How ALSD International benefits members with Matt Botten of The O2 Arena

In this video interview, Matt Botten, Senior Director, Premium Seating at The O2 Arena in London, explains the wide-ranging benefits of being a part of the ever-growing ALSD International community.

As a regular face at both ALSD and ALSD International events, and as one of the 40+ high-level industry executives that sit on the ALSD International Advisory Board, Matt Botten is recognised a key figure in the industry.

In this interview, filmed during the ALSD Conference & Trade Show in Indianapolis this July, he explains the key benefits of being a part of this dynamic community; from the shared learnings to networking and engaging with industry peers.

Speaking about some of the key benefits, Matt said:

Within the UK, there’s a lot of people involved in ALSD International and that sit on the board. A lot of us knew each other beforehand, but being able to put together a format and have this tool and this event that brings people together, and gets the same kinds of benefits out of the wider ALSD, but more in a local setting, has been really, really beneficial.

Coming from The O2 in London, we don’t have a resident sports team…with so many colleagues from ALSD and ALSD International coming from a sporting background, trying to use ideas working in sports and teams, hearing about all these different products and ideas, and translating them into ideas that work in an entertainment venue is great.

ALSD International 2023 will take place at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium October 9-10. Optimising revenue through New Builds, Renovations & Service Expansions is the key focus of this industry-leading event, with architecture & design, fan experience, hospitality, premium sales & service, sustainability and technology taking centre stage. Matt is one of 40+ industry executives sitting on the ALSD International Advisory Board.

Matt continued:

With ALSD International, having colleagues that know what The O2 is all about, and being able to bounce ideas off those guys. The connections, it’s makes such a difference to be able to have a name, a contact, whether you’re doing something in your own venue, to be able to reach out to, to bounce an idea off, and out of that develop friendships as well, to grab a beer and pick their brains about what’s going on in their world. You get part of that wider community feeling in what is, let’s face it, probably the best industry to work in!