Di Fede confirmed 3,008 delegates had descended on Monte Carlo for SPORTELMonaco, which came to a conclusion here today.

A total of 1,034 companies spanning 80 countries were also in attendance, according to Di Fede.

SPORTEL sales and marketing agent David Jones revealed yesterday that they had seen a 21.8 per cent increase in the number of new companies in comparison to 2015.

The total number of delegates last year was 2,786, and Jones told insidethegames that he was expecting a figure around the 2,900 mark.

"It is overwhelming and we thank the community for their loyalty to SPORTEL," Di Fede said.

"Our team has worked hard on developing more business opportunities across the media industry.

"One of the major aspects was the development of the growing Diaghilev venue that showcased new marketing, sports and exciting tech solutions.”

Di Fede pointed to the number of SPORTELMonaco debutantes, who were representing a range of technological innovations such as virtual reality, as one of the highlights of the 2016 conference.

"Content owners can’t ignore the new opportunities the media has to offer, opportunities that enable brands and broadcasters a real interaction with audiences," she added.

"In result SPORTELMonaco has experienced a 22 per cent increase just in new companies.

"SPORTEL today is the all-round sports marketing and media convention that provides a wide variety of serious business opportunities and connections for the industry.”

The next gathering of the sports media rights world, SPORTELAmerica, is due to be held from March 14 to 16.

Jones believes virtual reality and e-sports are likely to be two key themes during the convention in Miami.