In partnership with Entrio and hosted by Odiseja, the latest edition of ROAD TO SPORTO took place in Ljubljana as one of the traditional lead-in events to the SPORTO Conference, which returns to Portorož on 30 November and 1 December.
This year’s discussion focused on one of the key challenges facing modern sport: how to transform attendees, followers, and supporters into engaged communities.
Successful sports brands can no longer rely solely on results on the field. Long-term growth increasingly depends on the ability to understand audiences, leverage data, and create authentic experiences. This was one of the central themes of the opening presentation and panel, which explored the strategies behind two of Slovenia’s leading sports organisations.
The discussion featured Anže Ulčar, Managing Director of HK Olimpija, and Tomaž Lesjak, Marketing Director of NK Celje.
Reflecting on Celje’s transformation, Lesjak highlighted the club’s transition to a digital fan platform: “By moving to a fully digital platform through Ultra Fan ID and contactless ticketing, we’ve built a substantial fan database. By focusing on younger generations, simplifying the purchase journey, and integrating sponsors through our loyalty ecosystem, we have increased commercial revenue by 221% and league match attendance by 161% since 2021.”
Ulčar shared how Olimpija is expanding beyond its traditional local footprint: “The club is successfully growing beyond Ljubljana and positioning itself as a truly national brand. Every home game is designed as a standalone event, tailored to specific audience segments. We are also strengthening our community and visibility through bold projects such as our behind-the-scenes documentary series following the daily lives of our players.”
The future of fan engagement was the focus of the second session, featuring Jure Doler of Engagency and Matjaž Možina of 2Mobile. Both emphasised that while social media reach and millions of views remain valuable entry points, true value for sports organisations and brands lies in converting followers into owned audiences through channels such as email newsletters, WhatsApp, and Viber.
Their conclusion was clear: the future belongs to personalisation and deeper relationships with engaged communities, often referred to simply as the fan base.
Real-world sponsorship examples were showcased by Jure Mohorič, Managing Director of Garmin Slovenia, and Kaja Rupnik, Communications Manager at Haleon, representing the brands Sensodyne and Voltaren.
Their key takeaway was that sponsorships such as those seen at the Ljubljana Marathon demonstrate how brands can build long-term emotional connections by aligning around shared values and promoting healthier lifestyles within the running communities. Whether through Garmin smartwatches, Sensodyne oral care products, or Voltaren recovery gel, successful partnerships are increasingly built on relevance and authenticity rather than visibility alone.
The final session before the road to SPORTO continued towards Portorož featured Admir Sinani, Sales Specialist at Entrio Croatia, in conversation with Bruno Blumenschein (The 6 Points). Together they explored how combat sports have transformed from niche events into major entertainment properties.
The example of FNC (Fight Nation Championship) illustrated how premium production, compelling fighter stories, and strong digital distribution can fill the region’s largest arenas while successfully engaging audiences across the Balkans. Drawing on his experience in sports ticketing and fan acquisition, Sinani concluded that event organisers must be bold, think beyond local markets, and invest consistently in relationships, both digital and personal.
The ROAD TO SPORTO event concluded with informal networking and refreshments, followed by a screening of The Chase Continues, the documentary chronicling the journey of HK Olimpija.
A more detailed event report will be featured in the upcoming edition of SPORTO Magazine.