David Beckham to speak at Long Island Association luncheon in October

Former English soccer superstar David Beckham will be the keynote speaker at the Long Island Association’s fall luncheon at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury on Oct. 13.

Beckham, former captain of the English National football team and co-owner of Inter Miami CF, will be interviewed by the business group's president and chief executive, Matt Cohen, about his storied sports career and his work as a business owner and philanthropist.

The business group will not be paying for Beckham's appearance at the luncheon, which is being sponsored by Sands New York. The LIA will be donating a portion of the event proceeds to "a charitable cause that will enhance the quality of life in our region," Cohen said in a statement. 

Beckham is a global brand ambassador for casino resort giant Las Vegas Sands. In May, the LIA board of directors voted to support Sands' proposed development of the Nassau Hub into a casino resort after months of evalutation, though Cohen said at the time that "there are legitimate questions which we will continue to vigilantly monitor" concerning the project. 

Talks about hosting Beckham at the event took place in late July, months after the board's vote, the LIA said. 

The luncheon will be the first time the group has held the annual event in person since 2019. 

“We are excited to bring back our first in-person Fall Luncheon since 2019 and welcome a worldwide icon to our region — businessman, philanthropist and former captain of the English National Soccer Team David Beckham,” Cohen said in a statement.

“Soccer is part of the fabric of many communities and families on Long Island,” Cohen said. “The Long Island Association has a recognized history of providing the business community with an opportunity to hear directly from internationally renowned speakers, and 2023 will be no different."

Previous years' speakers at the annual fall event include golf legend Jack Nicklaus, baseball Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, former secretary of state Gen. Colin L. Powell, and New York Yankees star Derek Jeter.

Yankees All-Star Alex Rodriguez and former Giants defensive end-turned-media personality Michael Strahan have also made virtual appearances in recent years.