VNC Panel Announcement: Fan Engagement and Adding Value To The In-Game Experience

Kaity Dychala, Director of Game Presentation & Live Events at PWHL; Gina Rotolo, VP Marketing & Business Services at Acrisure Arena; Ashlee Stokely, Head of Stadium, Operations & Experience at Nissan Stadium / Tennessee Titans; and Luke Tingle, Project Executive at Daktronics, are confirmed as speakers on the VenuesNow Conference panel “Fan Engagement and Adding Value to the In-Game Experience.”

Today’s sports fans expect far more from their home building than accurate scorekeeping and a old beer (though they still, of course, expect those things). Fans conditioned to whiz-bang entertainment as part of their night out come to sporting events anticipating a full-on experience, including promotions, giveaways, dynamic visuals, personalized outreach, and a good time for all, generally inclusive of the ticket price. This is true from minor leagues to the Big Four and everything in between, and experts in over-selling fans from teams, leagues and facilities will share how they send fans home feeling they got their money’s worth.

Seattle Kraken Owner Samantha Holloway To Open 2026
VenuesNow Conference

VNC 2026 takes place Sept. 29-30 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle, marking VNC’s return to the Emerald City for the first time since 2021. Produced by Pollstar and presented by Marsh and Oracle, VNC brings together live entertainment, sports, and venue executives to address the industry’s most critical operational, financial, and strategic dynamics. 

Seattle Kraken owner Samantha Holloway will open VenuesNow Conference. Holloway is also the managing partner of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, the umbrella brand for the Seattle Kraken, Climate Pledge Arena, and One Roof Foundation. During the opening fireside chat, Holloway will share her perspective as a technology entrepreneur, investor, and operator, and will discuss how she brings her founder’s mindset to sports and live entertainment, combining operational rigor and data-driven decision-making with a strong focus on the fan experience. 

Additional confirmed speakers taking part in VNC panels, keynotes and town halls include Chris Granger and Emily Lindahl (Oak View Group), Sean Saadeh (Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment), Kosha Irby (All Elite Wrestling), Mike Hayes (UTA), Craig Newman and Bruce Solar (Paladin Artists), Paz Aparicio (Movistar Arena Madrid), Denis Sullivan (Feld Entertainment), Gary Hutchinson (Oak View Group), Laura Chiplin (Tottenham Hotspur), David Powell (Ethara), John Page (Acrisure Arena), Thayer Lavielle and Sara Dean (The.Team), Bryan Bedford (Cisco), Kevin Devore and Ryan Zoukis (ME Engineers), Greg Farley (MD Energy Advisors), Dani Stern (Honeywell), Adam Stover (Populous), Mike Sciortino (UBS Arena), Declan Weir (Stantec), David Reed (ModeScore & ActiveScore), Aaron Thomas (Columbus Arena Sports & Entertainment), Wesley Cullen (Oak View Group) and Guy Dunstan (Co‑op Live).

VNC follows the inaugural Secure Venues Summit on Sept. 28 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle, which is being launched by Oak View Group & Prevent Advisors. The event is programmed specifically for safety, risk management, and venue operations leaders, and will feature a Keynote address on the “State of Security in America: Trends, Evolution, and Adversaries in Preparation for the 2028 Olympics in LA” by Voviette D. Morgan (SVP, Safety & Security, LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games) and Mike Downing (CSO/President, OVG/Prevent Advisors).

Also taking place Sept. 28 is the pre-conference VNC Golf Classic, a separately ticketed event providing executive networking on the course prior to the afternoon SVS breakout sessions and opening reception.

To register for the VenuesNow Conference 2026 or the Secure Venues Summit, or for schedule updates and venue information, visit venuesnowconference.com and securevenuessummit.com.