The first day began with an opening address by Hiroshi Shono, Representative Director and President of Antlers. Shono explained the purpose of the forum, stating, "As the necessity of digital utilization in professional sports clubs is rapidly increasing, we organized this forum with the aim of learning from the advanced examples, ICT strategies, and marketing strategies of the NBA and MLS from the US, and incorporating them into our initiatives for future investment."
Next, Takehiko Nakamura, Global Strategy Officer of Antlers, took the stage as the facilitator for the panel discussions at this forum and spoke about the activities and objectives of Antlers' New York office.
After these opening remarks, the forum proceeded with a presentation by Brendan Hannan, Vice President of LA Galaxy. Titled "LA Galaxy Business Overview," Hannan discussed the overall business of LA Galaxy, its digital strategy, and particularly the social media impact when Zlatan Ibrahimović, who played for top European clubs like Manchester United and AC Milan, joined the team. He explained how American professional soccer clubs approach digital marketing.
Next was a presentation by Dan Moriarty, Digital Director of the Chicago Bulls. Titled "Chicago Bulls: How the Chicago Bulls Build & Monetize Digital Audiences," Moriarty discussed how the Chicago Bulls have expanded their business in the digital realm in recent years, as well as their internal staff structure, policies for actual digital content creation, and monetization strategies.
After the two speakers finished their presentations, a panel discussion focused on digital marketing initiatives in the American sports business was held with facilitator Nakamura.
Following the advanced examples from the US, the forum moved on to presentations from the Japanese side. First, Hiroaki Idei, Representative Director and President of J.League Digital, spoke on the theme of "Current Status of Digital Platform Strategy in the J.League," discussing the digital strategy that the J.League is promoting with each club from the perspective of platforms.
Next, Hideki Suzuki, Director and Business Division Manager of Antlers, gave a presentation titled "Club Management and Digital Strategy," discussing Antlers' club management, its digital strategy based on it, and the utilization of the stadium.
After this, a panel discussion focused on the current state of J.League's digital marketing was held with facilitator Nakamura, concluding the first day's program.
Day two started with a group tour of Kashima Stadium. In addition to the stadium, participants also visited the Antlers Sports Clinic located in the stadium mall. Demonstrations of VR/AR technology, which Antlers uses for actual game events, were also conducted.
Afterward, Yohei Kasuga, Marketing Group Leader of Antlers, and Koji Tokura, Strategy Manager, presented Antlers' smart stadium concept and examples of digital marketing linked to smart stadiums.
Finally, Kasuga, Hannan, and Moriarty joined facilitator Nakamura for a closing discussion, concluding the two-day forum.
Through this forum, Antlers was able to share the smart stadium concept, which it is promoting with the J.League, and the importance of digital marketing, which forms the foundation of club management, with many participants and stakeholders. Moving forward, Antlers aims to further materialize its digital strategy by actively learning from advanced examples in the US and exchanging information with many people.