#TDS24 Guest Q&A: LFP’s Alain Belsoeur

Ahead of #TDS24 in Manchester in December, we caught up with Alain Belsoeur, Head of Stadia Committee at Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), who will join us on the judging panel at our 12th Design & Development Summit.

Belsoeur has been at the LFP for over ten years and boasts an extensive career in football administration; from August 1972 until December 31, 2012, Alain served as Deputy Secretary, Secretary General, and then CEO of Le Havre Athletic Club.

The LFP is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It is responsible for organising, managing, and regulating all the aspects of professional football in France. It also serves to defend the moral and material interests of French football.

TheStadiumBusiness: What are the most exciting developments in the field of venue design/development? or What are the key drivers behind your project?

Alain Belsoeur: The key drivers are all those initiatives that will motivate every kind of person to come and attend the events taking place in our stadia. We need to have younger people coming, more ladies, all those who thought they would never enter a stadium and do it now, and come back again and again…

TDS: What’s in the pipeline for Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) over the next six to 12 months?

AB: Always improve. Whether it is the refurbishment of the magnificent La Meinau stadium in one of the capitals of Europe, Strasbourg, or the building of a new stadium in the 25,000 inhabitants city of Rodez. Brest is working on a new/renovated stadium, as are Angers, who are improving their facilities. What about Paris SG moving to Stade de France or building a new 60,000 capacity?

TDS: What are you most looking forward to about the Design & Development Summit 2024?

AB: It is always an opportunity to learn about the most recent initiatives in terms of improving facilities and spectators’ experience. And I look forward to meeting people who, day after day, work in this exciting field.

See who else will be joining us to explore next-gen spaces for sports and entertainment at #TDS24 here.

Explore the future of stadium design with Alain Belsoeur and hundreds of other venue sector leaders, exclusively at #TDS24 at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester on December 2-4.