VNC 2025 Panel Preview: Beyond The Bowl – Creating Premium Experiences Around The Venue

The eighth annual VenuesNow Conference will take place Sept. 9-11 at Resorts World Las Vegas. Presented by Lockton and Oracle, the event marks the debut in the entertainment capital of the world and the first time VNC has expanded to three days.

VNC is the preeminent forum for live events, sports, and cultural venue owners and partners to explore industry dynamics, share best practices, and discuss future trends. This year, the three-day conference will feature sessions on bookings, hospitality, premium experiences, technology, and a new half-day of curated programming focused on sustainability across all venue types, touching on energy, water, and waste management, along with strategies to strengthen financial performance, corporate partnerships, and guest experience.

Registration for VenuesNow Conference is open now at venuesnowconference.com.

Here’s a look at the VNC 2025 panel “Beyong The Bowl: Creating Premium Experiences Around The Venue.”

MODERATOR
Ken Gaber
President
OVG Hospitality

SPEAKERS
Dan Berkowitz
Founder/CEO
100x Hospitality

Lauren Terrien
Head
FIFA Fan Festival

Ashley Goodhue-White
President & COO
RISE Festival

The era of the venue standing like a monolith — typically surrounded by little more than parking — and simply absorbing and then discharging event attendees is over.

With ticket prices for both sports and music outpacing the rate of inflation, events becoming Instagrammable lifestyle moments and demand seemingly having no ceiling, attendees expect something more for their hard-earned money and precious time.

After all, those interested in merely watching the game or the show can do so at home, with light-speed streaming beaming nearly everything on to the screens of the ubiquitous high-definition television. These days, those who go to an event want to go to An Event.

Witness the rise of entire campuses of activities and activations surrounding arenas and stadiums, immersive fan festivals surrounding major (and increasingly, just regular season) sporting events and the busy schedule of destination festivals that provide an all-inclusive vacation built around curated musical performances.

While it’s almost imperative that venues use previously underutilized space to maximize the event day experience for show and gamegoers and provide high-quality amenities for premium customers (upstart golf tour LIV has a reputation for its luxury hospitality), there’s also opportunities to create memorable experiences for folks just wanting to be in a community. FIFA’s Fan Festivals launched with the 2006 World Cup and the mass gatherings of game-watching, live music, food and celebration are now a vital (and viral) part of the World Cup experience.

Moderated by OVG Hospitality President Ken Gaber, joined by Dan Berkowitz of music experience leaders 100x Hospitality; Lauren Terrien, who is leading Fan Festivals for the World Cup in 2026; and Ashley Goodhue-White of RISE Festival, the panel will explore how venues and event producers can activate adjacent spaces to build high-value moments before and after the main event. 

In a world where ticketholders crave premium experiences and memory-making, beyond the bowl experiences are an area where different sectors — hospitality, sponsorship and operations — can intersect for new revenue streams and future growth.