Operations, Technology & Sustainability

With 19 years of experience as a Chief Business Officer, I have specialized in television, events, and sports business commerce, focusing on B2B sector growth and enhancing organizational performance.

I bring over five years of expertise in television show production. I successfully managed every stage of the production process—from concept development to execution—consistently delivering high-quality content. Additionally, I spent nine years orchestrating large-scale concerts for globally renowned artists and managed the country’s largest and most prestigious festival. I excelled in this role by building strategic partnerships that resulted in exceptional and memorable events.

I have applied my knowledge to the sports teams and arena/stadium business for the past five years. My main responsibilities include building and maintaining B2B partnerships, strengthening business relationships, and developing effective ticketing and pricing strategies. I also lead organizational development projects that drive growth and success. A key focus of mine is enhancing the customer experience across both B2B and B2C sectors, implementing best practices, and leveraging continuous feedback to ensure satisfaction and loyalty.

Michael is a vastly experienced and passionate advocate of wider accessibility for disabled people within sport. He manages the day-to-day activities of the AccessibAll team and leads media and communication strategies within the organisation. His roles also include stakeholder development and partnership building, management of the annual #TotalAccess Week of Action campaign, and overseeing the expansion of audio-descriptive commentary for partially sighted and blind people. He has worked on numerous international tournaments and competition Finals, ensuring the availability of accessible facilities and services for disabled supporters, and provided training across the globe to advise on access improvements and effective communication with disabled people.

Tony joined the Signature Systems team in 2010 and is based in the UK. With a strong focus on Worldwide Stadium Sales, Tony has successfully delivered composite matting and ground protection solutions for more than 15 world games, including the 2012 London Olympics, where he was responsible for the largest trackway contract in Olympic history.

He and his team have also negotiated and delivered ground protection systems for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the 2015 European Games in Azerbaijan, the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Tony continues to speak to stadia architects, engineers, operators, and event rental infrastructure companies globally and supplying natural, hybrid and artificial turf protection as well as athletics track protection solutions.  Signature manufactures all their products in-house in Orlando, Florida with Corporate Headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

Iain Wilkie is a seasoned veteran in the lighting industry, boasting an impressive 35-year career. Early on, he honed his skills as a Lighting Designer, investing six years in a UK-based lighting consultancy while pursuing formal education in Lighting and Electric Principles at Technical College. His passion for lighting deepened as he worked on live projects and gleaned wisdom from experienced mentors.

For the past 27 years, Iain has been an integral part of a prominent UK-based lighting manufacturer. During this tenure, he successfully managed the Lighting Design Department and the Quotations Team, solidifying his foundation in both technical and commercial aspects of the industry. This invaluable experience paved the way for a decade-long stint in Product Management, where he demonstrated exceptional leadership.

Today, Iain Wilkie works as a  Global Product Manager at Thorn Lighting and is based in the UK. He is an active member of CIBSE: Society of Light and Lighting and the Institute of Lighting Professionals (ILP). In his current role, Iain plays a pivotal role in enhancing the existing product portfolio and charting the course for future innovations in Sports and Floodlighting applications.

After graduating from HEC, I began my career at IMG McCormack in the Major Sporting and Cultural Events Production department. Over nine years, events such as the PGA Golf Tournaments, ATP Tennis Tournaments, the Albertville Winter Olympics, and Luciano Pavarotti’s concert on the Champ de Mars strengthened my passion and expertise in producing large-scale events.

In 1997, I joined the Stade de France as Deputy General Manager and President of Stade de France Production, dedicated to creating and producing large shows. For 14 years, I oversaw the hosting and organization of all the biggest sporting events and concerts, as well as the creation of 55 shows across various genres: classical music, electronic music, rap & R&B, Celtic music, motorsports, and family-friendly productions like Ben Hur and Excalibur. These productions were characterized by their ability to embrace the vast scale of the venues, featuring 360-degree staging across more than 30,000 square meters.

In 2013, I joined France Galop as Deputy General Manager, where I led the reconstruction of the Longchamp racecourse over five years and established a new operational business model for racecourses.

In 2018, I was appointed CEO of the French Tennis Federation, tasked with developing and executing a strategic plan to revitalize tennis’s appeal in France.

In 2019, I founded Live Stadium with a dual mission:

• To create and produce original shows tailored to large-capacity venues.
• To advise cities, stadiums, and arenas on developing their programming.

“The importance of the transformative value of the experience, with larger, more immersive, and more interactive shows, is also increasingly at the center of our concerns.” JC Giletta

oining BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo) in 2022, Chris May serves as General Manager of BC Place Stadium, bringing over 20 years of strategic leadership experience in executing diverse, large-scale events for international markets.

Chris has planned, managed and provided strategic direction for major live events in markets across the globe. From live concerts, musicals, TV telethons, and special events, to international touring logistics, he has ensured the successful execution of events welcoming tens of millions of people around the globe.

Previously, Chris served as Vice President, Delivery and Production, and Executive Producer, at SDImktg, where he led the development of long-term major event strategies for new and existing clients, and guided execution for the agency’s portfolio for major events such as Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour. Before that, Chris acted as Senior Director of Touring Operations with Cirque Du Soleil, responsible for arena touring shows Saltimbanco, Alegria, and Varekai. He also managed the company’s first tours to 23 new markets including Qatar, Turkey, Lebanon and Hungary.

