"Reinvent 50% of the Australian Open."
"The 50% innovation challenge creates something most large organizations struggle to cultivate: permission to fail," says Machar Reid, director of innovation and AO Ventures general partner."
"The 2025 Australian Open set attendance records with 1,218,831 fans through the gates over three weeks, breaking the previous year's mark by more than 100,000. It attracted 1.9 billion global viewers, drew 2.3 billion social impressions, and generated $565.8 million for host city Melbourne's economy."
Tennis Australia mandates annual reinvention of half the Australian Open to ensure continuous change and differentiation across tournaments. The event operates a three-pronged innovation system: an in-house R&D lab developing analytics, broadcast, and fan engagement advancements for over 15 years; a startup accelerator that has piloted 40 companies; and a $40 million venture fund to invest in those startups. That approach institutionalizes tolerance for failure and rapid experimentation. The 2025 tournament set attendance and audience records and generated significant economic impact for Melbourne. The current tournament is positioned to set further records.
Read at Fast Company
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