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 Ross Aitken
Director Event Operations
World Rugby
Keynote: World Rugby is the international Federation for the sport of Rugby Union, and owns a number of key sporting properties including the Rugby World Cups, SVNS
Series, WXV and SVNS Challenger Series. Ross will speak about the development and objectives of World Rugby Events and Media, as part of the strategic plan to grow and to
capitalise more widely on the potential of the events World Rugby owns.
Ross has been involved with World Rugby and the men’s Rugby World Cup for 10 years, starting with RWC 2015 in England before moving to Tokyo for RWC 2019 in Japan and then Paris
for RWC 2023 in France.
Ross, in his current role as Director of Event Operations, is a core part of the team developing the delivery model for World Rugby Events and Media, planning and executing future
Rugby World Cup tournaments and SVNS series events as part of a ten-year strategic plan for the sport. World Rugby Events and Media, as part of the strategic plan to grow and
expand the game, has been established to provide a platform to drive efficiencies in delivery costs, increase revenue generation and crucially to capitalise more widely on the
potential of the events World Rugby owns in order to maximise those revenues.
Prior to joining World Rugby, Ross worked within sports development for Scottish Rugby before leading the delivery of the Rugby Sevens competition for the Glasgow 2014
Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.
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 Hilary Ash
Vice President, Games Delivery & Infrastructure
LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games
In the summer of 2028, Los Angeles will welcome the world for an unparalleled Olympic and Paralympic Games experience as the best athletes from around the globe compete on
the biggest stage in sports. LA28 will be a different kind of Games, progressing the movement forward, innovating for the future and establishing a new benchmark for global
events.
Hilary Ash is a proven strategist who is instrumental to LA28’s technical operations and Games delivery planning, specifically for the sport and venue masterplan and budget
considerations.
In her current role, Hilary leads LA28’s venue infrastructure planning and delivery. She oversees the development of the venue masterplan as well as venue design, costing and
overlay.
She ensures integration with all sport and delivery partners, helping define the overall venue delivery strategy and leading strategic program management of venue
infrastructure.
In prior roles at LA28, Hilary led strategic projects for the executive leadership team across long-term business planning efforts and supported operational integration.
Hilary joined the LA Games team in October 2015.
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 Richard Atkinson
Director, Ryder Cup Europe
European Tour Group
Keynote: Richard will have a closer look at the event infrastructure and technology used at his events, starting with a few observations at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, to
then speak about the challenges ahead and how his organisation is looking to secure a suitable host nation and venue for the future editions. He will conclude with his vision
about what event infrastructure and technology shall offer, or look like at the Ryder Cup 2035.
In his position as Ryder Cup Director, Richard is responsible for the planning, delivery, and management of golf’s leading team competition between Europe and the United States.
He took on the role in 2022, overseeing the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, which was the most successful edition of the biennial contest to be played on European soil.
A senior sport business and event specialist with more than 20 years’ experience, Richard has delivered major international sports events across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
At the European Tour Group - which administers the DP World Tour, Challenge Tour, Legends Tour, G4D Tour and the Ryder Cup in Europe - he has held senior positions including
Director of Championship Management, with responsibility for overseeing a global portfolio of 22 DP World Tour tournaments. He was previously the Asian Tour’s Director of Tour
Development, a role that included establishing new events and promoting the growth of golf across the region.
In 2010, Richard took a break from golf to contribute to the success of the London 2012 Olympics, where he played a key role in overseeing the design, delivery, and management of
events at the ExCel venue.
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 Lord Seb Coe
Non-Executive Chairman, CSM Sport & Entertainment and President, World Athletics
Fireside Chat: An Olympic Journey on and off the Track
AGES is privileged to present Lord Sebastian Coe, a legendary figure in the world of athletics and current President of its governing body World Athletics.
The interview will be moderated by Sarah Lewis in the Olympic Stadium, the location where Seb Coe dedicated many years of his life orchestrating the widely acclaimed London 2012
Olympic Games as President of the Organising Committee. Seb Coe will provide an insight into his illustrious career and share his views on the importance of temporary
infrastructure for major events, including as part of his current role as President of World Athletics. Its versatility, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and evolution through
technological advancements underline temporary infrastructure as a cornerstone in the successful execution of major events worldwide. It promises to be an engaging conversation on
the past, present, and future of major sports event with a true industry visionary.
