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The SportsPro Hackathon returned for its fourth edition from 23rd to 25th February, giving some of the brightest young minds from leading universities across the globe an opportunity to put their stamp on the future of the sports industry.
Held in partnership with Wonderful Copenhagen, the annual, weekend-long virtual event once again challenged teams of sports business students to produce an idea they believe would make major events more socially, environmentally and financially sustainable.
That meant that the teams had to ensure their ideas delivered against the triple bottom line framework, while also aligning with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
All told, this year’s competition saw more than 120 students compete for 18 teams put forward by 11 universities, including AMOS Sport Business School, Birbeck University of London and Columbia University, as well as Emlyon Business School, Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Sheffield Hallam.
Heriot Watt, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The University of Queensland, University of East London and University of Liverpool completed the lineup for this year’s hackathon.
♻️#SPHACK kicks off today!
It all comes down to this, with over 120 students across 11 universities battling it out to create the most innovative solutions to help drive sustainability in sport 🏅
Without further ado, let the games begin!#SportsBiz
The students were given three tasks to choose from and had approximately 48 hours to come up with their idea.
The first challenge was to conceptualise an immersive fanzone experience for one of the host cities of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, which will be held across the US, Mexico and Canada. The students needed to ensure that their fanzone idea would help advance the climate action goals of that city and appeal to a sponsor whose values and services aligned with the project.
For the second challenge, students were asked to put themselves in the shoes of a national Olympic committee or international federation and devise a legacy programme that could be implemented in Los Angeles after the city hosts the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The final challenge was to devise a product, solution or business model that either the San Siro soccer stadium in Italy, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve Formula One track in Canada or the UK’s Cheltenham Racecourse could implement to maximise usage on non-event days.
Throughout the process, the students were able to bounce their ideas off 20 mentors representing a range of organisations from across the sports industry, including Euroleague Basketball, Borussia Dortmund, IMG, England Rugby, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Concacaf, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. A total of 54 mentor sessions took place during the event, as well as 70 check-ins with SportsPro staff.
Once the ideas were finalised, they were presented to an esteemed judging panel, which comprised of Wonderful Copenhagen head of events Kim Mejnert-Frydensbjerg, Aileen McManamon, the founder and managing partner of 5T Sports Group, Claire Poole, the founder and chief executive of Sport Positive, Nature Positive’s principal environmental consultant Jim White, and Matthew Campelli, the managing director of Touchline Earth.
The three winning ideas will now be presented at SportsPro Live, which is taking place on 23rd and 24th April at London’s Kia Oval, where the overall winner will be decided.
Imagine having just 48 hours to create an innovative solution to drive sustainable change within the sport events industry.
That's what 2 #UQ teams were tasked with as part of the 2024 @SportsPro Hackathon 🏐🏅🔗https://t.co/SZRnr1RjTs@UQhealth @UQBusiness @historycrab#SPHack pic.twitter.com/NjRnK8EjF2
University: Emlyon Business School
Team members: Colleen Tomlinson, Aatish Shinde, Ezgi Dincay, Lei Li, Nikola Jevtic
The students from one of two Emlyon teams proposed to use solely renewable energy to power a fanzone located at The Concord Community Park in Vancouver, which would host approximately 45,000 visitors per day during the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
The project is intended to align with the Canadian city’s long-term targets of 100 per cent renewable energy use and an 80 per cent reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The fanzone would be powered by 45 per cent solar energy, 25 per cent hydro energy, and 30 per cent kinetic energy, the latter of which would be generated by movement mats laid throughout the facility which will help power screens and other entertainment features within the zone.
The team identified several Canada-based companies that could sponsor the fanzone and play a role in helping the project meet its sustainability targets.
To minimise waste, reusable bottles featuring the branding of main sponsor LuluLemon would be available to purchase and water access points would be placed throughout the fanzone for refilling.
Meanwhile, the team planned to work with the City of Vancouver and Pavegen – another pair of organisations identified as potential sponsors – to promote green modes of transport to and from the venue, particularly by utilising Vancouver’s transportation network Translink.
