Daniel Clark is a highly experienced hospitality and catering leader with over 30 years of experience across the sports, entertainment, leisure and hospitality sectors.

As Managing Director of Aramark UK’s Sports & Entertainment division, Daniel leads a portfolio of major stadiums, attractions, and event venues, focusing on growth, innovation and delivering value for clients.

Before joining Aramark, Daniel spent eight years at Delaware North, where he held senior leadership roles overseeing operations across the UK. He managed hospitality and foods operations at some of the country’s most iconic venues, including Wembley Stadium, Emirates Stadium, London Stadium, Craven Cottage, The Valley and Pride Park.

At Aramark, Daniel has led the successful mobilisation and transformation of major hospitality contracts, including Merlin Entertainments resorts across the UK and US and Principality Stadium. He has extensive experience managing large-scale operations, driving commercial growth, leading complex projects and building strong client partnerships.

Known for combining strategic thinking with operational excellence, Daniel has a strong track record of improving performance, enhancing guest experiences and developing high-performing teams. He is passionate about creating exceptional experiences a helping clients achieve their ambitions while raising standards across the hospitality industry.

As VP, Brand & Marketing at AEG International, Robbie leads the marketing and customer insight strategy across the full campus at The O2, including The O2 arena, Outlet Shopping, Up at The O2 and the Entertainment District.  Prior to joining AEG, Robbie held senior marketing roles across some of the world’s best-known brands and agencies including Sky, PUMA, and Leo Burnett.  With over a decade of marketing experience in the entertainment and sport sector alone, Robbie has a strong track record of writing and executing marketing strategies that resonate with fans; helping businesses to deliver against their brand and commercial goals.

With a steadfast commitment to innovation in customer experience, my tenure at Riptide Partners has been marked by spearheading venue technology advancements leveraging both customer and employee feedback. We've cultivated a seamless integration between CX and other enterprise systems, enhancing both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. My role as Vice President is a testament to my capacity for strategic leadership and process improvement, skills honed through rigorous experience and a Six Sigma Black Belt certification.

At Madison Square Garden, collaboration across operations was key as I partnered with various departments to fulfill technology requirements, ensuring our iconic venues remained at the forefront of industry standards. My analytical acumen, honed through years of hands-on experience, has positioned me to effectively lead teams in creating scalable, repeatable processes that drive results and foster an environment of continuous improvement.

Adam Bateman’s culinary experience has been accrued over 20 years, with a strong foundation built from beginning in football stadia and working in the United Kingdom’s finest Michelin restaurants.

The most notable experience held include Head chef for Richard Branson’s group of exclusive residences worldwide, being head chef-owner of a Michelin listed restaurant in Switzerland, and being the culinary lead for the opening of the luxury hotel, Escapade Silverstone – laying host to the UK’s largest attended sporting event – The Formula 1 British Grand Prix.

Adam’s early career amassed several awards, including being given the Royal Academy Culinary Award of Excellence and Restaurant Associates Young Chef of the Year. In more recent times, his own restaurant in Switzerland was inducted into the Michelin Guide and published as one of The National Geographic’s “ Top 8 Experiences in the Alps in 2021”. Whilst building his business in Singapore, he was also chosen to cater for the King’s Coronation party at the British Embassy for 800 guests.

Closest to today, Adam has been nominated for “Contract Catering Chef of the Year” with the Craft Guilds of Chefs.

Currently, Adam serves as the Culinary Director for Aramark at Everton FC. After building & mobilising the venue, Adam now leads the culinary team in delivering 11 different matchday concepts across 14 areas, 20 retail street food outlets, and £1million worth of conferencing & events. Notable events include The Rugby League Ashes 2026, Scotland v Ivory Coast World Cup warm up, Magic Weekend 2026 & Fiji v England Rugby Union.

With over 25 years at Dawnvale, having joined the business in 1999, John Berry has progressed from a hands-on role installing bars and commercial kitchens to Managing Director, bringing extensive practical, operational and commercial experience to the leadership of Dawnvale Group.

Having progressed through the business from Site Manager to Contracts Director and ultimately Managing Director, John has played a pivotal role in transforming Dawnvale from a specialist installation company into a full-service main contractor delivering complex, fast-track hospitality, stadium and arena projects.

John has extensive experience across the stadium, arena, sports and live-entertainment sectors, leading the planning, coordination and delivery of high-profile hospitality environments, including premium lounges, restaurants, bars, fan zones, corporate hospitality areas and other customer-facing spaces within major sporting venues.

His expertise covers the complete project lifecycle, from early-stage planning, design coordination and procurement through to construction, installation, commissioning and final handover. This experience is particularly valuable within live stadium and arena environments, where projects must be delivered safely, efficiently and to exceptionally tight programmes while often working around existing operations, matchdays, events and other venue commitments.

