Built for leaders across arenas, theaters, convention centers, stadiums, and beyond, VNC26 features two days of programming on the topics defining the industry right now. New sessions and speakers will be added regularly, so check back often.
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University venues in markets of all sizes are looking to their sports and entertainment facilities for a competitive edge, with opportunities extending well past traditional naming rights deals. Unprecedented financial pressures are creating a unique competitive landscape that has moved beyond the field and into boardrooms as colleges and universities seek the help of brands and partnerships built around their home venues, teams’ identities and passion and loyalty of their fans, all of which are appealing to brands. Athletics professionals and brand representatives active in the university space will break down how collegiate venues can forge the kinds of partnerships that move the needle.
Samantha Holloway is the owner and managing partner of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, the parent brand of the Seattle Kraken, Climate Pledge Arena, and One Roof Foundation.
Samantha sits at the intersection of ownership, business, and infrastructure, helping shape how team, community, and fan experience work together. Her approach is grounded in the belief that great organizations are intentionally built with discipline, long-term vision, and a deep understanding of the people they serve.
A technology entrepreneur and investor, Samantha built her career as a startup founder and operator, developing a reputation for understanding growth, customer acquisition, and long-term business building from the ground up. She brings that founder’s mindset to sports, pairing operational rigor and data-driven thinking with a strong sensitivity to the customer, in this case, the fan.
Samantha is Partner and Co-Founder of Hat Labs and 2nd & Fillmore, General Partner of Wildcat Partner Holdings, and a minority investor in the WNBA’s Seattle Storm. She serves on the board of the Space Needle and is a member of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer. Samantha and her husband Greg live in Seattle and have two children.
An in-depth overview of international development, market conditions, opportunities and strategies in the Western half of the world.
Family shows and non-music events often don’t generate the local headlines of major concerts, but are critical business in reducing dark days and keep the revenue streams flowing. This panel will feature producers and facilities that are thriving in the non-music space, including combat sports, Broadway, dirt events, motorsports, theatrical, etc, outside the music touring category.
Paz Aparicio has led Madrid’s Movistar Arena since 2014 as General Manager, overseeing the programming and strategic development of one of the world’s busiest live entertainment venues. Hosting an average of 230 events annually and welcoming 2.5 million spectators each year, the arena has consistently ranked among the Top 5 venues worldwide according to Pollstar and has become Europe’s leading arena for ticket sales.
Beyond her work managing one of the most active arenas in the world, Paz has promoted key initiatives for the live entertainment industry, including the creation of the Spanish-Speaking Association of Entertainment Arenas (AHAE), which brings together venues across the Spanish-speaking world. She also represents Movistar Arena in several leading industry associations and contributes to the sector’s development through communication and thought-leadership projects.
Kosha Irby serves as Chief Operating Officer at All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he directs business operations, live events, and event production for one of the world’s fastest growing and most disruptive entertainment properties.
Bringing over two decades of leadership across sports, media, and live entertainment, Kosha specializes in translating high-octane live production into deeply engaged, loyal global fandoms while executing large-scale operational strategy.
In addition to his executive leadership at AEW, Kosha advises global brand and event clients on high-impact marketing, community impact, and fan engagement strategies—spanning major sports tournaments, music festivals, and corporate summits.
Before AEW, Kosha was at Clemson University, where he served as Chief Marketing Officer within the athletic department, and he has previously held positions with the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football as President, Professional Bull Riders (PBR) as Chief Marketing Officer, and WWE as Regional Director of Live Events.
Craig Newman is a 25-year veteran of the live entertainment industry and talent representation. As an agent with Paladin Artists, he represents a diverse roster of artists, attractions, and touring productions while helping develop new live entertainment properties.
Newman’s current roster includes A.J. Croce, WAR, Micky Dolenz, The Fab Four, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert, Chris Hansen Live, Chef Robert Irvine, Illusionist Rick Thomas, Mini Pop Kids, Synthony, and beginning in 2028, The Fifth Element In Concert.
