Sport Industry Socials: Women’s Sport Wrap Up
On 17th September, SIG hosted over 100 sport industry professionals at Lord’s Cricket Ground for the second Socials event of the year. The focus of the day’s discussion was one of sport’s most exciting growth stories: the rise of women’s sport and its predicted path to $23bn in revenue by 2033.
The event welcomed representatives from the Marylebone Cricket Club, Unilever, Barclays, Havas Play, and More Than Equal for a morning of lively discussion and impactful networking.
Attendees in the room included the Premier League, Toyota, Barclays, Metro Bank, Sky, LIV Golf, Six Nations and the LTA, alongside a wide mix of professionals from across the sector.
The first panel saw the MCC’s Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Katie Maier, host a discussion between Ashley Goldie, Senior Media & Content Lead, Unilever and Katy Bowman, Head of Sponsorship Partnerships, Barclays.
Exploring how brands and rights holders can unlock the next wave of growth for women’s sport, the conversation highlighted the need for brands to do more than simply provide investment – from showing up authentically throughout the season, to rethinking traditional approaches to ROI and tackling the structural barriers that continue to hold women’s sport back.
The second panel saw James Masters, Strategy Partner at Havas Play UK, present the agency’s future-facing report Vision 2035: A Decade To Reimagine Women’s Sport and condense a 10,000-word piece of work into just ten minutes.
This was followed by a brilliant fireside chat with More Than Equal’s Kate Beavan, hosted by Havas Play Strategy Parnter, Ellie Moss, which delved into what comes next for women’s sport and the opportunities for genuine innovation.
Across both sessions, the same key themes emerged:
Rethinking ROI – traditional sponsorship measures are no longer fit for purpose. To uncover true ROI, women’s sport partnerships need to be considered more holistically.
The power of data and research – “Without data, you only have an opinion,” panellists stressed, underlining the need for evidence-based decision making.
Training and development tailored to women – from kit and tech to performance models, the industry must stop designing for men first and adapting for women later.
Focus on the fan experience – sporting events should welcome casual supporters as well as loyal fans, opening them up as inclusive cultural experiences rather than exclusive clubhouses.
Reflecting on the event on LinkedIn, Kate Beavan posted, “Blah, blah, advertorial, blah, blah……… That is what this event WAS NOT. Can we please have more like this please? I was vaguely intimidated by the quality of the chat and I loved leaving knowing more than I arrived knowing – with some really interesting insights and observations that I am still mulling over.”
To close the day, guests had the chance to make new connections over a fantastic networking before the MCC’s Head of Communications, Tom Rowland, treated a small group to a behind-the-scenes tour of the ground.
A huge thank you to Marylebone Cricket Club and Havas Play for their support, to our speakers for giving up their time and wisdom, and to all those who joined us for another Sport Industry Socials.
Sport Industry Socials are exclusively available to Sport Industry Members.
