Barcelona, September 2026 — The sports industry is entering a period of rapid technological change, with artificial intelligence, wearable devices, biometrics and performance data becoming increasingly important to professional teams and athletes.
Against this backdrop, a new international initiative is being launched to help the industry better understand which technologies can translate into meaningful results.
PERFORM SportsTech, operated by Kenes Group, is a new global platform bringing together professional sport, science, technology and innovation. Its purpose is to provide practical insight into emerging technologies and help those working in elite sport make more informed decisions.
The platform will operate throughout the year, combining live events with editorial content, expert analysis and conversations with professionals working across sports performance and athlete health.
At the heart of PERFORM is a straightforward question: which technologies are genuinely improving performance, health and athlete longevity?
“Professional sport does not need more technology for technology’s sake. It needs trusted evidence, practical insight and better connections between the people building solutions and those responsible for athlete performance and health. PERFORM is creating that global meeting point – bringing the whole professional sport and performance ecosystem together to separate signal from noise and turn innovation into measurable impact for athletes,” says Ori Lahav, CEO of Kenes Group and PERFORM SportsTech.
Barcelona chosen for the PERFORM SportsTech launch
The platform will officially launch in Barcelona on 26 and 27 November 2026.
The event will bring together figures from professional sport, sports medicine, performance science, technology and innovation, establishing the first major meeting point for the PERFORM community.
Among those already confirmed are Marc Bertomeu, Co-Founder and COO of NextStage Arenas; Jordi Bertomeu, independent consultant and Founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Euroleague Basketball; Dr Antonio Tramullas, Director of Sports Medicine and Performance at Sevilla FC; Guy Aharon, CEO and Co-Founder of Playermaker; Holly Ransom, CEO of Emergent Global; and Dr Steve Ingham, Director and Performance Scientist at Supporting Champions, writer, speaker and podcaster.
Further details regarding the launch programme, format and additional participants will be announced soon.
Helping professional sport navigate a crowded technology market
The adoption of technology across elite sport has accelerated significantly in recent years.
Wearable devices, artificial intelligence, biometrics, biomechanics, data analytics and recovery technologies are now being incorporated into many professional sporting environments. These tools can generate large amounts of information and open up new possibilities for training, recovery and athlete health.
However, the growth of the SportsTech market also presents a challenge. Clubs, federations and performance departments have access to an expanding number of products and suppliers, making it increasingly important to identify which solutions are appropriate for real-world sporting environments.
There can also be a gap between scientific research and its practical implementation within professional sport.
PERFORM has been developed to address these issues by connecting technological developments with the people who are responsible for applying them.
Its editorial philosophy is summed up by the phrase “Signal over noise, practical over theoretical.”
The platform will look beyond technological novelty and focus instead on how solutions work in practice. Its “validated technology” approach will draw on available evidence, examples from elite sport, expert review and lessons learned from implementation.
This does not mean certifying technologies or replacing established academic validation processes. Instead, PERFORM will provide additional context around what has been tested, what has been measured, what outcomes have been recorded and how relevant a solution could be within a high-performance environment.
Bringing different areas of the sports ecosystem together
PERFORM will place particular emphasis on professionals directly involved in athlete performance and health.
Its ecosystem will include high-performance managers, performance teams, sports medicine specialists, injury prevention and return-to-play professionals, elite coaches, sports scientists and performance analysts.
These professionals will be connected with clubs, federations, leagues, Olympic programmes, universities, research centres, SportsTech start-ups, investors and technology companies.
The objective is to encourage a more direct exchange between science, technology and professional practice, helping useful developments reach the people who can apply them on a daily basis.
A wider definition of sporting performance
The new platform will also look at performance from a broader perspective.
For professional athletes, competitive results are closely connected to physical health, injury prevention, recovery and the ability to sustain a career over the long term.
PERFORM will therefore explore subjects including injury prevention, rehabilitation, recovery, biomechanics, training-load management, sports medicine, performance science, data, artificial intelligence and wearable technology.
Its philosophy is reflected in its tagline:
“Built for Performance. Driven by Prevention.”
From a launch event to a year-round platform
While the Barcelona gathering will be an important milestone, PERFORM is not being developed as a one-off event.
The initiative will maintain an active programme throughout the year, with weekly blog articles, in-depth analyses, applied case studies, interviews and a newsletter.
A dedicated podcast hosted by Dr Steve Ingham will provide another way for professionals to engage with the platform. The series will feature conversations with leading figures from performance, science and technology, including Martin Buchheit, Nicky Keay, Marco Cardinale, Emilie Thienot and Jo Clubb.
A surprise guest will also take part in an episode recorded live during the Barcelona launch event.
The annual Summit will act as the principal face-to-face meeting for the PERFORM community, while its digital editorial programme and podcast will keep discussions going between events.
By combining these different formats, PERFORM SportsTech aims to create a continuous international conversation around the technologies, evidence and practical approaches shaping professional sport.
The initiative will officially begin in Barcelona on 26 and 27 November 2026, bringing together professionals and organisations working at the intersection of sports performance, athlete health and technological innovation.
PERFORM SportsTech — Web & Social Media
Media Contacts
Alèxia París
+34 649 036 920
alexia.paris@newlink-group.com
Claudia Masfaré
+34 620 087 360
claudia.masfarne@newlink-group.com