| Thursday, August 02, 2018 | Contact: Alexa Ravit (212) 521-5307 |
| Findings from McKinsey, Insights from Bazalgette to be featured at Round Table | |
Strategies for improving Thoroughbred racing will be the theme when The Jockey Club hosts its 66th Annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing on Sunday, August 12, at the Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The Jockey Club Chairman Stuart S. Janney III will preside over the conference, which will begin at 10 a.m. EDT. For the second year, the conference will be aired on TVG2 and tvg.com in addition to being live streamed at jockeyclub.com. Dan Singer and Mike Salvaris will discuss findings from their 2018 analysis of the racing industry. In 2011, McKinsey presented their seminal study, “Driving Sustainable Growth for Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding.” The Round Table will also include a presentation from Simon Bazalgette, the group chief executive of The Jockey Club (U.K.). Bazalgette will cover a brief history of the world’s oldest turf club, which was founded in 1750 and is today British horseracing’s largest commercial group. It operates 15 racecourses and a range of other assets and is governed by Royal Charter to “act for the best long-term interests of British Racing.” Bazalgette joined the organization 10 years ago having led a shake-up of the sport’s media rights landscape in the U.K. He will offer insights into the recent progress made to further British Racing, compare and contrast the U.K. and U.S. industries, and outline the challenges ahead that are likely to be similar around the globe. Singer leads McKinsey’s global Sports and Gaming practice, based in New York. He is a strategic advisor to seven of the 10 largest sports leagues in the world as well as numerous sports teams, conferences, and governing bodies. His work has enabled leading U.S. leagues to transform their strategy and organization for the shift to digital media and fan engagement. Singer’s expertise spans media rights, fan development, sponsorship marketing, digital innovation, licensing, e-commerce, and international expansion. Salvaris is an expert in consumer insights and digital strategy. He joined McKinsey & Company in 2007 and now serves as an external advisor to the Sports and Gaming practice. In his role with McKinsey, Salvaris specializes in developing growth strategies for companies in media and sports, particularly around digital engagement and product development. As part of the McKinsey presentation, Chris Pollak, head of sales strategy for Google, will share his personal observations on digital marketing strategies and potential digital marketing opportunities for fan development in horse racing. James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, and Ian D. Highet, The Jockey Club’s secretary-treasurer, will preview McKinsey’s report with a situational analysis of the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industries. Laura Barillaro, executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Jockey Club, will deliver the activities of The Jockey Club. The Jockey Club Round Table Conference was first held on July 1, 1953, in The Jockey Club office in New York City. The following year, it was moved to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where it has been held every August since. The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. As a result of the 2011 study by McKinsey, The Jockey Club created America’s Best Racing, the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing and OwnerView, a resource for those interested in racehorse ownership and the host of the Thoroughbred Owner Conference. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com. | |