TIA Tennis Forum To Be Held in NYC Next Week

August 23, 2017 | By a94bfb98_admin

The 10th Annual Tennis Industry Association (TIA) Tennis Forum will be on Monday, Aug. 28, at the Intercontinental New York Barclay Hotel. The Forum will include the latest news about the state of the tennis industry, updates on grow-the-game initiatives, business insights and a spotlight on innovation.

The forum will include the latest research and news about the state of the industry, honor the 2017 inductee into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame, and present Tennis Innovation Challenge finalists.

The TIA Tennis Forum will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Intercontinental, at Lexington Avenue and 49th Street, which is the official hotel for the men’s ATP Tour. Aug. 28 also is the first day of play at the US Open, the final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.

In addition to presenting key tennis industry statistics, research and initiatives, the Forum also will include recognition of David Haggerty, the 2017 inductee into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame; a presentation by world-renowned retail expert Dan O’Connor; and the Tennis Innovation Challenge, in which three finalists in the competition will present their innovative product or service to a panel of judges.

Haggerty, who is the president of the International Tennis Federation, also will update the industry on ITF initiatives. Other industry leaders presenting at the Forum will include Katrina Adams, the president, CEO and chairman of the board of the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA); Kurt Kamperman, the USTA Chief Executive of Community Tennis; Jeff Williams, the president of the TIA; and Jolyn de Boer, TIA executive director.

Information presented at the Forum will help to outline ways to better define and boost the economic growth and impact of the tennis industry; determine effective ways to distribute clear, consistent messaging of health, fitness and the reasons to play tennis; and discuss the business of tennis. Forum attendees will receive a summary report on key industry research. While the Forum is free to attend, space is limited, so registration is required. Visit TennisIndustry.org.

Tennis Innovation Challenge
At approximately 9:30 a.m., the unique “Tennis Innovation Challenge” will take center stage, with five-minute presentations by the three finalists in the competition: AccuTennis, an interactive line-calling system; In/Out, a portable line-calling device that uses radar technologies; and Playmate iGenie, a ball machine with innovative calibration and programming.

The Innovation Challenge will be moderated by Carlos Salum, who is president of Salum International Resources and a member of the SportsCouncil Silicon Valley (SCSV), which is co-sponsoring the Challenge. Judges are: Julien Bin, CEO and co-founder of SportsCouncil Silicon Valley; Walid Fattah, entrepreneur and co-founder of Kourts, specializing in mobile apps and tennis management systems; Dr. Mark Kovacs, a performance physiologist, researcher, professor, author, speaker and coach; Dr. Stuart Miller, senior executive director of the International Tennis Federation; and Royce Wolfe, principal of Thru Traffic Marketing LLC marketing development, innovation and strategy consultancy.

The new products and services in the Innovation Challenge are designed to grow the sport and business of tennis with players, consumers and fans. The finalists were chosen from the many companies and individuals who completed an online application. The winner of the Challenge will receive $1,000, a national press release to thousands of news outlets with a potential reach to millions of consumers, coverage in Tennis Industry magazine, a one-year TIA membership, and additional exposure through industry marketing and social media channels.

Future of Tennis & Tech Sessions
Following the Tennis Forum and Innovation Challenge, SCSV will present Future of Tennis & Tech sessions on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, Aug. 28 and 29, at the InterContinental. Topics will include wearable tech, virtual reality, data analytics, e-sports, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, drones and more. (To learn more and purchase tickets, visit TennisIndustry.org.)

Tech companies can display their products and services at a “Tech Fair” event held on Monday. The Monday afternoon Future of Tennis & Tech session will include a panel of startup tech companies and focus on how technology can help the tennis business. Thirteen startup companies will participate. In addition, former pro player, legendary coach and Tennis Channel analyst Paul Annacone will participate in a panel on “Tennis and Performance Monitoring.” The Monday afternoon session also will include small-group discussions in a “world café” format, moderated by Salum.

The Tuesday morning Future of Tennis & Tech session will include a keynote by Rishi Bhatnaghar, the CEO of Syntelli Solutions, on how data analytics can help tennis grow. Tuesday also will include a panel discussion and question-and-answer session on tennis and tech with former pro players Christo Van Rensburg and Bobby Blair, Dr. Stuart Miller of the International Tennis Federation, and Dr. Mark Kovacs, a performance physiologist, researcher, author and coach. Topics will include wearable tech, virtual reality, data analytics, e-sports, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, drones and more.

For more information on the 10th Annual TIA Tennis Forum and to register, visit TennisIndustry.org.


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