Renowned professional skateboarder turned entrepreneur and video game legend Tony Hawk will deliver a keynote address to 25,000 attendees at the upcoming SBC Summit.
The keynote speech, entitled “Tony Hawk – What’s Behind a Global Brand”, will kick off the central activities of the second day of the event, which takes place at the Lisbon International Congress Centre from September 24 to 26. The highly anticipated keynote will take place on the “Super Stage” located in the MEO Arena.
Hawk will take attendees deep into his illustrious career, from his beginnings in professional sports as a teenager to his groundbreaking partnership with Activision game studios and the creation of an iconic sports brand. He will also share strategies for staying relevant through reinventing his brand, offering insight into his approach to sustaining success and innovation over the years.
Looking ahead to his upcoming speech, Hawke said: “I am incredibly excited to be delivering the keynote address at the SBC Summit in Lisbon this September.
“While the worlds of skateboarding and gambling may seem very different, I believe many of the similarities and lessons are highly relatable to businesses in our industries. Whether it’s forming long-term partnerships, building a successful and recognizable brand, or staying relevant in a digitally dominated world, my talk can provide valuable insight for all in attendance.”
Born in Golden State, California on May 12, 1968, Tony Hawk was given his first skateboard, a blue fiberglass Bahne, by his older brother at the age of 9. By age 11, Hawk began competing in local skateboarding contests, and officially became a professional skater in 1982, at just 14 years old.
He signed with the Powell Peralta Pro Team and appeared in the famous Bones Brigade video, marking the beginning of an illustrious sports career. Over the next 23 years, Hawk won 73 competitive titles, including being named the “National Skateboard Association (NSA) Vert Champion” for 12 consecutive years and winning 16 “X Games” medals.
Hawk further cemented his status as a skateboarding innovator by creating over 80 unique skateboarding tricks, including the Ollie to Indy, Gymnast Plant, Frontside 540 Rodeo Flip and Saran Wrap.
In one of skateboarding’s defining moments, Hawk landed a 900 twist (2 1/2 rotations) at the 1999 X Games, a feat that had never been accomplished before. In 2003, Toney officially retired from competitive skating. Following his retirement from skateboarding, Hawk continued to grow the sport through various successful partnerships and brand deals. In 1992, Toney founded Birdhouse Skateboards (originally Birdhouse Projects) with former Powell Peralta professional skateboarder Per Welinder.
In 1998, Hawk and his family launched Hawk Clothing, a line of children’s skate apparel, and in 1999, he founded the media company 900 Films. In 2002, he founded The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation), a non-profit skateboarding organization that supports communities in building public skate parks for youth in underserved areas.
Tony’s most successful partnership was with global gaming giant Activision in 1999 when they released “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.” Activision has since released over 16 video games under the Tony Hawk name, reporting a staggering $1 billion in sales and making it one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. “Tony Hawk is arguably one of the most iconic athletes of the 20th century,” said Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC.
“Tony not only revolutionized the world of skateboarding, he also brought skateboarding into mainstream pop culture through his strong branding, incredible athleticism and genre-defining video games. There is certainly much to learn from this legendary figure, and we are incredibly excited to see Tony deliver the main keynote address on the Super Stage.”
Take advantage of our special offer and secure your seat at the upcoming SBC Summit with access to all three main days of the event, including the exhibition floor, conference content and evening networking parties, for a discounted price of just 400 euros.