Denis Sullivan is Vice President, International Routing & Tours at Feld Entertainment, where he leads the booking strategy and execution of the company’s international touring business. With more than 30 years of experience in live entertainment, his career has spanned artist management, talent agencies, sports entertainment, and family entertainment, including leadership roles with WWE, the Harlem Globetrotters, and The Kurland Agency. Originally from Cork, Ireland, Sullivan has negotiated and managed live events in over 70 countries across six continents, building long-term partnerships throughout the global entertainment industry.
Greg Farley is the Director of Strategic Energy Programs for MD Energy Advisors, a customer service company that delivers energy solutions. He is a 20-year veteran of energy and sustainability work in higher education: across three campuses representing public, private, and 2-year institutions, he developed and installed solar PV, wind energy, battery storage and microgrid deployment, high-performance buildings, ESPC and Energy-as-a-Service agreements, and more. He also served as Professor and Endowed Teaching Chair at Chesapeake College (MD), where he won multiple awards for teaching. He is co-editor, with Jennifer Chirico, of Thinking Like an Island: Navigating a Sustainable Future in Hawai‘i (University of Hawai’i Press, 2015). A biologist by training, he holds degrees from Duke University and Florida State University.
Emily Lindahl is a sustainability strategy & communications expert. She joined Oak View Group in 2023. Since joining Emily has developed OVG’s global sustainability plan – Future Positive – and works across the company to develop sustainability targets, implement sustainable operations practices, and create partner aligned opportunities.
Prior to joining Oak View Group, Emily was a Partnerships Director at Futerra – a sustainability strategy and communications agency with clients ranging from Gap, The Nature Conservancy, Formula1, and Harvard University. She has also worked in impact consulting and for an ocean conservation non-profit. Emily holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Lafayette College.
Today’s convention center sales and marketing professionals are shifting their strategies to increase their visibility with new buyers as the market for public assembly facilities continues to evolve. An increased focus on data and analytics are helping reshape the way facilities fill the pipeline with the end goal of elevating attendee and event planner experiences and exceed expectations for both. Those in the trenches competing for events from a market and facility perspective will discuss how they find the competitive edge.
Today’s fans have endless entertainment choices, marketing budgets are under pressure, and expectations for sold out events continue to rise. Success requires collaboration between artist management, promoters, and venue marketing teams. This conversation brings together senior marketing leaders from each side of the business to discuss building unified campaigns, sharing data, responding to market conditions, and maximizing ticket sales. Panelists will offer practical insights that attendees can apply to their own venues and organizations.
Sports and entertainment facilities are the primary interface between teams and their fans, be it collegiate, minor league or professional sports. Today, venues and teams are partners in every sense of the word, from marketing and promotions and fan engagement to premium and concessions, ticketing, season ticket and suite sales, and outreach into the marketplace. Teams, buildings and other professionals in navigating the facility-team dynamic will share insights into how to maximize the home advantage and revenues.
Kelly McGrath is in her 26th season with Minnesota Sports & Entertainment and her fourth as Vice President and General Manager of Grand Casino Arena. She oversees the arena’s day-to-day operations, event strategy, and support of the Minnesota Wild, MLV Minnesota Forge, PWHL Minnesota Frost and other major events.
McGrath played an integral role in bringing the PWHL Minnesota Frost to the organization and securing Grand Casino Arena as the primary host site for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. She has also led successful bids with organizations including the NCAA, MSHSL, USA Hockey, U.S. Figure Skating and USA Gymnastics, generating millions of dollars in economic impact for the region.
A respected leader in the live events industry, McGrath is a 2024 Event and Venue Market Conference Hall of Fame inductee, 2023 Venues Today Women of Live Honoree, 2020 Women of Influence Honoree and 2019 WISE Twin Cities Woman of Inspiration. She serves on the WISE Advisory Board.
Sports and entertainment facilities are the primary interface between teams and their fans, be it collegiate, minor league or professional sports. Today, venues and teams are partners in every sense of the word, from marketing and promotions and fan engagement to premium and concessions, ticketing, season ticket and suite sales, and outreach into the marketplace. Teams, buildings and other professionals in navigating the facility-team dynamic will share insights into how to maximize the home advantage and revenues.
