Date: 15 September 2026 | Location: Arboretum, Charing Cross Road, London
How major sports and live entertainment events are leveraging travel to redefine visitor experience and drive growth
You. Smart. Thing. Live is our first dedicated visitor experience event. A full day in Central London bringing together clients, supply chain partners and industry leaders from destinations, venues, rights holders and live event organisers. Expect illuminating insights, shared best practice and plenty of opportunity to connect.
Tickets now available. Limited spaces – register early to secure your place.
Panels and keynotes
Leading industry voices on how travel is transforming visitor experience for major events – streamlining delivery, reducing emissions, and unlocking revenue
Breakout sessions
Facilitated small group discussions to share what’s working, where the challenges are and what the live events sector needs to focus to move the dial
YST Service Desk & Partners
Meet the YST product team and selected supply chain partners, each with a dedicated presence, ready to discuss requirements and explore opportunities
Networking
An opportunity to swap notes on best practice with industry leaders and supply chain partners throughout the day, with drinks and networking to close
Agenda
09:30 – Registration & Morning Coffee
10:00 – Welcome & Opening Plenary
A few words on people, place, profit, and planet: who is in the room and what to expect from the day!
10:10 – In Conversation with Charlie Greenwood: Making Innovation Matter
In conversation with YST CEO, Chris Thompson, Charlie will explore how technology is reshaping audience expectations, commercial models and operational practice across sport and major events. Drawing on the hundreds of emerging companies Sports Loft assesses each year, they will examine why some ideas achieve widespread adoption while others stall, how organisations can make better decisions about innovation, and which developments are likely to have the greatest impact on the industry’s future.
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Charlie Greenwood has built a career at the intersection of sport, media and technology, working with organisations including Nike, AEG Europe, Reuters, The Football Association and Premiership Rugby before founding Sports Loft in 2019. His deep experience integrating technology into sports rights holders—and his willingness to distinguish meaningful innovation from industry noise—give him a distinctive perspective on what creates genuine value.
Charlie Greenwood,
Founder and CEO, Sports Loft
Interviewed by Chris Thompson, CEO, ‘You. Smart. Thing.’
10:40 – Own The Journey, Unlock The Value
Where the major events industry stands in terms of its environmental and socioeconomic impact, and how organisers are challenging the status quo by leveraging travel as a new paradigm for audience engagement.
Alex Townshend,,
Head of Environmental and Socio-economic Impact, You. Smart. Thing.
11:00 – Break
11:15 – Panel: Transforming Visitor Experience with Travel Demand Management
The panel will explore the role of travel demand management in streamlining access to destinations, venues, and major events, reducing their environmental footprint, enhancing the visitor experience, and unlocking commercial opportunities.
Speakers:
Kate Chapman,
Head of Sustainability, London Marathon Events
Matthew Crawcour,
Head of Championships Development, AELTC
Sam Dils,
Technology Coordinator, be•at
Moderated by: Chris Thompson, CEO, You. Smart. Thing.
12:00 – Panel: Creating Lasting Impact
Real-world stories from organisations using connected visitor journeys to deliver better experiences, smarter operations and stronger outcomes. Includes Q&A.
Speakers:
Livvy Drake,
Project Director, onboard:earth,
Jamie Saye,
Co-founder and Executive Director, SAIL
Dom Goggins,
Communications Director, BASIS
Ydze Rijff,
Strategic Advisor, Johan Cruijff ArenA, Mobility & Environment Lead
Moderated by: Alex Townshend, Head of Environmental and Socio-economic Impact, You. Smart. Thing.
12:30 – Panel: From Vision to Value
How leading organisations have refined their approach to visitor experience to drive adoption of their ‘travel assistant’ service, maximising audience engagement and delivering lasting value. Includes Q&A.
Speakers:
Hille Peeters,
Digital Marketer, be•at
Miriam Bonner,
Senior Account Manager, Granicus Destinations
Owen James,
Sustainability Manager, The R&A
Hannah Thomas,
Associate Director, Steer Group
Moderated by: Tom Yiangou, Client Development Manager, You. Smart. Thing.
13:00 – Buffet Lunch & Networking
14:00 – Event Management Breakout Discussions
Incentives
How to motivate audiences to travel differently
Connecting with visitors before, during and after the event
Curating the last mile
Getting visitors from A to B seamlessly on event day
Reducing the environmental footprint of event travel
15:05 – Partner Spotlight
An introduction to Granicus Destinations, exploring how they support destination organisations and event teams in connecting communities with the visitors and major events that shape their regions.
Presented by:
Lynsey Bell,
Proposal Manager, Granicus Destinations
15:15 – YST Platform Update
A closer look at what is new and what is next for the ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ platform and travel assistant interface. Explore what is possible, discover new capabilities and get a glimpse of what is coming — straight from our Head of Product & Systems Integration.
Presented by:
Andrew Steele,
Chief Operating Officer, You. Smart. Thing.
Antonis Kousoulas,
Head of Product, You. Smart. Thing.
16:00 – Closing Keynote: When Events Own the Journey
Who should own the journey to a major event—and what becomes possible when the industry treats it as part of the event itself? This closing provocation explores the ambition and collective responsibility needed to create a fundamentally better way of experiencing live events…
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Travel has repeatedly been transformed when someone takes a fragmented, supplier-led system and makes it feel simple to the customer. Drawing on more than two decades of building and scaling travel technology businesses, Will Phillipson asks whether major events have now reached a similar inflection point.
Using insights and evidence shared throughout the day, Will explores the interdependencies between audiences, organisers, transport networks and places. He considers how better journeys at individual events can become a scalable capability for industry-wide change, and what the sector must do collectively to realise that opportunity.
Will Phillipson,
Chair, ‘You. Smart. Thing.’
16:30 – Final Reflections & Thanks
A moment to reflect on the day’s conversations ahead of drinks and networking, key themes and what we are all taking away.
Emma Gibbons,
Head of Client Development, ‘You. Smart. Thing.’
16:45 – Drinks & Networking
17:30 – Close
The day draws to a close. Time to plan your journey home and we hope to see you again soon.
”"I am really looking forward to welcoming everyone to our first 'You. Smart. Thing. Live'. This is a day built around the conversations that matter most to us - how major events are using travel to improve the visitor experience, drive commercial outcomes and create lasting impact. We have an incredible group of people in the room and I cannot wait to hear what we collectively take away from the day."
Chris ThompsonCEO, ‘You. Smart. Thing.’
Partner Spotlight: Granicus Destinations
Granicus Destinations is the dedicated destination marketing business segment within Granicus, serving more than 1,000 destination marketing organisations (DMOs) globally. Built on the heritage of Simpleview, the industry’s leading DMO platform for more than 25 years, Granicus Destinations provides the technology, data and services that destination organisations use to drive demand, win meetings, engage their communities and prove economic impact.
The Venue
Arboretum is an independent members’ club just off Trafalgar Square in Central London, founded with environmental consciousness at its core. A space built around sustainability, community and forward-thinking people — which is exactly why we chose it.
Arboretum, 2A Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HF
Nearest tube: Leicester Square (0.1 mi)
Interested in partnering at the event?
We have a small number of partner opportunities available, giving you the chance to exhibit and showcase your solution, attend the full day with your team and connect directly with industry leaders and decision makers.
Plan your journey to You. Smart. Thing. Live
We would not be doing our job if we did not make it easy to plan your trip in advance. Use the You. Smart. Thing. Live Travel Assistant below to find the best route to Arboretum.
