Big-Time Speakers, Impactful Sessions Highlight “Building What’s Next” at NSGA 2026 Leadership Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Marty Maciaszek, NSGA Director of Communications
mmaciaszek@nsga.org 
(847) 296-NSGA (6742), ext. 1260 

DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS (March 3, 2026) – Johnny Bench and Christine Brennan will help cover all the bases for members of the sporting goods industry attending the NSGA 2026 Leadership Conference. 

Bench, the Hall of Fame catcher of the Cincinnati Reds and the iconic “Big Red Machine” dynasty of the 1970s, will provide a powerful finish to “Building What’s Next: Leading the Future of Sporting Goods,” during the annual event May 17-19 at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee. Brennan will share her experiences as one of the most prominent and groundbreaking figures in sports media for five decades with the opening keynote to the Leadership Conference. 

The Leadership Conference will also feature its first NSGA Women’s Leadership Forum and education sessions that include maximizing the use of artificial intelligence (AI), different methods of brand-building and navigating the rapidly changing landscape of sports at all levels.

“We are very excited about the mix of high-profile speakers with inspirational stories like Johnny Bench and Christine Brennan and the sessions that will address important topics in the sporting goods industry,” said Matt Carlson, NSGA President & CEO. “The program for the NSGA 2026 Leadership Conference shows why it is the place to be if you are part of the sporting goods industry. 

“We have experts who will give attendees a better understanding of how to successfully incorporate AI into their businesses and build better brand loyalty. We’re also looking forward to our first NSGA Women’s Leadership Forum and the induction of the four members of the Class of 2026 into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame.” 

A perfect lead-in to the prestigious event celebrating some of the most successful people in the sporting goods industry will be “Observations from Behind the Mask: An Afternoon with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench” on Tuesday, May 19. Bench will share the formula for hard work and teamwork that led to his amazing career as a two-time World Series champion, a Most Valuable Player twice in the National League and once in the World Series, a 14-time All-Star, winner of 10 Gold Gloves and a member of the All-Century Team in 1999. 

Brennan will get the Leadership Conference going on May 18 with “From the Sidelines to the Locker Room and Beyond: Leadership, Access and Breaking Barriers in the Business of Sport.” Brennan is an award-winning columnist for USA Today and a best-selling author and television and radio commentator. She just finished covering her 22^nd Olympic Games in Milan, Italy and was the first woman to cover Washington’s NFL team at the Washington Post in 1985. 

Two experts will focus on using AI. Monday morning’s session features award-winning AI startup founder Susan Sly with “AI as Your Superpower: Fundamentals & Real World Applications.” Ari Kaplan, who created the analytics departments for three Major League Baseball teams, will speak Tuesday morning in “The Moneyball Mindset: Using Data and AI to Drive Smarter Decisions and Real Results.”

A pair of Tuesday morning sessions focus on different methods of brand-building in the sporting goods industry. Award-winning author and entrepreneur Brittany Hodak will talk about transforming customers into something greater in “Loyalty That Lasts: Creating Superfans in a Competitive Market.”  That session will be followed by a panel of industry experts discussing how to turn promotional products into a business driver in “Building Your Brand: Unlocking the Strategic Power of Promotional Products.” 

There will also be a Monday morning panel discussion focusing on the constantly changing landscape of athletics and its impact on the sporting goods industry in, “New Era, New Challenges: How Changes in Sports Impact Athletic Administrators and What it Means for You.” 

NSGA’s first women’s leadership event, “NSGA Women’s Leadership Forum: Empowered Leadership for a Stronger Industry,” will be held the afternoon of May 17. The popularity of Monday afternoon’s Speed Networking keeps growing since it began in 2017 and it expanded in 2024 to give retailers and dealers more opportunities for scheduled discussions with manufacturers and brands.

The event concludes Tuesday evening with the induction of four industry icons into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame. This year’s induction ceremony will recognize the Class of 2026 of Sam Barcelona Jr. (Barcelona Sporting Goods), Tim Boyle (Columbia Sportswear Company), Mort Finkelstein (MC Sporting Goods) and Scott Hedrick (Pro Athlete, Inc.). 

About NSGA 

The National Sporting Goods Association has served as the leading voice for the sporting goods industry since 1929. NSGA is devoted to providing a competitive edge to sporting goods retailers and team dealers through industry leading research, networking, advocacy and unmatched customer support. For more information about membership or NSGA’s products and services, please visit nsga.org. 

About the NSGA Leadership Conference  

The NSGA Leadership Conference started in 1965 and is the longest-running and most successful leadership event in the sporting goods industry. Top executives and decision-makers from sporting goods retailers, team dealers, manufacturers, sales agencies and industry supporting vendor companies gather for education, best-in-class networking, dynamic speakers and industry recognition at the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame induction. For more information or to register for this year’s event visit https://nsga.org/conference2026/.