Top industry talents join YTL Arena Bristol

YTL Arena Bristol, a new 17,000 capacity arena for the South West, is expanding its team with two talented new hires, Une Marija Jurkstaite and Matt Blackhouse.

Une Marija Jurkstaite joins YTL Arena Bristol as Head of Experience, where she will play a pivotal role in growing the YTL Arena fan database and ensuring each event sells to its targeted full capacity. She will drive the world-class digital user experience across ticketing, food and drink ordering, travel and loyalty programmes.

Une joins the team from her previous role as Chief Business Officer for Žalgiris Arena where she developed a track record for driving fan growth and creating a “sell-out” culture at the venue. Žalgiris Arena is a 20,000-capacity indoor arena hosting international sell-out concerts, large exhibitions and national conferences. It is also home to Žalgiris Basketball Club, a top competing EuroLeague team, with 23 Lithuanian championships under its belt. 

Une Marija Jurkstaite is a regular speaker at our ALSD International conferences and is also one of the 30+ high-ranking industry executive members of the ALSD International Advisory Board, as is EuroLeague Basketball’s Senior Manager, Business Operations, Milos Nenadovic.

Une said:

I am very happy to be joining this world-class new venue. I look forward to bringing my passion for customer experiences to ensure every touchpoint across the YTL Arena Bristol customer journey is exceptional.

Matt Blackhouse will be bringing his 16+ years of experience in the live events industry to his role as Senior Events Project Manager at YTL Arena Bristol. The role is a crucial link for the team, ensuring the very best back of house facilities for all touring artists, promoters and event organisers as YTL Arena Bristol starts its countdown to construction and opening.

Matt started his career in live music as the Events and Entertainments Supervisor for Cardiff University Student’s Union, bringing in top British bands including Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party and more. He then joined St David’s Hall as Events Coordinator, working to deliver a wider programme of events including orchestral events, comedy shows, and internationally televised operatic singing competitions.

YTL Arena Bristol is looking for a Director of Technology & Digital to join the team. Click here to find out more…

In 2014, Matt joined the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff as Senior Events Manager, leading the events management and technical teams in the delivery of hundreds of events, including live internationally televised boxing, snooker, wrestling and darts events. Matt has managed shows for some of the biggest names in music, including Elton John, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, The 1975 and many more.

Matt said:

I am really excited to be joining the team that will deliver the South West’s first-ever purpose-built arena. I grew up in the region and know how much demand there will be from huge events wanting to come to Bristol, and I can’t wait to get started in helping make this a must-play venue for acts.

Andrew Billingham, CEO of YTL Arena Bristol, said:

We are thrilled to be expanding our operational team, welcoming two talented hires from the industry. Une and Matt bring a wealth of experience in delivering thousands of live events and will help us enormously. Whilst finalising design and construction elements, we are also looking ahead to doors opening and building our operating team to deliver one of the best arena fan and artist experiences in the UK and across Europe.

YTL Arena Bristol has also been working with industry-leading consultants, Richard Latham and Ian Tussie, leveraging their years of experience in live events to deliver a truly world-class venue. 

Richard Latham, Director of Tier 1 Security Consultancy, joins the team as Senior Security Consultant. Richard is a highly experienced security professional, including Head of Security for The O2 Arena, The House of Commons and Shakespeare’s Globe. He has also recently served as an Expert Security Witness in the Manchester Arena Inquiry. Safety will always be the first priority at YTL Arena Bristol. 

Ian Tussie, Managing Director of T8 Partnerships and former Head of Commercial Partnerships at ASM Global, will be working with YTL’s partnerships team to develop and support the delivery of YTL Arena Bristol’s commercial partnership programme. Ian will be bringing his 10+ years of experience with AO Arena, First Direct Arena, P&J Live Arena and the Bonus Arena, to create partnerships that put fan experience and sustainability at the heart. 

YTL Arena Bristol are continuing to grow its team with the very best in the business, working together to design, build and operate the first indoor arena and exhibition centre in the South West, and one of the most sustainable venues in Europe. 

Keep an eye out for new vacancies and opportunities on YTL Arena’s social channels @ytlarenabristol or sign up for the newsletter here.

Main image, top: YTL Arena Bristol’s unique bowl has been designed to optimise sightlines, creating an intimate feel even in 17,000 capacity concerts

Source & imagery, courtesy: YTL Arena Bristol

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