New partners strengthen future of ESSMA: Ludwig Sneyers newest board member and partnership with Stadium Managers Association (SMA)

Despite the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the stadium-industry, ESSMA managed to digitize fast and continued to support her community with digital events and knowledge-sharing on new topics and challenges. 6 webinars, 2 online conference and 5 e-workshops, all hosted on our brand-new online workshop platform, have connected 1051 members over the past 18 months. Furthermore, ESSMA brings together small groups of her community in topical sessions during so-called Mastermind-sessions, which result into tangible best-practices, directly applicable for the participants.

Extended focus, with integration of media and entertainment topics 

Even as the stadiums are slowly re-opening towards full capacity, ESSMA wants to continue this road with a strong focus on new media & entertainment questions, combined with modern exploitation topics. The SMART stadiums workshop in the PreZero Arena, home of TSG Hoffenheim, will focus on modern exploitation, with iBeacons, Internet of Things and 5G to reveal their benefits for stadium operations and exploitation. Both topics are an essential part of the ESSMA-activities, just like stadium development and safety protocols have always been. In order to anchor this recent knowledge within the structure, a new director will be joining ESSMA.

Ludwig Sneyers strengthens the ESSMA governance structure with his expertise

The former CEO of the Belgian Pro League adds significant experience in the field of operational management, media & entertainment insights and governance relations. He joins the board of directors and management company as non-executive director as of July 15th and shall have a focus on contacts with other leagues, the ESSMA governance and opportunities in the field of media and entertainment. Potentially, other partners will also join the ESSMA-structure in the upcoming months to strengthen the network and improve the services towards the ESSMA-community.

“Personally, I have known ESSMA for years in my previous role within the Belgian Pro League. I was always impressed by the level of knowledge and advice in the field of stadium management and high-end network during the stadium tours and events.” states Ludwig Sneyers. “I am happy to make my experience available and look forward to connect with all members to maximize their revenue streams and optimize operational excellence. The live ESSMA Summit in Turin in November 2021 will be a great opportunity for me to meet a broad selection of our members”

Partnership with American counterpart SMA facilitates contacts with USA-stadiums.

ESSMA has been uniting more than 350 stadium professionals in Europe on a regular basis. The partnership with the Stadium Managers Association facilitates the step towards American stadium professionals, who create interesting projects in the field of fan journeys and crowd flows. Members from both associations will be able to exchange information with each other and to gain a broader perspective. ESSMA will be able to easier access top-notch speakers from the US stadium industry, just like ESSMA will facilitate European contacts for the SMA-team.

“The COVID-19 crisis had a huge impact on the entire sports industry. Credits to our management team who guided the organization during this difficult time, with 13 relevant online workshops to support our community during this challenging period. The fact that Ludwig Sneyers now joins our governance structure shows the professional approach to build a future proof association. In addition, the partnership with the Stadium Managers Association (SMA) will further contribute to building a relevant network, with knowledge and best-practices to be shared between European and American venues. This strengthened organization is ready for the future.” concludes ESSMA president John Beattie.

ESSMA stadium members who are interested in learning more regarding the American Stadium Managers Association and their members can opt in for the their newsletters and Knowledge Center here.