ESPN VP of Business Development & Innovation Kevin Lopes highlights why the 5th annual ESPN Edge Innovation Conference is a must-see

ESPN is set to host its 5th annual ESPN Edge Innovation Conference on Thursday, Nov. 13. The one-night event features some of the brightest minds across sports, business and technology, coming together to discuss how they’re pushing the boundaries of advanced technology and creative sports storytelling.

The conference has evolved from virtual to in-person, and now it’s officially taking place inside The Walt Disney Company’s headquarters in New York City at 7 Hudson Square.

Leaders from ESPN Edge Innovation Partners – including Accenture, Microsoft, Meta, WSC Sports and a soon-to-be-announced fifth partner – along with other industry experts, will speak at the conference.

Kevin Lopes, VP of Business Development & Innovation, talked about how this conference has scaled so quickly in only four years and what to expect at this year’s event.

Can you talk about how this has evolved from year 1 to now?
What started as a virtual experiment on Zoom has now grown into an in-person event, complete with live demos, networking opportunities and panels featuring industry leaders sharing what’s next in sports and technology.

What should fans watching expect during this year’s conference?
We’re proud that our event has become a place to see what’s next – from exciting demos to first looks at the innovative work happening across ESPN, The Walt Disney Company and our amazing innovation partners.

Is there anything you can share from this year’s agenda?
I’m excited about our entire agenda this year, but I have to say, a couple segments really stick out. One is ESPN’s XR (extended reality) panel featuring visionaries from Lucasfilm, Meta, Disney and ESPN. I’m also incredibly proud of the work our creative studio and production teams have done to turn animated telecasts into must-see family entertainment using Disney’s iconic IP – it’s amazing to see.

Anything else to share?
ESPN has always championed innovation; it’s part of our storied legacy as a company. ESPN Edge has the privilege of contributing to that legacy. We’re constantly thinking 5-10+ years down the road on how we can continue delivering best-in-class experiences for fans, and the ESPN Edge Innovation Conference offers a great look at how we’re doing that alongside our partners.

View the full agenda and watch the live stream for free at espnedge.com/conference.