Kaity Dychala is the Director of Game Presentation & Live Events for the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), where she leads the strategic vision and execution of the league’s in arena experience, live events and fan engagement initiatives across all 12 markets.
In her role, Kaity oversees league wide game presentation strategy, standards and programming while partnering with teams, venues and cross functional league departments to create innovative, high impact experiences for fans. She also leads the planning and execution of major league events and initiatives, helping establish the PWHL’s identity and approach to live entertainment as the league continues its rapid growth.
With a career spanning sports, live entertainment and event production, Kaity brings a unique perspective to building fan first experiences that connect audiences to the sport, athletes and communities. She is passionate about creating the next generation of women’s sports experiences and helping shape the future of professional women’s hockey.
Gina Rotolo is a senior sports and entertainment executive with more than 17 years of experience leading franchise launches, venue operations, live entertainment strategy, and commercial growth initiatives across professional sports and entertainment organizations.
She currently serves as Vice President of Marketing & Business Services for Oak View Group, where she helped launch Acrisure Arena, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, one of the American Hockey League’s most successful expansion franchises, and the new Coachella Valley Lakers, the G League affiliate of the NBA Lakers which will debut in November 2026. Brought into the organization during its formative stages for her game-changing approach to organizational growth and commercial strategy, Rotolo played a key role in building the operational and commercial infrastructure supporting the arena, hockey and basketball franchises, a community iceplex, and affiliated nonprofit foundation.
Her leadership responsibilities span sponsorship development, ticketing strategy, communications, broadcast and media partnerships, fan engagement, event commercialization, and integrated business operations tied to organizational budgets approaching $25 million. She also serves as a key liaison across ownership groups, league leadership, corporate executives, and municipal stakeholders.
Under her leadership, the organization achieved league-leading performance in sponsorship revenue, exceeding $16 million, while also leading the AHL in season ticket sales, creating award-winning marketing, fan engagement & creative campaigns along with establishing community initiatives focused on education and career pathways for local youth. The franchise earned league recognition across marketing, sponsorship, broadcast/media, sales, and fan engagement categories.
Before joining Oak View Group, Rotolo held senior leadership roles with MGM Resorts International, where she oversaw entertainment marketing, artist relations, and business development initiatives across a global portfolio of venues and live entertainment properties. During her tenure, she contributed to the launch and positioning of major entertainment venues, including T-Mobile Arena, Park Theater, and The Theater at MGM National Harbor, while supporting large-scale programming, multi-venue residency development, and strategic entertainment partnerships.
Earlier in her career, she served in executive leadership roles with AEG and BBVA Compass Stadium, helping support the launch and commercialization of the Houston-based MLS-specific venue, which also served as home to NWSL and NCAA programs. Her work focused on event programming, strategic partnerships, booking operations, and revenue development across sports, concerts, festivals, and live entertainment events.
Throughout her career, Rotolo has consistently been drawn to organizations undergoing growth, expansion, or operational transformation. Her leadership style blends commercial awareness with operational discipline, allowing her to build scalable structures while maintaining a strong focus on audience engagement, organizational alignment, and long-term business performance.
Today, she is recognized as an executive capable of leading complex sports and entertainment organizations through periods of growth, commercialization, and operational evolution. Her background across franchise launches, venue operations, sponsorship growth, and integrated business leadership positions her well for senior leadership opportunities across professional sports, entertainment, and multi-venue organizations.
Ashlee Stokely is Head of Stadium, Operations & Experience at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where she oversees the full guest and operational experience, including event operations, facilities, guest services, security, and transportation.
Ashlee believes communication is the foundation of every successful event, and that a memorable experience takes every department working toward one goal. It’s a philosophy rooted in the organization’s culture of putting the collective ahead of any individual — high impact, low ego — and a shared mantra to always expect to be world class.
