GFA staff network, learn from Soccerex Connected

[September 29, 2020 – Harmon, Guam] A total of 10 staff members from Guam Football Association took advantage of an invitation to take part in this year’s Soccerex Connected, an inaugural global digital football business conference from Sept. 21 to 25, made possible through a partnership with Asian Football Confederation.

The conference, celebrating its 25^th anniversary in 2020, is generally held in various venues around the world; however, due to the COVID19 pandemic, organizers opted for a global digital version for this year.

“An event like Soccerex allows stakeholders with similar interests around the world to network, providing opportunities to introduce new ideas and products, and to learn from one another,” said Ross Awa, GFA Assistant Technical Director. “I wanted to be a part of the Soccerex Connected Conference to maximize the opportunity provided to us from AFC to continue learning during the current circumstances.

“The Soccerex experience doesn’t end here – I’m still scheduled for meetings with event supporters and partners in the coming weeks. I was fortunate to reconnect with a colleague from Coaches Across Continents/Creating Legacies 17 during the Soccerex event, discussing opportunities to support Guam’s community through football,” Awa added.

The virtual conference consisted of close to 40 different live sessions over five days and close to 20 separate live roundtable sessions. The conference sessions were held from 12 noon to 5 p.m. GMT (10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Guam time) each day. Featured presenters included top executives from FIFA, various football confederations and federations, leagues, media platforms, companies, and non-governmental organizations, among others in the industry.

“I really appreciated the session on “The Role of Education in the Professionalization of the Football Industry,” Awa said. “As the modern game continues to grow, professional athletes are at the forefront of these developments. One focus that was presented during this session from the panelists was combining education through sport – ways for players to continue their passion and career in football while simultaneously playing.

“There are many courses and programs that the players can take to further their knowledge in football and here at GFA, we offer Coach Education courses and workshops annually to support the growth of the game,” Awa added.

In addition to Awa, other participants from GFA were General Secretary Marvin “Ike” Iseke, Technical Director Sang Hoon Kim, High Performance Coach Pavel Gubenko, Chief Financial Officer Eun Jang, Competitions Director Sam San Gil, Elite Player Development Officer Dominic Gadia, Women’s Football Development Officer Kimberly Sherman, Media & Marketing Officer Jill Espiritu, and Special Projects Coordinator Bill Bordallo.

For San Gil, the sessions he looked forward to attending focused on returning to the game and technological advancements for stadiums and other football venues.

“Soccerex was a great forum to hear from experts from around the world during presentations, while also having the opportunity to interact with them, albeit online this year,” San Gil said. “Once we are able to resume our leagues in Guam, I hope to apply some best practices and concepts I learned from the virtual conference. Many regions around the world have resumed their leagues with ‘new normal’ procedures, so it was great to hear about their experiences, as well as the different technology available today for the return to the pitch.

“I want to thank AFC and GFA for providing this valuable opportunity to take part in Soccerex this year, there’s a lot to digest from all the sessions,” San Gil added.

Day 1 of the conference focused on Football Governance and Day 2 focused on Commercial, Digital, and Fan Engagement. Elite Performance was the main topic for Day 3 and Day 4 featured Commercial Revenue and Sponsorship. The final day focused on Stadiums and Major Events and also included a keynote presentation by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.