Working with leading hospitality and leisure operators including Living Ventures, TGI Fridays, Hickory's and Tattu, John recognised early in his career the inefficiencies and risks associated with relying heavily on external contractors. This led to the strategic decision, more than 20 years ago, to bring main contracting capabilities in-house, enabling Dawnvale to provide clients with greater control, accountability, speed and consistency across complex projects.

Over the past six years, John has overseen the successful delivery of numerous high-profile projects for Manchester City FC, Birmingham City FC, Manchester United FC and Aston Villa FC, further establishing Dawnvale's reputation within the stadium and sports hospitality sector. These projects have involved demanding programmes, complex logistics and multi-million-pound environments, with a strong focus on delivering complete, operational spaces on time and to the required standard.

Standout projects include Birmingham City FC's Alliance Lounge and Manchester City's Ardwick pub, both delivered within exceptionally challenging four-week programmes and representing projects worth millions of pounds.

John's experience extends beyond individual projects to the wider strategic development of hospitality within stadiums and arenas. He understands the importance of creating spaces that combine commercial performance, operational efficiency, exceptional design and memorable fan experiences, while ensuring that projects are accessible, practical and capable of performing at scale.

As Managing Director, John continues to lead Dawnvale's growth, with a particular focus on expanding its relationships with football clubs, sporting organisations, arenas, venues and leading design practices. His vision for the next decade is to build on Dawnvale's extensive stadium and arena experience, collaborating with more clubs and venue operators to create innovative hospitality environments that enhance the experience for fans, corporate guests and visitors.

John remains closely involved in the planning, management and delivery of multiple projects, bringing a combination of hands-on construction knowledge, main contracting expertise and extensive stadium and arena experience to every project Dawnvale undertakes.

Dan Cook is Head of Ticketing at the Welsh Rugby Union, with over 18 years’ experience in customer experience, digital innovation, and operational strategy, including six years dedicated to ticketing at Principality Stadium. In this role, he oversees the full ticketing journey from purchase to event day, ensuring a seamless and inclusive experience for fans at one of the world’s most iconic sporting and entertainment venues, which has hosted major events such as Grand Slam Rugby clashes, blockbuster concerts from global superstars like Coldplay, Beyoncé, The Rolling Stones, and most recently the opening nights of the eagerly anticipated Oasis Live 25 world tour.

Under his leadership, the WRU ticketing team has delivered a number of industry-leading initiatives, including the launch of a seamless digital ticketing journey and the creation of an online help centre that now supports 1.5 million visitors annually. Most notably, the introduction of fully bespoke accessible supporter guides setting a new benchmark for inclusivity and was recognised with an ESSMA Stadium Award. He has also presented at the House of Lords on the transformative power of sport and its ability to create opportunities for individuals and communities.

Alongside his work at WRU, Dan is COO of Different Breed, a platform that delivers a suite of fan experience tools designed to provide world-class accessible experiences for everyone. The company helps venues and events make experiences accessible, advance EDI goals, meet accessibility compliance, and reduce support cases substantially through insights, customisation, and inclusive design.

Aaron Coyle is a Senior Systems Manager working as part of the Fan Technology Solutions team at City Football Group. Aaron oversees all catering, events and venue sales technology across Etihad Stadium, Joie Stadium and the new Medlock Entertainment District. His responsibilities span the management of EPoS, payments, self-service ordering, kitchen management systems, reservations, inventory, guest management and business integrations. Aaron leads complex technology implementations, vendor relationships and operational readiness programmes, ensuring systems are reliable, scalable and deliver an excellent experience for fans, guests and venue teams.

Claire is a commercially driven procurement leader with extensive experience delivering large-scale capital and operational projects within elite sport. Over the past four years at Everton Football Club, she has played a key role in the successful delivery of procurement requirements for the Club’s new stadium.

Joining in 2022 as Senior Procurement Manager, Claire was promoted to Head of Procurement in 2024, where she led the sourcing and delivery of FF&E,  OS&E and major service contracts across all departments. She ensured operational readiness, secured best value through strategic supplier management and delivered complex procurement programmes on time and within budget.

In April 2026, Claire was appointed Head of Operational Procurement , with responsibility for leading procurement, contract management and operational support to the Director of Stadium Operations, for one of the most significant new venues in UK sport.

With over 12 years of experience across Premier League football and major live entertainment venues, Stephannie specialises in launching world-class venues, building premium experience functions, and transforming high-value revenue streams at scale.

She is currently Director of Premium at Co-op Live, where she has led premium operations in a complex, high-pressure launch environment. In this role, she oversees a multi-million-pound premium portfolio, including the creation of new revenue streams and ownership of a large premium member base.

During her time at Co-op Live, Stephannie has also consulted on behalf of OVG for the opening of Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, supporting premium strategy and venue launch delivery.