Before Nissan Stadium, Ashlee spent 6 years at Bridgestone Arena. She also spent 7 years in music television production and many years as a local radio personality, experience that keeps her deeply connected across the Nashville music industry.
As part of the co-leadership guiding the transition, Ashlee is counting down to the new Nissan Stadium opening in April 2027, working to make sure every guest has an unforgettable experience as the new stadium comes to life.
Luke Tingle, Project Executive for Daktronics, is an LED Industry Executive with 20+ years in the Sports and Spectaculars divisions delivering turnkey solutions that include manufacturing and construction management for LED display systems. His background includes Project Management, Engineering, Sales and Business Development across North America and International markets.
Luke first joined Daktronics as a student at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, (location of Daktronics Headquarters) managing college and professional projects in the Great Lakes region. After graduating college, he spent a year with Electrical Contractor, Berg Electric in San Diego, CA, where he met his now wife, Holly. Upon returning to Daktronics, Luke joined the international market where he oversaw projects across Asia Pacific & Australia/New Zealand, and eventually moving to Sydney, Australia, in 2010 to help open the Daktronics local office. During his time in International, Luke worked across all Daktronics business units including Live Events, Commercial, Spectaculars and Transportation. Luke and his wife returned to San Diego, CA, (Carlsbad) in 2014, where he oversees projects across North America. They have two children, Hayden (11) and Jake (9).
Luke’s most recent projects include Crypto.com Arena, SAP Center, Intuit Dome, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Honda Center & ocV!BE, LA Galaxy, Tennessee Titans new Nissan Stadium, NYCFC new Stadium, LSU Football, UCLA, University Southern California, and CU Boulder football, just to name a few.
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Top food service professionals will address how new strategies are improving service and boosting revenue at sports and entertainment venues. Among the topics will be POS enhancements, flexibility in offerings, design features that facilitate premium and concessions sales, new technologies like cashless, AI and POS enhancements, event-specific menus, and advanced data collection and analysis.
Spenser Genesy is Group Director of Food & Beverage at tvg, where he leads food and beverage strategy across the company’s growing portfolio of live music venues and hospitality concepts.
His work spans new venue development, concepting, openings, operations, commercial strategy, and brand partnerships. His focus is making food, beverage, and hospitality a meaningful part of the venue experience, while giving each venue its own identity and sense of place.
Prior to joining tvg, Spenser built his career in hospitality, working across restaurants and bars before spending more than five years with Soho House, where he led beverage operations across the West Coast. His move into live music has brought that hospitality background into a new setting, applying the same care and attention given to food, beverage, and hospitality in great restaurants and bars to the live music experience.
Chad Gregory is currently the Senior Vice President of Operational Excellence for Legends Global. With 24 years of leadership experience in the hospitality industry, Chad provides high-level operational oversight and strategic support, ensuring best-in-class execution. His extensive background in food and beverage operations, coupled with his strategic leadership approach, has contributed to the success of numerous large-scale venues and entertainment destinations.
Before joining the team, Chad served as Corporate Vice President of Food & Beverage at United Parks and Resorts, where he oversaw more than $400 million in combined F&B revenue across 12 parks. In this role, he was responsible for driving operational efficiencies, enhancing guest experiences, and leading large teams across multiple locations. Prior to that, he spent 13 years with Levy as Regional Vice President, managing over $250 million in F&B revenue across 21 professional league stadiums, arenas, zoos, collegiate facilities, athletic facilities, and amphitheaters. His ability to optimize operations and implement innovative strategies has made a lasting impact across the industry.
Chad holds an Associate of Arts in General Education from Pima Community College, earned in 2001.
Bret oversees Solution Engineering for Oracle Simphony Sports & Entertainment, partnering with major stadiums and venues to integrate Oracle technology into their broader hospitality ecosystems. Drawing on a decade leading food and beverage operations at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, he brings an operator’s perspective to designing premium-service experiences that are seamless for guests and practical for venue teams.
