QLD Sports Workshop Series | Bringing Sportstech to Life: Innovation in Action

How are sporting organisations using technology to tackle challenges, improve operations and create better outcomes?

Join the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) in Brisbane for a practical workshop showcasing real-world examples of sportstech in action.

Featuring three individual case studies, this session will bring together sportstech companies and their sporting organisation customers to share how they have worked together to identify challenges, implement solutions and turn ideas into practical outcomes.

Hear directly from the people involved, explore the technologies being used and discover valuable lessons from their experiences — including the opportunities, challenges and outcomes along the way.

Whether you’re looking to explore new technologies, solve challenges within your organisation, or learn from others' experiences, the case studies presented will provide practical insights and inspiration to drive innovation across the sports industry.

What to expect

• Real-world case studies: Discover how sportstech is being applied to address challenges faced by sporting organisations.
• Industry collaboration: Hear from sporting organisations and their sportstech providers.
• Practical insights: Learn about implementation, outcomes and lessons learned.
• Interactive discussion: Take part in Q&A sessions and explore how these solutions could apply to your organisation.

Who should attend?

This workshop is ideal for sporting organisations, clubs, associations, administrators, and industry professionals who want to understand how technology can address real-world challenges and support innovation in sport.

Whether you are exploring new technology solutions or looking for inspiration from other organisations, this session will provide practical insights and examples to help inform your approach to sport innovation.

Event format

Three to four case study presentations, each including Q&A.

Welcome

Dr Martin Schlegel, Executive Chair, Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN)

Presenters

Matt Palmer

Performance & Football Operations Manager Southport Sharks Football Club

Matt Palmer is an experienced high performance professional at the Southport Sharks Football Club, with over 12 seasons working across elite and pathway Australian Rules Football.

With a strong focus on sports technology, athlete performance and innovation, Matt has helped establish the Sharks as a practical testing environment for emerging technologies and sports technology companies.

His work bridges the gap between product development and real-world sporting environments, collaborating with technology providers to trial, evaluate and integrate solutions that enhance athlete performance, safety and wellbeing.

Matt is passionate about connecting innovative businesses with sporting organisations to accelerate the development of technologies that deliver meaningful outcomes for athletes and the wider sporting industry.

Case Study – Advancing Female Athlete Protection Through Sports Technology
The Southport Sharks Football Club has collaborated with Fempro Armour to explore innovative protective equipment designed for female athletes competing in Australian Rules Football. Through the club's QAFLW program, the collaboration provides an opportunity to evaluate protective technology in a real-world, high-contact sporting environment, with a focus on athlete comfort, confidence, mobility and protection. By connecting emerging sports technology companies with athletes and high-performance practitioners, the Sharks aim to provide practical product feedback that supports ongoing design, development and potential adoption in advancing female athlete safety and participation.

Simon Mallory

Former Business Strategy Manager, Professional Bull Riders Australia

Simon Mallory is a sports business and partnerships specialist with extensive experience across sponsorship, media and fan engagement. Following almost six years with PBR Australia, he now works with Sports AI, helping sporting organisations use technology, content and innovation to enhance fan experiences, create new revenue opportunities and deliver greater value for partners and stakeholders."

Case Study PBR Australia – Engaging Fans Across Vast Distances
PBR’s tour is an event series staged over large distances in Australia. The organisation wanted to find ways to continuously keep fans engaged – even when they cannot attend each event in person. Therefore, event organisers collaborated with SportsAI to create assets with the capacity to engage fans in digital places in addition to the on-site experience. In addition, these assets were also created with ways to integrate sponsors beyond their on-site presence.

Jodie Taylor

Executive Officer, Great Public Schools' Association of Queensland (GPS)

Jodie Watson is an accomplished executive leader and high-performance sport specialist with over 20 years of experience across national and international sporting organisations. As Executive Officer of the Great Public Schools Association of Queensland, she oversees strategy, governance, and stakeholder engagement across 15 sports. Jodie has held senior roles with Water Polo Queensland, Family Business Australia, and Australian University Sport, driving growth in membership, financial performance, and athlete pathways.

A former elite athlete and Australian Water Polo representative, Jodie brings lived experience and strategic insight to her leadership. She is a current Director of the Combat Institute of Australia, contributing to national high-performance sport strategy. Jodie is also leading the expansion of livestreaming in GPS schoolboy sport, growing coverage from one to eight flagship sports—enhancing accessibility for families, scouts, and alumni. She is known for her analytical thinking, inclusive leadership, and commitment to advancing community sport.

Case study: Managing Child-Safe-compliant Content Creation
GPS is in the business of educating young students. Given Australia’s advanced Child Safety Standards, video production and distribution of school sporting events require strict adherence to content creation guidelines. By using Layercake’s universal broadcast platform, has been enabled to design, deploy and operate intelligent digital streaming solutions through reusable capabilities and expert broadcast engineering tools whilst maintaining the integrity required.

RSVP

To register, please contact Hayley Priestnall at hayley.priestnall@astn.com.au.

This workshop is delivered as part of ASTN’s funded activities supported by the Department of Sport, Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games (DSROPG).