Sunday October 5th, 2025

Opening Night Icebreaker at bp pulse LIVE to include a special behind-the-scenes tour of the brand new premium spaces

5.30pm to 7.30pm

Venue: bp pulse LIVE, NEC Campus

Arena Tour Sponsors: Dawnvale, Levy and Populous.

Monday October 6th, 2025

Venue: The Lower Grounds (formerly the Holte Suite), Villa Park

8:00am: The Lower Grounds opens for exhibitor setup.

9:20am - 9:45am: Badge collection/registration opens in Exhibition Hall #2 in the Lower Grounds at Villa Park, with coffee, tea, pastries and networking. Sponsored by Levy UK + Ireland.

9:45am: Welcome: Katie McIntyre, CEO & Founder, Sports Venue Business & SVB LIVE.

9:50am: Opening Keynote: Speaker TBC, Aston Villa Football Club, followed by Matthew Lewis, COO, Levy UK + Ireland.

10:10am: The Reimagining of Villa Park. Speakers: Chris Hornbuckle, VP of Business Development, Aston Villa, Martin Coulthurst, Director, CAA ICON, Jon Lee, Creative Director, 20.20 Ltd and Amy McKarry, Business Director, Levy UK+I. Moderator: Katie McIntyre, CEO, SVB LIVE / Sports Venue Business.

10:45am: Stadia in Focus: From Smart Stadia to Stadium Developments. Speakers: Franco Segarra, Director of Data/Analytics, Fan Experience and Ticketing, Valencia CF; Craig Flindall, Strategy Director, Edgbaston; Marc Lee, Strategic Sales Manager, Principality Stadium Experience / Welsh Rugby Union and Anthony Richens, Finance & Operations Director, Norwich City. Moderator: Roger Hooker, Hooked on Events.

11:20am: How Technology is Changing the F&B Landscape. Speaker: Steve McArdle, Director, Stadia & Venues, Global Payments, Inc.

11:40am - 11:55am: Coffee, Tea & Networking in Exhibition Halls #1 and #3. Sponsored by: Levy.

11:55am: Presentation: Dawnvale. Speakers: TBC

12:20pm: Presentation - Speaker: Dan Meis, SVP & Director, Global Sports Design, AECOM.

12:40pm: Improving the Fan Experience & Venue Commercialisation with Biometrics. Speakers: Jeff Josephson, Global Head of Sales, Wicket; Brandon Covert, VP Information Technology, Cleveland Browns; Steve McArdle, Director, Stadia & Venues, Global Payments; and George Vaughan, CEO, The Digital Line. Moderator: TBC.

13:10 - 14:00: Lunch & Networking in Exhibition Halls #1 and #3. Sponsored by: Levy.

14:00: Premium in the Arena Model. Speakers: Becci Thomson, CCO, Co-op Live; Jen Mitchell, Managing Director - Arenas, NEC Group; and Lisa Turton, Head of Premium Sales, first direct arena Leeds. Moderator: James Bradshaw, Founder & Principal, JBC.

14:35: Delivering a Next-Gen Fan Experience. Speakers: Dayna Pawelak, VP Ticket Technology, Pacers Sports & Entertainment (Indiana Pacers); Emily Falconer, Head of Events, Red Bull Racing & Red Bull Technology; and … Moderator: Morag Kent, CEO & Founder, Raccoon & Bear.

15:10: Venue Commercialisation. Speakers: Guy Dunstan, SVP & GM, Co-op Live; Nicola Coffey, Stadium Manager, Tallaght Stadium; Claire Harkness, Operations Director, Coventry Building Society Arena and Stadium; Nick Smith, Head of Infrastructure, Birmingham City Football Club; and Mirko Cucchiarelli, Head of Premium Sales & Business Community, AS Roma. Moderator: John Sheehan, Editor, SVB Global Report.

15:45: Amplifying the Fan Experience: The Strategic Role of Game Day Graphics. Speaker: Dave Cochrane, Director, Light + Fury. Moderator: Katie McIntyre, CEO & Founder, SVB LIVE and Sports Venue Business.

16:05 - 16:20: Coffee, Tea & Networking in Exhibition Halls #1 and #3. Sponsored by: Levy.

