About Us

The Fan Journey is the Experience!

Vision

To be the leading and most trusted global authority on providing exceptional fan experience for sports and entertainment.

Fan Journey Best Practices

Mission

Create the ideal fan experience for our members and partners resulting in:

  • Increased Revenue
  • Sustainable Growth
  • Operational Efficiency
  • Diversified Fanbase
  • Frictionless Journey
  • Integrity in Sport & Betting
  • Memory-making Fan Experience

and maximized health, safety, and security through best practices, innovative technology solutions, and high-quality services.

The Fan Journey Includes
People, Process, and Technology

Welcome

A Few Words About Us

The Innovation Institute for Fan Experience (IIFX) was founded in 2020.  IIFX’s vision is to be the leading and most trusted global authority on providing exceptional, memory-making fan experiences for the sports and entertainment industry. The Institute focuses on the fan journey and creating the ideal fan experience for its member organizations, one that results in increased revenue, sustainable growth, operational efficiency, a diversified workforce, new and repeat attendance, and maximized health, safety, and security through best practices, innovative technology solutions, and high-quality services.  IIFX produces content and events and facilitates dialogue and collaboration around its core areas of expertise.

OUR EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE​

Subject Matter Leaders

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.

Recommending best practices

It’s about the Fan Experience! We collaborate with sports and entertainment executives to help them assess their safety, security, and service baseline and their effect on the fan experience. We 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

The team has 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. LOU MARCIANI

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

CHRISTOPHER KINNAN

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER/CO-FOUNDER INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE
[email protected]

JOHN F. WHITE

TREASURER AND CO-FOUNDER INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE

ALLISON BUCHANAN
STRATEGIC MARKETING ADVISOR  INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE
GUY GRACE

STRATEGIC SAFETY AND SECURITY ADVISOR INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE

ROSS HALLIDAY
GLOBAL STRATEGIC ADVISOR INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE ADVISOR – PARTNERSHIPS DEVELOPMENT UNOPS AFGHANISTAN
AMANJYOT S. JOHAR

STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE

MARK MCCOURT

STRATEGIC CORPORATE ADVISOR INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE

KEVIN WILLIAMS

EMERGING AND INNOVATIVE BUSINESS ADVISOR

 INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE

DR. EMANUEL “MOE” YEOMAN

OUTREACH ADVISOR
INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE

DR. MARK ZHANG
RESEARCH CONSULTANT INNOVATION INSTITUTE FOR FAN EXPERIENCE

OUR INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH PARTNERS

PETER ASHWIN

PRINCIPAL
EVENT RISK MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC

CANADA

PETER DALTON

PROTECTIVE SECURITY AND INCIDENT COMMAND CONSULTANTANCY

UNITED KINGDOM

CHRIS KEMP

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
MIND OVER MATTER CONSULTANCY LTD

UNITED KINGDOM

OUR DISTINGUISHED FELLOWS

DAVID ALLISON

DIRECTOR SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR ATHLETICS
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS @ AUSTIN
[email protected]

JOHN BEATTIE

STADIUM AND FACILITIES DIRECTOR
ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB
[email protected]

JOHN BERTSCH, CSSP

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GLOBAL SAFETY AND SECURITY
THE IRONMAN GROUP
[email protected]

Charles Burns
CHARLES BURNS

VICE PRESIDENT OF SECURITY
MIAMI DOLPHINS AND
HARD ROCK STADIUM
[email protected]

 

MARIO COUTINHO

VICE PRESIDENT OF STADIUM OPERATIONS AND SECURITY
TORONTO BLUEJAYS
[email protected]

RICK FENTON

VICE PRESIDENT/CSO OF CORPORATE SECURITY
ILITCH HOLDINGS
[email protected]

BRIAN FINCH

PARTNER
PILLSBURY WINTRHOP SHAW PITTMAN LLP
[email protected]

GARY GARDNER

PRESIDENT & CEO
TOTALEACCESS
[email protected]

KASIA HANSON

GLOBAL DIRECTOR, VIDEO & PUBLIC SAFETY, INTERNET OF THINGS GROUP – INTEL CORPORATION
[email protected]

MICHAEL B. HARTNETT

VICE PRESIDENT, VENUE SECURITY
ILLITCH SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Mike.Hartnett@OlyEnt.com

Daniel Heal
DANIEL HEAL

PARTNER, GLOBAL HEAD OF SPORT, ENTERTAINMENT & MAJOR EVENTS
CONTROL RISKS 
[email protected]

Brian Herbert
BRIAN HERBERT

VICE PRESIDENT OF SECURITY, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS/CHASE CENTER
[email protected]

HARRY HYNEKAMP

VICE PRESIDENT, FAN EXPERIENCE
AMB SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT

[email protected]

B. TILMAN JOLLY, MD, FACEP

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
AVESHKA, INC.
[email protected]

KRISTEN FULMER

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY
OAK GROUP
[email protected]

PAUL KLASS

FOUNDER 
RIPTIDE PARTNERS
[email protected]

SCOTT MCCARTNEY

FORMER DIRECTOR OF TEAM SECURITY
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
[email protected] 

JIM MERCURIO

FORMER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
[email protected]

JEFF MORANDER

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
ASSOCIATION OF LUXURY SUITE DIRECTORS
[email protected]

MICHAEL O’CONNELL

MANAGING DIRECTOR
CRITICAL INSIGHTS CONSULTANCY LTD.
[email protected]

MATT PAYNE

FOUNDER
INNER CIRCLE SOLUTIONS LLC

[email protected]

Paula Portz
PAULA PORTZ

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
LEGENDS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
[email protected]

MICHAEL ROBERTS

ASSOCIATE SECURITY RISK CONSULTANT
ARUP
[email protected]

RUSS SIMONS

CHIEF LISTENING OFFICER AND MANAGEMENT PARTNER
VENUE SOLUTIONS GROUP
[email protected]

NICK SPAMPANATO

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR
VENUE OPERATIONS
AEG PRESENTS
[email protected]

KIM STONE

PRESIDENT OF UBS ARENA
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF
OVG EAST COAST
[email protected]

PAUL TURNER

VICE PRESIDENT OF ENTERTAINMENT OPERATIONS AT CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT [email protected]

Eileen Williams
EILEEN WILLIAMS

SENIOR SAFETY OFFICER
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM
[email protected]

OUR MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

B. TILMAN JOLLY, MD, FACEP

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
AVESHKA, INC.

THOM MAYER, MD, FACEP, FAAP, FACHE

CLINICAL PROFESSOR, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, NFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

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