Earlier this month, in the scenic heart of Napa Valley, Stadium Tech Report hosted the inaugural Converge Summit, an exclusive retreat for C-level decision-makers from across the professional sports venue industry. Special thanks to our friends at Cisco and Ampthink for helping bring this program to life. With a focus on technology, revenue, and operations, the summit aimed to break down silos and spark deep collaboration among diverse perspectives. And it did exactly that.
Why we gathered
We opened the summit by stating two straightforward goals:
- To confront a pressing issue we all face.
- To uncover a solution we can all adopt.
The problem? Technology budgets at major sports venues are spiraling out of control. A wave of innovation has swept the industry, and we find ourselves in a relentless arms race, with new systems, greater demands, and continuously rising costs. Yet the true scale of waste, often avoidable, remains largely hidden from view.
The eye-opening data
For the first time, our group was presented with a 10-year projection of both unavoidable and avoidable technology spending. The numbers were nothing short of staggering. Across the NFL, MLB, NBA/NHL, and MLS, the projected costs for technology refreshes over the next decade per venue are:
- NFL: $62 million
- MLB: $51 million
- NBA/NHL: $38 million
- MLS: $27 million
What’s even more concerning? Roughly 30 percent of those costs will be waste, avoidable through smarter planning and execution. To put that into perspective:
- NFL: $18.6 million in avoidable costs per venue
- MLB: $15.3 million per venue
- NBA/NHL: $11.4 million per venue
- MLS: $8.1 million per venue
These hidden expenses will have a direct impact on profitability, sponsorship relationships, and the long-term sustainability of venue business models, yet they’ve remained largely invisible to many in the industry.
The solution: Lean processes and network convergence
Our keynote speaker, Bill Anderson of Ampthink, outlined a clear path forward based on proven results. He shared insights from Ampthink’s work at CPKC Stadium, where a combination of lean construction methodology and converged network platforms resulted in savings of 22-to-35 percent across multiple systems, including networking, LED displays, audio, broadcast, IPTV, and more.
By streamlining the design, procurement, build, and commissioning phases, projects can avoid the typical cost overruns caused by rework, change orders, and coordination breakdowns. Further, converged networks reduce total ownership costs by 46 percent over five years compared to traditional, siloed infrastructures.
For many in attendance, this was the first time they had seen such concrete, league-wide spending projections and the clear link between construction efficiency and long-term venue profitability. The data sparked a lively discussion, and perspectives began to shift dramatically.
Beyond the boardroom
While the roundtable discussions formed the heart of the summit, it was the experiential elements that truly shaped the tone of the event. At Sonoma Raceway, we took a break from the conference room and embraced high-performance drifting sessions and autocross training. Attendees had the chance to drift with professional drivers, test their own skills on a challenging autocross course, culminating in a spirited team time trial competition.
These activities weren’t just for fun. They were intentionally designed to push participants outside their comfort zones, fostering shared experiences that would ultimately carry over into more open and candid discussions. As much as Converge is about business, it’s just as much about people. Each future summit will incorporate similarly bold experiences, activities that are uncommon, exciting, and purposefully chosen to encourage deeper connections and insights.
The conversation continues
While the discussions held in Napa remain confidential to preserve trust among attendees, the energy and momentum were undeniable. The sense of urgency around finding solutions, combined with the clear potential for change, was palpable. The next Converge Summit is already set for Dallas in November, and plans for the 2026 summit series are already in motion.
For those who were in the room, Napa was just the beginning of something transformative. For those who weren’t, the question is inevitable: What’s next at Converge, and how can I be part of it?
