VenuesNow 2026 All-Star Honoree: Alison Birdwell

Alison Birdwell
President & CEO
Aramark Sports + Entertainment

BEST SHOW SHE SAW THIS YEAR?
“Hands down the World Cup! We had the privilege of hosting many games in the venues we serve, and soccer is my favorite sport.”

As president and CEO of Aramark Sports + Entertainment, Alison Birdwell oversees a portfolio of premier stadiums, arenas, university athletic venues, minor league ballparks, convention centers, concert venues, and cultural attractions in both the U.S. and Canada, with clients including the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and collegiate teams. Birdwell has spent two decades rising through the ranks at Aramark, which provides concessions, premium catering, restaurant, alcohol, retail merchandise, and venue management services. Here, in her own words, she shares a few thoughts about Aramark Sports + Entertainment’s greatest successes over the past year and how the company is approaching hospitality.

Evolving Alongside Clients
“Over the last year, one of our greatest successes has been helping position our business for long-term growth while staying focused on serving our clients and guests. Florida State University is a great example. We’ve had a longstanding campus dining relationship with FSU and recently expanded that partnership to include athletics. That says a lot about the trust our teams have built and the value we can bring across different parts of a client’s organization. What makes that especially exciting is that it reflects where I believe our industry is headed: toward more integrated partnerships built around the entire guest experience.

Looking At The Entire Guest Journey
“We’ve continued to shift the conversation from food and beverage to hospitality more broadly. That means reimagining traditional approaches and looking at the entire guest journey, from how people move through a venue and how quickly they can get what they want, to the quality and variety of the food, premium experiences, and how technology can make the experience more seamless. Our scale gives us tremendous insight, but every venue and every fan base is different. The goal is to combine that scale with a very local approach, so the experience feels authentic to the team, venue, and community.

“Premium hospitality has been a huge focus for us this year. We have added some great resources to really dive deeper in this space and commit to our clients and venues in new ways.”