As an athlete Seb Coe won Olympic gold medals in the 1500 metres in 1980 and 1984 and set 12 middle-distance world records. He went on become a Member of Parliament for Falmouth
and Camborne and later chaired the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) delivering the Games in 2012.
Coe retired from athletics in 1990 and two years later was elected as Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne, a seat he held until 1997, when he became Private Secretary
to William Hague, the Leader of the Opposition. In 2000 he was appointed a life peer and took the title of Lord Coe of Ranmore.
He was the BBC’s sports personality of the year in 1979 and in 1982 he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Eight years later he was promoted to
Officer of the same order (OBE). Following his appointment as a life peer, Coe was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) for his services to sport
and in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH).
In the Summer of 2020 Lord Coe was approved as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member at its 136th IOC Session.
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 Shona McCarty
CEO
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
Keynote: For three weeks in August, the city of Edinburgh welcomes an explosion of creative energy from around the globe. Artists and performers take to hundreds of stages
all over the city, presenting shows for every taste with venues from existing theatres and concert halls to repurposed spaces like bars, parks, buses and shipping containers.
Shona will provide us an insight and talk about the particularities of this unique festival.
Shona joined Edinburgh Fringe as the Chief Executive 8 years ago. She has championed the festival as the world’s leading performing arts festival and expo, founded on the
principles of open access and freedom of expression.
From 2011-2014 she was Chief Executive of the Culture Company, leading on Derry - Londonderry’s transformational year as UK City of Culture. Prior to that she was Director of the
British Council Northern Ireland. She headed up Imagine Belfast to deliver Belfast’s bid to be European Capital of Culture.
Shona also spent many years as Chief Executive of Cinemagic Film Festival for young people, Belfast; and the Foyle Film Festival, Derry; and was Head of Exhibition at the Northern
Ireland Film Council.
Shona has over 30 years’ experience working in senior leadership positions and was awarded a prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship for Innovation in 2014, making her part of a global
network of leaders and influencers, and a NESTA cultural leadership award which took her to work with the Seagull Foundation for the Arts in Calcutta India in 2007.
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 Michael Gietzen
CEO
Identity
Keynote: Michael will share his vision working on future events with transparency, collaboration and value-based partnerships to exceed client expectations and leave a
lasting impact on the events landscape. With the post-Covid shift leading to higher client expectations towards authenticity and transparency, agencies will need to move from
transactional to value-based partnerships, driving innovation, building trust, and sharing values with suppliers.
Michael is the founder and CEO of global live events agency, Identity. He is listed as one of The Times LDC ‘Top 50 Most Ambitious Leaders’; a C&IT A-Lister; recipient of The
Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade and has been recognised by Forbes as an entrepreneur of note.
Under his stewardship, Identity has developed into a multiaward-winning and highly creative events agency. A chartered accountant by profession, Michael has taken on
well-established agency rivals with his completely new approach to events, while blazing a trail for increased sustainability in the planning and delivery of complex large
events.
He leads a growing team of 200+ people working for worldwide governments, organisations and global brands. Michael is particularly proud of the production of two remarkable years
of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks and celebrations and Identity’s instrumental role in delivering the Coronation of King Charles III. More recently Michael curated Identity’s
international expansion into the UAE, to being awarded the role as principal delivery partner in the execution of COP28 –one of the world’s largest conferences with over 83,000
people attending in person! Michael’s unwavering commitment to excellence in managing events of such magnitude showcases his exceptional leadership and proficiency.
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 Sarah Lewis
Managing Director
Sarah Lewis Global Sports Leader GmbH
Fireside Chat: An Olympic Journey on and off the Track
AGES is privileged to present Lord Sebastian Coe, a legendary figure in the world of athletics and current President of its governing body World Athletics.
The interview will be moderated by Sarah Lewis in the Olympic Stadium, the location where Seb Coe dedicated many years of his life orchestrating the widely acclaimed London 2012
Olympic Games as President of the Organising Committee. Seb Coe will provide an insight into his illustrious career and share his views on the importance of temporary
infrastructure for major events, including as part of his current role as President of World Athletics. Its versatility, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and evolution through
technological advancements underline temporary infrastructure as a cornerstone in the successful execution of major events worldwide. It promises to be an engaging conversation on
the past, present, and future of major sports event with a true industry visionary.
