Sports Conference

Britain’s most successful Paralympian and an icon of both resilience and excellence in the world of elite sports. With an extraordinary career spanning nearly three decades, Sarah has won 17 Paralympic gold medals and amassed over 30 world championship titles across two sports—swimming and cycling. Her journey from Paralympic swimming champion to cycling legend demonstrates her unparalleled determination, adaptability, and drive to succeed at the highest level of competition.

Rachael is a Partner at Level and is the first female Chair of the Pro Manchester Sports Committee. She is an experienced disputes lawyer across sport, media and entertainment with a specialist practice in defamation, privacy, media crisis and reputation management, which she has handled at the highest level for newsworthy clients against national and international media outlets. Whilst naturally most of her work is confidential, her work over the years has included advisory services to a broad range of clients including topflight professional footballers (PL, EFL, WSL), football and rugby clubs, sporting organisations and individuals and managers working across football, golf, boxing, athletics and rugby, well-known actors, musicians, newsworthy OBE and MBE recipients and individuals in official public roles. As part of her work, she has regularly considered and handled EDI and reputational issues in sport as part of her practice.

Leanne has commercial experience in the entire sports sphere, from football clubs, sports governing bodies, national and international sports organisations to athletes and leading sports brands. Leanne advises on drafting and negotiating a vast range of commercial agreements including merchandising, supply chain, technology and sponsorship agreements, working for both sports bodies and sponsors. She advises these organisations on how best to protect and exploit their valuable intellectual property as well as comply with data privacy regulations.

With a background in Psychology and twenty years retail experience. Richard is the former head of global partnerships for Carbon Free Dining and planted 1 million trees with them. Now Richard runs Play It Green, bringing genuine sustainability, nature repair and social impact to partners, globally. All done with his own brand of conscious capitalism.

Andy Etches is a co-founder and director of Rezzil, a leading sports technology platform that enhances cognitive performance and training for athletes, particularly in football. Before establishing Rezzil, Etches worked with Manchester City FC and consulted for various football organizations, focusing on integrating technology to improve player performance and data presentation.

Rezzil’s VR technology is utilized by numerous professional sports teams worldwide to develop players’ decision-making, composure, and reaction times under simulated high-pressure scenarios. The platform also offers analysis and rehabilitation tools to assist athletes during recovery periods.

In March 2024, Rezzil entered a four-year partnership with the Premier League to develop a VR game that allows fans to recreate iconic Premier League moments, further bridging the gap between professional sports and immersive fan experiences.

Etches’ work with Rezzil has been instrumental in advancing the use of VR technology in sports training, injury prevention, and fan engagement, positioning the company at the forefront of sports tech innovation.

Warren Gregson PhD MBA

Warren has over 25 years’ experience operating at the intersection of science and technology in the global football industry. Previous roles include senior academic research positions and strategic and operational roles in English Premier league clubs, national football associations and key technology providers. Over the last decade, Warren served as Head of Performance Science & R&D at Aspire Academy and Qatar FA supporting the countries preparations for hosting the FIFA 2022 World Cup. Warren is currently Professor of Applied Physiology at the Institute of Sport, Manchester Metropolitan University, where he is responsible for leading a large-scale research and innovation partnership with Manchester United FC. Warren also serves as an advisor to sports technology accelerators and several sports technology startups.

Claire known as ‘ Hughesy!’ is the founder & CEO of En2End Sports Activation Agency, specialising in audience/fan engagement through online, in-person, and hybrid experiences. From her roots as a sheep farmer’s daughter in rural mid-Wales, Claire has carved a successful career in the sports industry through hard work and innovation.

Her career began at Aon’s global sports marketing agency, where she worked on their high-profile shirt sponsorship of Manchester United. She then joined Liverpool Football Club as Head of Partner Experience and VIP Hospitality, gaining hands-on experience managing partnerships and delivering premium guest experiences.

Drawing on her experience on both the brand and rights holder sides, Claire founded En2End in 2019. The agency uses technology and creative solutions to deliver activations that connect brands & rights holders with their audiences/ fans. Claire has led major projects for UEFA, FedEx, AXA, British Cycling, and others, establishing En2End as a leader in tech-driven sports activations.

Claire is also mum to a gorgeous 2-year-old daughter, Bryony, so is balancing the challenges of running a business with family life!

Simon is a Managing Partner and Head of Strategy at Ear to the Ground, a global creative agency that collaborates with influential fans to build culturally impactful brands in sports and gaming. Drawing on his expertise in brand planning, marketing effectiveness, content strategy, and customer experience, Simon provides strategic leadership to clients such as Nike, PlayStation, New Balance, and Coca-Cola. He leads a multidisciplinary team of planners, researchers, and digital specialists, utilizing AI to develop innovative proprietary technology that harnesses the power of Fan Intelligence®, enabling brands to enhance their cultural relevance and connect more deeply with their audiences.