Chris works extensively with Embers, a Social Enterprise based in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside that provides employment opportunities to individuals with barriers to employment, serving as Chair of the Board of Directors. He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors for Firehall Arts Centre, where he provides support for the city’s oldest performance venue, which hosts two hundred performances each year.

Gina is the Chief Executive Officer of the DHL Stadium in Cape Town South Africa.  The DHL Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium with a capacity of 58 000 spectators. Prior to taking up the position of CEO for the stadium, Gina was the Marketing and Commercial Manager for 3 years and instrumental in developing and implementing the stadium’s commercial programme. This has included securing a naming rights partner, an anchor tenant in Western Province Rugby as well as implementing the commercial event day services such as hospitality, concessions and spectator experience.

Prior to joining the DHL Stadium, Gina was Chief Operating Officer for Group Africa Marketing overseeing the business of sports sponsorship, PR and brand activation in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to that Gina was Commercial Executive for the SAIL Group which included developing and implementing various sports tournaments and entertainment properties in South Africa.

A former Chef and Restaurateur, Graeme has been overseeing the development of the Hospitality Operations for Heart of Midlothian Football Club and Edinburgh’s Tynecastle Park for over three decades.

Graeme joined the Hearts team full-time, after years with organisations tasked with running external stadia and catering operations across Scottish venues.

Under Graeme’s leadership, the whole catering and events operation at Heart of Midlothian has been brought in house, growing to become a vital £5 million annual revenue stream for the club.

The opening of Tynecastle Park Hotel has been driven by Graeme and a team of Hearts leaders, ensuring future revenue for the club and finishing off the Main Stand construction project which began back in 2017.

Graeme and his Operations team strive to elevate the Hotel, Restaurant, Event, and Matchday experience at Tynecastle Park by providing top-notch and diverse food and beverage options, making it one of the finest offerings in Scotland, acknowledged with numerous accolades.

As part of his commitment to the industry, he sits on the Board of Scottish Chefs to help the future leaders of the hospitality and catering industry.

Rhiannon Martin is Head of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. She has a vast experience delivering FIFA tournaments and events since 1997: including the FIFA World Cups 1998 – 2010; FIFA Women’s World Cups 2003, 2019 and 2023; Olympic Football Tournaments 2012; the FIFA Club World Cup 2000, 2015 – 2017; and a wide range of youth tournaments from 2011 – 2018.

Rhiannon is responsible for the strategic and operational planning and delivery of the FIFA Women’s World Cup (FWWC). She heads up the FWWC project team which is made up of experts across all departments within FIFA (from venue management to broadcast to team services to event budget etc….).

Rhiannon has dual British and Swiss nationality, is fluent in English and French, and speaks intermediate Brazilian Portuguese, German and Spanish.

With a career spanning 20 years in the football industry, I have dedicated my expertise to areas such as cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, CRM and data management, digital fan experiences, and football insights. These areas have been instrumental in driving technological advancements that enhance operational efficiency and fan engagement.

Jen is an MBA qualified, highly adaptable Managing Director and venue professional with a long-standing background in music, arts, media, corporate and sports events across the UK and Middle East.

Starting life at ASM Global at the first direct Arena, Leeds, Jen spent five years working as General Manager, leading the team successfully through an array of industry challenges and venue enhancements. She has since joined the team at the AO Arena, heading up the £50 million redevelopment that will bring a level of extravagant guest experiences that no venue has seen before.

With 23+ years working in the venue and entertainment industry, Jen’s varied career includes working with venues and festivals from 400 seats to 80,000, with teams ranging from 30 to 800 staff.  Having worked around the world in places such as Qatar and Australia, as well as prestigious UK venues such as the opening of King’s Palace, London, it is Jen’s strong emphasis on output, efficiency and quality that will successfully position the AO Arena as the UK’s first live music venue to have a luxury restaurant and bar experience in-house.

With almost 30 years’ experience in the live events and entertainment industry, Adrian has a grounding in the hospitality sector, entering into venue management at Wembley Stadium Ltd, before subsequently relocating to Belfast in 2000 to join the then Odyssey Arena (now The SSE Arena, Belfast) management team, ahead of the venue’s historic opening at the turn of the millennium.

With a reputation for driving advancement and innovation in visitor experience, Adrian played a pivotal role in putting Northern Ireland’s leading entertainment venue on the global map. In 2015, Adrian moved from his position as General Manager of the Arena to The Odyssey Trust, and now holds the role of Chief Experience Officer, with responsibility for the operating performance of The SSE Arena, Belfast, the Belfast Giants, and W5 Science & Discovery Centre.

A Board member of the European Arenas Association, Adrian has driven a commitment to achieve the Best Experience Every Time for customers across the Odyssey site, and is a passionate advocate that people are at the heart of everything that The Odyssey Trust does.

Justine Hewitt is Operations Director, Lancs Cricket and its Emirates Old Trafford stadium complex.

Previously she was Head of Stadium Operations at Leicester City FC for four years with responsibility for matchday and non-match day operations, health and safety, security, housekeeping and maintenance at both the King Power Stadium and the Club’s Women’s training facility, Belvoir Drive.

Justine has worked in the sport and leisure industry for over 20 years and is experienced in managing multi-purpose facilities hosting an array of sport, business and entertainment events.

