Barcelona, September 2026 — A new international platform is set to bring together the worlds of professional sport, performance science, technology and innovation, with the aim of helping the industry identify which emerging technologies can deliver tangible results.
PERFORM SportsTech has been created as a global, year-round platform focused on addressing one of the most pressing questions facing professional sport today: which technologies are actually making a measurable difference to athlete performance, health and long-term wellbeing?
With artificial intelligence, wearable devices, biometrics and performance data becoming increasingly common across elite sport, PERFORM aims to provide a space where innovation can be assessed through evidence, practical experience and real-world application.
The platform is driven and operated by Kenes Group and will connect the professionals developing new technologies with the teams and organisations responsible for applying them in high-performance environments.
“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,” said Ori Lahav, CEO of Kenes Group and PERFORM SportsTech.
Barcelona to host the official PERFORM launch
The first major PERFORM gathering will take place in Barcelona on 26 and 27 November 2026, bringing together professionals and recognised figures from the worlds of sport, science, technology and human performance.
The Barcelona event will represent the first milestone for the new platform and will launch an ongoing international conversation around the role of evidence and innovation in the future of athlete performance.
Confirmed participants include 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, as well as a writer, speaker and podcaster.
Additional information about the launch programme, format and participants will be announced in the coming weeks.
As sports technology expands, the focus is shifting towards results
Technology is increasingly influencing how elite athletes train, recover and monitor their health. Artificial intelligence, wearable technology, data analytics, biometrics, biomechanics and recovery solutions are already part of many high-performance environments.
However, the rapid expansion of the sector has also created a more complex landscape for professional clubs, federations and performance teams. With a growing number of suppliers, platforms and competing claims, decision-makers face a different challenge: determining which solutions are relevant, credible and capable of producing meaningful results in real sporting environments.
PERFORM has been developed in response to this challenge. Its purpose is to connect emerging innovation with the practical decisions made every day by professionals working in elite sport.
Its editorial philosophy is built around a simple principle: “Signal over noise, practical over theoretical.”
Rather than focusing solely on how new a technology is, PERFORM will examine how it is applied and what evidence exists behind it. Its approach to “validated technology” will draw on available evidence, real-world examples from elite sport, expert assessment and lessons learned during implementation.
The platform will not act as a certification body or replace formal academic validation. Instead, it will provide context to help professionals understand what has been tested, what has been measured, which outcomes have been reported and how a particular solution could perform in a high-performance setting.
Bringing the wider SportsTech ecosystem together
A central element of PERFORM will be its focus on the professionals working directly with athletes and their performance and health.
High-performance managers, performance teams, sports medicine professionals, injury prevention and return-to-play specialists, elite coaches, sports scientists and performance analysts will be brought together alongside clubs, federations, leagues, Olympic programmes, research centres, universities, SportsTech start-ups, investors and technology companies.
By connecting these different groups, PERFORM aims to encourage greater collaboration between scientific research, technological development and practical implementation.
The platform will also take a broad view of performance. Improving competitive results is only one part of the equation; athlete health, injury prevention and long-term longevity are also increasingly important considerations for professional sport.
As a result, PERFORM will cover areas including injury prevention, rehabilitation and recovery, biomechanics, training-load management, sports medicine, performance science, data, artificial intelligence and wearable technology.
This approach is reflected in the platform’s tagline: “Built for Performance. Driven by Prevention.”
A year-round platform rather than a single event
Although the annual Summit will provide PERFORM’s main in-person meeting point, the initiative is designed to operate throughout the year rather than being limited to one event.
Its editorial programme will include weekly articles, detailed analysis, applied case studies, interviews, a newsletter and a dedicated podcast series.
Hosted by Dr Steve Ingham, the podcast will feature conversations with leading figures working across performance, science and technology. Guests will include Martin Buchheit, Nicky Keay, Marco Cardinale, Emilie Thienot and Jo Clubb, alongside a surprise guest whose episode will be recorded live during the Barcelona launch.
Through this combination of live events, editorial content and expert conversations, PERFORM aims to create an ongoing platform for professionals looking to understand how technological innovation can be translated into practical applications across elite sport.
The launch in Barcelona on 26 and 27 November 2026 will therefore mark the beginning of a wider, year-round initiative designed to connect the people, ideas and technologies shaping the future of professional sports performance.
About PERFORM SportsTech
PERFORM SportsTech is a global platform connecting professional sport, science, technology and innovation. Driven and operated by Kenes Group, the platform focuses on practical intelligence, evidence-informed technology and the application of emerging solutions across athlete performance, health and longevity.
PERFORM SportsTech: Web & Social Media
- PERFORM https://performsportstech.com/Website
- PERFORM Spotify
- PERFORM YouTube
- PERFORM LinkedIn
- PERFORM Instagram
Media Contacts
Alèxia París
+34 649 036 920
alexia.paris@newlink-group.com
Claudia Masfaré
+34 620 087 360
claudia.masfarne@newlink-group.com