VenuesNow, Secure Venues Summits to Meet in Seattle, September 28-30

The VenuesNow Conference and OVG & Prevent Advisors Secure Venues Summit will take place at the Sheraton Grand Seattle on September 28-30.

The main-stage VNC programming includes a featured Fireside Chat, A New Era for Professional Sports and Entertainment in Seattle, featuring Samantha Holloway, owner and managing partner of One Roof Sports and Entertainment. Holloway, a technology entrepreneur, investor, and operator, will discuss how she brings her founder's mindset to sports and live entertainment, combining operational rigor and data-driven decision-making with a strong focus on the fan experience.

Day One features a keynote on the State of Security in America: Trends, Evolution, and Adversaries in Preparation for the 2028 Olympics in LA, featuring Voviette D. Morgan (SVP, safety and security, LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games). Grounding risk management in resilience and victim advocacy, a second major address, The Why: Remembering the Legacy of Victims and the Impact on the Future, will be moderated by Mike Downing (CSO/president, OVG/Prevent Advisors), with speakers Mary Fetchet (executive director and CEO, Voices Center for Resilience) and Sue O'Sullivan (INVICTM/chair).

Security sessions on September 28 will explore proactive risk posture and modern facility challenges. Highlights include:

Ahead of the Threat: Why Prevention Beats Reaction in Today's Risk Landscape, exploring predictive threat models and prevention with Brian Herbert (VP, security, surveillance, and safety, Golden State Warriors/Chase Center), Juan Rodriguez (senior director, ballpark operations, Seattle Mariners), Blake Paris (SVP, public safety and security, Smith Entertainment Group), and Akmal Ali (CEO/founder, Aluma / inOrbit).

A Security Director's Nightmare: Confronting Modern-Day Challenges in Venue Security, tackling real-time incident response with Scott Anderson (Prevent Advisors/SVP, business operations), Austin McKenna (executive director, safety and security, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment), Adrianne Wynne (senior director of security, Golden State Warriors/Chase Center), Breanna Ayerdis-Sypherd (director of events, OVG/Alerus Center), and Alex Torke (OVG/director of safety and security).

Additional sessions include Emerging Trends: The Risks of Tomorrow, Future of Venue Security Design and Operations (ME Engineers, OVG, Convergint Technologies), and Partnerships: How to Strengthen Collaboration and Build Lasting Alliances.

The main conference agenda on September 29-30 dives into booking strategies, facility automation, and revenue optimization. Featured panels include BOOKING: Holding Space for Non-Music Events That Win (Feld Entertainment, AEW, Movistar Arena Madrid, Paladin Artists), Booking: Make Your Building a Must-Play (UTA, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Columbus Arena Sports & Entertainment, Paladin Artists), Building Automation for Good: Energy Efficiency & Business Benefits (Honeywell, MD Energy Advisors, OVG), Integrating AI Into Your Venue (Cisco, ME Engineers), Beyond the Ticket: Creating Live Experiences That Better Serve Women (THE·TEAM, Seattle Sounders FC, Live Nation), University Venues: Navigating the Competitive Landscape in a Rapidly Evolving Market, and Leagues/Owners: Contemporary Facility-Team Dynamics (Acrisure Arena, PWHL, Daktronics).

Attendees will participate in interactive town halls on September 29-30 covering specialized topics including Planning for Efficient Mobility: Balancing Revenue and Sustainability Goals (UBS Arena, Stantec, ModeScore & ActiveScore), as well as branding and sponsorships, convention centers, and clubs/theatres/PACs. The week begins Monday morning with the separately ticketed pre-conference VNC Golf Classic, offering executive networking on the course prior to the summit sessions.

To register for the VenuesNow Conference 2026 or the Secure Venues Summit, or for schedule updates and venue information, visit venuesnowconference.com.