Previous roles include a brief spell at Emirates Old Trafford, and 15 years at Ricoh Arena (now CBS Arena), where she held the starting position of Exhibition Coordinator through to Operations Director and has overseen the delivery of domestic and international football, rugby, London 2012 Olympic football fixtures, both stadium bowl and indoor arena concerts as well as managing a site with various tenants, hotel and casino.

Head of ESG at Silverstone Circuit, Stephane is leading the team to transform the iconic home of British Motorsport and host of the F1 British GP to become a sustainable business and leisure destination. Specialized in change management, sustainable development, event/venue operations and impact driven partnerships, he brings over 20 years of experience mainly acquired in the sports industry (through his collaboration with the ATP World Tour and WTA Tennis circuits, ITF, FIBA 3×3, FIFA Confederations Cup, World Roller Games, Mediterranean Games, F1 and MotoGP).

Vicky has worked in the stadium and venues industry for over 15 years, specialising in premium sales strategy for transformative renovations and new build projects. Projects include M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool FC’s Main Stand re development and she now leads the go to market strategy of ‘ALL’ Bars, Restaurants & Experiences at Everton’s impressive new 52,888-seater home. Vicky has a passion for innovation across premium sales and experiences and is driven by shaping customer journeys that appeal to a wider range of fan profiles. Vicky enjoys contributing to industry conferences and discussions across a range of topics, believing that collaboration across the stadia and venues industry inspires best in class delivery.

Alan Graham is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected executive level venue and event managers with a career in the industry spanning 28 years.

As General Manager of Suncorp Stadium, a venue owned by Stadiums Queensland and operated under contract by ASM Global, he is responsible for developing and driving the business of one of Australia’s busiest Stadiums.

The venue averages around 50 major events per year and is the home ground of 4 Anchor Tenants competing in national competitions:

• Brisbane Broncos (National Rugby League)
• Dolphins (National Rugby League)
• Queensland Reds (Super Rugby Competition)
• Brisbane Roar (National A-League Football Competition)

The Stadium is also host to a number of other Blockbuster Events including:

• NRL Magic Round (all 8 games of an entire round played at the venue over 3 days)
• State of Origin Men’s and Women’s Rugby League Matches
• Wallabies Rugby Tests
• Bledisloe Cup Matches
• British & Irish Lions Tests
• International League Test Matches
• World Championship Boxing and Wrestling
• Nitro Circus and Nitro World Games
• Major Concerts

Alan has also opened and run venues for 2 Olympic Games – The Gabba for Sydney 2000 Football competition and the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena for Beijing 2008, the only venue for the Beijing Olympics not run by a Chinese National.

He is a Co-Founder and Director of the Former Origin Greats, an elite and influential organisation comprising all players who have represented Queensland in State of Origin Football.

Alan is also heavily involved in charity work helping raise hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for a variety of local charities and community causes.

Jacopo, graduated in law at University of Naples Federico II, started to work as a journalist in Italy at 17 years old for newspapers and on Tv having more than 10 years experience in live broadcast. Communication in all of his aspect and football have been his main passion since he was a child. He has worked for Udinese Calcio since 2018 and believes in an innovative way of communicating, smart and oriented to the new media. He has been Head of Communication for the club since 2019.

Jacopo firmly believes that football should convey positive social messages thanks to its popularity and media power. Above all that the environmental sustainability and in all its aspects, an area in which he has been involved for 3 years thanks to the green policy launched by Udinese thanks also to Blunergy Stadium case history: an innovative and sustainable stadium owned by the club with the first solar park in Italy.

Matt has nearly a decade of experience working in health, safety, risk, and compliance roles across a variety of attractions, events, stadia, and arenas.

Matt has driven successful culture change programmes across multisite organisations, including increasing H&S reporting by 2800% in one company.

Matt has worked at some industry leading organisations including Chester Zoo, Chester Race Company and now The ACC Liverpool Group, encompassing the M&S Bank Arena, as well as working at the British Transport Police in their wellbeing, health, and safety team.

Across all his roles Matt has gained a unique perspective into the operation and delivery of safe and secure publicly accessibly spaces and has worked with numerous software companies to develop and implement technological solutions to improve guest and colleague safety.

Greg Power is Director of Estates, Campus Strategy and Property Development at The RDS.

The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) is a philanthropic organisation founded in 1731, and owns one of Ireland’s most well-known venues — RDS Arena.

The venue boasts a capacity of 18,500 and is the home ground of Leinster Rugby, which plays in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup. It also provides the backdrop for the annual Dublin Horse Show.

Greg is the Programme and Project Director for the new RDS Arena stand. Prior to entering the events and arena world, he was head of capital projects and master/space planning at two major universities.

Will is the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society (RA&HS) of South Australia. The RA&HS owns and operates a 27-hectare event, tourism, and exhibition site on the fringe of the central business district of SA’s capital city, Adelaide. The RA&HS’s premier event is the Royal Adelaide Show, which attracts more than 500,000 visitors each year

Will is also the Chairman and President of the South Australian Cricket Association, and a Director of the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority (AOSMA). AOSMA operates the world famous ‘Adelaide Oval’, and 138-room ‘Oval Hotel’. Will is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds an MBA from the University of Adelaide.”

Since January 2012, Marie Smyth has been an integral part of the historic Croke Park Stadium, currently serving as the Head of Venue Business. With a career spanning over a decade at this iconic Irish venue, Marie has played a key role in shaping and enhancing the stadium’s corporate offerings.

