VNC Panel Focuses on Live Experiences Designed to Better Serve Women

VenuesNow Conference Panel Preview: Beyond the Ticket: Creating Live Experiences That Better Serve Women Wednesday, Sept. 30 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM | Grand Ballroom A & B at the Sheraton Grand Seattle

Women are a driving force in music – both on stage and behind the scenes, as well as when it comes to who is filling the seats at shows. Earlier this year THE·TEAM’s The Collective released a global study, “Her Frequency: How Women Amplify Value Across the Live Music Experience,” that examined how women participate in live music as far more than just attendees but as organizers, decision-makers, community-builders, spenders and beyond.

The Pollstar Live! Panel “Beyond the Ticket: Creating Live Experiences That Better Serve Women” will highlight findings from The Collective’s global study and explore how event organizers can better understand and serve women audiences through thoughtful programming, seamless experiences, and more relevant marketing. Attendees will leave with practical insights for building events that resonate more deeply with women while strengthening loyalty, engagement, and revenue.

Speakers on the panel include Thayer Lavielle, who is the Managing Director of The Collective at THE·TEAM, a global platform she launched in 2019 to drive greater investment in women across sports, entertainment, and music. She leads a global, cross-functional team operating across eight regions, working with brands, leagues, teams, and governing bodies to translate industry-shaping research into actionable commercial tools – ranging from investment frameworks and go-to-market strategies to partnership models and fan engagement playbooks.

The panel will also feature insight from Courtney Carter, who serves as Chief Revenue Officer of Seattle Sounders FC & Seattle Reign FC; veteran music executive Christen Greene, whose work spans artist management, touring strategy, and live production; and Julie Rinaldi, a Principal and Senior Architect at Populous.

Carter has more than two decades of experience working in sports, entertainment, media and culture, including with the NBA / WNBA, Creative Artists Agency and her own Carter Media Group.

Greene is the general manager of Live Nation’s new 5,500-capacity venue in Seattle set to open in 2029. They are also the founder of South Sound Block Party, a 4,500-capacity festival in Olympia, Washington, that recently celebrated its fifth and final edition.

Rinaldi has more than two decades of experience across North and South America, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Her work spans concert halls, amphitheaters, arenas, stadiums and entertainment districts, with a focus on the entire experience, from arrival to the performance and everything that happens beyond the ticketed event.

VenuesNow Conference takes place Sept. 29-30 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle. Produced by Pollstar and presented by Marsh and Oracle, VNC brings together live entertainment, sports, and venue executives to address the industry’s most critical operational, financial, and strategic dynamics.

VNC 2026 follows the inaugural Secure Venues Summit on Sept. 28 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle, which is being launched by Oak View Group & Prevent Advisors. The event is programmed specifically for safety, risk management, and venue operations leaders, and will feature a Keynote address on the “State of Security in America: Trends, Evolution, and Adversaries in Preparation for the 2028 Olympics in LA” by Voviette D. Morgan (SVP, Safety & Security, LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games) .

To register for the VenuesNow Conference 2026 or the Secure Venues Summit, visit venuesnowconference.com and securevenuessummit.com .

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/23/vnc-panel-preview-beyond-the-ticket-creating-live-experiences-that-better-serve-women/)._