Within the fanzone, there would be six companies providing ‘diverse’ food and drink options. Activities would include penalty shootout games, indigenous performances to highlight the heritage of Vancouver, and virtual reality experiences. To ensure inclusivity, the venue would also feature sensory rooms for fans who require additional support and space.
With a projected cost of around US$7 million to run the fanzone and estimated revenues of approximately US$30 million, the Emlyon Canucks forecasted that the fanzone would generate a gross profit of US$23.7 million.
Vancouver’s BC Place will host seven games during the 2026 World Cup
University: Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)
Team members: Ahmed Chaiab, Abdulla Ahmad M A Alfasi, Anas Al Ismail, Farah Zeyad Ali, Mohammed Musaed Abdulrab Al-Obadi, Saeed Gaffar Mohamed Salih Elimam, Sarah Mohammed R S Al-Shafi
The students at HBKU created a feature that would be built into Transit, the most popular public transport app in LA, in order to incentivise sustainable transport and encourage people to visit underserved areas in the city both during and after its hosting of the 2028 Olympic Games.
The idea was born out of research gathered by the team, which found that only 7.7 per cent of people in LA use the city’s public transit system. However, 74.5 per cent said a gamified app would enhance their travel experience, while 84.3 per cent said they would be motivated by rewards to explore new areas.
With that in mind, TimeScapeLA would gamify the public transport experience in LA, allowing users to access various quest maps based on the route they have chosen and complete challenges. In return, they would be able to earn points that could be used on rewards, which would be provided by the programme’s sponsors and would range from discounts at local restaurants to event experiences.
While the team’s target audience would initially be tourists visiting during the Games, it envisions TimeScapeLA eventually being added to all smartphone map apps to promote long-term sustainable transport in LA beyond the Olympics.
LAEEB estimated that the feature would cost US$2.45 million to develop over three years, while revenue would be generated by partnership and transaction fees, advertising and sponsorship, and premium features and subscriptions.
Improving LA’s public transport infrastructure is at the heart of the legacy plan for the 2028 Olympic Games
University: Columbia University
Team members: Anneke Strobach, Arjun Ohri, Eric Fishbin, Ksenia Zevyakina, Lucas Durand, Oran Lopez Reed, Sean Flynn, Sohum Rajdev
The winners of the third challenge conceptualised an open-air market and festival that would be installed at the San Siro, home of Italian soccer giants Inter and AC Milan in Milan.
According to the team, Eat Breathe Milan would house local food vendors, art shows, wine tastings and other experiences to target foodies, families and tourists seeking an interactive and sustainable culinary and cultural experience in the Italian city. The students were keen to point out that food vendors would be held to high standards to ensure they are using sustainable ingredients and eco-friendly products.
There would also be a gamification element to the experience for vendors. After sampling the food on offer, visitors would vote for their favourite, with the most popular vendor becoming the San Siro’s next concessionaire.
The team pointed out that Eat Breathe Milan would give people even more reason to visit the San Siro, which they said goes unused for 76 per cent of the calendar year.
The students also want the venue to help address the decline in the use of public transport in Milan, which has decreased by 25 per cent despite the city having the largest public transit system in the country.
Indeed, once downloaded, the Eat Breathe Milan mobile app would offer users free public transport for three days and free access to non-sporting events at the San Siro. The data gathered from the app would help organisers identify where consumers are coming from and when they arrive at the venue.
Given that the first year of the festival would be free entry, Eat Breathe Milan would initially adopt a B2B business model, primarily relying on higher vendor fees for revenues. Tickets would cost €15 the following year, when the team envisions transitioning to a B2B2C approach.
The students forecast a net profit of just over €374,000 from the first year of the project and set themselves the goal of tripling profits by year three.
