Melbourne welcomes the return of SportNXT in March

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Image credit: SportNXT website

In 2025, the brightest minds in global sports will once again converge in Victoria for SportNXT Melbourne, the state’s premier sports business summit, supported by the Allan Labor Government.

Steve Dimopoulos, Minister for Tourism, Sport, and Major Events, confirmed earlier in the month that the three-day SportNXT event will return to Melbourne next March, featuring prominent speakers from around the globe to explore the latest trends in the sports industry.

Past speakers that have appeared for SportNXT have been Manchester United COO Collete Rochie, Football Australia CEO James Johnson, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Head of Marketing Kim Anderson and Head Coach of Western United John Aloisi.

The SportNXT summit attracts participants from diverse organisations, such as the NFL, The Walt Disney Company, the NBA, and the Australian Sports Commission. The 2024 summit saw nearly 1,000 attendees and featured a program packed with discussions on key issues, including the latest advancements in sports technology.

During the summit, speakers and delegates have the opportunity to explore Melbourne’s world-class sporting infrastructure, which has positioned Victoria as a global leader in attracting major sporting events.

SportNXT will highlight Victoria’s strengths in sports innovation and technology, with 40 percent of Australia’s SportsTech companies located in the state, employing nearly half of the industry’s national workforce.

First held in Melbourne in 2022, SportNXT showcases Victoria’s vibrant events calendar, which contributes approximately $3.3 billion annually to the state’s economy.

The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, mentioned the importance of this event.

“This three-day event brings global leaders from across the sporting world to Australia’s sporting and major events capital,” he said via press release.

“SportNXT has quickly become a must-do event for sporting heavyweights from around the world – and we’re giving them the chance to see first-hand how well we do major sporting events here in Victoria.”

SportNXT Co-Founder, Bart Campbell, mirrored the same thoughts.

“With the support of the Victorian Government, SportNXT brings together the most influential leaders in sport. It has delivered significant trade outcomes for the industry and is a must attend event for anyone engaged in the business of sport. It’s where senior executives from across the globe gather in Melbourne to connect, inspire and do business,” he said via press release.

Further details about SportNXT 2025, including the line-up of key speakers, will be confirmed in the coming months, for more information click here.

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Football Australia Expands Mental Skills Program for Match Officials Amid Sustained Focus on Referee Retention

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football Australia has confirmed a second national webinar for match officials, led by sports psychologist Dr Liam Slack, extending a referee development series introduced after strong engagement with an initial session on managing match-day pressure.

The upcoming session, themed “parking with purpose,” will focus on decision-making strategies designed to help referees process on-field calls and reset attention quickly across a match that can present hundreds of individual decisions. Dr Slack, who also consults with The Football Association and the AFC Referee Academy and previously spent over a decade as a performance psychologist with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited in England, brings substantial elite-level experience to a program open to officials at every level, from grassroots to professional.

The theme builds on work Dr Slack has already delivered within Australian officiating. He recently led a session with Football Australia’s National Referee Academy on the same concept, framing the ability to consciously park a decision and refocus on the next phase of play as a trainable skill rather than an innate trait, one that separates officials who reset quickly under pressure from those who don’t. He has also addressed more than 100 Football Australia elite match officials and staff on developing a stronger match-day mentality, an indication of how embedded this psychological framework has become across the officiating pathway rather than remaining a one-off intervention.

The expansion of the webinar series reflects a broader shift in how football administrators are approaching referee attrition. Rather than treating retention purely as a recruitment or pay problem, the program signals an institutional acknowledgment that the psychological demands of officiating, particularly the compounding pressure of split-second decisions under public scrutiny, are a material factor in whether officials remain in the game.

It rests alongside other measures adopted across Australian football in recent years, including visible identification programs for junior referees and structural reviews of referee departments at state federation level, all aimed at the same underlying issue: a shrinking pool of match officials relative to demand.

Football Australia has not detailed metrics for assessing the program’s impact on referee numbers, though the recurring engagement of an internationally credentialed specialist across multiple tiers of the officiating pathway suggests sustained institutional investment in the approach.

Football Victoria elevates fan enjoyment with Streets partnership

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Image credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com

Football Victoria (FV) revealed last week a new partnership with ice cream giants, Streets. The brand will become an exclusive ice cream partner for the next three years.

 

An iconic brand for joyful experiences

As a well-known and popular ice cream brand with people all around the nation, Streets will now look to support the fan experience in Victoria through its products.

It reflects FV’s commitment to delivering a family-friendly and memorable experience for spectators. Both on and off the pitch, the organisation is striving to elevate the experience for fans and families alike.

“Football Victoria is always looking for ways to elevate the experience at The Home of The Matildas, and this partnership does exactly that,” explained FV Executive Manager of Commercial and Facilities, Chris Speldewinde.

“It’s a fantastic fit for our community and we’re looking forward to what the next three years will bring.”

Furthermore, Senior Brand Manager at Streets, Ryan Katz, emphasised the brand’s role in community sport and in creating memories beyond the action on the pitch.

“Streets is proud to join Football Victoria as its exclusive ice cream partner,” Katz said.

“There’s nothing better than enjoying a great game with a classic ice cream in-hand, and we’re excited to be part of those moments across the state.”

 

Understanding community football

Community football is all about these moments. Sunny days, the family together, and a sweet treat in-hand while supporting a local team alongside friends and neighbours.

This is why a partnership between FV and Streets is particularly important.

Not for its commercial value, but for what it tells us about both parties’ understanding of what matters to fans. From young fans to experienced matchday-goers, everyone wants to find enjoyment while watching the game.

And while the 90 minutes of action is the focus, the experience of a local matchday is truly defined by interactions with fellow supporters and smaller – but no less significant – moments of happiness during the day.

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