Previously, Stephannie spent over nine years at Liverpool FC, where she played a key role in premium hospitality, high-value contract management, and the delivery of elevated matchday and concert experiences.

Her expertise spans premium commercial strategy, waterfall ticketing models, yield optimisation, fan experience and retention, underpinned by robust CRM and sales infrastructure. Stephannie leads high-performing, cross-functional teams across account management, sales, and service delivery, consistently delivering large-scale events while elevating the end-to-end premium guest experience.

Vicki Donlon is Head of Quality, Events & Commercial Partnerships at Diageo Ireland, where she leads the strategy and delivery of Quality, Major Events and Commercial Partnerships across the island of Ireland.

With more than 20 years' experience spanning sport, entertainment and live events, Vicki has built a career creating commercially successful partnerships that enhance both brand performance and consumer experience. Working with leading rights holders, venues and event partners, she focuses on ensuring brand presence goes beyond visibility to create meaningful, measurable connections that deliver value for brands, partners and consumers alike.

Prior to joining Diageo, Vicki held senior commercial leadership roles with Horse Racing Ireland, including Acting CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, where she led sponsorship, hospitality and commercial strategy across a portfolio of major venues and events.

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Clodagh Fleming is Business Development Manager for Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Racecourses, with responsibility for Leopardstown, Fairyhouse, Navan and Tipperary racecourses. In her role, she leads the development and growth of both raceday and non-raceday business, driving commercial performance across conferencing, events, hospitality and corporate experiences. 

Clodagh also supports the racecourses with partnership development and race sponsorship for each of the four racecourses individually, working closely with brands and stakeholders to create impactful, long-term collaborations that maximise value and visibility.

Combining strong commercial focus with a deep understanding of the racing industry, she plays a key role in enhancing the customer experience and elevating the profile of HRI Racecourses on the domestic and international stage.

Iwo Gernemann is Co-Founder of VisioLab, an AI-powered self-checkout system for food and beverage in high-traffic venues. The company started in European campus and corporate dining. Sports and entertainment is now its largest business, with units live in NFL stadiums, NBA arenas and amphitheatres across North America, plus deployments in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Iwo took the product from first prototype to commercial launch in 2022, then built the US business and recently moved to Boston to head it.

Daniel Gidney is a rare breed of venue leader that has overseen international football, rugby, and cricket. A sports industry CEO for 20 years now, Daniel joined Lancashire Cricket in late 2012.

He has just led the sale of Manchester Originals Franchise to RPSG Sports with a record breaking £116m valuation including the 2nd highest revenue multiple after Lords Cricket Ground.

He launched the first ever cricket bond as part of an innovative £12m fundraising to support the development of a new 150-bedroom hotel alongside securing a franchise agreement with Hilton Worldwide which opened in August 2017. A 100 bedroom extension of the hotel taking it up to 250 bedrooms was completed in 2023. This was the culmination of a ten year £75m stadium redevelopment of the 160-year-old Club.

During Daniel’s 14 - year tenure, he has built a strong team of leaders that have many achievements to their name. The Club has generated record cumulative profits during this period (a turnaround from the previous 4 years £9M losses), and the securing of the largest ever stadium naming rights in First Class Cricket with Emirates. (recently extended to 2029). There is only one stadium with a naming rights partner independent of its ownership in the Premier League.  2023 will see the Club achieve a record turnover of over £38m compared to £10m in 2012. With only £3m of broadcast revenue, £35m non broadcast revenue is larger than a number of Premier League Clubs.  

Also securing an Ashes Test and an ICC World Cup semi-final and 5 pool games in 2019 (including the iconic India vs Pakistan match attracting over 1 billion viewers). Then securing the 2023 Ashes and named a Host venue for the new 100 ball tournament and now a new 7 year international major match package secured out to 2031.The launch of Lancashire TV saw the Club become the first English cricket team to stream matches live direct into India and for its feed to be used by Sky.

Emirates Old Trafford has won multiple awards over the past ten years.

Previously CEO at the Ricoh Arena, he moved the business from £3.2m loss to in excess of £3 million ebitda. An award-winning venue, with Daniel securing the Olympic Games to the venue and to the region. Daniel created a £10m + turnover business for non-match day conferencing and events from scratch, a European market leader in its field. Daniel served on the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP and chaired the region’s Tourism Taskforce.

Daniel was also named the 2011 Midlands Businessperson of the Year and latterly 2014 Trafford Businessperson of the Year and 2019 Stadium Business Awards outstanding contribution award.

Daniel has an MBA from Durham and is a former district councillor for Stratford upon Avon, where at 25 he was the youngest ever to be elected.

Matthew Gregoire is a hospitality, F&B and venue operations leader with over 20 years’ experience delivering commercial growth, operational excellence, and exceptional guest experiences across some of the UK’s leading S&E and cultural venues.