We're delighted to share that our students that represented Columbia University are the Challenge 3 Winners in the SportsPro Sustainability Hackathon 2024!#SPHACK #InaLeagueofOurOwn #YourStory pic.twitter.com/6Q80aViWg1
Peso Por Plastico
University: University of Queensland
Challenge: Challenge one
Peso Por Plastico proposed to provide smart bins in fanzones in Guadalajara, Mexico, encouraging fans to recycle and earn points which could be used on prizes provided by sponsors.
UQ 2
University: University of Queensland
Challenge: Challenge two
With T20 pushing for inclusion at LA28, this team wanted to build an online platform to develop the Los Angeles suburb of Anaheim as a cricketing hub through the collection and refurbishment of secondhand equipment from Australia to redistribute to schools.
AMOS Sport Business School 1
University: AMOS Sport Business School
Challenge: Challenge three
The students wanted to install a brewery at the San Siro that could be used outside of matchdays. The team would partner with local beer suppliers and restaurants and aim to reduce the carbon footprint of beer importation while creating new jobs for locals.
FIMBA
University: University of Liverpool
Challenge: Challenge one
The idea put forward by FIMBA University of Liverpool was to create a ticketing platform that would integrate all existing Monterrey public transport systems to encourage sustainable travel during the 2026 World Cup.
Sustainable Minds
University: Sheffield Hallam University
Challenge: Challenge one
Sustainable Minds’ pitch led with the slogan: ‘One ticket, two experiences’. Ticketholders would gain access to a fan festival in Seattle sponsored by Hyundai, which would also provide 15 electric buses to transport fans from the hub to World Cup games at Lumen Field.
Green Racing Hub
University: Heriot Watt University
Challenge: Challenge three
The team at Heriot Watt sought to use the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve track throughout the year by creating new premium experiences that would not only drive revenue, but also create job opportunities for homeless people in Montreal.
SBM Sheff
University: Sheffield Hallam University
Challenge: Challenge three
This concept centred around hosting fashion shows at the San Siro, which would aim to showcase smaller, sustainable fashion brands in Milan.
Paris 2 LA
University: Emlyon Business School
Challenge: Challenge two
This team wanted to use waste generated in LA during the 2026 World Cup to build recyclable soccer pitches that would have less impact on the environment than the existing artificial fields in the city.
THAUS
University: The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Challenge: Challenge one
The team planned to launch a three-year long course focused on sustainability in sports that would be taught in four hospitality and conference spaces at the San Siro for 40 weeks a year. It would aim to create direct job opportunities in the form of internships and potential long-term employment.
Could the San Siro double as the home of a sports business management course? Some students believe so
Birkbeck FC
University: Birkbeck University of London
Challenge: Challenge one
Birbeck FC planned to place World Cup fanzones at three LA locations in Inglewood, Downtown and Santa Monica to engage the local community and create unique experiences at each event. The fanzones would use kinetic flooring and solar panels to produce sustainable energy as well as reduce plastic waste by circulating reusable water bottles and installing refillable water stations.
Team Enercare
University: University of Liverpool
Challenge: Challenge one
Team Enercare’s idea was to create a fanzone in Toronto with a ‘home-like environment’, which would use sustainable furniture and be a hub where families could enjoy the World Cup. The venue would also house educational initiatives on climate objectives and build awareness of local businesses committed to sustainability.
Sustainable Skaters
University: Sheffield Hallam
Challenge: Challenge two
The team from Sheffield wanted to build pop-up skateparks across LA in the months building up to the 2028 Olympics. In doing so, they hoped to help USA Skateboarding promote the sport in the build-up to the event, tackle the issue of declining public transport use in the city, address the homelessness crisis, and support underserved minority communities.
AMOS International
University: AMOS Sport Business School
Challenge: Challenge one
The students pitched green fanzone in Toronto, which would feature games and activities that showcase the city’s sustainability efforts.
University of East London
University: University of East London
Challenge: Challenge three
This team planned to partner with universities in Bologna and Milan to position the San Siro as an educational facility outside of gamedays by launching a sports business course, as well as utilising the venue for events like music concerts and esports.
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