SVB LIVE 2026 brought the sports and live entertainment industry together at Hill Dickinson Stadium

More than 320 industry professionals gathered at Everton FC’s waterfront home for SVB LIVE 2026, featuring keynote presentations from Everton FC and Aramark UK, VIP stadium tours and an exclusive opening-night event at Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium.

All roads led to Liverpool for the 2026 SVB LIVE Conference and Exhibition which welcomed more than 320 industry professionals to Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on 1–2 October, bringing together leaders from across the sports, venues, hospitality and live events sectors.

The event opened on the evening of 30 September with an icebreaker reception at Liverpool FC’s iconic Anfield Stadium, attended by 200 delegates, sponsored by Dawnvale and KAPPTURE, including a demo of one of their BRISK AI-powered frictionless retail units, with post-tour drinks sponsored by Portview, and fun caricatures provided by Wallpen UK.

With VIP tours of both Anfield and Hill Dickinson Stadium, the event offered attendees an exclusive opportunity to experience two of English football’s most recognisable venues, while connecting with peers from across the industry. Tour sponsors for the VIP tour of Hill Dickinson Stadium were Amazon Just Walk Out, Forward Associates, and Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), with entertainment provided by The Music Entourage (TME) and sumptuous food and beverage offerings from event partner, Aramark UK, along with further culinary expertise from Aramark Ireland and Aramark Germany.

The 2026 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition – focused on elevating the live experience – took place at Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, with an Opening Night Icebreaker at Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium. Check out the Day 1 highlights video here.

Hosted at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton FC’s new waterfront home, SVB LIVE 2026 placed the spotlight firmly on the future of stadium development, premium hospitality and the evolving expectations of fans, corporate guests and event audiences.

A highlight of the conference was a keynote presentation featuring Colin Chong, Chief Real Estate & Regeneration Officer at Everton FC, and Daniel Clark, Managing Director, Sports & Entertainment at Aramark UK. Together, they provided delegates with an overview of the development of Hill Dickinson Stadium and explored how hospitality and an elevated guest experience were central to the venue’s vision.

Watch Daniel Clark’s keynote from the 2026 SVB LIVE Conference online here or click on the image (top) to watch Colin Chong’s.

Set against Liverpool’s iconic waterfront, Hill Dickinson Stadium represents a major investment in the city’s sporting infrastructure and wider regeneration ambitions. The presentation explored how the stadium’s development extended beyond the pitch, creating a destination where sport, hospitality, entertainment and the visitor economy intersect.

Fundamental shift in the role of Modern Stadiums

For delegates, the discussion highlighted a fundamental shift in the role of modern stadiums: they are no longer simply places to watch live sport, but destinations where architecture, service, food and beverage, technology and premium hospitality combine to deliver memorable experiences.

With expectations continuing to rise among supporters, corporate guests and commercial partners, hospitality has become a key consideration in how venues differentiate themselves, strengthen relationships and unlock new revenue opportunities.

Colin Chong shared insight into Everton FC’s development ambitions for Hill Dickinson Stadium, including its role in the club’s long-term vision and Liverpool’s evolving waterfront. Daniel Clark complemented this perspective with an overview of the hospitality and guest experience considerations involved in delivering a premium offering at scale, highlighting the importance of collaboration between venue operators and specialist hospitality partners.

Together, their presentations reinforced the importance of aligning stadium development with a clear understanding of the people who use and experience the venue — from matchday supporters and premium hospitality guests to corporate clients and visitors attending non-sporting events.

The keynote also underlined how the relationship between the built environment and the experience delivered within it has become increasingly important to the commercial success of major venues. As competition for audiences, events and sponsorship intensifies, creating a distinctive and consistently high-quality experience is essential to maximising a stadium’s potential throughout the year.

With its rich sporting heritage, cultural appeal and ambitious regeneration projects, Liverpool demonstrated its ability to bring together the sports and live events community while showcasing the role of major venues in shaping a city’s identity and economic future.

The Importance of Collaboration

With more than 320 professionals in attendance, including 40+ high-level speakers from entities as diverse as Inter Miami, Huddersfield Town, and Feyenoord Rotterdam to Horse Racing Ireland, P&J Live and Prime Arena Holdings, an opening-night gathering at Anfield and a programme hosted at Hill Dickinson Stadium, SVB LIVE 2026 provided a valuable platform for networking, knowledge-sharing and discussion around the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

The event reinforced the importance of collaboration across venue development, hospitality and live experiences, while highlighting how investment in infrastructure and a focus on the guest journey can help shape the next generation of sporting and entertainment destinations.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

SVB LIVE 2026 would not have been possible without the incredible support of our sponsors and partners.

Our sincere thanks to our event partners and Platinum Plus Sponsors:

Aramark | Hill Dickinson Stadium | Everton FC

Arup | Dawnvale | Global Payments | KAPPTURE | Stadium Structures

Platinum Sponsors:

AECOM | atVenu | BDP Pattern | Bundeling | Mashgin | Populous | Riptide Partners | The Parker Company

Sponsors and Partners:

Accredit Solutions | Forward Associates | VisioLab | 20.20 Ltd | Layrd Design | Qualflow Systems | Tixserve | Daktronics | Portview | Just Walk Out technology by Amazon | Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) | The Music Entourage (TME)

Exhibitors:

Bluecube Seating | Catertherm | CEIA | CleanEvent Services | Every Child Online | EBar | Ferco Seating | EHEIM | LEDTURE | STAR by Event Cup Solutions | ScanBox | Terraplas | Seat Unique | TG Baker | Well & Spire | Zip Water 

Your support, expertise and contribution helped create an exceptional experience for everyone who attended.

Looking Ahead to 2027

We’re already looking ahead to SVB LIVE 2027 and are excited to announce our 2027 series of events in the coming weeks.

Thank you once again to everyone who joined us, supported us, spoke, exhibited, sponsored, partnered with and contributed to SVB LIVE 2026. We’ll see you in 2027!

Check out the latest sports & entertainment venue development data from across the globe in the exclusive, subscription-only, SVB Global Report here.

#SportsVenueBusiness – The leading global platform for sector news, views & developments

#SVBLIVE – The leading global series of events for the live experience industry