As Food, Beverage and Experiences Director for Aramark UK, Matthew leads the contract delivery and oversees all operations at Everton Football Club’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium. He played a key role in the mobilisation, launch, and success of the inaugural season of one of the UK’s most significant stadium developments, establishing world-class fan and hospitality experiences. Under his leadership, the venue has successfully delivered major national and international sporting events, including the Rugby League Ashes Series, Rugby League Magic Weekend, Fiji vs England, and England Lionesses vs Ukraine internationals.

Matthew specialises in large-scale venue mobilisations, premium hospitality, commercial strategy, and operational leadership. He has a proven track record of building high-performing teams, driving revenue growth, and delivering outstanding experiences.

Previously, Matthew served as General Manager at The O2 Arena, leading the hospitality contract and overseeing more than 220 concerts, sporting events, and live entertainment experiences annually.

Throughout his career, Matthew has held senior leadership roles across iconic venues including The O2 Arena, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Wimbledon, and Glyndebourne Opera House. He has led premium hospitality operations and delivered high-profile events including The BRIT Awards, ATP Tour Finals, and the Laver Cup.

Luke is Architect Director of BDP Pattern, the Sport & Entertainment sector at BDP, and the driving force behind BDP Pattern’s business development, focusing on securing and delivering work with major clients globally.

With over 15 years of experience, Luke has played a critical role in delivering major international sports venues, blending sound technical and regulatory expertise, a unique design vision, and a deep understanding of what it takes to leave a lasting legacy.

He brings a diverse portfolio of world-class venues that enhance the fan experience, support athlete performance, and promote long-term sustainability. His expertise spans the design development, project delivery, and technical coordination of stadia, motorsport venues, and multi-use arenas.

Luke was the project lead for two FIFA World Cup stadia, overseeing complex design and construction coordination at the highest level of global sport. He went on to lead the transformation of Formula 1’s Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, managing a multidisciplinary team to reimagine one of the world’s most iconic racetracks and set a new benchmark for motorsport hospitality. His portfolio also includes work on Dalian Suoyuwan Stadium, Hill Dickinson  Stadium and is currently the project lead for the redevelopment of Elland Road, for Leeds United.

Luke is always keen to connect with professionals across the sports and entertainment industry to exchange insights and explore new opportunities. If you’re interested in discussing stadium design, venue development, or the evolving landscape of sports architecture, he welcomes the conversation.

Alex Haslam is Head of 3rd Space at Diageo GB, with over 15 years' experience across the FMCG and drinks industry.

Alex is the architect of Diageo's 3rd Space channel, bringing together the company's sport, music, hospitality and travel customers under a single commercial strategy. He focuses on unlocking growth through occasions, helping customers maximise commercial opportunities by creating exceptional consumer experiences across the UK's leading venues and events.

Passionate about the intersection of brands, hospitality and live experiences, Alex works with partners to develop commercial strategies that deliver value for both customers and consumers.

Lucy currently works at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, Edgbaston Stadium as Operations Director managing the facilities, safety & security, match-day crowd safety, catering, event management, sustainability, IT and production teams. She also oversees major projects and is currently leading on the development and operational readiness for a Radisson Red Hotel, due to be launched ahead of the Ashes in 2027.

Having previously been the Operations Director for Newbury Racecourse and the Head of Operations at Silverstone Circuits and Emirates Old Trafford, Lucy has gained extensive knowledge and experience with hosting large scale events and has overseen major masterplan developments within complex venues whilst still holding live events.

When not working, Lucy loves spending time with her family, and when time allows is known to dabble in a little watercolour painting.

Karen Hennessy is an internationally experienced sports and community engagement professional and strategic facilitator who connects fans, participants, organisations and communities to create stronger, more meaningful sporting experiences. With more than two decades of experience across Australia and Ireland, she brings expertise in women’s football, fan engagement, participation, major events, stakeholder engagement and the live sporting experience.

Her career has spanned football, rugby and community sport, with roles at Football Australia, Football West and the Australian Sports Commission, alongside extensive experience supporting major sporting events, developing engagement initiatives and strengthening relationships between sporting organisations and their communities.

Karen’s experience with the Western Force Super Rugby Team  shaped her understanding of community-led fan engagement and the role that a compelling show and product can play in sustaining the legacy of a sport. Following the club’s removal from Super Rugby in 2017, she created the Sea of Blue supporter community, helped lead the Save the Force campaign and rally, and established the Rolling Sea of Blue to keep supporters connected with grassroots rugby while Western Australia was without a professional team. She later continued working with the Force on fan engagement, supporter sentiment and post-match analysis as the club rebuilt and returned to Super Rugby.

Global Events Host, Presenter & Story Speaker Coach

 Peter travels the globe supporting executives, leaders, founders and teams to craft and deliver engaging stories, increase their leadership presence and persuasive connection - with impact.