Populous Senior Principal and Americas Regional Board Member, Adam Stover stands at the forefront of innovation in the firm’s interior design, women’s professional sports and professional arena markets. Over the past two decades, Adam has been instrumental in shaping design work spanning hospitality, public spaces, brand and sponsorship activation, and custom furniture and product design. A visionary leader and trusted advisor, Adam has left an indelible mark across all six major professional sports leagues, leading landmark interior design projects that fuse fan experience with revenue generating innovation.
Women are a powerful force in live entertainment, driving ticket purchases, group planning, and spending across every event category. This keynote case study will explore how event organizers can better understand and serve women audiences through thoughtful programming, seamless experiences, and more relevant marketing. Attendees will leave with practical insights for building events that resonate more deeply with women while strengthening loyalty, engagement, and revenue.
Thayer Lavielle is the Managing Director of The Collective at THE·TEAM, a global platform she launched in 2019 to drive greater investment in women across sports, entertainment, and music. She leads a global, cross-functional team operating across eight regions, working with brands, leagues, teams, and governing bodies to translate industry-shaping research into actionable commercial tools—ranging from investment frameworks and go-to-market strategies to partnership models and fan engagement playbooks. Under her leadership, the team’s work has helped unlock almost $1B in new investment supporting women as athletes, creators, executives, and fans. Her work has been recognized across the industry, including honors as a 2026 TBJ Women in Business honoree, 2025 Adweek Most Powerful Women in Sports honoree, a 2024 WISE Greater Raleigh Woman of Inspiration, a 2023 Colgate University Trailblazer of Distinction, and a 2019 Sports Business Journal Game Changer.
For over 25 years, Bryan Bedford has been transforming consumer, content and technology industries around the world. Throughout his career in the IT, services, sports, media, and retail technology, Bedford has launched & scaled industry-changing technologies and services in high growth businesses’ including mobile, content and customer experience focused areas. Bedford is also very active as an industry speaker discussing tech, media, retail, sports, the future of customer experience as often as he can. In his current position with Cisco Systems, a blue-chip technology firm, Bedford serves as Director of Consumer Industries (Retail, Hospitality, Sports, Media and Entertainment) and Business Solutions team within Cisco’s US Commercial sales organization. Bedford’s team drives innovation, enablement, new offers and drives the programmatic line of business sales and scaling efforts for the sales organization.
Before joining the team at Cisco, Bedford served as XOS Digital’s Vice President of Sales & Business Development focused within the Sports & Media industries spearheading all facets of external business development for the firm including forging strategic “go-to-market” partnerships with major manufactures, technology companies and industry leaders including working with nearly every major professional and college sports program throughout North America. Bedford’s time at XOS Digital included record revenue growth, expansion of the sales/marketing force, net new product/solution launches and drive towards additional profitability. Prior to joining XOS Digital, Bedford was groomed in the sports & media world and spent time working for three sports teams in various roles (Sales, Coaching, Marketing) over a 7-year period including time on staff at TCU (Texas Christian University), Southern Nazarene University, and for the Oklahoma RedHawks Baseball Club.
Bedford resides in Oklahoma City, OK and is married to his wife Desiree’ and has two daughters Tessa and Sadie.
Kevin Devore is a Senior Principal and Technology Practice Director at ME Engineers, bringing 23 years of experience in technology design and integration. His expertise includes technology master planning, ICT infrastructure, high-density wireless (Wi-Fi), distributed antenna systems (DAS), electronic security, and the coordination of technology systems with building architecture. Kevin is committed to integrating advanced, innovative technology into sports and entertainment venues to enhance connectivity, security, operations, and the overall fan experience.
An in-depth overview of international development, market conditions, opportunities and strategies in the Eastern half of the world, including UK/Euro, India/South Asia, the Middle East and the Far East.
Gary Hutchinson brings a wealth of experience in the sports and entertainment sectors. An accomplished professional, Gary has worked with a diverse range of rights holders, including high-profile organizations such as Sunderland AFC, where he served as a board executive, as well as The Football Association and Wembley Stadium. With an extensive network of promoter and agent relationships, he excels in end-to-end diary management for both music and non-music events. His comprehensive understanding of the market allows him to curate compelling event schedules that resonate with audiences while generating maximum returns for venues and stakeholders alike. Gary’s expertise lies not only in concert booking services but also in creating robust commercial partnerships that optimize revenue streams.
