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PRO + Populous Leadership Summit | Game Day to Every Day: Experiential Districts & the Future of Community Development
Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM CDT
Category: Events

 

Game Day to Every Day: Experiential Districts & the Future of Community Development

April 14, 2026
9am-5pm CT
Populous Headquarters - Kansas City, MO

Co-Chairs: 

Antony Bonavita, Executive Vice President, Chief Venues and Development Officer, Rock Entertainment Group  
Marina Carpenter, Senior Vice President, Legal, Arizona Cardinals  
Sarah Dempster, Principal, Populous  
Al Harris, Senior Principal, Populous  
Adam Stover, Senior Principal, Populous  
Kerry R. Watson, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Baltimore Orioles  
 

Pro Sports Assembly, in partnership with Populous, is hosting an exclusive one-day Leadership Summit hosted at the Populous Kansas City office on April 14, 2026. This invitation-only event will be a dynamic gathering, crafted to generate intentional dialogue and actionable insights, as we explore the influences shaping the future of professional sport, entertainment and community.

We are bringing together owners, investors, C-suite leaders and other executives for closed-door, guided discussions that will address the rapid rise of sports-anchored experiential districts and how to create continuous engagement inside and outside the venue.    

The day’s program will move beyond theory and into practical, collaborative analysis. Blending curated dialogue, facilitated working sessions and insights from leading industry voices, we will work together to advance the collective goal of designing the places where people love to be together.

In a room full of top leaders we want to thank and highlight a few who are bringing the program to life:

  • Cary Hirschstein, Principal & Head of Real Estate Strategy | Americas, Populous
  • Lori Houston, Owner, The CE Group
  • Pam Kramer, Chief Executive Officer, KC2026
  • James Pearce, Senior Principal, Populous
  • Stacy Sonnenberg, Managing Director, Head of Global Sports Finance, Goldman Sachs
  • Mike Tomon, President, Houston Texans

 

Programming 

A Conversation with Pam Kramer of KC2026

Moderator: Kelly Holton, Brand Activation Director, Populous
Featuring: Pam Kramer, CEO, KC2026

Session I - Building the Foundation for a Successful District  

Every successful district begins with a cohesive plan. Explore how real estate strategy, funding partnerships and design thinking influence how they come to life. We’ll also consider how market forces and community priorities inform decision making, and how designers translate those drivers into connected environments that extend well beyond the venue.

Moderator: Kerry Watson, Co-Chair and EVP Public Affairs - Baltimore Orioles
Featuring: Pam Kramer, CEO, KC2026, 
Cary Hirschstein, Head of Real Estate Strategy, Populous, Lori Houston, Owner & CEO, The CE Group

WORKSHOP: Anatomy of a Venue-Anchored Mixed-Use District
     Featuring: 
John Shreve, Senior Principal, Populous

This workshop explores how sports venues can anchor vibrant mixed-use districts through key planning, design and operational strategies. Gain practical insights into structuring flexible frameworks, integrating complementary uses and creating year-round destinations that perform both on event days and beyond.

Session II - Creating A “Can’t Miss” Experience

What happens before and after the games, concerts and other events define long-term success and economic value. Discover how lifestyle-driven programming, hospitality strategy and placemaking create an experience engine that keeps districts alive 365 days a year.

Moderator: Adam Stover, Co-Chair and Senior Principal, Populous
Featuring: James Pearce, Senior Principal, Populous 

WORKSHOP: Three Six Five: Building for the Year-Round Experience

Players collaborate (and lightly compete) to convert short-term event revenue into long-term lifestyle value by transforming an underutilized event district into a 365-day experience ecosystem. The winning team isn't just the one with the most money, but the one with the strongest balanced ecosystem.

Session III - Global Events as Community Builders

Global events like the Super Bowl, Olympics, and World Cup generate powerful waves of visibility and excitement. While host cities experience this firsthand, the opportunity is far broader. Communities everywhere can leverage these moments to activate their own venues, districts, and public spaces, creating parallel programming that taps into the global spotlight.

Moderator: Marina Carpenter, PRO Board Chair and SVP Legal, Arizona Cardinals
Featuring: John Moncke, President - Power & Light District & Mike Tomon, President, Houston Texans

WORKSHOP: Overlay Challenge
     Featuring: Bobby Sloan, Senior Event Manager, Populous

After a day of insights and activity, attendees will work together to develop a major event overlay on top of an existing venue-anchored mixed-use development.

If you are interested in participating in this unique opportunity to gain highly relevant content that will shape the community experience, complete the interest form below.


INTEREST FORM

 

At PRO events, professional sports' top leaders and problem-solvers greatly benefit from the opportunity to refine and hone their leadership skills while building relationships across disciplines, geography and structures from which they come (team, league, union, venue). Leadership Summits are co-chaired by active PRO members and provide top leaders with access to experts who provide valuable perspectives on issues that impact all facets of their organization (i.e. infrastructure, finance, employee wellness) to help top leaders with how they think (not telling them what to think) about the challenges faced on their journey from success to significance. Each Summit participant has the opportunity to engage with one another through experiential learning and informed dialogue, building trust based on shared insights and mutual respect. 

By offering a secure, collaborative think space for Pro Sports Assembly members, the Summits connect the work of participants to generate a lasting impact on professional sports by developing standards that drive value for PRO and the industry. By gaining perspective, refining leadership skills and building new avenues of communication, top pro sports leaders are more connected, accountable, engaged and catalyzed in stewarding the industry forward. Through these new relationships and resources, PRO members gain insights and access to opportunities that allow them to “hack” the traditional pathway to accelerate their impact and influence in the c-suite.

Those invited to Leadership Summits have demonstrated a capacity to build or lead a team, movement or organization. Each Summit is comprised of no more than 100 leaders who represent a range of attributes including professional discipline, gender, geography, race, ideology and political affiliation.

As with all PRO events, members are expected and encouraged to challenge one another’s ideas respectfully, in line with our commitment to engaging a multitude of perspectives. However, expressing hate or intolerance toward others based on their particular ideas or identities will not be tolerated. All PRO events are off the record and follow the Chatham House Rule.

Accommodations Statement

If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to fully participate in a PRO event, email [email protected] at least three (3) business days in advance for arrangements to be made. Your response helps us make all PRO events more inclusive.


LEARN MORE ABOUT PRO 

Pro Sports Assembly (“PRO”) is the industry association for professional sports organizations and business leaders. PRO members future-proof the industry by equipping leaders across tenure, rank and discipline with the relationships and resources necessary to succeed.

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