Global Elite Sports Conference

One Month On ➡ 2026 Global Elite Sports Conference

Thank you again for everyone who was involved in this event - our delegates, guest presenters and event partners, including Major Partner, Invest Gold Coast 🙌

That’s a wrap on the 2026 Global Elite Sports Conference.

What an incredible day last Friday at The Star Gold Coast. Thank you to our presenters, partners, and delegates for making GESC 2026 such a memorable event.

This year brought together US professional and collegiate sport executives alongside Australian sport and business professionals — connecting, educating, and inspiring those with a passion for and in the business of sport.

Thank you to the partners who made it all possible:
🏆 Major Partner — City of Gold Coast
🤝 Conference Partners — PainPod® AU | Meshh | The Athlete Brand Builder | Gold Coast Airport | Fiji Airways | Life in Sports Australia | Good Sam | Ballers | BLACKROLL® Australia | Focused Performance Consulting | Airofit

Proudly hosted by RDK Sports International

SportIndustry

2026 Global Elite Sports Conference Partners

A huge thank you for these organisations in their support of our event!

Last minute tickets are available, but are running low! Get in quick to secure your seat.

🎙️ Introducing our next speakers for the 2026 Global Elite Sports Conference.

Brian A. Turner, PhD is a Professor of Sport Management in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, where he also serves as Program Chair for Kinesiology. With almost three decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Turner has held prior faculty appointments at the University of Oklahoma and DeSales University. He earned his PhD in Sport Management from Ohio State, along with a Master of Education from Tarleton State University and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Baylor University.

Clint Cure serves as Vice President of Global Partnerships for Florida State University Athletics, where he leads corporate partnership strategy, revenue generation, and brand integration initiatives through Florida State Global Partnerships and College Division of Legends Global. With more than 20 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industry, Clint has built a career spanning professional sports, collegiate athletics, venue operations, sponsorship sales, and leading teams across sports. Since joining Florida State in 2021, he has played a key role in developing innovative corporate partnerships that connect leading brands with one of America's premier college athletic programs.

Timothy currently serves as the Student-Athlete Career Preparedness and Alumni Mentorship Coach at Stanford University. In this role, he empowers athletes to navigate their career journeys with confidence, grace, and joy. He connects Stanford athletes to meaningful experiential learning opportunities and dynamic work experiences that prepare them for life after competition. A key part of his work includes bridging generations of Stanford athletes to foster community, mentorship, and support that extends far beyond their time on The Farm.

We're super excited to hear what these speakers have to share with us at the conference. Tickets are on sale and available to purchase via the link in bio 🎟️

🎙️ Introducing our next speaker for the 2026 Global Elite Sports Conference.

Mike Taylor is Vice President, Team Marketing & Business Operations (TMBO) at the National Basketball Association, where he helps drive profitability and long-term business growth across the NBA, WNBA, and the NBA G League. In his role, Mike leads strategic consulting for teams across every major area of business operations, including ticket sales, premium sales, customer retention, youth basketball, partnerships, marketing and digital, guest experience, arena operations, analytics, artificial intelligence and expense management.

Since joining the NBA in 2016, Mike has played a key role in driving business results across the NBA, helping contribute to four consecutive attendance records, as well as record-setting ticketing and partnership revenue performance.

Before joining the NBA, Mike spent five years with Palace Sports & Entertainment, where he oversaw the Group Ticket Sales department across the Detroit Pistons, The Palace of Auburn Hills, and DTE Energy Music Theatre. He also held sales roles with the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers, and began his NBA career as a sales intern with the Chicago Bulls. The 2025-26 season marks Mike's 18th year working in the NBA family.

Mike has been recognized by Crain's Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 honoree and by Detroit Business Magazine as one of its 30 in Their Thirties. In 2022, he was honored as Executive of the Year at the inaugural Black Sports Business Symposium.

A proud graduate of West Virginia State University, Taylor earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in management. He was also captain of the men's basketball team, leading the program to a conference championship while earning Division II All-American honors. In 2014, Mike was inducted into the West Virginia State University Sports Hall of Fame. After college, he spent three years playing professional basketball in Europe, including stops in The Netherlands, Germany, and Austria.

We're super excited to hear what Mike has to share with us at the conference. Tickets are on sale and available to purchase via the link in bio 🎟️

The 2026 Global Elite Sports Conference agenda is here!

We've put together a lineup of sessions, panels, and conversations that will challenge the way you think about sport, leadership, and the business behind it all.

Tickets are on sale and available to purchase now. The conference is only 4 days away! Get in quick.

🎙️ Introducing our next speaker for the 2026 Global Elite Sports Conference.

Jessica Gray enters her sixth season with the Lions in 2026. In her role, Gray provides holistic support to players in developing life skills, pursuing off-the-field endeavors and engaging in external programming in addition to overseeing all programming initiatives.

She came to Detroit after spending nine years working within Division I collegiate athletics, serving in a student-athlete development capacity at Texas Tech University. In 2020, she was named Assistant Athletics Director of its J.T. & Margaret Talkington Leadership Academy after just one year as Assistant Director of Community & Character Development.