Over the past decade, Gary has applied his sales, booking, and operations acumen to a variety of high-profile clients. Notable collaborations include Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Sunderland AFC, Coventry Stadium and Arena, and Aston Villa FC, as well as international venues such as Etihad Arena and Zayed Sports City Stadium. In these roles, he focused on unlocking non match day revenues, enhancing event profitability, and strategically positioning venues to attract a wider array of entertainment options, from concerts to larger-scale events. Gary’s ability to think creatively and strategically has been instrumental in securing some of the most sought-after acts and events in the industry, such as Beyonce, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen, helping venues transform into vibrant cultural hubs.
In addition to his booking services, Gary has held several board-level roles, where he has supported economic growth and regeneration in his home region of North-East England. With a keen eye for identifying and nurturing talent, Gary continues to make significant contributions to the landscape of sports and entertainment, ensuring that each event he oversees leaves a lasting impact on audiences and communities alike.
As Senior Vice President & General Manager, Co-op Live, Guy’s role sees him spearhead delivery and strategy across the UK’s largest and newest live entertainment arena, rapidly ranked as one of the top three arenas in Europe after just ten months of opening. The arena hosts up to 23,500 fans per event, designed with exceptional acoustics, a world-leading fan experience, sustainability and community engagement at its heart.
Boasting over two decades of experience in the industry, Guy worked at the NEC Group, starting as an Event Manager and working his way up the business through a number of roles including Arenas Sales (Programming) Manager, Head of Arenas Sales and Events, General Manager of Utilita Arena and Resorts World Arena, before becoming Managing Director in March 2020.
As well as now fronting Co-op Live, Guy’s career highlights to date include leading the £29 million pound redevelopment of Resorts World Arena in 2009 and the £24 million redevelopment of Utilita Arena in 2014, securing a number of high-profile long term annual events for both venues.
Guy has previously acted as chair of the LIVE Venues Group and the National Arenas Association (NAA). He was responsible for NAA training courses in emergency planning, crisis management and disability awareness for the NAA.
Outside of work, Guy is married with two children. He loves spending time with his family, travelling and completing sporting challenges including 2 marathons, the 100-mile Midlands Velo cycling event and the National 3 Three Peaks Challenge. He is also a season ticket holder at Aston Villa FC, a keen follower of cricket, golf and attending concerts and events.
Today’s multi-use sports and entertainment facilities must be conceived, built and operated to fulfill multiple roles, taking into consideration an immersive fan experience, multiple revenue providers, efficient operation, various community functions, sustainability, and coordination and cooperation with the surrounding environment to propagate all of the preceding. Representatives of the design and operation of new or under-construction sports and entertainment venues will discuss how their projects are built from the ground up to serve expanded roles.
Mark Donnelly is Executive Vice President, Development & Operations at Oak View Group International, where he leads the company’s international development initiatives, including the landmark Co-op Live arena in Manchester, which has rapidly established itself as a leading music arena. Joining OVG in February 2019 and growing OVG’s international business as Chief Operating Officer, Mark has brought nearly three decades of operational and financial leadership across the media, entertainment, and leisure sectors.
At OVG, Mark has led new arena projects in Cardiff and currently Dublin, whilst also consulting with international clients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Diriyah Gate Arena) and Italy (AS Roma Stadium).
Prior to OVG Mark has played a pivotal role in the delivery of several iconic venues, including The O2 in London, St George’s Park, and Wembley Stadium. As part of the AEG team, he was instrumental in the construction and successful launch of The O2 in 2007, later serving as its Managing Director.
Following his tenure at The O2, Mark spent a decade in senior roles across the sports industry, including at The Football Association, the Lawn Tennis Association, and Queens Park Rangers Football Club. His work spanned stadium and training ground operations, infrastructure development, and commercial and residential projects.
