LicensingLive! 2016 is less than a week away and the agenda item that has me most intrigued is a keynote presentation by NFL six-time Pro Bowler Terrell Owens.

You don’t have to be an avid football fan to be impressed by Owens’ 15-year on-field career achievements. I mean, we’re talking about a man with 1,078 receptions, 15,935 yards, 153 touchdowns, six Pro Bowl appearances… and he’s in second place on the NFL’s all-time career touchdown list! The diverse range of projects Owens has become involved in since his retirement from the game is no less impressive.

His Q&A session at LicensingLive! comes at a time when the Internet of Things, in all its forms, is starting to permeate every aspect of our lives. This is also true in the professional sporting arena, as coaching, playing, and spectating become increasingly data driven – something I expect Owens will explore in his presentation.

Just recently, I came across a short video discussing the use of wearable devices to monitor pro-football players as they train, enabling coaches and medics to optimize health and training regimens for individual players. As this article attests, the kinds of actionable insights made possible by the IoT are actually improving the game for athletes and spectators alike.

It will be interesting to get the perspective of someone with Owens’ intimate knowledge of football, both on and off the field, and to learn first-hand how IoT innovations could affect the future of the game.

If you’ve already secured your place at LicensingLive! 2016, I’ll see you there on November 1 (I’ll be the one clutching crib notes with questions for Owens, and an autograph book). If you haven’t registered yet, I believe there are still a few last-minute places available – but you’d better hurry!

You can register here to attend.