Prior to Texas Tech, Gray spent time as a Student-Athlete Development Associate for George Washington University in Washington, D.C after serving five years at her alma mater, Temple University. At Temple, she held several positions supporting the student-athlete population including Compliance and Student-Athlete Affairs Coordinator and Graduate Assistant Manager for the Temple Men's Basketball program.

Gray graduated from Temple in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and minor in theater while working as a student manager for Temple Men's Basketball. In 2014, she completed her master's degree in sport business, also at Temple. She has continuously furthered her education through The Wharton School's Athlete Development Professional Certification Program, the NCAA's Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, and earned a Sports Philanthropy Executive Certificate from the George Washington University School of Business in 2022.

Gray was selected to represent the Lions at the 2022 Stanford-NFL "League of Leaders" executive education program. In 2024, she was named to Michigan Chronicle's "40 Under 40" list and was a speaker at the 2024 Global Elite Sports Conference hosted by RDK Sports in Gold Coast, Australia.

We're super excited to hear what Jessica has to share with us at the conference. Tickets are on sale and available to purchase via the link in bio 🎟️

🎙️ Introducing our next speaker for the 2026 Global Elite Sports Conference.

Josh Marriner is entering his 8th NFL season and 10th year in athlete development, continuing his work of supporting athletes in their personal, professional, and holistic growth. As the Director of Player Engagement for the Arizona Cardinals, Josh leads programming and support systems designed to help players maximize who they are as men, leaders, professionals, and members of their families and communities.

In his role, Josh's responsibility for developing players is rooted in creating win-win solutions for both the organization and the men on the football team. His work focuses on aligning player growth with organizational success by supporting total wellness, leadership development, family engagement, professional transition, crisis support, and life beyond the game. He is passionate about helping players build the foundation, identity, and skills needed to thrive both during and after their playing careers.

Josh also serves as a member of the NFL Player Engagement Steering Committee, a group that helps guide and shape the player engagement space across the NFL. Through this role, he contributes to league-wide conversations around best practices, innovation, and the continued evolution of athlete development.

Driven by his belief in inspiring, influencing, and impacting others, Josh is committed to helping athletes grow beyond performance and step into the fullest version of who they are called to be. Outside of his professional work, Josh is a husband to his wife, Asya, and a proud father to their daughter, Layla.

We're super excited to hear what Josh has to share with us at the conference. Tickets are on sale and available to purchase via the link in bio 🎟️

🎙️ Introducing our next speaker for the 2026 Global Elite Sports Conference.

Lori Robinson is a former track & field student-athlete turned educator and sports business executive with 15+ years of cross-functional experience in Educational Assessment & Learning Development, Athlete Career and Professional Development, People Management & Organizational Leadership, and Program Development & Evaluation.

Robinson is currently leading the charge of holistic development of players, coaches, and staff by implementing the NFL Player Engagement pillars of Continuing Education, Financial Education & Literacy, Career & Professional Development, and Personal Development in Team Enrichment for the Houston Texans.

Prior to joining the Texans, Lori had professional stops at the Baltimore Ravens, Baylor University, Texas A&M University-College Station, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge (LSU), and Syracuse University serving in a variety of student-athlete support focused and player development roles.

Her purpose is to positively impact people and the spaces she occupies by leveraging the transformative power of education and sport by connecting with people, sharing information and resources, and equipping people with tools so they are empowered to positively impact the greater community.

Dr. Robinson earned her bachelor's degree in sport management and master's degree in Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation from Syracuse University. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership, Research, and Counseling from LSU. She currently serves on the Syracuse University Falk College of Sport Advisory Board and is a founding member of the Falk College Emerging Leaders Council. Dr. Robinson is an active member in several committees in the Women Leaders in Sports organization where she co-leads the Professional Sports sub-committee.

We're super excited to hear what Lori has to share with us at the conference. Tickets are on sale and available to purchase via the link in bio 🎟️

🎙️ Introducing our next speakers for the 2026 Global Elite Sports Conference.

Dr. Kelli Moran-Miller is a licensed psychologist and Clinical Professor at Stanford University. She serves as the Associate Athletics Director of Mental Health & Performance Psychology for Stanford Athletics, leading a team that promotes mental resilience, well-being, and optimal performance among collegiate athletes.

Dr. Sonali Wason is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford School of Medicine and Assistant Director of Sport Psychology with Stanford Athletics. She manages mental health, wellness, and performance services for varsity student-athletes and spearheads wellness programming across the athletics department.

Prince Moody is Senior Associate Athletic Director for Impact and Sport at Temple University. With more than a decade of experience, he leads strategic initiatives supporting the academic, personal, and professional growth of more than 500 student-athletes.

Katie Fox is a former Division I collegiate soccer athlete with more than 25 years of coaching experience. She currently serves as Associate Head of Athletics at Sierra Canyon School in California.

Alicia Komaki was named the 2022 WBCA Pat Summitt National Coach of the Year and has been a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year in 2026 and 2023. She was selected by USA Basketball to coach at the Nike Hoop Summit and chosen to coach the Jordan Brand National All-American Game in 2019 and 2026.

We're super excited to hear what these speakers have to share with us at the conference. Tickets are on sale and available to purchase via the link in bio 🎟️