Mark began his career at KPMG, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, before joining Ginger Media Group. There, he was part of the leadership team that, under Chris Evans, built and sold the business to Scottish Media Group.
Ashlee Stokely is Head of Stadium, Operations & Experience at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where she oversees the full guest and operational experience, including event operations, facilities, guest services, security, and transportation.
Ashlee believes communication is the foundation of every successful event, and that a memorable experience takes every department working toward one goal. It’s a philosophy rooted in the organization’s culture of putting the collective ahead of any individual — high impact, low ego — and a shared mantra to always expect to be world class.
Before Nissan Stadium, Ashlee spent 6 years at Bridgestone Arena. She also spent 7 years in music television production and many years as a local radio personality, experience that keeps her deeply connected across the Nashville music industry.
As part of the co-leadership guiding the transition, Ashlee is counting down to the new Nissan Stadium opening in April 2027, working to make sure every guest has an unforgettable experience as the new stadium comes to life.
When tours are routed, decisions are made in terms of markets, days, and buildings. In many cases, decisions regarding all three are made by responsible and territorial agents, or, in the case of the national and global tours that make up the bulk of arena/stadium level touring today, by promoters. Those involved in the decision-making process will discuss what helps a building find its place in the route book, what marketing and promotion strategies keep a venue top of mind, and what extras buildings can add to the equation.
Mike Hayes joined United Talent Agency in 2025 alongside his roster that includes The Go-Go’s, Belinda Carlisle, Matt Maltese, L7, KennyHoopla, Soft Play, Take That, The Army, The Navy, VILLANELLE, Manic Street Preachers, and iDKHOW. Hayes most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Global Music at IAG and was formerly with ICM Partners for nearly 17 years.
As Chief Programming Officer & Head of Entertainment at HBSE, Sean Saadeh oversees entertainment booking across several of the country’s leading venues, including Newark’s Prudential Center, Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, and the soon-to-be-reopened Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Jersey City. Leveraging 25+ years of experience in entertainment hub cities like San Diego, Phoenix and the New York area, Sean has demonstrated drive to expand, improve, and diversify the industry across HBSE’s portfolio.
Since joining HBSE in 2015, Sean has cemented New Jersey’s status as a premier destination for top performers around the globe. At Newark’s Prudential Center, he continuously leads the venue to new heights in one of the most competitive entertainment markets in the world, helping the venue reach tenth on Pollstar’s annual list of 200 arenas worldwide.
Notable highlights from the past 18 months include UFC 316 in June 2025 and UFC 302 in June 2024, which marked the highest-grossing event ever held at Prudential Center, recording a gate of $7.3 million and generating $26.8 million in economic impact for the Newark metropolitan area. In March 2024, Zach Bryan also played two sold out shows at the arena, setting a new record for attendance. Sean also recently brought March Madness back to Newark, hosting the NCAA East Regional Final.
Sean is committed to booking a wide array of talent that best reflects the great fans and diverse communities of New Jersey. While having already established the arena as the North American Capital of K-Pop and Northeast Hub for Latin music, Sean is also focused on building Prudential Center’s profile as a must-play stop for all Hip-Hop and R&B tours, as well as its portfolio of country music, comedy, and family shows.
Alongside his duties at Prudential Center, Sean is responsible for identifying and executing unique live event opportunities at multiple other HBSE-owned properties, including the soon-to-be-reopened Loew’s Jersey Theater.
Beyond the tri-state area, Sean also has been growing HBSE’s entertainment footprint across the Northeast at Northwest Stadium, formerly FedExField, in Landover, Maryland — a massive step in scaling HBSE’s stadium-scale capabilities. Since joining on in February 2024, he has rapidly activated the venue with an impressive, record-breaking 2025 summer line-up. The slate of concerts was the most attended summer concert series in the venue’s history. These slate of events broke several other records, including:
He advises on venue construction projects for the new stadium in Washington, DC for the Commanders and the new arena being built in Philadelphia for the Sixers while contributing to the renovations efforts at Prudential Center furthering his expertise to elevate these venues’ entertainment offerings.
