#TDS26 Spotlight: Next steps for Dublin’s Prime Arena

What does it take to take a major sports and entertainment development from an initial concept through planning and towards delivery?

Joining us at Design & Development Summit 2026, Dermot Rigley, Founder and CEO of Prime Arena Holdings, will share the story behind Prime Arena, a landmark sport and entertainment development in Cherrywood.

The project will deliver Ireland’s first permanent Olympic standard ice facilities alongside a major new venue for sport, music and live events.

In his session – Prime Arena Journey to Planning – Dermot will take us through the development of the project over the past five years, from concept to delivery stage. He will cover the work involved in site acquisition, planning, government engagement, commercial partnerships and project financing, as well as the process of bringing together an international investor and development consortium.

Dermot brings more than two decades of senior leadership experience across sport, media and commercial strategy. Before founding Prime Arena, he 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 in his career, he held senior commercial roles with RTÉ Sport and BSkyB.

Images: Prime Arena/Populous

Join Dermot at #TDS26 for a closer look at the projects shaping the next generation of sports and entertainment spaces.

N.B. The Earlybird discount – saving £100 on the delegate fee – ends Friday 23 October