The #DSSummit16 at Villa Park in Birmingham was a roaring success – an entire day of ideas from some of the best and brightest in the digital sport industry in a room with a view. What could be better?

Sunrise at #avfc – the perfect setting for #DSSummit16 and we're looking forward to the talks! #smsports #digisport pic.twitter.com/oCb1cd1Mdk

— Digital Sport (@DigitalSportUK) October 26, 2016

We saw a diverse range of topics discussed, and there was an insight into everything. From the ins and outs of independent podcasting and social media engagement, to eSports and virtual reality: everything was covered.

But if you’re reading this, there’s probably a good chance you didn’t actually make it along to the event. Don’t worry, though, because here are some things we took away from the summit. So if you missed it, here are five key things you need to know:

How to monetise your podcast

Starting a podcast is the in vogue thing to do these days. All you need to start off with is a phone, some spare time and some hard-hitting opinions. The fact that most people now have phones capable of both recording and playing podcasts whenever and wherever means that more podcasts than ever are appearing. If you have one, how do you challenge the big boys?

Steve Gennaro, of Total Football 899 and All In Sports Talk, tells us that if you’re a small podcast, strength in numbers is crucial: form a network of like-minded people, and monetise your show by starting small: local businesses might get in on the action for a small fee, allowing you to ask other small local businesses for a slightly bigger fee once you’ve gained in credibility.

.@_sgennaro kicks off the day at #DSSummit16 pic.twitter.com/l6LdDiLGQa

— Digital Sport (@DigitalSportUK) October 26, 2016

Augmented Reality is here to stay, but perhaps Virtual Reality isn’t

Virtual reality is all the rage, with Samsung and Google getting in on the action, you may think that it’s only a matter of time before everyone has a virtual reality headset.

Professor Andy Miah tells us that Virtual Reality will get better and allow us to experience events from an angle that’s not currently possible. But the Pokemon Go craze (can we call it a fad yet?) has made us make the distinction between augmented reality and virtual reality, and that there might be more space in the future to adopt that sort of technology: I know i’d rather sit in my living room with my phone in my hand than a VR headset on my face….

.@andymiah on the future of VR in the sports industry #DSSummit16 pic.twitter.com/Pa9iV6vG6H

— Digital Sport (@DigitalSportUK) October 26, 2016

Where brands go wrong

Do brands really know what they’re doing? When they ask an agency to run their social media, or create a campaign for them – especially around sport – do they really consider all the things they need to consider? The answer seems to be no.

Brands don’t just want ‘engagement’, but in order to find out what they really do want, they have to be honest about their aims in order to have clear objectives for their campaign. If they do that, then a better strategy can be put into place. PACE.

.@Leigh_Moore on the importance of adding PACE to your thinking. #DSSummit16 pic.twitter.com/4wucUFzeeI

— Digital Sport (@DigitalSportUK) October 26, 2016

Where does eSports go from here?

Every week we cover eSports in some sort of guise. Whether it’s traditional sports teams buying up clubs and official players, it’s rarely out of the news.

We’re seeing evidence that it’s not a fad, and the sector is growing massively, but the panel at the DS Summit shed some light on the big issues the industry will have over the next year or so.

As it’s growing in popularity, broadcasting will be hugely important. That is, where it’s broadcast and how. In terms of getting sponsorship and investment, integrity will be the buzzword – how does the sport deal with cheats and scandals? In short, it seems the sector needs to have some sort of centralised governing body to deal with all of these issues.

On now: @strivesays, @andrewnixon100 & @vasroberts discussing the rise of #eSports #DSSummit16 pic.twitter.com/qsXpxVwIPL

— Digital Sport (@DigitalSportUK) October 26, 2016

That rights holders can make more money by keeping their broadcast rights

Only months after the Premier League announced a new £8.3bn deal with broadcasters, the news that the league has seen its viewing figures fall significantly hit all the headlines.

Fiona Green, however, makes the very interesting point that Premier League games reach 730 million homes around the world: if they all paid a set fee per month in an over-the-top package, then the league could make more than double what it gets from selling its rights to broadcasters. It could also make things cheaper for the consumer, too. Win win!

Stat of the Day from @fionagreen66. #DSSummit16 pic.twitter.com/IvlVCcnPee

— Digital Sport (@DigitalSportUK) October 26, 2016

And so concludes #DSSummit16. Keep an eye-out for our next event at https://t.co/lLIM4M37w0! pic.twitter.com/9Clcw50RHs

— Digital Sport (@DigitalSportUK) October 26, 2016