From the shoes we wear on our feet to the high definition televisions in our living room, wearable devices, the sports universe is a breeding ground for technology. Writer and Photographer Rick Limpert will examine this each week on The Tech of Sports – With guests which include athletes, inventors and journalists that cover the intersection of sports and technology.
Sports collecting has reached a fever pitch, and Chris Ivy of Heritage Auctions is here to talk with Rick.
Lots to talk about.
$20 million worth of sports history will be up for grabs when Dallas-based Heritage Auctions conducts its star-studded Summer Platinum Auction which is underway and continues through August 21-22. The event features a treasure-trove of sports memorabilia including a vintage Babe Ruth rookie trading card worth more than $1 million, the finest known baseball signed by Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, Magic Johnson’s title-clinching jersey from his rookie season with the Lakers, another $1 million artifact, and the collection of San Francisco Giants beloved icon Willie McCovey.
In May, 24% of respondents said they planned to travel immediately, and 31% in the next one to three months. The takeaway? 55% are ready to roam in time for Independence Day.
Stars, Stripes…and Shots: Over 3/4 (77%) of North American consumers said a COVID-19 vaccination is very or somewhat important in giving them the peace of mind to travel; almost 1/5 (18%) will not get on a plane until they are fully vaccinated.
Rentals Reduce Travel Anxiety: 54% of travelers said they plan to stay at a short-term rental property (such as an Airbnb) in the next twelve months, with 43% of that group citing the ability to stay socially distanced and minimize COVID-19 risk.
Can’t Touch This: Consumers want pandemic-era upgrades to stay the norm. 67% want hotels to maintain more frequent cleaning and disinfecting procedures; 55% want to see guest areas/public spaces continue to be arranged for social distancing; 11% plan to dine solely via room service to minimize contact.
Alex leads Oracle’s vertical software business that serves the hospitality, casino, and cruise industries. Dedicating most of his career to hospitality with experience as an operator and a technology provider, Alex joined Oracle in November 2019 to lead the technical, operational, and cultural transformation of the industry’s leading provider of property management, point of sale, distribution, analytics, and loyalty solutions. With more than 20 years in the travel and hospitality industries, Alex spearheaded global development and strategy for renowned luxury operator Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, led Sabre’s Hospitality Solutions business, and served industry clients as a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Alex earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BBA from the University of Texas.
Atlanta Radio Personality, Truist Atlanta Open presented by Fiserv tournament MC, and avid tennis player, Jason Bailey, who can now add “Inventor” to his resume.
Inventor?
The 46-year old radio personality has created a revolutionary new tennis product called “My Court Caddy.” It’s available for pre-order now!
It turns out, Bailey finally had enough with that dreadful third ball while on the tennis court. Maybe someone didn’t pick it up during play, and in times of a pandemic, he needed a safe place to put his “stuff.”
With an extra ball rolling around the court, a player could trip over it and sprain their ankle, lose it or the ball finds the only puddle on the court.
“I had the idea and my partner had a 3D printer, so we went to work producing the product to see if it would work,” explained Bailey. “Atlanta’s the No. 1 tennis city in the country and I envision this at clubs, tennis centers and maybe something tournaments or leagues provide to its players.”
My Court Caddy is a tennis player’s homebase for balls, towels, water bottles and anything else you decide to hang on any of the three hooks available. It’s a way to keep your things safe and away from your partner’s or opponent’s personal items.
How does it work?
The concept is simple, but the possibilities are endless. You just hook it onto the chain link fence with the two clips on the back and let gravity do its job. There are two side hooks and one bottom hook for all of your personal items. Perfect to keep an eye on your valuables and more.
How to get yours?
MyCourtCaddy is now available for pre-orders on the website. You can learn more about My Court Caddy at www.MyCourtCaddy.com.
Our thoughts define who we are. But for many of us, thoughts of work and the things we need to get done consume our waking hours. How can we achieve a more balanced life if we are so overwhelmed?
This is where Bob Boylan and his new book, 4 Ideas With Actionable Wisdom, come in, offering concrete, actionable suggestions from which readers of all ages can benefit.
Rick talks to Bob this week!