Paris to Dubai, Shanghai to Berlin, Peter’s engaging coaching skills are in high demand taking founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs and TEDx speakers to the next level in their confidence, storytelling abilities and presence on stage.

Equally, as a professional global events MC, Presenter & Moderator, Peter creatively knows how to shape the conversation, keeping senior audiences engaged and curious over multi-day summits specialising in Sport, innovation, leadership & AI.

Peter has proudly built an impressive portfolio of shaping large-scale stage experiences from the Middle East and Asia to across Europe, for international audiences at more than 700 events across his career.

Proudly supporting the (unfortunate) escapades of Watford FC, Peter has worked in 52 countries (physically), lived in 7 - based in Split, Croatia where he has settled for the past 25 years.

Tom is a Senior Principal at Populous with more than 25 years’ experience designing major stadiums and entertainment venues worldwide. His portfolio includes the Emirates Stadium, London 2012 Olympic Stadium, Old Trafford redevelopment, Estadio da Luz, Wrexham’s Kop stand, and Bahrain’s National Stadium. He was Project Architect for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, featuring a 17,500-seat single-tier stand and retractable NFL pitch. Tom has worked globally on projects like Viv Richards Stadium and the Singapore Sports Hub facility Public-Private Partnership (PPP)  bid and contributed to FIFA guidelines and the Metric Handbook. He is Vice-President of IAKS and speaks internationally on sustainable sports architecture.

Gordon leads Kappture’s sales and marketing activity, working closely with stadiums, arenas and live event venues across the UK to understand their operational challenges and identify where technology can make a real difference.

With a strong focus on building long-term customer relationships, Gordon works alongside venues to improve service, increase throughput and enhance the guest experience. He also plays a key role in bringing Kappture’s latest innovations to market and supporting the company’s continued growth across the sports and live events sector.

As Team Lead Business Relations at Feyenoord Rotterdam, Dennis is responsible for driving the commercial growth and revenue of the Business Relations department. He leads a team of seven professionals and oversees the development and execution of business club strategies, events, and initiatives that strengthen relationships with partners and stakeholders.

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.

Jon Lee is the Executive Creative Director and a co-owner at 20.20 Ltd, responsible for setting the vision and direction of the company's creative offerings. He is a powerful advocate of our collaborative and strategic approach.

As well as overseeing the creative direction of the business, Jon is instrumental in the success of their projects, from leading the transformation of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium for over 15 years, he has led the branding and “Arsenalisation” of the entire stadium, including creating the masterplan and design for each of the world leading hospitality experiences at the club.

His expertise in developing successful fan engagement and brand experiences has given Jon the opportunity to lead amazing projects on both sides of the Atlantic. From Manchester City FC, Liverpool FC, Wembley Stadium to West Ham United’s new home at the London Stadium. He has been responsible for changing Ascot Racecourse’s approach to hospitality with the On5 restaurant; and subsequently redefining the brand experience across all the hospitality areas at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Kentucky.

Jon has been working closely with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in Toronto on the rebranding and experience definition of the Scotiabank Arena.

His influence is also helping redefine the retail and leisure industry, from the reimagining of Odeon’s flagship cinema at Leicester Square London; defining a new retail platform for mobile operator Three; to redefining the world of affordable fitness with the rebranded experience of UK market leaders PureGym.

jon.lee@20.20.co.uk

Gareth Lloyd is the Business Development Director at Olympia Events, the team responsible for managing the historic event venues at Olympia, alongside the new International Convention Centre and The Addison premium lounge. 

He joined the business in February 2025 and leads the venue’s commercial growth strategy, with a focus on driving new revenue through event diversification as Olympia undergoes its £1.3bn transformation into a world-class events and entertainment destination.

Gareth brings over 26 years of experience across sport, events and live entertainment. His expertise spans venue-wide sponsorship, media and digital sales, business development and long-term commercial strategy.

Prior to Olympia, Gareth was UK Sponsorship Sales Director at ASM Global’s European division, where he secured major commercial partnerships, including long-term collaborations and venue naming rights across a national portfolio.

He also served as Head of Partnerships for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, delivering a successful partnership programme, and previously held the role of Head of Commercial Media at NEC Group, overseeing partnership strategy and delivery across its venues.

At Olympia, Gareth is focused on attracting a broader mix of large-scale consumer events alongside its established portfolio of leading exhibitions. Working as part of a strengthened senior leadership team, he is helping position Olympia as a year-round destination for culture, entertainment and innovation in central London.

Gareth is a strong advocate for:

Commercial Growth & Event Diversification: Expanding venue revenue through a broader mix of consumer events, exhibitions and live entertainment.

Strategic Partnerships & Sponsorship: Unlocking long-term value through naming rights, brand partnerships and integrated commercial models.

Destination-Led Experience Design: Creating compelling, multi-layered visitor experiences that extend beyond the core event.

