stories 
  • NIL (name, image and likeness): The transformation of amateur athletics and the influencer economy 
Brand partners and VIP attendees will have access to private sessions and additional experiences throughout the event, and students and athletes will learn from industry experts how to build and grow businesses in sport.
2022 Highlights
 

Panel discussion for the Global Sports Business Forum at Pauley Pavilion

Questions?

CONTACT US: 310.825.7211 | entertainment.center@anderson.ucla.edu

2024 Speakers

 
Nez Balelo
Partner of CAA Baseball, Head of International, CAA Sports

Nez Balelo is a Sports super-agent, representing athletes such as Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins to former greats MVP Ryan Braun, All-Stars / Gold glove winners Andre Ethier and Adam Jones to UFC Hall of Famer “Champ” Georges St-Pierre.

Balelo also stands out as an anomaly. Raised in San Diego California, first generation Portuguese decent where his family migrated from the Madeira Islands in Portugal and was raised in the Commercial fishing industry.

Balelo after his Senior year attending Pepperdine University was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 4th round and signed to become a very promising MLB infielder before a devastating accident cut short his playing days. 

Adversity and opportunity became the catalysts for Balelo positioning himself as one of the most humble, venerable, and successful professionals in all of sports. 

Nez focused on his entrepreneurial skills and opened up a development baseball school outside of Los Angeles called West Coast Baseball School. At the same time accepted a job with the Atlanta Braves in a hybrid development, scouting and consulting role.

After a 10 year run with the Braves and understanding how an organization runs, along with building a business from scratch and turning a simple one facility business into a multi million dollar licensing/franchise, Balelo felt it was time to expand his wings. He took his entrepreneurial skills, business sense and his knowledge of the game to another level and walked away from the Braves and sold his schools and branding license to start his own sports agency. 

After 3 years Balelo established himself in the sports agency world quickly as a force to be reckoned with. Having numerous first round picks and multiple players making it to the big leagues in a very competitive landscape, It was then that he was recruited to join IMG Sports group in a senior executive position before moving over to CAA to start the sports group in 2006.

Balelo currently heads up the Baseball division within CAA Sports. He has been responsible and a part of negotiating over $4 Billion Dollars worth of contracts while at CAA. He currently ranks on the Forbes Top 50 most powerful sports agents in the world list for 6th consecutive years.

8:00 – 8:40 a.m.

Pre-Conference Seminar: Understanding Latin American Sports Fandom

Host: Christian Rodarte (B.A. ’05), Founder and Managing Director, Commonwell LLC

  • Jesus Chavez (’05), Co-Founder and CEO, CABRA Sports
  • Karina Martinez, Co-Founder, Drafted
  • Liliana Perez, Director of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles Chargers
  • Erika Ruiz, Agent, Klutch Sports

10:15 – 11:05 a.m.

Game Changers: Navigating the Intersection of Sports and Entertainment

Host: Tiffany Everett, Global Social Media Lead, EA Sports, Electronic Arts

  • Jessi Shelley, Producer, Uninterrupted
  • Aisha Chaney, Coordinating Producer II, SportsCenter LA
  • Jordan Dolbin, Head of Social and Influencer Marketing, National Women’s Soccer League

11:05 – 11:40 a.m.

The Media Measurement Paradox

Host: Andrew Brandt, Executive Director, Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law, Villanova Law School

  • Geoff Ferguson, Vice President, Business Development and Entertainment Lead, iSpot.TV
  • Megan Julian, Director, Social Media and Content Performance, Los Angeles Chargers
  • Scott Ehrlich, Chief Innovation Officer & Head of Corporate Strategy, Sinclair Broadcast Group

11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m

Analytics and Fan Engagement

Host: Paul Brandano (’06), Executive Director, Master of Science in Business Analytics Program (MSBA), UCLA Anderson School of Management

  • Jaime Kelm, Director, Insights and Analytics, Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC)
  • Mike Bernstein Vice President, Insights and Analytics, LA28
  • Megan Bell, Vice President, Ticketing and Business Intelligence, Los Angeles Chargers
  • Jay Hiremath, Global Director, Google Cloud Consulting Account Leader, Google

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Lunch

1:30 – 2:05 p.m.

The Play’s the Thing: Fan-Friendly Innovation in Sports Venues

Host: Bill Sanders, Chief Executive Officer, Cadence158

  • Matt Lawler, Senior Director of Digital Media, Global Partnerships, AEG
  • Luke Wang, General Manager, Los Angeles 5G Lab, Verizon

  • Edward Andrews, Director, Premium Sales, Intuit Dome, LA Clippers

2:10 – 2:45 p.m.

Fireside Chat-For the Players: Safety & Wellness

Host:Mark Francis, Senior Sports Business Instructor, Lundquist College of Business and Warsaw Sports Business Center, University of Oregon 

  • Leigh Steinberg, Chairman, Steinberg Sports and Entertainment

2:50 – 3:30 p.m.

