Australia’s premier sports marketing and creative summit, Victory Lap, has revealed its lineup of international and local speakers, bringing together the creative leaders reshaping how global sport is built, marketed and experienced. 

Taking place 7 – 8 July 2026 at Brisbane Powerhouse, the two-day summit arrives as Brisbane enters its six-year countdown to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, reinforcing the city’s growing role as a meeting point for global sport, culture and creativity.

Developed by Sport Design Australia, Victory Lap brings together the people driving the industry forward across more than 20 sessions, anchored by a curated lineup of global sports marketers and creative practitioners appearing live on stage in Brisbane.  

Among them is Shana Stephenson, Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer at the New York Liberty, recognised for building one of the most culturally relevant brands in women’s sport, alongside Shahbaz Khan, the NFL’s Head of Global Social Strategy, whose career across Nike, the NBA and Uninterrupted has helped shape modern athlete storytelling.

Dewayne Hankins, President of Business Operations at the Portland Trail Blazers, brings a rare perspective spanning from early social media disruption through to leading an NBA franchise, while Kerry McKenzie, General Manager Brand and Marketing at New Zealand Rugby, offers a view on how the All Blacks use brand positioning and identity to shape every commercial and marketing choice.

The program also reflects the rapid rise of creator-led and fan-first content down under, with Daniel Gorringe, former AFL player turned Australia’s leading independent sports creator, joined by Jacob Gaynor and Lavender Baj, whose work is redefining tone, voice and relevance in modern sport.

Victory Lap has been over a decade in the making, created in response to a long-identified gap for a more relatable sports conference, shifting away from executive commentary towards real-world examples, proven strategies and creative work unpacked by those behind it.

Cassandra Wilkins, Chief Customer Officer at Sport Design Australia, said the lineup has been shaped around those closest to the work.  

“Victory Lap is built around the people generating the ideas, not observing them from the sidelines,” Wilkins said.

“They’re inside sports organisations, making decisions, taking risks, testing boundaries and shaping how sport shows up in the world.

“That proximity to the work is what makes the conversations valuable, it’s not theory it’s the actual work, presented by people growing some of the biggest brands in global sport.” 

Matt Henry, Victory Lap’s Program Director, said the event is designed to challenge traditional sports business conference formats.

“Most sports conferences focus on infrastructure, rights or commercial models,” Henry said.

“Victory Lap is built on the belief that the most successful sports organisations are also the most creative, and we’re unpacking how that actually happens.” 

With limited capacity by design, Victory Lap is expected to attract marketers, creators, strategists and communicators from across Australia and internationally.

Tickets are now available at victorylap.com.au.

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EVENT DETAILS

What: Victory Lap 

When: Tuesday 7 – Wednesday 8 July 2026 

Where: Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm 

Tickets: 2-day passes from $1,195 

Info: https://victorylap.com.au 

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SPEAKER LINEUP (alphabetical)

Lavender Baj (AUS) – Multi-hyphenate sports creator and emerging voice in Australian media, known for her unfiltered commentary and cultural critique of how sport shows up across platforms and audiences.

Dan Beltran (USA) – Creative Director at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one of the most influential designers in global sport, shaping visual identities across the NFL, global football and major international events.

Meredith Batcheller (USA) – Head of Global Sports Marketing at Adobe, overseeing the global strategy and activation of Adobe’s sponsorship portfolio, including the NFL, MLB, PGA TOUR, Premier League, and Bay Area partnerships.

Dan Beltran (USA) – Creative Director at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one of the most influential designers in global sport, shaping visual identities across the NFL, global football and major international events.

Jacob Gaynor (AUS) – Head of Content at Tasmania Devils and former GWS Giants disruptor, recognised for redefining team social media through irreverent, fan-first storytelling.

Daniel Gorringe (AUS) – Former AFL player turned Australia’s leading independent sports creator, building an audience of more than 10 million through a distinctive blend of insight, humour and culture-led commentary.

Dewayne Hankins (USA) – President of Business Operations at the Portland Trail Blazers, whose career spans from pioneering social media disruption to becoming president of one of the NBA’s most progressive teams.

Scott Kegley (USA) – Chief Digital Officer at the Vegas Golden Knights and one of the most awarded digital operators in global sport, known for building league-leading engagement through content, platforms and influencer strategy.

Shahbaz Khan (USA) – Head of Global Social Strategy at the NFL with a career spanning Nike, the NBA and Uninterrupted, shaping athlete storytelling and culture-led content.

Maher Labban (USA) – Executive Director, Clio Sports, champions recognition of creative excellence in sport for teams, leagues, creative agencies, media companies and commercial brands from all around the world through Clio’s prestigious awards. 

Kerry McKenzie (NZL) – General Manager Brand and Marketing at New Zealand Rugby, leading the global brand strategy of the All Blacks, one of the most valuable and culturally significant teams in world sport.

Michael Meek (NZL) – Social Media Content Manager at the New Zealand Warriors, whose unconventional rise from finance to content has produced one of the region’s most compelling social growth stories, including award-winning TikTok performance.

Kieran Murphy (UK) – Senior Creative Director at IMG, previously at Tottenham Hotspur and Formula 1, known for delivering globally recognised campaigns at the intersection of sport, entertainment and culture.

Nicole Pincus (USA) – Founder of Theory and Practice, advising leading sports organisations on partnerships, commercial strategy and organisational growth, with experience across the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty and Barclays Center.

Karren Rogers (AUS) – Strategic Partnerships Manager at Meta, working with leading sports organisations to shape how content, community and platforms drive audience growth and engagement.

Wade Shipard (AUS) – Global Sports Partnerships Lead AUNZ at TikTok, focused on helping teams, leagues and creators grow fandom through platform-native content and community building.

Somha Sleeth (AUS) – Senior Content Producer at the Gold Coast SUNS, part of the powerhouse senior creative group who have been responsible for reinventing what it means to be an expansion club in the AFL.

‍Shana Stephenson (USA) – Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer at the New York Liberty, named in ADWEEK’s Most Powerful Women in Sports, recognised for building one of the most culturally relevant brands in women’s sport.

Dr. Sarah Wymer (NZL) – Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, specialising in the intersection of sport, media and digital platforms, with research focused on how organisations adapt to evolving audience and content dynamics.

About Sport Design Australia
Sport Design Australia provides creative services for sports teams, leagues, brands and athletes through brand, content and design solutions that elevate visual identity, engage fans, increase revenue and build brand equity.