About Us

Our Vision

Be the leading and most trusted Sports & Entertainment authority on the ‘Fan Journey’.

Our Mission

Promote the Sports & Entertainment industry’s ‘Fan Journey Best Practices Playbook‘ to deliver safe and secure high-quality fan experiences.

The Fan Journey Includes
People, Process, and Technology

A Few Words About Us

Founded in August 2020, the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) is building the leading and most trusted authority on the ‘FAN JOURNEY’ for the sports & entertainment industry.

IIFX provides training, industry content creation, FAN JOURNEY best practices, consultancy, and business and education services to domestic and international sports & entertainment organizations.

Join our journey today and benefit from increased revenue, greater attendance, sustainable growth, operational efficiency, and maximized health, safety, and security for a high-quality fan experience.

OUR EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE

THOUGHT LEADERS AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS

The Innovation Institute leadership team has firsthand knowledge and experience combined with exceptional capabilities and an unrivaled network of subject matter experts, thought leaders, technologists, futurists, trainers, and business leaders to assist sports and entertainment organizations with an array of expertise, services, and products to relieve pain points on the fan journey and enhance the overall fan experience.

BEST FAN JOURNEY PRACTICES

It’s about the Fan Experience at each point of the journey! We collaborate with sports and entertainment executives to help them assess their safety, security, and service baseline and their effect on the fan experience. Our inaugural 2025 Best Fan Journey Practices Playbook includes key considerations, case studies, and recommend best practices that inform resource prioritization in organizational budgets, and guide development of innovative risk treatment strategies to build resiliency and enhance the fan experience.

ADDRESSING CURRENT & EMERGING RISKS

Our team and the IIFX Distinguished Fellows have executive leadership, experience, and expertise in sports management, public safety, crowd management, incident management, event operations, workforce, and human capital development. We offer real insight into issues posed by current and emerging risks and can recommend ways to maximize health, safety, and security through best practices, innovative technology solutions, and high-quality services.

Industry informed network of experts

The Innovation Institute is an industry-informed network of experts with an unparalleled group of Distinguished Fellows representing the best and the brightest in the industry. Through expert collaboration, the Innovation Institute is building a global alliance sports and entertainment thought leaders, advanced practitioners, and experts to help shape the fan journey so that the industry consistently delivers memory-making fan experiences.

An enhanced fan experience leverages the best people, processes, and technology to deliver measurable revenue growth, new and repeat attendance, workforce professional growth and development, and maximized health, safety, and security through best practices, innovative technology solutions, and high-quality services.

OUR TEAM

Dr. Til Jolly, a beloved member of the IIFX Community and its Distinguished fellows, passed away on 7 April 2025.

Dr. Jolly was our medical expert, creating the IIFX Medical Task force in August 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We are devastated by his passing.

Dr. Jolly’s storied history in public health, emergency management, and medical preparedness marks him as a national leader in protecting the Nation’s health.

From 2002 – 2012, Dr. Jolly served on the NFL’s medical staff for 11 Super Bowls. He was an expert advisor for the Department of Homeland Security, the US Secret Service, and state and local responder agencies.

He helped create the Office of the Chief Medical Officer for DHS and led the DHS team that produced the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza in 2007. This document proved vital to the Nation’s initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr. Jolly was instrumental in creating innovative ways to deliver medical services during the pandemic, including expanding the role of telehealth.

From May 2020 – April 2021, he helped guide IIFX and the work of 98 sports and entertainment industry thought leaders and subject matter experts to produce the playbook titled “Principles to Guide the Return to Work, Play, and Spectate,” the pathfinder for today’s IIFX Best Fan Journey Practices.

We miss him dearly!

DR. LOU MARCIANI

DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE
[email protected]

LINDSAY GIETZEN, PhD

CO-CHAIR
SKILLING HUB TRAINING COMMITTEE
INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE

AMANJYOT S. JOHAR

STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE

DARCY LUETZINGER, PhD