Venue Transformation & Positioning: Supporting the evolution of Olympia into a global, year-round destination for culture, business and entertainment.

Recognised as one of the industry’s most forward-thinking designers, Dan Meis is a senior vice president and global sports design lead for AECOM’s sports + venues practice.

Known for his bold and innovative approach, Dan has delivered some of the world’s most iconic sports venues, including the first fully transformable arena in Japan, groundbreaking NFL and NBA venues, and the newest stadium in the English Premier League.

Dan's design for Paul Brown Stadium was the first NFL facility to win the prestigious AIA Honor Award, while his work on the Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) helped cement its status as one of the top revenue-generating arenas in North America.

His commitment to creating “experiential” architecture has seen his projects redefine fan engagement and live entertainment experiences, with buildings across more than 20 countries that draw millions of visitors annually.

Featured in Time magazine as one of the “100 Innovators in the World of Sports,” Dan has twice earned the Business Week/Architectural Record Award for his designs’ impact on clients’ businesses. He has been named to Sports Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list twice, recognising his influence on the sports industry, and was elevated to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2006.

Dan is a Registered Architect in multiple U.S. states, accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Illinois.

Will Mayes is the Founder and CEO of Layrd Design, a specialist stadium and sports interior design studio creating experience-led environments for clubs, venues, and fans across the UK.

Working with organisations including Ipswich Town FC, AFC Bournemouth, Huddersfield Town, Cambridge United, and Chester Racecourse, Layrd specialises in transforming hospitality lounges, premium seating areas, retail spaces, player facilities, and training grounds.

Passionate about the role design plays in modern sport, Will focuses on creating spaces that enhance fan experience, strengthen club identity, support commercial growth, and deliver memorable matchday and year-round experiences.

Layrd combines operational understanding with creative thinking to help sports venues maximise the potential of their environments.

Paul Michael is Managing Director at Coventry Building Society Arena and is responsible for the strategic, operational and commercial direction of the multi-purpose venue.

He has more than 20 years’ experience in the leisure and hospitality sector and became Managing Director of the Arena in 2023 – since his appointment the venue has attracted a record 1.2 million visitors per annum under Paul’s leadership.

Paul is an advocate for hospitality and leisure in Coventry as chair of Destination Coventry’s board, supporting the development of tourism strategies in the region, and nationally he supports the events industry as a member of the Association of Event Venues (AEV) board.  He is also a Coventry & Warwickshire Place Board Member, supporting collaboration across the region.

Laurence McMillon is Senior Director, Food & Beverage, at Inter Miami CF.

With over 25 + years’ experience in managing successful sales & marketing teams, Siân is currently the Sales & Marketing Manager for the Utilita Arena Cardiff, part of Live Nation. The role includes developing a core corporate business for events and premium hospitality sales, plus creating and delivering successful marketing strategies. 

Siân is a member of the Access All Areas 100, plus sits on the Board of Advisors for NOWIE – The Network of Women in Events and has recently co-launched the Hospitality & Events Network Wales – a growing group for event professionals within Wales.

Jimmy is Head of Sales & Business Development at Fulham Football Club, where he leads the Club’s premium sales and business development teams. He has been closely involved in the development and commercialisation of The Riverside from its inception, including the launch and continued growth of its premium experience business.

Prior to Fulham, Jimmy held commercial roles at Tottenham Hotspur and Arena Racing Company. He has built his career around growing premium businesses, with a particular interest in the continued blurring of lines between sport and the wider experience economy, particularly what venues can learn from leading restaurants, hotels, members’ clubs and entertainment businesses about how they attract, engage and create unique value for different audiences.

Steffan Piolet is on Daktronics European Sales team focused on the
United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. In this
role, he is focused on expanding indoor and stadium projects in the
region by ensuring the market understands indoor versus outdoor
technology and how it can elevate the overall experience and
revenue generation for venues.

Beginning his Daktronics journey in 2026, Steffan is excited to identify where demand, differentiation and commercial impact align for Daktronics customers.

Steffan brings experience in digital signage integration, retail and
hospitality industry work, and sports technology for launching and
monetizing direct-to-consumer streaming services. He's also a former
professional cricket player that leverages his experiences to push
forward in the sports and display technology industry.

https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/markets/sports

Paul Reeves is the Chief Revenue Officer at Huddersfield Town and has led on the commercial development of the Football Club over the last two seasons as Town grow their off-field operations; to accompany their plight to achieve on field success.

In his current role, he oversees all revenue generating operations and has been central to some of their developments in terms of global partnerships, modernisation of hospitality options, ticketing strategy and retail development.

Having spent the last decade at Sheffield United as Head of Commercial, where he worked within their growth from EFL League One through to the Premier League, Reeves is well placed to talk about the benefits of how sport can work hand in hand with the business community for wider economic impact and benefit.

