Leaders Week Comes to Twickenham
Leaders Week, hosted by conference and content organisation Leaders, has become one of the most influential events in the sporting business calendar, a four-day conference consisting of some of the biggest names in international sport, from across football, rugby, and as far reaching as the NFL.
With over 50 speakers, and attendees from over 70 different counties, the conference organisers comment that over '3,000 of the brightest minds in the industry will descend on London to explore the innovation, disruption and consumer preferences impacting the future of sport'.
Since its inception, the conference has grown so large, that it has produced a number of ancillary events throughout the year. The flagship event, however, took place at Twickenham Stadium in September 2019, with the ambition of finding a new home to expand into; the facilities at Twickenham being large enough to both accommodate the event at its present scale, but also to cater for its continually growing numbers.
Twickenham, the Home of England Rugby, hosted two of the days, including evening networking drinks, with the event using the stadium's West, South, and newly launched East Stands. Organisers also erected a marquee in the West Stand to create a separate registration area for delegates, as well as exhibition and sponsorship activation spaces.
The conference has also become a prime example of the festivalisation trend, and Twickenham became a perfect partner for its multiple 'stage' set up; The Headline Stage, The Marketing Stage and the Tech & Innovation Stage, all sat comfortably within the stadium, and gave delegates more choices, each in purpose built accommodation. Finally, sponsors of the event hosted the evening receptions on the first night, which included a party in the British Airways Rose Garden, Union Ale House and two dinners in the East Wing.
"We're really keen to expand our flagship event, ensuring it's a modern event experience, as well as an internationally recognised networking and educational forum - to do this we needed a new venue that we could expand into," commented Hannah Redfern, Event Director, Leaders in Sport. "The new format worked excellently in Twickenham, and the natural sporting affinity with the stadium added to the atmosphere."
The event is incredibly important to Twickenham Stadium, as one of the planets most iconic venues, so much so the team offered a concierge service to assist guests with questions throughout the day, and also offer guided tours of the facilities. Leaders has continued its remarkable success story, and the stadium is looking forward to welcoming them back in 2020.