11 NOVEMBER 2026 · ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER
The Events
Summit
A Stage is a Stage
The live events ecosystem rarely sits in the same room. On 11 November 2026, it will. The Events Summit gathers organisers, rights holders, suppliers, and governments at Etihad Stadium for a day of structured debate, not another conference of one-way presentations
WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2026 · ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER
The Definitive Industry Platform
The Industry's Big Debate
On 11 November 2026, Etihad Stadium hosts a different kind of industry gathering. The Events Summit puts senior figures from across the live events ecosystem into open debate on the issues shaping its future, from workforce and infrastructure to funding and audience behaviour.
This is where sport, music, and business meet on equal footing. Whether you hold the rights, run the shows, or build the infrastructure behind them, you'll leave with sharper thinking and the people to act on it.
01
DEBATE
Different perspectives shared, no limits on disagreement, play an active role and do not include not a keynote to sit through.
02
DIALOGUE
Roundtables peer to peer shared insights. Input into each workstream. Make your voice count.
03
CONNECTIONS
Deploy your best networking skills. Leverage the social programme. Get connected via the Summit App.
Four Sectors. One Stage.
Sport
Music & Live
Outdoor Events
Brands
TES 2026 Programme Outline
The summit operates on a strategic flow of high-level debate, peer-to-peer dialogue, and stadium-wide networking, designed for the decision-makers of the global events industry
Wednesday 11 November
09:00
Summit Opening Plenary
The opening keynote addressing the intersection of sport, music, and business strategy.
10:30
Morning Sessions: Strategic Workstreams
Interactive peer-to-peer dialogues focusing on operational excellence and sector synergy.
13:00
Summit Networking Lunch
High-level networking across stadium hospitality zones.
14:30
Afternoon Innovation Debates
Deep-dive sessions on infrastructure innovation and future event technology.
16:30
Summit Closing Plenary & Wrap-Up
Synthesis of the day’s workstreams and final stadium stage address.
19:00
Evening Gala Programme & Awards
Celebrating sector excellence with the industry’s elite.
2026 Speakers
Rick Stainton
Cat Kevern
Chris Barrett
Jamie Dixon
John Muddeman
Samuel Hughes
CEO, The Power of Events
Chair, NOWIE
Content Director, Mash Media
Chief Creative Officer & Editor-in-Chief, MONDO | STADIA
Event Director, UKEL
Chief Creative Officer & Editor-in-Chief, MONDO | STADIA
Delegate & Supplier Passes
MEI Member
For delegates from organisations holding current membership with Major Events International (MEI)
Non-Member
For delegates from organisations that do not hold current membership with Major Events International (MEI)
Optional attendance at the informal drinks reception on the evening of Tuesday 10 November.
Non-Member
£520
£620
£690
Rights Holder Passes
1 complimentary pass per organisation upon vetting from the MEI team
Sport
Music & Live
Outdoor Events
Brand EXPERIENCE & ACTIVATION
Exclusive passes for decision-makers and strategy leads within the global sports sector.
Concerts, tours and venues. Promoters and live production leaders shaping the live industry.
Focused passes for organizers of large-scale festivals, outdoor shows, and public spectacles.
Strategic passes for corporate partners, brands, and infrastructure innovators.
Sponsors and Partners
The Events Summit is supported by global industry leaders who share our commitment to defining the future of stadium and arena experiences.
INSIDE THE VENUE
Secure a high-footfall position within the Etihad Stadium concourses. From modular shells to bespoke brand activations, place your solutions directly in the path of the industry's most influential decision-makers.
EXTERNAL AREAS
For outdoor events, temporary structures, and large-scale infrastructure providers. The stadium's exterior plaza provides the perfect stage for showcasing physical builds and vehicle activations.
THE EVENTS SUMMIT STEERING GROUP
Rick Stainton
CEO, The Power of Events
John Muddeman
Event Director, UKEL
Kate Beavan
Chair, The Events Industry Forum
Peter Heath
Former Managing Director, PLASA
Laura Armstrong
Project Director, LS Events
Sandy Case
SVP, CT Group
Nick Mattingley
Director, Decision Support Centre Ltd
Steve Heap
Chair, The Events Industry Forum
MAJOR EVENTS AWARDS & GALA DINNER
After a day of debate, the evening belongs to celebration. The Major Events Awards and Gala Dinner brings the whole Summit together for one night, over three courses and fifteen awards, to honour the events, organisations and individuals proving what this industry is capable of at its best. The External Awards recognise excellence across the global events landscape, from festivals and sport to brand experience and the destinations that host them, while the MEI Member Awards celebrate the innovation, service and people within the membership itself. Every shortlist is weighed by the Summit Steering Group, senior figures who have delivered this work themselves, and the night builds to the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising a career that has shaped live events. It is recognition with substance behind it, and the one night of the year the industry stops to applaud its own.
The Evening
The gala dinner is where the Summit changes pace. The panels end, the lanyards come off, and the industry sits down together over dinner to celebrate the work that defines it. Expect good food, good company, and the kind of conversations that only happen once the formal agenda is done. It is the night the industry gives itself permission to enjoy what it has built.
The Awards
Sector Excellence Awards
Awards celebrating outstanding delivery within each of the Summit's core sectors: sport, music and live, outdoor events, and brand experience. These honour the events that set the standard, the ones the rest of the industry studies afterwards.
Why It Matters
These are not awards handed out at arm's length. Every shortlist is weighed by the Summit Steering Group, senior figures who have delivered this work themselves and know exactly what it takes. Winning here means being recognised by the people whose judgement you trust most: your peers.
Nominations
Nominations are now open. You can put forward your own organisation's work or champion someone else's, and there is no fee to enter. Tell us what was delivered, why it mattered, and what it made possible. The strongest entries are honest about the challenges as well as the results.
Outdoor Event of the Year
Open air and mass participation events done brilliantly, from city takeovers to parades and everything staged under the sky.
Best Festival
The festival that delivered beyond expectation, in programming, production and the experience fans took home.
Music and Live Event of the Year
Concerts, ceremonies and staged productions at their finest, the live moments that defined the year.
Brand Experience of the Year
The brand moment audiences remembered, from immersive builds to activations that turned marketing into memory.
Best Event Destination
The city or venue proving itself a world class host, where infrastructure, welcome and ambition come together.
Best Event Production Agency
The agency behind the year's standout delivery, trusted with the hardest briefs and equal to them.
Sport Event of the Year
The sport event that set the benchmark, on the field of play and in every detail around it.
Community Legacy Award
The event whose impact outlasted the event itself, leaving its host community measurably better off.
Industry Leader of the Year
The individual whose decisions moved the whole industry forward this year.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Honouring a career that has shaped live events, presented as the final award of the night.
Technology and Innovation Award
Technology that changed what an event could do, applied in the real world and proven in delivery.
Sustainability Leadership Award
Measurable environmental leadership in practice, a sustained approach rather than a single gesture.
The Client's Choice Award
Voted by the people members deliver for, the award you cannot campaign for, only earn.
Rising Star
The individual whose next decade the industry should watch, already delivering beyond their years.
MEI Member of the Year
The member that defined the standard in 2026, across service, innovation and impact.
the events summit accomodation options
We have partnered with the Medock Hotels to provide preferred rates for all summit delegates. If you prefer other options, alternatives have been suggested. Please book directly using the links provided below.
The Medlock, a Radisson Blu Hotel
As our official delegate hotel, this premier venue offers exclusive preferential rates for all summit attendees.