Sarah Lewis, OBE OLY is a highly respected international sports leader with an extensive network across the Olympic Movement and sports industry.
Sarah served as Secretary General of the largest international winter sports federation, FIS (skiing and snowboarding) from 1998-2020. She has significant experience of delivering
major events, leading the Coordination Groups for 24 editions of the Alpine and Nordic World Ski Championships. Subsequently she established Sarah Lewis Global Sports Leader GmbH
in 2022 providing services to sport, business, and society.
Additional roles and appointments have included: Secretary General of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federation, a member of the IOC Programme Commission
and Coordination Commissions for the Olympic Winter Games and Youth Olympic Games (2026, 2022, 2020, 2018) and served on the Steering Committee of the SportAccord International
Federation Convention (2002-2020).
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 Don Lockerbie
The Parker Company / Managing Director (Sports & Events)
ICC T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 / Venue Development Director
Keynote: The ICC is committed to funding and building the event infrastructure in Nassau County, NY in order to bring the world’s 3rd most watched sporting event to the
largest city in the US. Don’s presentation will focus on the modular cricket stadium to host the world cup. He will also take us all on the 12,500-mile journey of the drop-in
cricket pitch program for NY that started in Adelaide (AUS) and will be transferred and installed in New York in May 2024.
Don has over 40 years professional experience in the world of big stadium and mega-sporting events projects. Lockerbie was co-venue director for the FIFA World Cup USA 1994
starting in 1989 and now can claim work on 6x Olympic Games, 5x FIFA World Cups and 3x Cricket World Cups along with over 400 sports venues and events projects around the
world.
A particular specialty has been developing modular stadium projects and his work for David Beckham and Inter Miami CF as project director has reached more awareness with Lionel
Messi now selling out the stadium after joining the MLS franchise. Lockerbie was able to direct the design/build project in only 11 months with a 20,000-seat stadium, a 5400m2
training center and 8x playing fields. Based on that success and many others, the ICC approached Don in December 2022 to manage the three T20 World Cup venues in the USA.
Many may remember that Lockerbie was formerly the ICC World Cup 2007 COO & Venue Development Director in the West Indies from 2002-2008 and oversaw the design and build of 14
cricket stadiums in 10x Caribbean nations.
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 Paul May
Chairman and Founder
Trivandi
Moderated Talk: Delivering successful mega-events
How can we share knowledge and learnings to improve industry best-practice?
Media and public scrutiny are higher than ever on the hosting of major high-profile events, which shines a greater spotlight on their planning and delivery. Also, governing bodies
and organizers of large events are looking for innovative planning procedures, smart procurement strategies or new delivery models to increase cost-efficiency and the
sustainability performance of their events. It is becoming increasingly critical that the industry comes together to share knowledge and learnings in order to improve
best-practice.
Trivandi’s mission is to continually share the knowledge and learnings behind every project to help the industry to keep growing, evolving and improving, whilst protecting our
beautiful planet.
Paul will discuss the challenges that he believes need to be addressed in the way that events are planned and delivered, and will share his thoughts on the improvements that can
be made for more sustainable outcomes and economic benefits. He will share his key learnings and observations of delivering complex major event and venue projects with diverse
entities and stakeholders around the world.
Paul is the Chairman and co-founder of Trivandi and has over 30 years’ experience in the planning, delivery and operation of mega projects. For the majority of his career Paul has
provided specialised advice on the delivery of major venues projects and mega events. Paul brings exceptional skill in project leadership and programme management.
Paul spent seven years as Head of Venue Development with the London 2012 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) where he was able to apply his
experience and knowledge to the strategic planning, design, delivery and maintenance of all Games’ venues. He has since advised on many other major events projects including the
Olympic and Paralympic Games for Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, as well as the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, and the Glasgow 2014 and
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Paul has also provided strategic development advice on many high-profile venue projects including Aston Villa FC Stadium, Twickenham Stadium in London, the Zayed Sports City
Stadium in Abu Dhabi, various developments for the Eden Project, and London’s iconic Olympia Exhibition Centre.