16:20: Beyond Game Day: Designing Fan-First Stadium Experiences. Speakers: TBC, Journey and guests. Moderator: TBC.

16:40: Enhancing Your Club and Sponsorship Brand Experience: Driving Revenue Through Experiential Venue Design & Brand Activation. Speaker: Simon Borg, Principal - Creative Director, Populous EMEA.

17:00 - 19:00: A special behind-the-scenes tour of Villa Park, with networking and F&B along the way. Sponsored by AiFi, Levy UK+I and Stadia by GL events.

19:00-20:00: Drinks reception. Sponsored by Portview.

20:00: Buses return those attendees staying at the official show hotels (Hyatt and Malmaison).

Tuesday October 7th - The Lower Grounds, Villa Park

9:20am: Presentation by Xtract One Technologies. Speaker: Peter Evans, CEO, Xtract One Technologies.

9:40am: Are We Designing for the Wrong Audience? Rethinking VIP Stadium Seating. Speakers: Jakub Rachfalik, Managing Director, Forum by Nowy Styl; and Tim Hoddy, VP of Sales, Europe, Uniguest. Moderator: John Sheehan, Editor, SVB Global Report.

10:10am: Utilising Tech to Deliver an Elevated Experience & Drive Revenue. Speakers: Francis Casado, Head of International Business Development, 3D Digital Venue; Harry Ridley, Head of Technology, BUILT by Levy; Francis Williams, Technical & Commercial Director, Diversified and Reshad Hossenally, Co-Founder & CEO, Boxbar Tech. Moderator: Cassandra Calleja, Head of Business Development, SVB LIVE.

10:45am: Sports Venue Design in Focus: Designing for the Modern Fan. Speakers: Tayomara Gama, Sports Lead, Gensler; and Ryan Sickman, Sports Lead, Principal, Gensler.

11:05am: The Right Mix of Hospitality, Design & Exclusivity Can Transform the Premium Experience & Unlock ROI. Speakers: Jon Lee, Creative Director, 20.20 Ltd; Stephen Doherty, Founding Director, Costudio Consulting; and Will Mayes, CEO & Founder, Layrd Design. Moderator: Bethany Parr, FA Events Coordinator, The Football Association.

11:35am - 11:50am: Coffee, Tea & Networking in Exhibition Halls #1 and #3. Sponsored by: Levy.

11:50am: Automated Access Control in a World-Class Stadium Environment under the Considerations of Martyn’s Law. Speakers: Alex Luff, Head of Operations, Principality Stadium/WRU; Dan Cook, Head of Ticketing, Principality Stadium/WRU; and Christian Heidegger, Director of International Sales, Axess AG. Moderator: Peter Oliver, Managing Director, Axess UK.

12:10pm: Optimising the Experience for VIP Guests. Speaker: Michiel Van Cauwenberghe, New Business Manager, Club Brugge.

12:30am: Presentation by Qualflow

12:55 - 13:35: Lunch & Networking in Exhibition Halls #1 and #3. Sponsored by Levy.

13:40: Raising the Bar: Digital Innovations. Speakers: Gordon Kaye, Sales & Marketing Director, KAPPTURE/BRISK; Nicholas Freeston, Director of Client Management - EMEA, QSR Automations; … Moderator: TBC.

14:10: Panel session TBC

14:40: Closing Keynote/Fireside Chat with John Morello, VP Business Development, Riptide Partners. Moderator: Katie McIntyre, CEO & Founder, SVB LIVE and Sports Venue Business.

15:30: Buses depart Villa Park for Birmingham City FC’s St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.

16:00-17:30: Welcome drinks, with Richard Carpenter, Operations Director, to discuss the Alliance Suite, sponsored by Dawnvale, followed by a presentation from Charlie Buck, Chief Commercial Officer, Levy. This will be followed by a special behind-the-scenes tour of Birmingham City FC’s St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park. Sponsored by Dawnvale, Global Payments and Levy.

17:30-17:50: Presentation by Nick Smith, Head of Infrastructure, Birmingham City Football Club, on how St. Andrew’s positioned their refurb project, selected design partners, etc.

17:50-18:20: Launch of the SVB LIVE Awards, with Closing Drinks.

Event closes…see you at another SVB LIVE event soon!

(Please note, this draft agenda is subject to change)