Introducing Huddersfield Town AFC

Formed in 1908, Huddersfield Town AFC has one of the proudest histories of any club in English football. Recognised as one of the most successful English clubs of all time, we were the first to win the English League title three times in a row in 1924, 1925 and 1926. This is a feat that has only been repeated by four other teams; Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City. This season marks the 100-year anniversary of the accolade and is an achievement that we are delighted to be able to share with all who join us on this trade mission to the Middle East.

The Club's current custodian is American businessman Kevin Nagle, hailing from Sacramento, California. Taking operational control of the Club in the summer of 2023, he has shared his aspirations to put the Club back in times of success and build pride for the Town and community as a whole.

In September 2025, Mr Nagle became the first ever Chairman to purchase outright the stadium, now named the Accu Stadium having secured a lucrative 5-year naming rights agreement with global fasteners company Accu Components Ltd. Its infrastructure, accessibility, and fan experience ensure readiness for elite competition, making it a venue capable of delivering a world-class football atmosphere and other sporting events and concerts. Spanning across the 53-acre site, the long-term development promises to be a catalyst for economic, social and cultural revitalisation in Huddersfield, benefitting residents, visitors, businesses and sports fans alike.

For more details visit www.htafc.com

Jacob Regan has been part of Dawnvale Group for almost a decade, bringing with him a strong operational background from the hospitality industry, including the management of a five-star boutique hotel and fine-dining restaurant.

For the past eight years, Jacob has specialised in the stadium and arena sector, building long-standing client relationships and delivering hospitality projects for some of the UK’s leading sporting venues and clubs, including Manchester City, Manchester United and Birmingham City. He is also heavily involved in the development and refurbishment of hospitality spaces across a number of major arena venues.

Most recently, Jacob has played a key role in Dawnvale’s work on the North Stand development at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, bringing together his experience in hospitality operations, commercial design and project delivery as part of one of the club’s most significant recent developments.

Jacob specialises in fast-track, turnkey hospitality projects and has an in-depth understanding of how venues operate beyond the design itself. His hospitality background enables him to approach each project from both the operator’s and guest’s perspective, ensuring spaces are not only visually impressive but practical, efficient and designed to maximise commercial performance.

A particular strength of Jacob’s is delivering complex hospitality environments within the demanding programmes of live stadiums and arenas. Working around fixtures, events and immovable operational deadlines, he has helped clients transform and introduce new hospitality spaces within exceptionally tight windows, allowing venues to enhance the guest experience and generate additional revenue without waiting for traditional closed-season programmes.

This combination of hospitality experience, operational insight and fast-track project delivery has made Jacob a trusted partner to clients looking to get more from their hospitality spaces while maintaining the standards expected at some of the UK’s highest-profile venues.

As Head of Technology, Harry is responsible for driving technological advancements across all Levy partner venues, evaluating and deploying new digital innovations to resolve known challenges and enhance the guest experience.

In 2023, Harry moved across from Levy’s parent company, Compass Group UK & Ireland, to be part of the wider BUILT by Levy team. In charge of the tech division, his team of experts explore a wide range of technologies, including frictionless solutions, automated beer walls, self-order screens, smart vending, robotics, IoT, AI overlays and unified payments to solve real challenges at venues.

Through their efforts, Harry and his team are continually pushing the boundaries of hospitality technology and delivering tangible benefits to guests, operators and clients.

Dermot Rigley is the Founder and CEO of Prime Arena Holdings and the driving force behind Prime Arena, a landmark sport and entertainment development in Cherrywood that will deliver Ireland’s first permanent Olympic-standard ice facilities and a major new venue for sport, music and live events.

Over the past five years, Dermot has taken the project from concept to delivery stage, assembling an international investor and development consortium and leading the work across site acquisition, planning, government engagement, commercial partnerships and project financing.

Dermot has more than two decades of senior leadership experience across sport, media and commercial strategy. He previously founded Frontier Sports and served as Chief Commercial Officer and Board Director of PRO14 Rugby, now the United Rugby Championship, where he doubled turnover and helped secure CVC Capital Partners’ landmark investment. Earlier, he held senior commercial roles with RTÉ Sport and BSkyB.

Tom trained in Architecture before joining Skanska UK Construction as a Designer and Project/Planning Manager. Tom subsequently spent 12 years in major sports event delivery across operations, event and venue planning, contract management and operations, working on three Rugby World Cups (2003, 2007 and 2015), two Olympic and Paralympic Games (2012 and 2015), two ICC Cricket World Cups/T20 tournaments (2007 and 2010) and the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

In 2018, Tom joined The Parker Company and has expanded the firm’s services to the EMEA market from our UK offices. He leads on client engagement and project delivery, most notably as Project Director on Everton’s new stadium, QPR new training ground and Fulham new stand and hotel.

