Robert Mims reports on the SeventySix Capital Sports Innovation Conference

SeventySix Capital has a unique approach to the business of sports. The typical conference has the array of speakers and panels that are geared toward casinos and gaming industry executives. SeventySix Capital extends the dialogue to include entrepreneurs, startups, venture capitalist and college students.

The agenda of the conference was sports betting and Esports. The keynote address was given by Eagle great and Philadelphia Hall of Famer Brian Westbrook. The leaders of SeventySix include Wayne Kimmel, Jon Powell, Chad Stender and Ryan Howard. The conference was held at Citizen’s Bank Park, where Howard excited baseball fans for a decade. Howard, who is currently associated with ESPN, sees the value in looking for the next big thing.

Panel participants included Hall of Fame NBA Basketball player Ralph Sampson, gaming executive Seth Schorr from the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas and Matthew Holt, President of US Integrity. The major organizations represented included Parx Casino, the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies and the total sports information network VSIN.

There was a pitch competition that gave the feel of watching the ABC show "Shark Tank." Prize money was awarded to the top three contestants. The conference ended with an interview with Former NBA Commissioner David Stern. The attendees at the conference included representatives from the top major universities. This is just another step of SeventySix Capital going where millenials and innovation reside. As 2020 approaches and more states adopt sports betting, I would look to events like this conference for strategic concepts that will drive opportunity and growth.