In her capacity as the Head of Venue Business, Marie spearheads sales initiatives and coordinates a myriad of activities for Croke Park Premium, showcasing her strategic acumen in the competitive events and hospitality industry. Her responsibilities extend to overseeing Meeting & Events, where she ensures seamless coordination and execution of diverse gatherings. Croke Park Stadium, with its storied history spanning over a century, holds a special place in Irish sporting heritage. Marie operates in a challenging yet thrilling environment with a capacity of 82,300, 110 event spaces, 94 suites, and over 8,700 premium seats under her purview. Her daily challenges are as diverse as the events hosted at the stadium. Leading a dynamic team, Marie manages a wide array of clients, ranging from internal and external to national and international, including corporate and association clients.

Marie Smyth’s tenure at Croke Park Stadium is characterized by her unwavering commitment to excellence, her strategic vision for business development, and her passion for creating memorable experiences in one of Ireland’s most iconic venues. Leading a dynamic team, Marie manages a wide array of clients, ranging from internal and external to national and international, including corporate and association clients. Marie Smyth’s tenure at Croke Park Stadium is characterized by her unwavering commitment to excellence, her strategic vision for business development, and her passion for creating memorable experiences in one of Ireland’s most iconic venues.

Norman Vossschulte is originally from Berlin, Germany. His culturally rich background included 10 years living abroad in Africa, Iraq and Spain before moving back to Germany to finish high school and college. He studied Biology and Physical Science before deciding to move to New York City in 1996 to attend the Herbert Berghof Institute for Fine Theatre Arts and Drama.

Norman’s work experience is as eclectic as his upbringing. He has worked in the hotel industry, the non-profit sector, as well as both sports and entertainment industries. Twenty-five years of practicing customer and client relations have given him an overview of which techniques consistently enhance guest experiences. Norman has more than 17 years of staff training and team leadership experience working with The Walt Disney Company and currently the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 2014, Norman became the Eagles’ official GO GREEN spokesperson. During his tenure leading the “green team,” the Eagles have obtained LEED Gold certification and were the first sports team in the world to reach ISO 20121 certification. He organized and later re-branded the program, which included a new slogan “Innovate. Sustain.” and committee (ECO – Engagement, Communication, Operations). The Eagles are also the first sports team to offset their carbon emissions through seagrass and mangrove restoration efforts, a partnership formed in June 2021 with Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Foundation.

Most recently, Lincoln Financial Field became the first stadium in the world to have an onsite hydrogen production and fueling station to power its fleet of maintenance vehicles.

James de Groot joined Sodexo as a student placement back in 2004 and formed part of the team at Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) that in-sourced the Food & Beverage Operation. James now oversees the delivery and strategic direction of Food & Beverage at MCC.  

James sits on the Executive Management Board in his role as Chief F&B Officer; he’s successfully led six Ashes summers as well as delivered the ICC Men’s World Cup (2019), and the ICC Women’s World Cup (2017) – both culminating in famous wins for England. 

James and the Operations team ensure that the quality and range of food and beverage enhances the event and matchday experience, with a specific focus around the Member experience. Innovating is a key part of the role, exemplified by The Home of Food Festival which took place at Lord’s last September, and was the first non-cricket related food event to take place in the Club’s 210-year history. James led the strategy around food and drink, as well as the delivery across the weekend, including signing some of the UK most well-known and celebrated chefs, driving new sponsors and activations for the event. James was the pioneer behind Lord’s Ding Club, an award-winning series of exclusive dinners that operate inside the Grade II listed Pavilion, combining cricket, and Michelin-starred chefs. 

The Club remains ‘in-house’ but partners with Moving Venue, Freemans and Tommy Banks/Made in Oldstead to deliver the operation for up to 31,000 spectators per match.  Working with partners and suppliers to innovate to offer the best in-ground experience for spectators is a key strategic focus for James and his talented team. 

James is passionate about sport, hospitality, food, drink and driving values through all aspects of service.

Sergii Khomenko is a techpreneur technology and eCommerce expert with over 20 years of experience, Sergii is Co-Founder of Autocanteen the UK’s first touchless self-checkout solution which increases checkout efficiency.,

Since his schooldays Sergii has had a deep interest in computers and technology and before founding Autocanteen he spent 10 years working in the ecommerce industry looking after and consulting ecommerce retailers.

Autocanteen is a touchless self-checkout solution which increases checkout efficiency. Disruptive innovation, no barcodes – the system can identify anything from fruits to meal plates with visual discovery. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

Nick has 20 years’ experience in stadium economics in his roles at Eden Park, Colonial Stadium, Telstra Dome, Etihad Stadium, Domain Stadium, and the West Australian Football Commission through his strategic and authentic leadership style.

Since commencing at Eden Park in 2017, Nick has implemented an integrated Icon Partnership program securing seven iconic brands including global market leaders Kia, Samsung, Vodafone and American Express. In addition, for the first time in Eden Park’s history, corporate suite inventory is fully occupied and stadium membership revenue growth has exceeded 40%.

Nick has also been instrumental in introducing key philanthropic initiatives with the Auckland Returned and Services Association as well as engaging the local community through a public art exhibition celebrating the neighbourhood surrounding Eden Park.

Nick has been committed to enhancing his business acumen and acquiring further technical skills and knowledge throughout his career. Nick has studied in China, Germany and America and holds Bachelor degrees in Business and in the Arts, as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Melbourne.

