The10th Annual Tennis Industry Association (TIA) Tennis Forum, which will be held in New York City on August 28, the first day of play at the US Open, is inviting entrepreneurs with innovative products, software or services designed to grow the sport and business of tennis to pitch their ideas in the “Tennis Innovation Challenge NYC 2017.”
The Innovation Challenge is in conjunction with “Future of Tennis & Tech” sessions that will be held August 28 and 29, sponsored by both the TIA and the SportsCouncil Silicon Valley. Both the Forum and the tech sessions will be at the InterContinental New York Barclay at Lexington Avenue and 49th Street in New York City, which is the official US Open hotel for the ATP Tour.
Through July 7, companies and individuals can complete a short Tennis Innovation Challenge application form at tennisindustry.org/innovation describing their new, innovative product or service. There is no fee to apply for the Innovation Challenge.
On Monday morning, August 28, finalists from the Innovation Challenge online application process will have the opportunity to present their new product or service to a panel of judges – and in front of an audience of tennis industry leaders – in a “Shark Tank”-like competition to be held during the TIA Tennis Forum. (While the Forum is free to attend, space is limited, so registration is required. Visit TennisIndustry.org.)
Tennis Innovation Challenge finalists will receive media exposure through the TIA leading up to the Forum. The winner of the Innovation 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.
The Innovation Challenge will be moderated by Carlos Salum, president of Salum International Resources and the tennis industry liaison to the SportsCouncil Silicon Valley (SCSV). The SCSV is an exclusive group that operates as a marketplace for elite sports organizations and technology startups focused on sports.
“With SCSV, tech startups benefit from business development opportunities, access to funding, product development mentoring and branding opportunities,” said entrepreneur and SCSV Co-Founder Julien Blin. “We’re pleased to bring these Future of Tennis & Tech sessions to New York, during the world’s largest tennis tournament, and to put the spotlight on how technology can help this sport and this business grow.”
In addition to the Innovation Challenge, SCSV and Salum will present Future of Tennis & Tech sessions on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, August 28 and 29, at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel. 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. As of mid-June, startup companies that will participate include ASAP-Sport, Bluefox, Hexoskin, Kitman Labs, VKTRY, VREE and Brick Simple. 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 sports & tech keynote speaker, Q&A discussions with tech and tennis celebrities, small-group meetings and networking. Topics will include wearable tech, virtual reality, data analytics, esports, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, drones and more.
“If you are into sports and tech, this exclusive VIP event will be a great opportunity to learn about current and future sports tech trends, accelerate your business, find new customers and investors, and promote your technology,” Salum said.
This past March, the TIA held its inaugural Tennis Innovation Challenge at the Tennis Owners & Managers Conference in Orlando, Fla. The winner of that competition was Tennibot of Auburn, AL Tennibot is a robotic tennis ball collector that detects tennis balls on the court using cameras, sensors and complex algorithms.
For more information on the Tennis Innovation Challenge NYC 2017, view the application at tennisindustry.org/innovation or email innovation@tennisindustry.org.
Photo courtesy Tennis Industry Association
