Singapore – The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and Picture Board Partners, a Singapore-based growth strategy, content innovation & venture development studio, today announced the inaugural edition of a Leadership Conclave for Sport, Technology & Finance. The select gathering will be staged at the historic Singapore Cricket Club on Friday, August 18th, kicking off an action-filled weekend of sport with the first-ever PTO Asian Open.
The pioneering concept is a first and addresses an urgent need. “Sport proved its centrality in our lives during the pandemic,” said Unmish Parthasarathi, Founder & Executive Director of Picture Board Partners. “It has emerged as an alternative investment class with fans proving loyal customers and early adopters of digital habits. We saw a need to foster dialogues in a suitable environment between Captains of Industry in Sport, Technology and Finance. Asia is home to the next billion fans that will come online during this decade and Singapore is at the center of this global shift.”
Speaking about the occasion, Sam Renouf, CEO of the PTO, was excited about the concept. “Sport, as an industry, is on the cusp of change with new competition formats, fan engagement models, and material sciences encouraging a greener future,” he said. “As a venture backed sport, our vision for the PTO is being realised on the twin pillars of technology and finance. Triathlon has been called ‘the new Golf’ for over a decade, but hasn’t lived up to that moniker until the PTO developed a media and tech first approach to the sport. We are thrilled to be in the Lion City for the inaugural PTO Asian Open and look forward to working with Picture Board Partners to bring a new audience to Singapore.”
Peter Hutton, who first worked in Asia 30 years ago, rising to MD of ESPN Star Sports before moving to Paris as CEO of Eurosport and currently resides in California having been Head of Sport at Meta, will give the opening keynote. “The STF Asia Leadership Conclave is a much needed forum,” he said. “After four decades of continued growth, Sport faces the challenge and the opportunity to reinvent itself. How to attract and engage fans is still at the core and a lot of fresh thinking, such as the PTO, is emerging at the intersection of Sport, Technology & Finance.”
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For further information:
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About Professional Triathletes Organisation: The PTO is a new body, co-owned by the professional athletes, seeking to elevate and grow the sport of Triathlon and take it to the next level. Each PTO Open is raced over 100km (2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run). The PTO European Open on 6 May and PTO US Open in Milwaukee on 4-5 August kicked off the 2023 PTO Tour and are followed by the inaugural PTO Asian Open in Singapore on 19-20 August. The season is underpinned by the new PTO World Rankings, helping to create a compelling season-long narrative in the sport for the first time.
About Picture Board Partners: Founded in 2015, the Singapore-based growth practice is dedicated to the Gaming, Education, Media & Sport (aka the G.E.M.S) sectors. It enables clients to grow sales revenue, amplify brand recall and appreciate equity value through bespoke solutions using content, technology and finance. Its clients include listed multinationals, enterprise blue-chips, sports federations, publisher platforms, high-growth ventures, digitally native brands, consumer & trade event promoters, institutional investors, and governments.