With more than 10 years in the sports industry, I am currently responsible for the loyalty of our sponsors building professional and personal relationships that transmits confidence. Implement, activate and maximize all the rights contracted by our sponsors, guaranteeing a great support that generates a win-win relationship. 

Brandon Scott is General Manager, Enterprise Commerce at Mashgin.

Mashgin is the world’s best checkout experience. Powered by AI, Mashgin instantly rings up all of a customer’s items, no scanning or barcodes required, allowing customers to checkout in 10 seconds or less and helping a single cashier to help 3x more customers.

Over 4,000 convenience stores, over half of all U.S. professional sports stadiums, and hundreds of hospitals, universities, cafeterias, and ski resorts trust Mashgin to speed up checkout, enhance cashier productivity, and deliver the best customer experience.

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 characterised 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.

Natasha Thiebaut is a venue and hospitality consultant. She has built a distinguished 30-year career delivering innovative customer experiences and driving commercial growth across some of the world’s most iconic sports and entertainment venues.

Formerly Vice President of IMG’s Stadium & Arena Group, she provided commercial expertise for landmark projects including Wembley Stadium, Luzhniki Stadium, Maracanã Stadium and King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

More recently, Natasha served as Chief Commercial Officer for a leading event catering company, delivering F&B at major venues such as Twickenham, Lord’s and Silverstone.

She has also managed sponsorship rights for both the Football Association and the Football Association of Ireland, bringing extensive expertise in commercial partnerships, hospitality and venue strategy.

Digby is the founder and CEO of Togather, the UK's leading event F&B platform. Founded in 2017, Togather connects over 100,000 event organisers a year with a curated network of 4,500+ food, drink and entertainment partners, spanning stadia to corporate events and the biggest festivals in the country.

Through Togather Live, the business delivers food and drink at 150-200 festivals a year, including Isle of Wight Festival, The Great North Run, Gala and Boiler Room, reaching well over 10 million people annually. Togather applies that same model to sports venues and arenas, working with partners including Live Nation and Aramark to rethink how fans eat and drink on matchday - and how venues profit from it. They currently deliver fan zones and events at 10 UK stadia including Hill Dickinson, Sussex Cricket, and Millwall's The Den.

Rob has 25 years of experience in sports and events, having worked extensively with rights holders, brands, host venues, governing bodies and agencies. He has a track record of implementing transformational change, developing successful marketing and commercial strategies and strategic alliances and has delivered projects in 25 countries.

Prior to joining P&J Live as MD, Rob was Commercial Director for Aberdeen FC and previously worked in senior roles in motorsport with the Superbike World Championship, Suzuki’s MotoGP team, and Powerboat P1.

He has written six books, recently returned from a trip to Everest Base Camp and enjoys trying to keep to a single figure handicap on the golf course.

With 25+ years experience in the business of sport, McIntyre first cut her teeth in the industry by running PanStadia magazine, where she was Publishing Editor, before spending 3 years as Publication Director on PanStadia & Arena Management magazine, which included working on the Stadia & Arena Asia Pacific event.

McIntyre launched Sports Venue Business (SVB) in September 2016, which quickly became the leading platform for the sector, delivering insightful interviews, in-depth feature articles and case studies, as well as video interviews, with more than 33,000+ industry professionals across the network.

Between 2018 and 2023, McIntyre and the Sports Venue Business team organised and delivered the ALSD International event on behalf of the ALSD, which grew from 120 attendees in the first year, to an astounding 450+ C-Suite executives by 2023.

For 2024, McIntyre and Sports Venue Business have launched SVB LIVE, featuring a series of global networking events and webinars, all culminating in the annual SVB LIVE Conference and Exhibition, with content driven by an Expert Council featuring industry experts from across the globe.

McIntyre boasts almost 30,000 connections in her LinkedIn account.

Megan Wiethoff is Director of Strategy & Business Operations at Mashgin, the AI checkout company now used in more than half of all US professional sports stadiums. Mashgin instantly rings up all of a customer's items, no scanning or barcodes required, allowing checkout in 10 seconds or less.

Megan leads vertical strategy across sports and entertainment, convenience stores, cafeterias and more, identifying where Mashgin can provide more value for our clients and improve overall customer experience.

Before Mashgin she spent five years at McKinsey & Company, working with retailers and consumer companies on growth, go-to-market and operations. She is a CPA and holds an MBA from Chicago Booth.

Ash Wilson is Tech and Innovation Lead at BUILT by Levy and the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, where they drive the evaluation and deployment of emerging technologies to solve real challenges across hospitality operations and enhance the guest experience.

With roots in hospitality operations, Ash brings a practitioner's eye to innovation, always chasing what's next in how technology can level up guest experiences while delivering tangible value for ops teams and driving revenue. Ash helped lead the Levy side of the Manchester United BRISK installation, the largest deployment of its kind in Europe, bringing frictionless retail to scale at one of the continent's biggest stadium environments.