Through record-breaking achievements and visionary leadership, he is transforming HBSE’s portfolio into one of the most dynamic and influential in the world, elevating HBSE as a dominant force in the global live entertainment industry.
Brittany Johnston is Director of Programming at tvg hospitality, overseeing booking and programming for The Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama, while helping shape booking strategy for new tvg venues nationwide. A core member of The Orion’s 2022 opening team, she helped build the venue’s identity and programming from the ground up. The Orion has since earned national recognition, ranking #10 worldwide among amphitheaters by tickets sold and #8 by gross ticket sales in Pollstar’s 2026 mid-year report.
Previously, Brittany worked at Wasserman Music (formerly Paradigm Talent Agency), gaining experience across all phases of the touring process. Her background on both the agency and venue sides gives her a well-rounded perspective on live music, combining strategic programming, strong industry relationships, and an understanding of what artists and audiences need for impactful live experiences.
Aaron Thomas drives Columbus’s entertainment identity, serving as the executive responsible for booking and national touring development across Nationwide Arena, the Schottenstein Center, Mershon Auditorium, and Ohio Stadium, positioning Columbus as a competitive, must‑play market for top artists and large‑scale productions. In addition to his venue‑side strategy, Aaron is deeply skilled in promoter and agency relationship management, maintaining strong industry partnerships that are essential to securing premium tours, negotiating routing opportunities, and ensuring Columbus is consistently in the conversation for major national runs.
His career is built on more than 15 years of venue management and live‑event production experience, beginning in audio engineering before advancing into production leadership for arena and stadium‑level concerts. He spent nearly a decade as Production Manager and later Director of Production at the Schottenstein Center, overseeing large touring shows, systems integration, labor relations, logistics, and high impact event execution including major concerts at Ohio Stadium.
Today, as Chief Entertainment Officer for CASE, Thomas leverages his deep industry networks, production expertise, and strong promoter/agency relationships to bring world‑class entertainment to Columbus. Alongside his professional work, he serves as a Board Member for Musically Fed, a nonprofit that redirects unused backstage catering to food‑insecure individuals-demonstrating his belief in using entertainment as a platform for community impact.
Michael Sciortino is the General Manager of UBS Arena, a role he’s held since joining in July 2020. He was instrumental in the meticulous planning and successful opening of the arena in November 2021, and today he oversees all day-to-day operations, from the front-of-house guest experience to back-of-house needs and facility maintenance.
A passionate advocate for environmental stewardship, Michael has spearheaded the venue’s sustainability initiatives. Under his leadership, UBS Arena achieved carbon neutrality for Scope 1 & 2 emissions two years ahead of schedule and launched the “Sustainable Brilliance, Community Resilience” platform. He guided the arena through the LEED Certification process to become a LEED v4 Certified venue and implemented a zero-waste program that earned TRUE Silver Zero Waste certification. His tireless efforts have positioned UBS Arena as a leader in sustainability within the sports and entertainment industry, and in April 2025, he was honored with the inaugural Billie Eilish Award for Sustainability from Pollstar.
Before his time at UBS Arena, Michael served as the Vice President of Operations for the Golden State Warriors, where he guided the opening of the state-of-the-art Chase Center in San Francisco in September 2019. He was responsible for the facility’s daily operations and all necessary back-of-house functions.
His extensive career also includes more than eight years heading up facility and event services at Madison Square Garden, five years with the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum, and three years with the Buffalo Bisons Triple-A baseball team, where he began his career.
Declan Weir is a New York–based strategy and infrastructure leader with experience across North America and APAC. A qualified urban planner, he’s advised public and private sector clients on major-event and infrastructure challenges—from Formula 1 Grands Prix and the Australian Open to UBS Arena, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Declan specializes in complex venue and event mobility—aligning competing interests across government, operators, and investors to deliver reliable transportation and operations outcomes in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. At Stantec, he leads Venue and Event Mobility Planning pursuits across North America.
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