MANICA Principal Keith Robinson Named VenuesNow 2026 All-Star Honoree

Keith Robinson Principal & Creative Director MANICA

A LOVE FOR THE HISTORIC ““I’m captivated by the craft and detail of these places, but even more by the reminder that, if we’re fortunate, generations from now someone may experience the environments we’re shaping today with that same sense of awe.”

MANICA Architecture is at the center of the latest NFL building boom, instrumental in the design of new stadiums in Las Vegas, Kansas City, Nashville and for the Chicago Bears (wherever they may land). It goes beyond the pigskin, though, as MANICA is also working on projects for top-flight soccer teams internationally and domestically, and on plenty of other upgrades and new builds to boot.

Keith Robinson, principal and creative director for the Kansas City-based firm, says that’s only possible through teamwork.

“The real satisfaction comes from what we’re able to achieve together,” he says. “At the heart of that are two things: our process, which we trust deeply, and our people – their commitment to their craft, to one another, and to bringing excellence to their respective roles.

“There’s a collective ambition within the team that continually elevates the work beyond what any one of us could achieve individually,” he says. “For me, that’s what makes the past year meaningful. It’s not simply what we’ve accomplished, but how we’ve accomplished it—and the people I’ve been fortunate enough to do it alongside.”

Stadium architecture is a wholly different beast than venue management, although the two are intrinsically related and – ideally — work hand in hand. The latter has to stay on top of trends. The former has to think timelessly.

“Stadiums and arenas are inherently multigenerational and, more importantly, are expected to remain relevant long after today’s generational preferences have changed,” he says. “What we’re increasingly focused on is adaptability — creating venues that give our clients the freedom to experiment, learn from their market and continually evolve the experience without having to reinvent the building around it.

“Gen Z and Gen Alpha are certainly influencing that evolution today, particularly around more social, hyper-local and varied experiences, but those expectations will continue to change. The best thing we can do is design enough flexibility into these buildings that they can change with them.”

VenuesNow 2026 All-Star Hub

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/20/venuesnow-2026-all-star-honoree-keith-robinson/)._