American Football star due in Limerick to speak at 'unique' conference

Three-time Super Bowl Champion Lonie Paxton will be amongst the leading figures from the global sports industry travelling to Limerick for the One-Zero Conference which takes place in the city later this month.  

The unique event, on March 31, will see a number of sports industry professionals converge at Engine to learn, network and help shape the future of sport. 

Lonie Paxton, a former long-snapper in the NFL who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, will be joined by international speakers and panellists including Thomas Ryan, VP Basketball Strategy with the NBA; retired NBA player Maurice Evans.

Tracy Deforge, CEO of The Players’ Impact - a network of active and retired professional athletes, artists, influencers and investors - will also attend the event.

The speakers will deliver world-class insights on the accelerators in SportsTech and the opportunities for investors and will be joined by local experts including Grainne Barry of STATS Perform. 

A pitch competition will see five startup entrepreneurs from across Ireland and the UK pitch their ideas to multiple investors with a significant cash prize being awarded to the winner.

Start-ups in the Mid-West region interested in applying, can contact the conference organisers at one-zero.com.   

The one-day gathering in Limerick will be a supplementary event to the One-Zero Conference which takes place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin the previous day.

However, it is attracting some of sports' heavy-hitters due to the pitch competition and a “connected game” demonstration which will also take place. This unique feature will see a temporary basketball court built to showcase future technology in the game. 

The Limerick event has been created with the support of Limerick City and County Council, Failte Ireland and Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau. 

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Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Francis Foley commented: “Limerick is known the world over for its sporting achievements, and when it comes to enterprise, Limerick is home to over 120 of the world’s leading ICT, Life Sciences and Financial Services companies.  With our strong reputation in sport and business, it is fitting that we welcome leaders from the global sports technology industry to our vibrant and dynamic city. 

"We are working hard here in Limerick to build an ecosystem that encourages and nurtures creativity and entrepreneurship.  We are excited to showcase our region’s passion for sports and innovation, and we look forward to learning from the world's top sports technology experts and innovators.” 

Trev Keane, Director of One Zero and MD of Epic Global added: “We are excited to bring this element of the One-Zero Sports and Technology Conference to Limerick and give our world class line-up of speakers an opportunity to see another part of Ireland. The conference is a fantastic opportunity for anyone working and trading in sport to network and discover disruptive and innovative tips from those who are changing the industry."

Karen Brosnahan, General Manager of Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau commented: “The Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau and Failte Ireland are delighted to have supported the bid to attract such a prestigious event to Limerick. This unique event will feel right at home in Limerick and gives us an opportunity to demonstrate what a vibrant and dynamic city we have, strategically located along the Wild Atlantic Way.”