Caroline James is the General Manager of Utilita Arena Newcastle, part of the ASM Global portfolio, which includes over 350 venues around the world.

Originally from London, UK, Caroline began her journey in hospitality during her gap year. She later emigrated to New Zealand, where she owned and managed a 250-cover fine dining restaurant, overseeing a team of over 100 staff and delivering a wide range of events, from weddings to parties.

Her career continued across diverse venues, including theatres, arenas, stadiums, and community spaces in the UK, New Zealand, and Doha, with vast expertise in event management, operations, sales and marketing, business development, catering, and hospitality. Caroline worked across many facets of the entertainment and events industry, including sport, music, live shows, television productions, and corporate events.

In 2018, Caroline relocated to Newcastle, joining the team at Utilita Arena Newcastle. By January 2023, she had risen to the position of General Manager, where she now leads the venue through a busy calendar of high-profile events, including sell-out shows by artists such as Sam Fender, Girls Aloud, and Lewis Capaldi. Under her leadership, the arena is now undergoing a £1.75 million refurbishment in celebration of its 30th anniversary, further cementing its status as Newcastle’s premier live entertainment destination.

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.

Previously, she led the ‘ALL’ Bars, Restaurants and Experiences proposition at Everton’s impressive new 52,888-seater home, opening in 2025.

Previous projects include M&S Bank Arena, and Liverpool FC’s Main Stand redevelopment.

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. She 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.

Since 2026, Marc is the Director of Premium at Everton Football Club, where he is responsible for the strategic leadership, commercial performance, and overall delivery of the Club’s premium and events proposition. In this role, Marc oversees the development and execution of premium experiences across matchdays and non-matchday events, ensuring Everton delivers market-leading hospitality that strengthens supporter relationships, drives revenue growth, and reflects the Club’s long-term ambitions.

Prior to this, Marc was the Strategic Sales Manager at the Welsh Rugby Union, having joined the business in 2017. Marc led the sales & strategy for the joint venture that was Principality Stadium Experience. PSE has an exceptional track record in delivering world-class events and boasts unrivalled knowledge of the hospitality and public retail market within the UK. The team has successfully managed the logistics and catering for all events at the stadium since its opening in 1999, including the UEFA Champions League Final 2017, Rugby World Cup fixtures, Six Nations tournaments, WWE events, World Championship Boxing, and major concerts — including a record-breaking four consecutive sold-out nights of Ed Sheeran.

Before joining PSE, Marc spent just under six years at Manchester United, where he worked in a Business Development role, gaining extensive experience in commercial strategy, stakeholder management, and delivering premium experiences within a global sporting organisation.

Everton Football Club’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium is host venue for the 2026 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition.

Jen took on the role of Managing Director - Arenas at the end of 2024. She is in charge of leading the teams at bp pulse LIVE and Utilita Arena Birmingham and her initial focus is on launching the new premium seating and hospitality areas at the Arenas.

Jen joins the NEC Group with over 25 years of experience working in the live events industry. Most recently, she was General Manager at the AO Arena in Manchester where she led a £50m redevelopment project. Before this, Jen was General Manager at first direct Arena Leeds and MD at Kings Place.

Milos Nenadovic, Head of Business Infrastructure at LALIGA, is responsible for working with all first and second division LALIGA clubs to maximise the revenue generated from stadium exploitation; focusing on matchday revenue (hospitality, ticket sales, secondary revenues) as much as non-matchday revenue (MICE, various events, experiences). His department sits within LALIGA’s Clubs Office, an in-house consultancy that the league operates for its clubs.

Milos has vast experience in sports venue monetisation, having been also previously in charge of ticketing & hospitality at Euroleague Basketball’s, as well its head of BOCS (Business Operations & Club Services), the first in-house business consultancy for clubs created by a European sports league.

Yvette has over 20 years experience in the sports sector. As Commercial Venue Director at Newcastle United, she oversees ticketing, sales development, supporter services, venue events, stadium tours and the hospitality and catering operation. 

Previously working as Head of Marketing at the club, her background also spans other sports, with roles within cricket and rugby, as well as the charitable sector.