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You. Smart. Thing. Live

By July 15, 2026August 6th, 2026No Comments6 min read

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.

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

Register now

Tickets now available. Limited spaces – register early to secure your place.

Agenda

09:30 - Registration & Morning Coffee

Registration opens. Time to grab a morning coffee or tea and connect with fellow attendees.

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!

Emma Gibbons, Head of Client Development, You. Smart. Thing.

10:10 - Opening Keynote: The Impact of Technology

Technology impacts everything from media rights and audience expectations through to operational delivery. Our opening keynote sets the scene for transformational change in the delivery participant and fan experience, improved event management, and the enablement of ecosystems for future growth.

Guest Speaker, (TBC)

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.

Chris Thompson, CEO, You. Smart. Thing.

11:00 - 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
• Fabrice Perrin, Chief of Sports, Communities & Sustainability, UTMB (TBC)
• 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:
• John Kemp, Assistant Director, Sustainable Golf Development, The R&A (TBC)
• Jamie Saye, Co-founder and Executive Director, SAIL
• Kevin McKay, Sustainability Manager, DF Concerts & Events (TBC)
• Dom Goggins, Communications Director, BASIS (TBC)

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:
• Owen James, Sustainability Manager, The R&A (TBC)
• Hille Peeters, Digital Marketer, be•at
• Anna Lyle, Project Administrator, The Great Run Company (TBC)
• Casey Baksa, Vice President, Business & Internal Communications, San Francisco Giants (TBC)

Moderated by: Tom Yiangou, Client Development Manager, You. Smart. Thing.

13:00 - Buffet Lunch & Networking.

14:00 - Event Management Breakout Discussions

Four facilitated roundtable discussions, each focusing on a theme shaping the future of event travel today, followed by 30 minutes of group feedback where each table shares key insights back to the full room.
Incentives — how to motivate audiences to travel differently
Engagement — connecting with visitors before, during and after the event
Sustainability — reducing the environmental footprint of event travel
Curating the last mile — getting visitors from A to B seamlessly on event day

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: 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.

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

The formal programme closes and the bar opens. Time to continue the conversations, make new connections and round off the day in good company.

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.’

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.

To register your interest, get in touch.

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.

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