Outside of work, Nick played 260 VFL matches and won 5 premierships with Sandringham and 2 VAFA premierships with Wesley Collegians. Amongst a number of individual honours, Nick kicked 883 goals in the VFL competition and holds the competition record for leading goal kicker.

In 2019 Nick was proud to receive the Executive of the Year award at TheStadiumBusiness Awards, and Venue Executive of the Year and Supreme Venue Person of the Year at the EVANZ Awards. He proudly became a Certified Venue Executive in 2020 with IAVM.

As part of his commitment to the community, he sits on The Auckland Children’s Christmas Parade Trust, the Akarana Marine Sports Trust and is a member of the British New Zealand Business Association Board.

Mary Norris brings with her over 30 years of experience in sales and business development spanning diverse industries. Currently, she holds the position of Sales Director EMEA at Humanforce, a company committed to streamlining workforce management and human resources solutions for frontline and flexible workers. Before her role at Humanforce, Mary held key leadership positions at prominent companies, where she spearheaded initiatives related to integrated HR software solutions and the management of non-employee workforces on a global scale. Her extensive expertise has contributed significantly to the success and growth of the organizations she has been a part of.

Jonas Oliebos is a dedicated Digital Coordinator at KAA Gent, where he has been instrumental in advancing the club’s digital strategies since March 2021. He has a strong background in marketing and communication, campaign management, and project coordination. Passionate about sports and digital innovation, Jonas is committed to enhancing fan engagement and driving digital excellence in the sports industry.

Tom Grant, whose expertise as one of the Venue Safety Officers at Lord’s Cricket Ground has set industry benchmarks in safety and security. With a background in project management, Tom has overseen initiatives such as CCTV upgrades, continued enhancements in incident management systems, access control, accreditation platforms, turnstile infrastructure projects, and overlay planning.

His specialisation is the intersection of where safety management meets technological efficiencies and commercial success within the sporting landscape. Tom’s insights will draw from his experiences offering a unique perspective on enhancing operational efficiency, elevating spectator experience, and fostering a culture of safety excellence amongst the many challenges and opportunities within the stadium management industry.

Peter Evans has 25 years of experience leading organizations’ digital transformation and innovation activities for customers in the telecom, cloud, SaaS, and security industries, both cyber and physical. With Xtract One, Peter is bolstering the physical security technology industry while not only maintaining but improving the customer experience – not just Xtract One’s customers, but their customers also. With an understanding of the operational challenges their customers face, Peter is driving the organization towards delivering solutions that replace outdated systems, augment current technology, and enhance existing resources.

Matjaž Možina is the CEO of 2Mobile, an innovative leader with over two decades of experience in the mobile industry. His deep understanding of technology trends and passion for sports drive 2Mobile’s mission to revolutionize fan engagement through AI-powered solutions.

Dorothy Tan, the Chief Operating Officer at AsiaWorld-Expo Management Ltd. (AWE) since October 2019, meticulously oversees the company’s operations, including event planning and management, food and beverage services, customer service, and the venue operations and services teams. She is spearheading the renovation of AWE Phase 1’s facilities, enhancing them to set new industry benchmarks. Upon completing Phase 1, Tan will dedicate her efforts to the AWE Phase 2 expansion, a significant project aimed at extending and enhancing the venue’s capabilities to meet Hong Kong’s growing demands.

Tan brings an extensive 20-year background in retail leasing, property management, and valuation from Singapore and Hong Kong, where she has contributed to the success of numerous high-profile developments. She has held positions at former organizations such as the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, The Mass Transport Rail Corporation, and the Airport Authority Hong Kong.

With 15 years’ experience across including Live Nation, Cuffe & Taylor, and Escape to Freight Island, Gemma has built an extraordinary career. She has worked alongside music legends such as Faithless, Cliff Richard, Mariah Carey, and Britney Spears, bringing a unique perspective gained from her success as a promoter, marketer, and venue manager.

 

Gemma joined Legends/ASM Global in 2023 as Director of Sales and Marketing during a transformative period for AO Arena. Tasked with navigating the challenges of a £70 million redevelopment and launching The Mezz, the UK’s first celebrity chef-led restaurant and bar within a live music venue, she has led the AO Arena to redefine live entertainment and culinary excellence.

 

Gemma’s dedication to the city extends beyond the arena. As a board member of Brighter Sound and the Manchester Music City network, she actively contributes to strengthening Manchester’s reputation as a global hub for music and the arts.

Within his current role, Dan focuses on delivering the organisation’s growth strategy by overseeing the successful delivery of the project portfolio; ensuring alignment and delivery of both customer and business goals.

Prior to joining Vindico, Dan’s leadership and management experience was obtained within the Defence and Higher Education sectors, having held multiple leadership roles responsible for wide-ranging and varied operational services and portfolios.
Dan’s passionate about delivering innovative, high-quality outputs, keen on continuous improvement, and likes to think he and the wider Vindico team ‘leave nothing on the pitch‘; he’s also rather partial to a bad pun.

In his role at Humanforce, Paul manages over 30 enterprise clients with dynamic shift-based workforces across UK and Europe. Paul works closely with operations, finance, IT and HR leaders to ensure Humanforce meets their ever-changing and evolving people management needs.

With a decade of experience in the wireless infrastructure industry, Gavin is a mobile connectivity expert, working closely with standout venues and mobile network operators to deliver high-speed mobile solutions in large-scale environments.

