SU, UNLV announce Sports, Entertainment and Innovation Conference next summer

Syracuse University (SU) is among the organizations involved in announcing a “first-of-it-kind” Sports, Entertainment and Innovation Conference (SEI-Con), which is set for next summer.

SU’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics; University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Sports Innovation; and Circle, a Las Vegas–based guest-experience agency, are the collaborating entities involved.

SEI-Con will host thought leaders and subject-matter experts from around the world to “educate, collaborate and create dynamic ventures together,” SU said in its online announcement.

The inaugural conference, which is set for Las Vegas, will include an opening reception on July 15, 2024, and the three-day conference from July 16-18. The event will include exhibitor pods, innovation labs, daily keynotes, seminars/sessions, roundtables and daily wrap parties with music, SU said.

Analysts predict the global sports market to reach $2 trillion, which is 2 percent of the $100 trillion world economy, “bolstered” by an influx of money from new sources, emerging technologies and growing demand, SU said. “Already the entertainment capital of the world,” Las Vegas has become an “emerging sports destination and is perfectly positioned” to host an annual conference focused on the intersection of sports, entertainment and innovation, it contends.

“The opportunity for our students to work on this world-class event captures the essence of our experiential-based academic programs,” Michael Veley, founding director and chair and Rhonda S. Falk endowed professor in the department of sport management in SU’s Falk College, said in the release. “We, along with our nationally acclaimed advisory council of industry executives, fully embrace the collaboration with UNLV’s premier programs, the creative genius of Circle, and business partners and sports entities in one of the most dynamic sports and entertainment markets in the world.”