“People don’t realize that they’re actually living in ‘white water,’” Boylan says. “Busyness has become their normal. They don’t realize that they can improve their lives by just spending a little time each day in ‘calm water thinking’ to help generate fresh, thoughtful ideas and improve focus.”
Bob Boylan is a retired presentation skills trainer, professional landscape photographer, seasoned traveler, and the founder of Successful Presentations. He has been self-employed since the age of 31, which has given him the flexibility to travel, explore, and live his life outside the box. A lifelong encourager, Boylan wrote 4 Ideas with Actionable Wisdom to help people see their lives through different eyes and to realize that there is so much more they could be doing to live more effective, “calm water” lives.
Written in short, digestible chapters, 4 Ideas with Actionable Wisdom offers insight that readers can act on now. Readers are encouraged to learn to balance their lives, to be more grateful, to make changes more effectively, and to be more creative. Boylan’s included discussion questions help readers pinpoint exactly where they can change their own thinking, find calm and focus, and take more effective control of their lives and what they will become.
“No matter how young or old you are, you can always take steps to change your life for the better, and Bob has some excellent, wisdom-filled advice to offer. Highly recommended!” – Rachel Song, Editor and Writer
“My goal is to make sure that readers not only understand my ideas but use them,” Boylan says. “We become what we think about. Ultimately, you are in control of what you think about and how you think about it.”
Scott is Director of Recreation and Wellness at Reynolds Lake Oconee, but he’s so much more to Reynolds.
Previously he opened the Golden Door Spa & Fitness in the Waldorf Astoria Park City, Utah, traveling the United States for six years working to turn spa and fitness operations in the right direction for Hilton Worldwide, and running his own consulting business where he continued to help various spa and fitness operations. One of Cowdrey’s assignments was at the La Quinta Resort & Club, where he met Lon Grundy, Reynolds General Manager. The two stayed in touch, Lon informed him of the job opening at Reynolds, and Cowdrey jumped at the opportunity.
There is a lot to get excited about at Reynolds.
A new residential enclave is coming to Reynolds Lake Oconee, Richland Pointe. But more than homes, docks, and a community center, the peninsula known as Richland Pointe will have a special vibe: an exhilarating sense of wellness.
Everything about Richland Pointe will reinforce a welcoming lifestyle of good health, good friends, and good for the environment. Inspired by the charm of America’s waterside towns—along with the unique atmosphere of lake culture in the South—the 500-acre community will feature well-appointed residences and a rich menu of club amenities that appeal both to primary and secondary homeowners.
The hub of activity will be 35-acre Richland Pointe Village, offering a restaurant, wellness center and green spaces to absorb the water view. The Village will be a blend of open-air community with laid back and high-tech wellness.
BJ Pilling is CEO of Atlanta-based GoFan, one of the top digital ticketing companies for high school sports events. He joins Rick to talk about the busy year they’ve already had in 2021 and what the rest of the year has in store.
GoFan is a tech company and a sports company, providing digital ticketing for high school sports and other events nationwide. Digital ticketing has grown quickly over the last five years, but the pandemic really accelerated the pace.
BJ talks about how the technology works, the value for schools, how much money schools will save and generate, and of course the safety aspect.
A few successes in 2021:
May – California – The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) renewed a multi-year agreement with GoFan as the official digital ticketing partner to provide touchless, digital ticketing solutions to high schools and state-wide post season play across California.
June – Florida – The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) renewed a three-year agreement with GoFan as its official digital ticketing partner to provide touchless, digital ticketing solutions to high schools and state-wide post season play across Florida in all ticketed sports. https://tinyurl.com/ydp4mmeo
June – Georgia – GHSA State Baseball Championships – High school baseball fans brought their excitement to the 2021 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State Baseball Championship games — setting record attendance with 20,788 tickets sold for this year’s games at Truist Park, Coolray Field, and Historic Grayson Stadium. As professional sports and high school sports programs lift capacity limitations, organizers are seeing increased attendance and tremendous fan excitement. Every fan attending the 2021 Baseball Championships used Alpharetta-based GoFan’s platform for purchase. Statewide, more than 60 percent of schools use GoFan.
BJ was great. Listen to this engaging conversation!
