News Archive

Sport & Entertainment Analytics Conference hosted by USF coming to Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 27) - Business leaders who deal with data and use it to drive key decisions in the sport and entertainment industries will discuss the latest trends and the importance of analytics during a conference in downtown Tampa on Feb. 18-19. Attendees at the University of South Florida Sport & Entertainment Analytics Conference, powered by Ticketmaster, will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights in the sports and entertainment analytics that promote education, growth and innovation.

The conference will take place on noon - 6 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Feb. 19 at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel, 700 South Florida Avenue in Tampa. Industry professionals, students, and university faculty will have the opportunity to network with accomplished speakers from across the country in the sport and entertainment industry.

The speakers include:

  • Kevin Kelley, the head coach of the Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark., has been featured on ESPN and HBO Real Sports for his "no punt" philosophy.
  • Anthony Perez, vice president of business strategy for the Orlando Magic, and Jay Riola, assistant director of business intelligence & CRM for the Orlando Magic, will discuss how the Orlando Magic set the analytics standard in the NBA.
  • David DeMontmollin, the vice president of marketing for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, will discuss how casino analytic applications can be used in sports analytics.
  • Rick Johnson, senior director of Pricemaster product & strategy at Ticketmaster and Live Nation, will discuss Ticketmaster analytic insights with David Smrek, vice president of Live Analytics, a Ticketmaster company.
  • Rich Luker, a social psychologist known for his creation of the ESPN Sports Poll, will discuss predictive analytics and relationship building.
  • Chris Watson, senior director of relationship marketing and analytics for Feld Entertainment, will discuss broker and secondary market analytics.
  • Michael Farris, the director of strategic consulting & research at the Aspire Group, a global sport and entertainment marketing firm, will discuss industry trends.
  • Bill Bailey, vice president of SSB Consulting Group, a business intelligence and accounting firm, will discuss how analytic insights power firms.

Admission is $99 for the two-day conference. A discounted rate of $50 is available for ßÙßÇÂþ»­ students and faculty. Students at other universities can purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $75. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite at . All students and USF faculty members are required to provide a valid university ID.

The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel has offered conference attendees a . A limited number of discounted tickets to the Tampa Bay Lightning game against the Winnipeg Jets on Feb. 18 are available to professional attendees only. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at registration.