The three-day sports and media festival in Zadar, which brought together a number of athletes and experts from the world of sports, media and business, has ended. The festival, which attracted a large number of domestic and foreign participants and visitors, achieved all its goals and justified its status as a unique festival which is necessary for the progress and further development of all entities involved in these industries. Darijo Srna, Mario Ančić, Matt Barnes, Stephen Jackson, Miško Ražnatović, Damjan Rudež, Pete Radovich, Stephen Espinoza, Cindy Marina, Nikola Stolnik, Martina Knežević, Frank Leenders, Alojzije Janković and many other household names, together with all the visitors, were responsible for the great success of this year’s edition, which promoted Croatia to the world in the best possible way.
“First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the participants, speakers, athletes, media experts and business partners who contributed to the success of the festival. The SUNSET Sports Media Festival has confirmed its status as an extraordinary platform for establishing and strengthening mutual connections, cooperation between athletes, media experts and business people, which opens doors to new opportunities, projects and innovations. Providing us with an incredible environment and hospitality, Zadar is the perfect backdrop for a project like this. Everyone who has already announced their arrival for next year certainly agree,” said Damjan Rudež, director of the SUNSET Sports Media Festival.
During the three-day festival, participants had the unique opportunity to hear inspiring stories from famous athletes and experts from different fields, meet them in a relaxed environment, ask them questions and connect with everyone who shares the same passion and wants to keep up with new trends. One of the main goals of the festival is to promote dialogue between athletes, the media and the wider business community and encourage cooperation and the exchange of ideas between them. The festival provided an extraordinary opportunity to connect and create a network of contacts, opening up new opportunities for future projects and collaborations. Among the participants were renowned athletes from various sports, as well as well-known journalists, presenters, producers and representatives of sports companies; their presence contributed to the diversity of the program and the overall quality of the event.
Panelists discussed the importance of the media in the promotion of sports, the role of sports in society, and new technologies that change the way we follow and consume sports content. Croatian chess Grandmaster Alojzije Janković gave a better insight into why today chess is experiencing a golden age. Mario Ančić told about his experience working on Wall Street and stated how being a former athlete can be applied in everyday situations, thus revealing what sports and business have in common. What is the current position of basketball at the global level, what FIBA as an umbrella organization is doing in terms of popularizing the sport, and what the future brings, was told by FIBA’s marketing leader Frank Leenders. He also provided examples from the real world about the Esports industry as a global phenomenon with millions of players and fans worldwide that has only scratched the surface of its potential. Delighted by the beauty, food and people of the Adriatic, the duo behind the “All the Smoke” podcast literally brought the audience to their feet with their fantastic lecture and stories about how they hosted Kobe Bryant and Will Smith and revealed to how they manage to create magic every time the cameras are on.
The festival was officially closed with a panel that brought together Damjan Rudež, Pete Radovich, Marijo Ančić, Anita Jones, Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes and Stephen Espinoza. The mere presence of these powerful figures hinted to those gathered that they were about to hear an important message. The participation of people from various professions and life stories brought a wealth of perspectives and experiences and gave visitors the opportunity to hear different ideas, attitudes and ways of thinking that would inspire and encourage them.
The first three days of June were marked by the exclusive screening of the documentary series “Football Must Go On”, which even our famous footballer Darijo Srna did not dare to miss; the arrival of the king of windsurfing Robby Naish and the screening of the film “The Longest Wave”, which tells the story of this sports icon; 12 top-class lectures attended by some 30 experienced experts; and for Croatia, the historic recording of the popular basketball podcast “All the Smoke”. All of the above speaks of the size and importance of such a global festival in Croatia. More information about the SUNSET Sports Media Festival is available on the link and our official FB and IG profiles.