Gavin is responsible for driving Boldyn Networks’ venue strategy in the UK and Ireland, with a particular focus on delivering game changing connectivity for sports and entertainment venues. Empowering venues to deliver unmatched visitor experiences, whilst unlocking new revenue streams and operational efficiency opportunities.

Boldyn Networks work with leading sports & entertainment venues to design connectivity solutions for high-density crowd environments. Proven in over 300+ marquee venues, delivering solutions that deliver consistent coverage and capacity in any environment.

As a former Olympian (1984 Los Angeles) and Asian Games medalist, Jin Teik’s illustrious 33-years career spanned both private and public sectors, with residence in USA, China, and Singapore. He is a trusted, people-centric leader who specializes in business turnaround, mega project ideation-startup-operations, place making, data-driven digital transformation, and complex stakeholder management.

Jin Teik founded disrupTEIK Consultancy to help end users (e.g. governments, venue owners, rights holders, clubs, investors) in their pursuit of excellence by providing strategic advisory and digital solutions.

He served in CEO roles (Singapore Sports Hub and Singapore Sports Council), Advisor roles, Board roles, and various leadership roles.  Awarded the Public Service Medal 2023 by the Singapore Government, Jin Teik has an MBA & BSc Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University, USA.

Ursi’s journey through the world’s biggest stadiums began as a professional track & field runner. She is now Head of the new stadium construction department at Hertha BSC. She has a degree in Sports Economics and is a Certified Safety Manager. Her wide-ranging expertise spans 25 years in professional sports and covers various facets of the field, with hands-on experience in security management, crowd control, fan journey design and match day operations. In recent years, her focal points have encompassed strategic feasibility studies, project management, change management and construction management.

Beyond her operational role, Ursi is a member of Hertha BSC’s Sustainability Board, actively engaging in matters pertaining to the club’s economic and ecological development, reorganization, and new construction. Her multifaceted skills continue to shape the landscape of sports and stadium management at Hertha BSC.

After 25 years in the duty-free industry, Susan Whelan translated the commercial principles of luxury retail to the world of professional football when the Thai duty-free company, King Power International, bought Leicester City Football Club and appointed her as Chief Executive in 2011. Since then she has steered the Club to Premier League and FA Cup victories, as well as three seasons in European football, and oversaw the acquisition of LCFC Women and its promotion to the Women’s Super League. Susan led delivery of the world-class 180-acre Leicester City Training Ground which opened in December 2020, and is leading the team working on the King Power Stadium expansion project.

Susan represents King Power on the Board of its Belgian Club, OH Leuven, is a Director of LCFC Women and a Trustee of Leicester City in the Community and the VS Foundation.
Susan was named FC Business CEO of the Year in 2021 and a year later was awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to football, the economy in the East Midlands and the wider community in Leicester.

Born in 1968, Patrik Meyer started his career as a professional drummer before entering the business as a financial director for a local promoter in Cologne. He worked on shows with The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson and Luciano Pavarotti.  

In 1997 he began working for the Koelnarena Management GmbH as director for the financial department, ticketing and controlling, both during the pre-opening and the operating period. 

From 2005 until 2020 Patrik Meyer was Managing Director of the operation company for the Commerzbank-Arena – the World-Cup-stadium in Frankfurt.  The stadium is the leading event stadium in Germany and hosts an average of 30 – 40 major events per year. 

Since 2020 he is Managing Director of Eintracht Frankfurt Stadion GmbH – the new operator for the stadium in Frankfurt (Deutsche Bank Park). In combination with his previous role at the former operator Patrik is now Managing Director of the stadium in Frankfurt for almost 20 years.

Involved in the LED industry since 1997, Tom brings a wealth of practical and technical expertise to digiLED. Working for LED screen pioneers Invision, Phillips and Lighthouse, on a practical level has played key roles on many high profile events including the 2000 Sydney Olympics and as Head of Video for Robbie Williams. 
Now found regularly working on new patents, Tom’s outstanding engineering skills drive product and industry innovation for the digiLED range of screens and accessories.

Marko Hurme serves as the CEO of Finland’s most popular multi-purpose arena. The arena’s ecosystem includes several companies that together form a multifaceted entity. Customer experience, services, responsibility, and arena technology solutions must be designed in collaboration with all ecosystem partners.

Uma Srivastava was born and raised in Meridian, MS and calls Nashville, TN home; she attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Uma started volunteering for KultureCity in 2015 and now operates as the Executive Director. Aside from KultureCity, Uma is a member of the Rotary Club of Nashville.  During her time in Birmingham, she was recognized in 2018 as a Trailblazer for her commitment to Birmingham. Uma was also honored as a Servant Leader honored by the Vulcan Foundation. Uma has spoken about the importance of acceptance and inclusion at several conferences such as Collision, GuestX, ALSD, & others.

Davide Villa was born in Vaprio d’Adda (in the province of Milan) and after graduating in Mechanical Engineering and completing two master’s degrees in management from the Scuola Superiore Enrico Mattei and SDA Bocconi respectively, he embarked on his professional career with ABB and Falck S.p.A. In 2002, he entered the multi-utility world as the Marketing Manager of EDISON ENERGIA S.p.A. From 2003 to 2022, he worked at Vivigas S.p.A., where he held various positions until reaching the position of General Director in 2016. He was appointed Executive Business Unit Director in 2020. He joined Bluenergy in 2022 as General Director and immediately proved his managerial and organisational skills. Strong-willed and ready to tackle difficulties with a smile, he carries out the business strategies defined by the Board of Directors and the CEO.

