Delivering the Next Generation of Sports & Entertainment Spaces

Our Speakers Include

• 

  Dan Brown

  Head of Operations, Lancs Cricket/Emirates Old Trafford

  I have been working for Lancashire Cricket for the last 6 years during a period of significant redevelopment and growth. My current role as Head of Operations has led to me working alongside our projects team, taking responsibility as the client through construction and exposed me to the growth in our business as a result of each individual development. Working within stadium operations, I have seen an increase in the volume, scale and quality of events that we now host at the venue and we are now looking to the final stages of our stadium redevelopment plans.

• 

  Mike Bohndiek Bohndiek

  Managing Director, PTI Consulting

  Mike formed PTI Consulting with the aim of enabling clubs and venues to access industry specific technology leaders. In the current climate PTI address the considerable digital transformation and strategic technology needs in the sports and entertainment industry. Having worked across 23 venues in football, rugby, cricket, golf and venues in general over his 14-year career in the sector to date, Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the ticketing, data and insight space from a provider and customer perspective having built, deployed and operated the platforms behind several club operations and procured industry recognised systems.

• 

  Sam Wright

  Director, WilkinsonEyre

  Sam Wright is a Director at WilkinsonEyre and currently leads the Sports and Leisure Team. Since 2001, Sam has delivered award-winning projects such as the Liverpool Arena; the London 2012 Olympic Basketball Arena and more recently, the redevelopment of the Compton and Edrich stands at Lord’s Cricket Ground. His work has been instrumental in expanding WilkinsonEyre’s work in the sporting sector both in size and concept. He is currently the only British architect to have lead and delivered major venues for the last two Olympic Games.

• 

  Andrew Billingham

  Managing Director, YTL Arena - Bristol

  Andrew has 30 years’ experience in sports & entertainment industry and senior global events executive. Appointed Managing Director of YTL Arena Bristol (planned 17,000-capacity arena) in October 2018, Andrew Billingham has spent 14 years as a senior executive for major sports & entertainment venues and 16 years in sports sponsorship and global events. Andrew has served over 10 million customers across major stadiums: Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol (27,000-capacity); Bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent (30,000-capacity); St. Andrew’s Stadium, Birmingham (28,000-capacity). Senior global events executive for adidas (FIFA World Cup; Olympic Games; UEFA European Championships). Andrew was the group CEO of Bristol Sport where he led the team that completed the £50m rebuild of Ashton Gate stadium (27,000 capacity) and facilitated the creation of a new commercial operating business bringing together Bristol City Football Club and Bristol Bears Rugby under one umbrella. From Premier League football to world renowned brands such as adidas, Andrew’s career has been built through hard work, determination, and a real passion for entertainment. Andrew has volunteered for the Prince’s Trust for five years and in 2019 was appointed as chair of the South West Development Committee.

• 

  Kirsten Lees

  Managing Partner, Grimshaw

  Kirsten brings insight and experience in the development of high-profile sports venues and masterplans. Her work at Wimbledon includes the development of the long-term strategic framework and the redesign of No. 1 Court. Other projects include the new grandstand and masterplan for The Curragh Racecourse and Stadium for Bath with Bath Rugby Club.

  Shortlisted for AJ Woman Architect of the Year 2014, Kirsten’s work is acknowledged for its subtle response to place and unique expressive and material qualities. She has skills in physical planning and urban regeneration with strong focus on the role of the public realm in shaping solutions.

• 

  Mohamed Zakaria Serageldin

  Board Member, Al Ahly Club - Egypt

  A qualified Civil Engineer, Mohamed Zakira works as teaching assistant in the American University in Cairo and current Board member of Al Ahly Sporting Club, Egypt. Finished his Master of Science in Construction Engineering at AUC and in parallel did his MBA in Sports Management at Real Madrid Graduate School. Awarded by Best Paper Award in “IASTEM” International Academic conference in Munich 2018 for his MSc thesis topic in generating a dynamic feasibility analysis model for calculating costs and revenues of construction of stadiums workable on 56 countries. He was nominated from Real Madrid University to represent Egypt and Africa as guest speaker in “The world football summit”, Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, 2018 and currently he is in charge of Al Ahly Sports City construction committee

• 

  Martin Willis

  Director and Global Sports Sector Lead, Ramboll UK

  Martin is a Director and the Global Sports Sector Lead at Ramboll and has an excellent track record in the sport and entertainment sector having worked on a number of national and international stadia and arena projects. Through delivering such projects, Martin understands how the requirements of different disciplines need to be integrated together driving a well-coordinated and high value solution. As a director Martin is responsible for delivering multi-disciplinary projects and leading teams. He strives to understand in detail the client and stakeholder key drivers so he can use his experience to add value to projects where it matters most.

• 

  Robert Ebdon

  Head of Estates, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Lords

  Educated at Hurstpierpoint College, Robert studied Construction Management at South Bank University graduating with first class honours. Following a successful career working on several major projects, he worked with industry leaders such as James Longley & Company, WS Atkins and Synergy Construction Consultants.

  Having project managed the refurbishment and extension of the Pavilion at The Oval in the early 1990’s, Robert was invited by Maurice de Rohan to join the Estates committee at MCC in 2004. Elected a Member of the MCC in 1994, Robert was later appointed Assistant Secretary (Estates) in April 2014 leading million pound ground development projects.