Sunday October 5th, 2025

Opening Night Icebreaker at bp pulse LIVE (formerly Resorts World Arena), Perimeter Road, Birmingham, B40 1NT, to include a special behind-the-scenes tour of the brand new premium spaces.

Parking at Gate 1 for those that have pre-booked.

FYI: For those staying at the official show hotels and have requested transport, the coach is departing at 5pm from outside the Hyatt and at 5.10pm from outside Malmaison.

Event Times: 5.30pm to 7.30pm

Venue: bp pulse LIVE, on the NEC Campus. (NB: There is a free monorail from Birmingham International Airport to the NEC Campus.)

Arena Tour Sponsors: Dawnvale, Levy and Populous.

For those staying at the official show hotels, transport is departing the arena at 7.35pm to return you to the Hyatt and Malmaison. FYI: A space has been reserved in the bar at Malmaison for guests to continue networking.

Monday October 6th, 2025

Venue: The Lower Grounds (formerly the Holte Suite), Villa Park, Trinity Road, Birmingham, B6 6HE.

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

For those staying at the show hotels, coaches will depart from outside the Hyatt at 8.40am and from outside Malmaison at 8.50am.

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 in the Exhibition Halls. Sponsored by Levy UK + Ireland.

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

9:50am: Opening Keynote: Chris Hornbuckle, VP of Business Development, Aston Villa Football Club, followed by Matthew Lewis, COO, Levy UK + Ireland.

10:05am: 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.

10:40am: 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; and Anthony Richens, Finance & Operations Director, Norwich City. Moderator: Roger Hooker, Hooked on Events.

11:15am: How Technology is Changing the F&B Landscape. Speaker: Steve McArdle, Director, Stadia & Venues, Global Payments, Inc.

11:35am - 11:50am: Coffee, Tea & Networking in the Exhibition Halls. Sponsored by: Levy.

11:50am: Hospitality Fit-Outs for Maximum ROI. Speakers: John Berry, Managing Director; Denise Jones, Sales & Marketing Manager; Antonia Diggle, Business Development Manager; Jacob Regan, Client Manager; and Scott Tunnacliffe, Client Manager, Dawnvale.

12:15pm: How Fan Engagement has Shaped the Future of Stadium Design. Speakers: Dan Meis, SVP & Director, Global Sports Design, AECOM; and Alix Waldron, Head of Stadium Development, Everton Football Club. Moderator: Tom Roche, Director, UK & Europe, The Parker Company.

12:45pm: Improving the Fan Experience & Venue Commercialisation with Biometrics. Speakers: Jeff Josephson, Global Head of Sales, Wicket; Steve McArdle, Director, Stadia & Venues, Global Payments; and George Vaughan, Technology Director, YTL Arena Bristol. Moderator: Bethany Parr, FA Events Manager/The FA and SVB LIVE.

1:15pm - 2:05pm: Lunch & Networking in the Exhibition Halls. Sponsored by: Levy.

2:05pm: 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.

2:40pm: Delivering a Next-Gen Fan Experience. Speakers: Dayna Pawelak, VP Ticket Technology, Pacers Sports & Entertainment (Indiana Pacers); and Will Mayes, Founder & CEO, Layrd Design. Moderator: Morag Kent, CEO & Founder, Raccoon & Bear.

3:10pm: Venue Commercialisation. Speakers: Guy Dunstan, SVP & GM, Co-op Live; Claire Harkness, Operations Director, Coventry Building Society Arena and Stadium; and Mirko Cucchiarelli, Head of Premium Sales & Business Community, AS Roma. Moderator: John Sheehan, Editor, SVB Global Report.

3:45pm: 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.

4:05pm - 4:20pm: Coffee, Tea & Networking in the Exhibition Halls. Sponsored by: Levy.

4:20pm: Beyond Game Day: Designing Fan-First Stadium Experiences. Speakers: Ben Townsend, Project Director, Journey; and Tom Cassidy, Director, Tourism, Liverpool Football Club. Moderator: Alice Sarsfield-Hall, Director, Blooloop.

4:50pm: Enhancing Your Club and Sponsorship Brand Experience: Driving Revenue Through Experiential Venue Design & Brand Activation. Speaker: Simon Borg, Principal - Creative Director, Populous EMEA.

5:20-6:55pm: 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.

7:00-8:00pm: Drinks reception. Sponsored by Portview.

8:00pm: Buses return to the official show hotels: Hyatt and Malmaison. A space has been reserved in the bar at Malmaison for guests to continue networking.

Tuesday October 7th - The Lower Grounds, Villa Park

For those staying at the show hotels, coaches will depart from outside the Hyatt at 8.40am and from outside Malmaison at 8.50am.

9.00-9.20am: Coffee, tea and a light breakfast in the Exhibition Halls, sponsored by Levy.

9:20am: Cut The Line, Not The Safety. Presentation by Peter Evans, CEO, Xtract One Technologies.

9:40am: Are We Designing for the Wrong Audience: Rethinking VIP Stadium Seating & Engaging Digital Experiences. Speakers: Adam Horodecki, 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 & Client Services, SVB LIVE.

10:45am: From Pitch to Stage: Designing Stadiums 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 Marco Galer-Reick, VP, UK Strategy Enablement, Delaware North. Moderator: Bethany Parr, FA Events Coordinator, The Football Association.

11:35-11:50am: Coffee, Tea & Networking in the Exhibition Halls. Sponsored by: Levy.

11:50am: Designing Safer Venues: Automated Access Control with Martyn’s Law in Mind. Speakers: Dan Cook, Head of Ticketing, Welsh Rugby Union; Max Stanton-Gleaves, Head of Operations, Bromley FC; and Christian Heidegger, Head of Business Unit: Stadia/Arenas, Axess AG. Moderator: Peter Oliver, Managing Director, Axess UK.

12:10pm: Small Team, Big Results: Scaling VIP Sales Through Self-Service. Speaker: Michiel Van Cauwenberghe, New Business Manager, Club Brugge.

12:30pm: Fast Dispense and Multi-Pour Units for Frictionless Bars. Speaker: Ciaran O’Morain, Managing Director, Qualflow.

12:55-1:55pm: Lunch & Networking in the Exhibition Halls. Sponsored by Levy.

2:00pm: Raising the Bar: Digital Innovations. Speakers: Haidee McMahon, Chief Product Officer, KAPPTURE/BRISK; Luc Vanhecke, Co-Founder, iXpole; and Nicholas Freeston, Director of Client Management - EMEA, QSR Automations. Moderator: John Sheehan, Editor, SVB Global Report.

2:35pm: Closing Keynote/Fireside Chat with John Morello, VP Business Development, Riptide Partners. Moderator: Katie McIntyre, CEO & Founder, SVB LIVE & Sports Venue Business.

3:10pm: Buses depart Villa Park for Birmingham City FC’s St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.

3:45-5:15pm: Welcome drinks, with Richard Carpenter, Operations Director, to discuss the Alliance Suite, sponsored by Dawnvale. This will be followed by a special behind-the-scenes tour of Birmingham City FC’s St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park. Sponsored by Boxbar Tech, Dawnvale, Global Payments and Levy.

5:15-5:25pm: Presentation by Nick Smith, Head of Infrastructure, Birmingham City Football Club, on how St. Andrew’s positioned their refurb project, selected design partners, etc.

5:30-6:00pm: Launch of the SVB LIVE Awards, with Closing Drinks, and details on the 2026 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition.

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

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