He immediately demonstrated strong managerial skills and qualities when he first became part of Bluenergy, which is why he has the drive and motivation to guide and encourage his teams through even the most critical moments, while always creating a positive and supportive working environment. A passionate sportsman, he is a proud and very devoted father; Stefano, Paolo, Vittoria and Andrea are the cornerstones of his attention and the leisure time of the whole family.

Operations Director at Bath Rugby, Gené Willis has had many years in Operations, with a strong background in Health and Safety and Risk Management. Until Worcester Warriors’ untimely collapse, Gené was Head of Operations at Sixways Stadium for over 7 years, responsible for all operations and safety at the stadium which hosted more than 60 sporting fixtures, 100 conference and exhibitions, 25 private functions, and over 50 music and entertainment events per year.

Gené joined Bath Rugby in June 2023 at a very exciting time for the Club. Planning has been submitted to redevelop the stadium from 14,500 to 18,000 seater with a major upgrade in conferencing and events space. It will be a phased development where the Team will continue to play at the ground during the development, throwing up perfect challenges for an Operations Director to navigate!

Gené has a passion for sustainability in sport and stadia and has been a regular delegate and panellist at the Stadium Business Summit where her enthusiasm is leaves a lasting impression. A recent winner of the ‘Event of the Year’ award at #SBS22 for her ‘Convert to Zero’ Premiership Rugby match.

 Michael Bolingbroke is the CEO and Executive Producer of ABBA Voyage, a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Pophouse Entertainment AB (a developer of entertainment industry IP), and a member of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (the body that oversees Financial Fairplay).

In recent years, Michael has been Chairman of Blackpool Football Club (where he oversaw the turnaround), Chairman of Goals Soccer Centres PLC (where he oversaw the sale of the business), an N.E.D. for The Inspired Travel Company (a P.E.-backed luxury travel company), and Chairman of Superstruct (a P.E.-backed live entertainment start-up). From 2014 to 2017, Michael was CEO of Inter Milan, where he led the revitalisation of one of the jewels in the crown of Italian football, and then oversaw the sale of the Club.

Prior to this, Michael was COO at Manchester United, a position he held for seven years, and was also Chairman of the Club’s charitable Foundation. He was also the Principal Financial Officer for their NYSE listing in Summer 2012. From 2000 – 2007, Michael was Senior Vice-President, Shows, at Cirque du Soleil, where he oversaw strategy, profitability and operations for their global business. Earlier in his career, he was a Senior-Vice President at The Jim Henson Company (creators of The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street, amongst others!).

Michael has a degree in Economics, is a chartered accountant (indentured at PwC), and holds an MBA, awarded cum laureate, from The London Business School, where he is currently a visiting lecturer. He is also a Governor at a school local to where he lives. In addition to travelling extensively, Michael has lived and worked in Canada, the U.S., Holland, & Italy – he & his family currently live in the UK. 

As Managing Director of Sport, Entertainment & Events, Jamie Barkley has significant expertise delivering international and major Australian sporting and entertainment events. His business specialises in venue management and operations, stadium design, business planning and event management.

Jamie is the former CEO of three of Australia’s leading sport and entertainment venues including the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) – a winner of the Stadium Business Awards for Best Event staging the Major League Baseball Opening Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers v. Arizona Diamondbacks.

He was also CEO of the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) now Allianz Stadium. The stadium was re-opened after a knock down rebuild in 2023. After 17 years leading both these venues Jamie took on the role as CEO of the Australian Turf Club. He was responsible for all thoroughbred horse racing in Sydney overseeing Royal Randwick, Rosehill Gardens, Canterbury Park and Warwick Farm. During his five years with the ATC, Jamie transformed the business and direction of racing in Australia.

As Managing Director of Arenas for the NEC Group, Guy’s role sees him lead 2 of the UK’s leading live entertainment venues, Resorts World Arena and Utilita Arena Birmingham and being a member of the NEC Group Senior Leadership Team.

Guy has worked at the NEC Group for over 20 years, starting as an Assistant Event Manager and previously working his way up to General Manager of Utilita Arena and Resorts World Arena.

Guy is currently chair of the LIVE Venues Group and Vice Chair of the National Arenas Association (NAA), having previously chaired the Association from 2013-2015.

Faye Bennett is the founder and managing director of Faye Bennett Consultancy Services (FBCS). As a specialist consultancy in the audio-visual (AV) technology space, FBCS works with live sports and entertainment venues focusing on operation, maintenance and achieving long-term strategic value from technology investments. Winner of AV Consultancy of the Year 2023 and featuring in a number of Pro-AV watch-lists and 40under40 cohorts, Faye has been recognised as a disruptor to the industry, shaping and leading the way of future AV strategy.

Darren is Executive Director at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong, a new 28 hectare sports and entertainment precinct comprising a 50,000 seat stadium, 10,000 capacity arena, 5,000 seat public sports ground, 60,000 m2 of retail space, as well as public open spaces. He is leading the team on pre-opening and will oversee the day to day operation of this US$3.8bn precinct.

Darren has had a number of Chief Executive roles in his career including managing sports and entertainment venues in Christchurch and Dunedin in New Zealand. He has also acted as an adviser to the New South Wales Government in Australia on projects including the redevelopment of Stadium Australia and the development of CommBank Stadium in Western Sydney.

