SVB LIVE Global Networking Event:

Peter Evans has 25 years of experience leading organisations’ digital transformation and innovation activities for customers in the telecom, cloud, SaaS, and security industries, both cyber and physical.

With Xtract One, Peter is bolstering the physical security technology industry while not only maintaining but improving the customer experience - not just Xtract One’s customers, but their customers also.

With an understanding of the operational challenges their customers face, Peter is driving the organisation towards delivering solutions that replace outdated systems, augment current technology, and enhance existing resources.

Emma Meehan brings 20 years of experience in sports management to her role as Chief Executive Officer of Down Royal Racecourse, Northern Ireland’s leading horse racing and entertainment venue. Since her appointment in 2018, Emma has successfully guided the racecourse through periods of significant challenges and transformation.

Upon taking on the role, Emma faced a complex landscape marked by uncertainty. With only fixtures and fittings in place and a backdrop of negative media coverage, she recognised the need for a comprehensive restructuring of the organisation. This included building a new team amidst limited access to government funding and navigating resistance from various stakeholders.

Under her leadership, Emma and her team made remarkable strides within just 12 months. They expanded the commercial operations of Down Royal Racecourse, securing 84 individual sponsorships and achieving an impressive 80% increase in sponsorship revenue. This effort culminated in a landmark six-figure agreement with Ladbrokes, marking the largest sponsorship deal ever secured in Northern Irish racing.

Emma's commitment to excellence has resulted in a 100% fulfilment rate for sponsorship agreements, distinguishing Down Royal as the only racecourse in Ireland to achieve this level of success in commercial sponsorships.

Greg is the Director of Estates, Campus Strategy & Property Development in the RDS Dublin, and also responsible for operations at the RDS venue. 

Founded in 1731, the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) is a charity and a societal impact organisation, intended to transform agriculture, arts, sport and science through its charitable Foundation activities. 

The 43-acre campus is an exhibition centre of significance in Ireland and home to Leinster Rugby and the 125,000-patron Dublin Horse Show (part of the Rolex series).  The RDS also hosts major events and concerts up to 40,000 capacity. 

Before coming to the RDS in 2023, Greg was the Head of Major Capital Projects & Planning in Trinity College Dublin, and is now also the Programme & Project Director for the new 21,000-capacity stadium in the RDS, currently under construction. 

As event controller for the Dublin Horse Show, Greg is particularly interested in the hosting and turning around multiple event types on large flexible arenas, and improving the end-to-end customer experience.

Jo Upward is Director of Strategy and Development at Built by Levy UK, focusing on delivering exceptional guest experiences across Levy’s venues. 

Prior to joining Levy, Jo was Managing Director at Platform Group an experiential design company, delivering strategic and customer experience consultancy, interior and digital design to companies such as Vodafone, Juniper Networks and The O2.

Jo joined Platform in August 2012 from BT bringing with her a wealth of expertise, knowledge and a desire to drive excellence for the customer. Her experience ranges from multinational corporates such as BT and Orange to working with public bodies including Ofcom and the European Union. Jo is passionate about customer service. Her achievements include driving the customer experience improvement campaign for the whole of the BT Group, resulting in significant change globally for both businesses and consumers.