For the Athlete: What to Know About NIL

Host: Cindy Lin, Executive Director, Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology & Sports Law, UCLA

  • Ted Yeschin, Senior Vice President, Talent Marketing and Sales, Wasserman
  • Chase Griffin, Quarterback, UCLA

10:30 – 11:10 a.m.

Panel: Securing the Metaverse: Protecting Gamers' Digital Assets 

  • TBD, Wallet Guard
  • Tony Bravado, Co-Founder, NFTCLT and Y3K Innovation Summit

11:10 – 11:50 a.m.

Panel: How to Get, Spend and Keep the NIL Bag

Host: Johnny Cruz, Director of Athlete Management, NIL, The Network Advisory

  • Dr. Norris Dorsey, Founder, Dorsey Academy of Entrepreneurs
  • Justin J. Giangrande, Founder and CEO, The Network Advisory
  • Eric Nelson, Father of Quarterback Malachi Nelson

  • Stafon Johnson, Head Football Coach, Dorsey High

11:50 a.m. – 12:30 p.m

Panel: How Betting Will Supercharge the Sports and Gaming Ecosystem  

Host: Jim Guthrie (B.A. ’03, ’08), Associate Vice President, Brands and Properties, Wasserman

  • Glen Harold, Vice President, Product/Media & Fan Engagement, Genius Sports
  • Zach Doctor (B.A. '13), Co-Founder & CEO, Wager Wire 

  • Marc Isenberg, Senior Wealth Strategist, UBS

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Lunch

1:30 – 2:05 p.m.

Fireside Chat with Brooke Singer

Host: Arielle Moyal, Founder, Moyal Enterprises LLC

  • Brooke Singer, Athlete (FIT/New York Wolves), Fashion Designer and Activist 

2:10 – 2:45 p.m.

Innovation in Sports and Gaming

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.

Winning in Esports 

Host: Hal Biagas , COO and General Counsel, Seven1 Sports & Entertainment Group

  • Daniel Kennedy, Director, Marketing, 100 Thieves

  • Tonia Carson, Legal Counsel, EA Sports

10:30 – 11:05 a.m.

AI and Gaming: Winning in Esports

  • Xiaoyang Yang, VP of AI, Data, Security & IT, Second Dinner Studios

11:10 a.m. – 11:45 a.m

Metaverse Environments and Their Impacts on Future Gaming and Business

Host: Shana Douglass, aka Diamond Doll, Co-Founder NFT CLT and Y3K Innovation Summit

  • Joe Way, Executive Director, UCLA ITS Digital Spaces, Collaborating Partner, Y3K Innovation Summit 

  • Fernanda Fell, Content and Social Media Manager, Flickplay 

  • Chris Shadley, CEO, IGL City

  • Eli Alegria, Head of Business Development & CMO, Raijin Corp + Yaku Corp + Kuro Brand

11:45 – 12:30 p.m.

On the Cover: Sports and Entertainment Partnerships in Gaming

Host: Shana Douglass, aka Diamond Doll, Co-Founder NFT CLT and Y3K Innovation Summit

  • Arielle Moyal (B.A.'05), Founder and CEO, Moyal Enterprises LLC

  • Christopher Erb, Founder, Tripleclix 

  • Sarah McLaughlin (’13), Brand Director, Madden, EA Sports

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Lunch and Exhibits  

1:30 – 2:05 p.m.

Gamer-Centered Economics: The Future of Digital Ownership 

Host: Rachel Brissenden,Coalition Success Steward, Business Development & Web3 Partnrships, Opolis

  • Rhiannon Price, Head of Performance Creative, The Sandbox
  • Honest, Co-creator, Krypto Pioneers
  • Six, Co-creator, Krypto Pioneers
  • Claudio Roman, aka Chico, Chief Executive Officer, Citywide Community Counseling Services Inc. 

2:05 – 2:45 p.m.

Diversity in Gaming

Host: Kevin Winston, Founder, Digital LA

  • Shana Douglass, aka Diamond Doll, Co-Founder, NFTCLT and Y3K Innovation Summit 
  • Anne Toole, WGA Award-Winning Writer on Horizon Zero Dawn Game, Comic and The Witcher Game 
  • Darion Lowenstein, Secret Code, Game Consultant, Former Game Producer at Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard and Rockstar
  • NathanLIVE, Minecraft Game Streamer on TikTok with 555,000 followers, Twitch Partner and YouTube Influencer 

  • Torian Bracket, Game Voice Actor; Credits Include World of Warcraft, Warframe and Fallout 76

2:45 – 3:20 p.m.  

Influencers in Gaming 

Host: Tony Bravado, Co-Founder, NFTCLT

  • Drake ("Exalt") Branly, Pro Gamer/Streamer, Valorant, Twitch

  • Andrej ("babybay") Francisty, Pro Gamer, Valorant    
  • Rasul Elder, aka Knowhear, Recording Artist, Sandbox Game Creator, & Y3K Innovation Summit Collaborating Partner