- June 25, 2025
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Event News, Featured Articles, Features, Home News, Industry News, News, Press Releases
What happens when a stadium redefines itself as a destination? Earlier this month, we brought 160 industry leaders together at Fulham Pier for the latest SVB LIVE Networking Event. The gathered individuals heard about bold ideas and real insights from those behind the transformational development and were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the spectacular new Riverside Stand, expertly led by event partner, Portview.
From rethinking matchday models, to blending hospitality, technology and branding in new ways — this is the kind of future-facing thinking we love to spotlight at SVB LIVE events, making Fulham Pier the perfect backdrop for our most recent networking event, delivered in association with Portview.
Glen Sutton, Project Director, Fulham Football Club remarked during his opening keynote:
“You have to be brave enough to change your stakeholder group.”
He shared how the Fulham Pier development wasn’t simply about building a “new Riverside Stand” with football front and centre; rather it was about rethinking what a club could be — and what a stadium could offer beyond matchday.
Some standout themes that emerged from Glen’s keynote included:
- Fulham FC and the Fulham Pier project team stopped thinking in terms of matchday-only, rather the venue was positioned as an ‘urban resort’, sporting a rooftop pool, restaurants and an independent food hall, in addition to Lighthouse Social’s landmark private members’ club. Designed for all-day, every-day use, year-round, with community at its core.
- The branding is agnostic most of the week. Only one club logo exists in the building. On non-matchdays, the space welcomes a broader audience, including Lighthouse Social guests — giving flexibility and commercial longevity.
- Innovation meant borrowing and blending tech from different sectors, an redeveloped specifically for the venue.
- With stadiums now competing with airlines, restaurants and resorts, Fulham Pier has taken a fresh look around consistency, hospitality and the guest journey.
The real challenge? Glen advised that this was breaking away from the traditional playbook and having the vision — and leadership backing — to do things differently.
The 160 industry executives that came together for this latest SVB LIVE Networking Event, were joined by a further 200+ industry professionals for a behind-the-scenes tour of this groundbreaking facility, courtesy of event partner Portview, and Stuart Forbes Associates (SFA), followed by a glittering after-party, courtesy of Portview, with F&B provided by event sponsor, Sodexo Live!.
The SVB LIVE series of events – organised and delivered by Sports Venue Business (SVB) – are focused on elevating the live experience at stadia, arenas, sporting and live entertainment events and venues.
Industry Quotes:
Following the event, many attendees took to LinkedIn to share their experiences:
Philip Johnson, Senior Principal, Populous, said:
“I really enjoyed speaking at the SVB LIVE event in the Riverside Stand at Fulham Football Club, to share inspiration for the design and some of the stories from this amazing Populous project. The Orange Box venue was the perfect location for this and the atmosphere in the room was superb.”
Roy Westwood, CEO, Forward Associates, said:
“Last Wednesday marked a pivotal moment for stadium development – and wow, what a day it was. We moderated the SVB LIVE panel session at Fulham Football Club, showcasing the new Riverside Stand. Designed with the river at its heart, our vision for the future of stadia has come to live. Fulham Pier is the first – a bold, 365-day destination, designed for everyday, not just the matchday.
“Huge congratulations to the brilliant minds behind the 365-day vision, Darren Preston, Paul Scullion, Stuart Forbes, Ashley Boswarva and Martin Jennings. Through cross-disciplinary coordination, interior design layering, commercial modelling and uncompromising delivery standards, our original framework has transformed into a destination of true significance.
“While others have flirted with non-matchday potential, Fulham FC have built it into the blueprint – and the entire industry is watching. This is the future of stadia, realised.”
Phil Joule, Client Development Executive, Freemans Event Partners, said:
“Yesterday’s SVB LIVE at Fulham Pier was more than just inspiring – it was a moment of sheer awe! The Riverside Stand is an extraordinary space. Thank you Katie McIntyre, Cassandra Calleja.
“One takeaway struck me hard: the hospitality space is ripe for reinvention. The gap between Premium Hospitality and General Admission isn’t a challenge – it’s an opportunity. There’s an audience in between, waiting for something that resonates.
“We should start designing flexible, tiered experiences that reflect how people actually want to engage. New formats. New products. New demographics.
“Especially as we’re competing against the entire high street – rooftop dining, boutique cinema, immersive retail. Their premium experiences are setting the benchmark, not just for quality, but for engagement.”
Daniel Piotr Stram, CEO & Founder, VirtuStratos, said:
“Still buzzing after an inspiring day at SVB LIVE at Fulham Pier. Together with Kacper Ozimek, we had the chance to connect with brilliant minds from across the sports, entertainment and hospitality sectors, all in the iconic setting of Fulham Football Club’s transformed Riverside Stand. The architecture, the views, the conversations… world-class on every level.
“Massive thank you to Katie McIntyre and Cassandra Calleja, and the SVB LIVE team for creating a space where innovation meets community and where real opportunities take shape. From future-focused fan experiences to sustainable F&B solutions, the conversations were as bold as the backdrop.”
Birmingham bound
Up next is the 2025 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition, being held at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK, on October 6th and 7th, with an Opening Night Icebreaker on the evening of October 5th at one of the city’s iconic arenas, a tour of Villa Park on the evening of October 6th, and the inaugural SVB LIVE Awards taking place at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on the evening of October 7th, along with a stadium tour.
The stellar speaker lineup for this October’s event includes:
- Nicola Coffey, Stadium Manager, Tallaght Stadium
- Vicki Donlon, Interim CEO, Leopardstown Racecourse
- Guy Dunstan, SVP & GM, Co-op Live
- Claire Harkness, Operations Director, CBS Arena & Stadium
- Caroline James, GM, Utilita Arena Newcastle
- Vicky Jaycock, Head of Premium Sales – New Stadium, Everton
- Stacy McGranor, Director, CX Strategy, San Jose Sharks
- Jen Mitchell, MD – Arenas, NEC Group
- Franco Segarra, Director, Data/Analytics, Fan Experience & Ticketing, Valencia CF
- Nick Smith, Head of Infrastructure, Birmingham City Football Club
- Laura-Marie Worsey, VP Venue Operations, Aston Villa Football Club
Top tier sponsors for the 2025 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition include:
Diamond Sponsor: Levy
Platinum Plus Sponsors: Global Payments Inc and Dawnvale
Platinum Sponsors: AECOM, Riptide Partners and Wicket
With 135+ attendees already confirmed, less than 5 exhibit spaces left and only a handful of sponsor packages remaining, this industry-leading event looks set to be completely sold out.
SECURE YOUR PLACE AT THE 2025 SVB LIVE CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!
The SVB LIVE series of events – organised and delivered by Sports Venue Business (SVB) – are focused on elevating the fan experience through the key pillars of architecture & design, the customer journey, commercialisation, fan & premium/VIP experience, hospitality, fit-out & interiors, sustainability and technology.
SVB LIVE events – organised & delivered by Sports Venue Business – focus on elevating the live experience through architecture & design, commercialisation, customer journey, fan & premium/VIP experience, hospitality, interiors & fit-out, sustainability and technology.
Check out the latest sports and entertainment venue development data from across the globe in the exclusive, subscription-only, SVB Global Report here.