Darren is a past winner of the Asia Pacific ‘Venue Professional of the Year’ by the Asia Pacific Venue Management Association.

Ben Veenbrink is one of the leading stadium experts in the world with nearly 25 years of experience in the venue industry. Building on his experience as a member of the management team of the Johan Cruyff Arena, Europe’s first multifunctional stadium, he founded The Stadium Consultancy in 2006. During the last 17 years The Stadium Consultancy successfully realised more than 120 projects in 4 continents under his leadership, ranging from community stadiums to FIFA World Cup stadiums.

He has been working as a client project manager as well as specialist consultant for stadium (re)developments. His expertise ranges from feasibility studies, business plans, employer’s requirements, design reviews, compliance audits and value engineering to the preparation of operations plans and strategies.

Ben has been appointed a member of UEFA’s Expert Panel on Stadium Construction & Management since 2006 and he is a consultant to FIFA’s Forward Program since 2015. He was co-author of various stadium requirements and good practices, most recently the new FIFA Stadium Guidelines 2023. He has been a regular speaker on international stadium conferences.

From August 1972 until 31^st December 2012 : Deputy Secretary, then Secretary General, then CEO of LE  HAVRE ATHLETIC CLUB.

During his time with the club, has taken an active part in:

• Promoting the club to Professional Ligue 2 in 1979 after 15 years as an amateur club
• Allowing the club to regain professional status (1981)
• Taking part in the opening and in the running of what is now known as one of the most successful Academies in French Football (1984)
• Allowing the club to remain in the top division (Ligue 1) of the French Football League between 1985 and 1988 then between 1991 and 2000 (longest ever run at the top level in the whole club’s history)
• Imagining the creation of a new stadium (1999) and allowing it to become a reality (2012) by managing the whole designing and building process.

Lisa Knights, Group Director, Media & Communications –Bristol Sport Group, Ashton Gate Stadium
 
Lisa has led the media and communications team for Bristol Sport Group since she joined from Sky in 2014.
 
A unique multi-sport model based at Ashton Gate Stadium, the group includes Bristol City (men and women), Bristol Bears (men and women), Bristol Flyers Basketball and the clubs’ associated community foundations. Lisa holds multiple board director roles within the sporting group and sits on the board of the British Basketball League (BBL).
In the last decade Lisa has overseen the digital and media strategy for the clubs’ livestreaming platforms along with the creation of a purpose-built TV Studio which now hosts the clubs’ shows and podcasts.

The next two years will see a £130m investment adjacent to the stadium, to build a 4000-capacity Sport and Convention Centre which will become the new permanent home of the Flyers. With a hotel and retail/commercial space alongside it, it will form a new Sporting Quarter for the city of Bristol. 
 
Prior to joining the group, Lisa worked for Sky News as a presenter and worked more than 15 years in broadcast television (Sky, BBC and ITV), covering many major live international news events.
 
A keen sportswoman and passionate advocate of women in sport, she represented GB in water polo for more than a decade competing at two European Swimming Championships and a Commonwealth Games.

Gerard Griffin has over 25 years’ experience in venue management in Australia. He is currently the CEO of the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust, which manages GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, Victoria and was recently voted Australia’s Best Regional Stadium. Kardinia Park is currently overseeing the $142M redevelopment, hosted its first concert last year, Foo Fighters, and is now a truly multi-purpose stadium as well as being the home of the current AFL Premiers, the Geelong Cats. Before joining the Trust Gerard worked at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in projects, strategy, governance and venue and event services. Gerard is a father of three children and has a passion for all sports. He began his career working as a turf curator on the Victoria Golf Course before moving across to venue management.

Robert Fitzpatrick was appointed Chief Executive of the Odyssey Trust Company Ltd (OTC) in 2007. Robert’s early experience in property and development business has given him the insight to grow, manage and develop the Odyssey site in Belfast. It is now not only an entertainment venue but also a learning environment which contributes to the advancement of scientific education for the young people of our society and in particular those from underprivileged areas.

Robert has built up a close relationship with colleagues in Boston and has delivered the Friendship Four Tournament working closely with the University of Ulster. This is all about bringing different cultures together through sport and education with the aim of giving our young people the chance to gain essential work experience

Francis Casado is one of the founders of Mobile Media Content, who comercialises the 3D Digital Venue platform and is currently serving as Head of International Business Development. Prior to founding MMC- 3D Digital Venue, that revolutionized Interactive Digital Venue Management for Sports and Entertainment Venue Industry, Francis made his career around the beneficial application of 3D Technology and Virtual Reality for various sectors, including Mobile apps, real estate and pharma, amongst others.

Ian Nuttall is the owner and founder of TheStadiumBusiness Summit, presented by his Xperiology events business. His working life began in sports hospitality events management (including Formula 1, horse racing and Wimbledon) before pursuing an award-winning career in B2B magazine publishing. He has co-launched and edited numerous business titles (ranging from energy and industrial processes through to airport design and Intelligent Transportation Systems).

He has also founded many of the sports sector’s most respected publications and news sources – most recently TheStadiumBusiness News, delivering the all the latest Stadium Business news, blogs, videos, and up-to-the-minute media coverage from all the leading voices in the Stadium Business industry, all in one place. In addition to his ongoing commitments as a sports business writer and speaker, Ian provides highly-valued, specialist consultancy to the sports and entertainment venue sector.