Datafest at Elon

Datafest 2026 is April 10-13!

Elon Datafest Events

Friday April 10 – All events in Founder’s Hall Atrium
4:30-5:30pm Keynote, The Power of Data-Driven Insights in the Business of Sports

Featuring : Ryan Meizinger ’17, Relo Metrics, Director Insights and Strategic ServicesWHEN: April 10 from 4:30-5:30, Where: Founders Hall Atrium

Description: This is a general audience talk with a practical context of sports sponsorship data and the power of data-driven decision-making in modern sports business. The speaker will highlight (1) the sports sponsorship ecosystem – how brands, teams, leagues, and media platforms interact in a multi-billion-dollar marketplace, (2) how sponsorship value is measured – the role of data in evaluating media exposure, audience reach, and ROI, (3) how companies like Relo Metrics measure brand visibility across broadcasts, social media, and digital platforms, (4) the role of AI in sports analytics – how technologies like computer vision are transforming media and sponsorship measurement, and (5) careers at the intersection of sports, media, and data – how analytical skills translate into real-world opportunities across industries.

5:30-6:30 Pizza party open to all, Data Challenge Meet the Mentor, and Give Aways!
7:00pm Data Challenge and Creative AI + Data Image Contest Begin

Saturday April 11
Data Challenge and Creative AI + Data Image Contest Participants work on their contest. Data Challenge Team members meet with their assigned mentor(s).

Sunday April 12
Data Challenge and Creative AI + Data Image Contest Participants work on their contest. All contest submissions due at 7pm. Data Challenge submissions will be on OneDrive, Creative AI + Data Image submissions will be on Moodle.

Monday April 13
4:30-5:15pm Concurrent sessions in and around Founders Hall Atrium and Creative AI + Data Submissions on Display for Judging
5:15-5:45 Panel and Contest Results
Data Challenge Team Members should plan to be in attendance to present their results for Judging, 4:30-5:45 on April 13.

Click HERE for more information on the Creative AI + Data Image Contest.

For more information on the Datafest Team Data Challenge click HERE!

Congratulations to the 2025 AI & Creative Image Contest Winner – Lauren Winslow!

Congratulations to the 2025 Datafest Data Challenges Winners!
Best in Show
Elisabeth Holmes, William Corkey, and Ryan Kershner
(Team : Error 404 Ethics Not Found)
Jordyn Lewis and Talia Fields
(Team : Data Lovers)
Best Data Visualization
Griffin Pace and Ethan Lowe
(Team : Nullifiers)
Jordyn Lewis and Talia Fields
(Team : Data Lovers)
Best Use of an External Source
Henry Narkiewicz, Sara Fritz, and Stilwell Chen
(Team : Big Data Dynamos)