Sports & Entertainment Alliance in Technology

What Sports & Entertainment Alliance in Technology does

Sports & Entertainment Alliance in Technology (SEAT) is a private, founder-owned conference and community organization operating in the sports and entertainment technology sector. Founded in 2007 and revived after a COVID-19 hiatus in 2023 under CEO Josh Barney, SEAT produces an annual three-day conference that rotates through major U.S. cities, with SEAT 2026 scheduled for Charlotte, NC on June 28-30 as the 17th edition. The conference is structured around four practitioner-led tracks (Venue Technology & Security, Data & Business Intelligence, Digital Sponsorship & Ticketing, and Customer Experience) and is supported by year-round offerings including monthly member roundtables, a steering committee governance model, and the EventPulse mobile app.

SEAT serves a dual-sided audience. The buy-side consists of technology, digital, data, and operations executives from professional sports franchises (NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, MLS), collegiate athletics programs, and entertainment venues (SoFi Stadium, Oak View Group, Disney Parks, Bank of America Stadium). The sell-side consists of sports technology vendors and service providers (JMA Wireless as presenting sponsor, plus Shift4, Dialpad, Verizon, American Tower, Global Payments, Boldyn Networks) who use the conference for brand visibility, lead generation, and direct access to senior decision-makers. Customer evidence includes named attendees and speakers from the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Lakers, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, San Francisco Giants, Portland Timbers, Nashville Predators, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Kings, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues, New York City FC, Country Music Association, and others.

The business model is event-driven with three revenue streams: conference registration ($1,495 standard attendee, $2,495 vendor), tiered sponsorship packages (presenting, core, and ancillary), and ancillary events such as SEAT Golf Day ($120 per golfer, capped at 40 spots). Ticketing is handled through INTIX and direct registration via seatconference.com. SEAT is a lean operation with 1-10 employees, no external institutional funding, and no parent company. Marketing is conducted through LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, email newsletters, content marketing on the website, and podcast partnerships.

Name

Sports & Entertainment Alliance in Technology

Legal name

SEAT LLC

Website

https://seatconference.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SEAT is a private U.S. conference and community organization serving senior technology, digital, and data executives at professional sports franchises, entertainment venues, and sports technology vendors through an annual rotating-city conference and year-round programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Conferences and Events

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• Sports technology conference
• Entertainment industry events
• Professional networking forums
• Fan experience summits
• Venue technology symposiums

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration: SEAT generates revenue primarily through annual conference registration fees. Attendee registration is priced at $1,495 for standard admission and $2,495 for vendor registration. The conference includes sponsorship tiers that provide additional revenue.
2. Sponsorship Packages: Sponsorship opportunities include branding, exhibition space, case study presentations, networking introductions, hosted private events, monthly online roundtables, LinkedIn visibility, social media activations, content capture, data and lead capture campaigns, and podcasting options. Premier sponsorship positions are limited.
3. Golf Day Event: Additional revenue from ancillary events such as the SEAT Golf Day at Rocky River Golf Club, priced at $120 per golfer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SEAT operates an annual three-day conference plus year-round community for sports and entertainment technology professionals, featuring practitioner-led sessions across four tracks (Venue Technology & Security, Data & Business Intelligence, Digital Sponsorship & Ticketing, and Customer Experience). Revenue is generated through attendee registration ($1,495 standard/$2,495 vendor), tiered sponsorship packages for technology vendors, a closed membership program with monthly online roundtables, and ancillary events such as the SEAT Golf Day. The 2026 edition in Charlotte (June 28-30) is the 17th iteration, with 500+ senior executives expected from teams, leagues, venues, and sports technology vendors.

