Institute for Sport Business welcome guest lecturers from sports technology community

At the start of the 2020 academic year, MSc Sport Analytics and Technologies students were able to gain unique access to industry insights through a series of guest lectures delivered by accomplished industry professionals as part of the 'Introduction to Sport Analytics' module.

Thomas Alomes, Host of Sports Tech Feed, The Global Sports Technology Podcast, and Head of North America for the Sports Tech World Series (STWS), delivered the first guest lecture centering on the application of advanced analytics in sports with a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Vision. Thomas’ lecture also explored the revolutionary impact these technologies are having on all levels of how sports are played, administered and consumed around the world.

Speaking of the guest lecture, Thomas said:

"I was impressed by the engaged, perceptive and informed questions of the students throughout the interactive three-hour session. On a personal level, it's incredibly rewarding to contribute some of my learnings and knowledge back to the next generation of sports industry leaders. The future of sports will rely on the application of these advanced technologies and this next crop of leaders are well equipped to drive the industry's growth into the future."

The Institute were also delighted to welcome John Persico, Founder of the Sports Tech World Series (STWS), a week later to also deliver a guest lecture. John's lecture focused on the sports technology landscape and provided students with an international snapshot of the Top 30 emerging trends that will likely shape the future of jobs in the sports sector over the next decade. John discussed the technological focus on human performance, fan engagement, branding, and digital applications, and smart stadium and venue technology. and also provided a number of free tickets to students to attend the Australian Sports Tech World Series Conference which was held virtually.

Speaking of his interactions with our students, John said:

"From artificial intelligence in sports, media and broadcasting, wearables, stadium technology, coaching tech, augmented reality, blockchain, sports betting and sports digital ethics, I believe Loughborough University London students are uniquely qualified to capture meaningful career and leadership prospects in tomorrow's sports jobs marketplace. Students were alert, engaged, curious and entrepreneurial across the 3-hour interactive session - signs the future of UK and global sports innovation will be in great hands."

At the end of October, the Institute also welcomed Jonathan Boase, Founder of Lityk,  to discuss his talent identification app, AiScout. His application aims to allow a direct connection between amateur footballers and professional clubs, and Jonathan described how AI allows scouts to find, analyse, score, rate, benchmark and scout players technical, athletic, cognitive, and psychometric ability. Amateur players upload videos to the application performing specific tests and then receive a ranking based on a proprietary analytical model, with players then being identified to receive trials at various clubs. The app is available for download was developed with expertise provided by Loughborough University London. 

These guest lectures were enjoyed by students currently studying our MSc Sport Analytics and Technologies programme within the Institute for Sport Business. We would like to say a big thank you to our guest lecturers, Thomas, John and Jonathan.