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 Mike Papadimitriou
CFO
FIA Formula E
Keynote: Formula E is in its tenth season – a marquee season that, pre-COVID, would have signified its move from start-up to grown-up series. However, the post-COVID
environment of high inflation, tighter sustainability standards and an emphasis on product improvement, means that FE is constantly looking to progress the way it engages with
suppliers – thinking like a start-up again.
Mike joined Formula E in August 2015 from incoming investor Discovery Communications. As CFO, his remit covers Finance, Strategy and Procurement.
During his eight years at Discovery, he worked in the Strategy and M&A team before moving into Finance as CFO for the Nordics, UK, Benelux and CEEMEA regions.
Prior to Discovery, Mike spent five years at a boutique strategy consulting firm, Spectrum Strategy Consultants. He was part of both the Media team and Private Equity advisory
practice.
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 Patrick Raupach
Portas Consulting
Partner, KSA Office Lead
Moderated Talk: Saudi Arabia is calling our industry
How events support social and economic reforms.
In recent years, under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has embarked on a phase of profound and far-reaching change with a series of Saudi Arabia
Projects - the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 plan.
This initiative includes a series of social and economic reforms aimed at modernising and diversifying Saudi Arabia’s economy and reducing its dependence on oil. Saudi Vision 2030
will create a ripple effect that will be felt around the world, particularly in the events industry.
Patrick will offer insightful perspectives on the dynamic Saudi Sport Sector, with a special focus on its ever-expanding event pipeline. Delving into the sector’s alignment with
the Kingdom’s national agenda, he will spotlight key achievements and reveal forthcoming initiatives. Patrick’s presentation promises to deliver valuable insights into the
opportunities and future trajectory of the Saudi Sport Sector.
Patrick, a partner at Portas Consulting, a globally leading firm in sports strategy, brings over a decade of experience to his role leading the firm’s Saudi office in Riyadh. With
a focus on sports sector strategy, he has notably led engagements such as the Federations Transformation Program for the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the city sports
strategy for the Riyadh Royal Commission. His influence extends to decision support for the Minister and Vice Minister’s office at the Saudi Ministry of Sports, making him a key
player in shaping the sports landscape in the Kingdom.
His global perspective is evident in his previous role as Portas’ global head of Public Sector and working on projects such as market entry strategies for European football
leagues in the MENA region and his involvement in revising the competition calendar for World Rugby. Beyond his professional achievements, Patrick serves as a board advisor for
the Saudi Rugby Federation, including heading the competitions committee. Prior to Portas, he spent time at KPMG’s Global Strategy Group and the German government-owned
Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
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 Ray Winkler
CEO
STUFISH Entertainment Architects
Keynote: Ray will be introducing Stufish Entertainment Architects, and discussing the design process with particular emphasis on: The analogue and the digital world, the
oscillation between hand sketches and VR experiences, model making and prototyping elements, understanding the audience requirements for show delivery, and interest in the future
of projects technology.
Ray has devoted more than 25 years to designing touring shows, theatrical projects and one-off productions. He has worked with some of the biggest names in entertainment, such as
Adele, U2, Beyoncé, The Rolling Stones, and Cirque du Soleil. His latest completed building project is the award-winning ABBA Arena, a 3000 capacity theatre housing the
revolutionary ABBA Voyage show which opened in 2022.
Ray’s portfolio includes the recently opened Las Vegas Residency, ‘Weekends with Adele’ at The Colosseum, Black Pink at Coachella, Rosalia ‘MOTOMAMI Tour, Global Citizen 2021-23
and Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Some past tours include, Take That Greatest Hits, Beyoncé & JayZ OTRII, One Direction 2014 world tour, Dragon Quest Live, Andy
Lau’s world tour, The Rolling Stones No Filter Tour and SIXTY Tour. He has also worked extensively in Japan for great artist such as; Mr Children, Ai, Yumi Matsutoya, Bz,
Universal Studios Japan, Himuro and Arashi. Events include, London 2012 Handover at the Beijing 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony, as well as live TV shows for MTV, VH1 and other TV
channels in the USA and the UK.
In January 2023 Ray was appointed William Henry Bishop Visiting Professor at Yale School of Architecture leading the ‘Advanced Design Studio: The Future of Entertainment’.
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