March 19-20, 2025
LOS ANGELES, CA
2025 Agenda
WEDNESDAY, March 19
12:00 PM/NOON
Event Check-in
Lobby Level — California Ballroom Foyer
Buffet Lunch
Bayview Ballroom — 9th floor
1:00 PM
Opening Remarks / Welcome
Lobby Level — California Ballroom
Host: Max Bretos, Play-by-Play Announcer, MLS Season Pass
1:15 PM
Beyond the Pitch: The Rise of Women’s Soccer in North America
Julia Cheney, Cultural Marketing Lead, Platforms & Devices, Google
Mauricio Culebro Galván, President, Club Tigres
Hillary Mandel, Executive Vice President, Head of Americas, IMG
Kara Nortman, Founder & Board Member, Angel City FC and Managing Partner, Monarch Collective
Moderator: Jenny Chiu, Reporter, CBS Sports
2:00 PM
AT&T and Soccer in North America: 20 Years of Connecting Fans to the Beautiful Game
Mark Wright, VP Media Services and Sponsorships, AT&T
Moderator: James Emmett, Leaders in Sport
2:20 PM
Goooooal! How Toyota Fuels Passion for Soccer
Presenter: Brock Cartlidge, Vehicle Series Senior Manager, Toyota Motor North America
2:40 PM
Networking Break
3:15 PM
From Pitch to Profit: Growing Fandom and Revenue Together
Joe Cote, Chief Revenue Officer, Portland Timbers
Robyn Theodorakis, Director, Business Development, MLS, SeatGeek
Moderator: Matt Jordan, Client Success Vertical Leader, SeatGeek
3:35 PM
Follow the Money: Who Invests in Soccer and What’s the ROI?
Kevin Demoff, President, Team and Media Operations, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
Navid Mahmoodzadegan, Co-Founder & Co-President, Moelis & Company
Bennett Rosenthal, Leading Managing Owner, LAFC & Co-Founder, Ares Management
Daniel Weissland, President, Audi of America Moderator: Chris Smith, Staff Reporter, Sports Business Journal
4:15 PM
Cocktail Reception
Lobby Level — Sinder Patio
5:15 PM
Reception Concludes
THURSDAY, March 20
9:30 AM
Breakfast/Brunch
Bayview Ballroom, 9th floor
10:15 AM
Charting the Future of the Professional Game in North America California Ballroom, lobby level
Ian Ayre, Vice Chairman, Nashville SC and Former CEO, Liverpool Football Club
Dan Beckerman, President & CEO, AEG
Alexi Lalas, Commentator, Fox Sports and Former MLS and U.S. International
Carlos Vela, Former LAFC, Arsenal, Real Sociedad and Mexican International
Moderator: Taylor Twellman, Commentator, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
11:00 AM
Is There Really Magic in the Detail of Soccer?
Independent Insights and Case Studies That Will Help You Win
Soccer Fans, Customers, and Trophies in the Lead Up to 2026
and Beyond Presenter: Mathieu Lille-Palette, Senior Vice President, Stats Perform
11:17 AM
Networking Break
11:45 AM
For the Love of the Game, Players Giving Back
Kelley O'Hara, Two-Time World Cup Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, and Media Personality
Andrea Rodebaugh, Sporting Director, Mexico Women's Football
Moderator: Charlie Davies, Analyst, CBS Sports
12:00 PM
The Global Center of Gravity for Soccer is in North America: The Road to 2026
JT Batson, CEO and Secretary General, U.S. Soccer Federation
Mattias Grafström, Secretary-General, FIFA
Jurgen Mainka, Chief Tournament Officer, FIFA World Cup 2026 Mexico
Philippe Moggio, General Secretary, Concacaf
Peter Montopoli, Chief Tournament Officer, FIFA World Cup 2026 Canada
Moderator: Fernando Palomo, Play-by-Play Commentator, ESPN
12:45 PM
Featured Session: Off the Record with Abe Madkour
Don Garber, Commissioner, Major League Soccer
Victor Montagliani, President, Concacaf, and Vice President, FIFA
1:30 PM
Lunch
Bayview Ballroom — 9th floor
2:15 PM
Buses Depart — Head to SoFi Stadium
Lobby of the Marina del Rey Marriott
3:00 PM
So-Fi Stadium Pre-Game Hospitality
Located in the Pechanga Club
4:00 PM
Concacaf Nations League Semi-Final Match
United States 🇺🇸 vs. 🇵🇦 Panama
7:00 PM
Concacaf Nations League Semi-Final Match
Mexico 🇲🇽 vs. 🇨🇦 Canada
(Staggered bus departures from the game)
