In this blog, Leadership Convention 2014 speaker, Maneesh Juneja, whets the appetite for his session, asking how sport can embrace big data or whether it should be making a more cautious approach to technology.
Technology already plays a major role in sport, helping both individuals and teams to win.
Technology is changing the spectator experience too, with this year’s Ryder Cup utilizing RFID wristbands and social media to not only improve engagement with fans, but between fans and sponsors too.
Can technology help make participating in sport for the average person a more enjoyable experience?
For many of us, we’ve had to adapt to digital technologies later in life.
However, young people have grown up in a digital world, where connecting online is how many of them relate to not just one another, but with large organisations too.
For the young people of today, will emerging technologies such as smartwatches like the forthcoming Apple watch be a driver in increasing engagement with sport?
Should governing bodies wait for the technology to emerge, or should they be setting the pulse themselves? Will the sports that embrace emerging technology first be the ones that survive and prosper in the long term?
There is tremendous interest surrounding Digital Health, Quantified Self, Wearable Tech, the Internet of Things and Big Data. How will all of this change our level of physical activity?
Some of these trends have been featured in the Alliance's recent Future Trends report. The convergence of these forces could ultimately unlock a great deal of value, but there are also a great deal of risks, especially when much of the technology is unproven and untested.
Also, where is this innovation coming from? Instead of only looking West, should we be looking East as well? Should you be monitoring the world of startups? Or will it be companies such as Apple, Google & Samsung that spearhead this expected revolution?
Will the creative use of new technologies to increase participation in sport be one of the routes to improving the health of the nation? These are some of the questions I aim to cover during my talk at the Alliance's Leadership Convention next month.
At the heart of these new technologies are data. In my career of working with personal data, I’ve witnessed how data driven decision-making can transform the fortunes of organisations, helping them to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.
As we move towards a more networked and connected society, more data will be generated, stored and shared. The big question is how can we turn these data into insights and ultimately into value for a member of the Sport and Recreation Alliance?
Some regard data as a new asset class, so in the 21st century, who will own and control the data that each of our bodies generate?
Now, just because many things will become technically plausible, are these changes socially desirable?
Do we want to move to a world where our engagement with sport is governed by algorithms, rather than emotions?
How do we find the right balance that works for everyone in a world where we often are afraid to fail?
We have a great track record of innovation in sport in the UK, and I firmly believe we have every chance to continue that leadership during the 21st century.
Follow Maneesh on Twitter @maneeshjuneja.
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