The first student organization I joined in college was the Michigan Sport Business Conference (MSBC). From Day 1, we were told…
“MSBC is not a conference—it’s a business”
As a freshman, I thought this was an exaggeration. But through first-hand experiences in (1) event planning, (2) partnerships, and (3) digital strategy, that statement couldn’t be more accurate.
I remember discussing the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (SSAC) when planning MSBC.
So I was thrilled to attend the 2023 SSAC earlier this month in Boston.
Before I reflect on the experience, I wanted to thank Jacques Chestnut, Thomas Finholt, and the University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI) for the opportunity.
UMSI provides ~10 scholarships for students to attend SSAC each year. This covers the flight, hotel, and SSAC ticket. I wouldn’t have traveled to the event without the university’s support.
My MIT SSAC Experience
Part I: Hanging Banners
I normally attend conferences to learn from panelists and keynote speakers.
But at SSAC, most panels were recorded and available on YouTube after the conference. So rather than being glued to a chair, I walked around and networked without any FOMO.
With that said, one panel I attended was The Future of Sports & Entrepreneurship featuring Jason Robins (CEO, DraftKings) and Wyc Grousbeck (Lead Owner, Boston Celtics). The conversation was moderated by Jessica Gelman (CEO, Kraft Analytics Group).
I chose this panel because of Regular Hoops and thought being in-person would make the moment more impactful.
This became true because Wyc’s closing remarks felt personal when he urged the audience to…
“think of the banner you want to hang in your life” (clipped below)
The banner I’m hoping to hang represents people feeling included in basketball culture. And Regular Hoops is my attempt at raising that banner.
I’ll let you know when the celebration is, Wyc!
Part II: Pickleball and Golf
There was a full pickleball court at the conference and a golf simulator. These two spots were the best places to network because dialogue with other attendees was more organic.
I even witnessed Michael Lewis (Author of Moneyball, The Blind Side, The Big Short, and more) play pickleball with three professional pickleballers (is that the right word??)
While the conference can feel overwhelming, I thought this moment captured the essence of SSAC—an inclusive setting for students, professionals, and speakers to connect over the latest trends in sports analytics.
If it were up to me, I would have a basketball court at the conference. But maybe that makes the SSAC environment too intense haha.
Part III: Exploring Boston
This was my first time in Boston, so I packed my schedule beyond SSAC. Here’s an overview of what I did:
Thursday: Prudential Center (Mall) & Fenway Park Tour
Friday: SSAC Day 1 & Boston Celtics game at TD Garden
Saturday: SSAC Day 2 & Back Bay window shopping
Sunday: Boston Exploration (pickup basketball in Somerville, walked around Cambridge, Quincey Market street performance & figured out the public transit system)
Boston exceeded my expectations. I loved the city, as it was like an Ann Arbor/New York hybrid.
Closing Thoughts
Being on the other side of a conference was a nice change of pace. It was great not worrying about speakers being on time or sorting attendee name tags in alphabetical order (iykyk).
But 52 MIT students on the 2023 SSAC Organizing Team had to manage those problems (and wayyy more!) to make the conference a reality.
CONGRATS to them on planning and executing a phenomenal event. I’m excited to hopefully return soon.
PS—Like this post if you liked it. You might also enjoy reading how I failed to meet one of my SSAC goals (I wrote that post on the flight back to Michigan).