Product overview

SEAT (Sports & Entertainment Alliance in Technology) is a conference and community organization rather than a traditional software product company. The core offering is the SEAT Conference—an annual three-day event connecting sports and entertainment technology professionals. Supporting offerings include the SEAT 2026 App (EventPulse) for conference attendees, a year-round Membership Program with monthly online roundtables, sponsorship opportunities for vendors, and the SEAT Golf Day networking event. The portfolio centers on practitioner-led education and peer networking rather than standalone software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SEAT Conference Annual three-day conference for sports and entertainment technology professionals featuring practitioner-led sessions across four tracks: Venue Technology & Security, Data & Business Intelligence, Digital Sponsorship & Ticketing, and Customer Experience. Expected to attract 500+ senior executives at the 2026 Charlotte edition.
• SEAT Membership Program Year-round membership offering access to monthly online roundtables, community networking, and member-exclusive resources for sports and entertainment technology professionals. Moderated by Steering Committee members across Digital/Ticketing/Sponsorship, Venue & Security, and Data & BI topics.
• SEAT Sponsorship Opportunities Sponsorship packages offering brand visibility, exhibition space, networking access, case study presentations, hosted private events, monthly online roundtables, LinkedIn visibility, social media activations, content capture, data and lead capture campaigns, and podcasting options for sports technology vendors.
• SEAT Golf Day Pre-conference networking golf event featuring 4-person Captain's Choice tournament at Rocky River Golf Club at Concord, including breakfast, green fees, cart, and on-course contests.
• SEAT 2026 App (EventPulse) Mobile application for SEAT 2026 conference attendees providing event schedules, networking, and real-time updates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Conference sold out 2 weeks before opening session (SEAT 2025 Nashville)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• JMA WirelessflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026JMA Wireless serves as the Presenting Sponsor for SEAT 2026 in Charlotte. This is a returning partnership, having previously sponsored SEAT events. JMA is a wireless technology company serving the sports and entertainment venue market.
• Shift4coreGTM or Marketing PartnerShift4 is a sponsor of SEAT 2026, providing payment and transaction technology solutions for sports venues.
• DialpadcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDialpad is a sponsor of SEAT 2026, providing AI-powered customer engagement solutions.
• VerizoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVerizon is a sponsor of SEAT 2026, providing connectivity and network solutions for venues.
• American TowercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmerican Tower is a sponsor of SEAT 2026. Charles Curran of American Tower is described as a longtime contributor to SEAT.
• Global PaymentscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Payments is a sponsor of SEAT 2026, providing payment processing solutions.
• Boldyn NetworkscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBoldyn Networks is a sponsor of SEAT 2026, specializing in shared wireless infrastructure solutions.
• INTIXcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorINTIX is the ticketing platform partner for SEAT 2026 registration. INTIX handles event registration and ticketing for the SEAT conference.
• INTIXcoreTechnology or IntegrationINTIX is a ticketing and event management platform used by SEAT. SEAT partners with INTIX for registration functionality.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference: Annual academic-business conference focused on analytics and technology in sports, founded by the MIT Sloan School. Directly comparable as a B2B sports-industry conference targeting executives, technologists, and decision-makers with a multi-track program and sponsor ecosystem.
• Sportel Monaco: Annual international sports media and technology convention held in Monaco, bringing together broadcasters, leagues, and tech vendors. Comparable as a sports-tech business conference with premium sponsorship economics, though more media/broadcast focused.
• TheStadiumBusiness Summit: Annual summit and year-round community for stadium, arena, and venue operators covering technology, fan experience, and operations. Directly comparable in audience and content focus (venue technology and operations) to SEAT's venue track.
• Leaders in Sport: Operator of executive conferences, networking events, and a membership community for sports industry leaders globally. Closely comparable as a peer-led conference/community business serving sports executives, with a similar premium networking and content proposition.
• SportsPro Media: B2B media company running the SportsPro Live conference and year-round content for the global sports industry. Comparable as a sports-business media + events operator with an executive conference, content library, and sponsor-driven economics.
• ALSD (Association of Luxury Suite Directors): Membership organization and annual conference for premium-seat hospitality and venue operators across professional and collegiate sports. Directly comparable as a niche sports-industry conference serving venue and suite/premium experience decision-makers.
• TEAMS Conference & Expo: Conference and expo for the sports-event and sports-travel industry, connecting organizers, venues, and suppliers. Comparable as a B2B sports industry conference with sponsor/exhibitor monetization, though focused on the travel/events side rather than venue technology.

Broad incumbents

• Money 20/20: Flagship B2B conference for the global payments and fintech industry, owned by a large events operator. Comparable as a reference model for premium B2B conference economics (tiered registration, high-value sponsorship, year-round content), though in an adjacent vertical.
• CES (Consumer Technology Association): Largest annual consumer-technology trade show, with dedicated sports and venue-technology programming and exhibitors. Comparable as a venue for sports-tech vendors and leagues to showcase solutions, competing for sponsor mindshare and attendee budgets.

Emerging players

• Front Office Sports: Digital media and events business covering the business of sports, including summits and newsletters targeting sports executives. Comparable audience overlap (sports business decision-makers) with a more digital/content-led model rather than a flagship in-person conference.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SEATconference
• Facebookfacebook.com/SEATsportsandentertainmentallianceintechnology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seat---sports-&-entertainment-alliance-in-technology/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/seatconference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sports & Entertainment Alliance in Technology