Live Nation has appointed Chris Marking as Executive Vice President, International Venue Sponsorship, to lead the venue sponsorship program, including naming rights, founding partnerships, venue network deals and overall strategy across its international venue business outside of North America.
As live music continues to grow globally, fans are traveling farther for shows and planning more of their lives around the experiences they want to be part of, turning venues into destinations they return to over time.
With new venues underway like Cardiff Arena and Munich Arena and a robust pipeline of additional venues across numerous territories in development through 2031, Live Nation is expanding a global venue network that connects millions of fans to live music each year.
That scale is driving increased interest from brands seeking long-term presence tied to live events. Venue naming partnerships place brands across city skylines and hundreds of event days annually, with visibility tied to on-sales, ticketing, and the physical spaces fans return to repeatedly.
Marking will work with venue development teams from the earliest stages of planning and construction, integrating partnerships directly into how each new venue is designed and experienced, as well as evolving partnerships in existing and operating venues.
The live music experience now stretches far beyond the venue itself, from the excitement of deciding to go to how fans share and relive the moment afterward, with 94% posting concert content on social media in real time.
Live Nation has accelerated its global naming rights and venue partnerships momentum over the past 24 months, securing a wave of new partnerships across international markets including BNZ Theatre (New Zealand), Veikkaus Arena (Finland), AFAS Dome (Belgium), Vive Claro Stadium (Colombia), GNP Stadium of Guadalajara (Mexico), and multiple venues in Canada (RBC Amphitheatre, TD Coliseum, Rogers Stadium), underscoring the growing role of venue naming as a global platform for brands.
“Strategic brand partnerships are a core part of how we’re building our venue business internationally,” said Russell Wallach, Live Nation’s Global President of Media & Sponsorship. “Live music is becoming more central to how people plan their lives.
“Fans are traveling to these venues and returning over time, creating a consistent platform with a new audience every night, depending on the artist. Chris understands how to build those partnerships so they work for both the fans and the venues over time.”
Marking, based in London, joins from AEG, where he spent nearly two decades working across venue, tour, and festival partnerships, including The O2 in London, Uber Arena in Berlin, and Accor Arena in Paris.
“The best partnerships are built into the venue from the start,” said Chris Marking, EVP, International Venue Sponsorship, Live Nation. “It starts with understanding how fans move through the space and what matters to them in each city, because what resonates with fans in one place won’t feel right in another.
“When that’s done well, brands become part of the moments fans remember and share, creating a level of connection that builds with every show.”
“We’re developing world-class venues with unique design, innovative technology and unparalleled sustainability, built around how fans in each market experience live music,” said Tom Lynch, President of Venues, EMEA, Live Nation.
“It’s an exciting time for brands to play a role in that experience. Bringing partners in earlier means they’re part of it from the start, not added later. Delighted to have Chris on board to help us do that as we grow.”
The appointment reflects Live Nation’s continued investment in its venue network and in building partnerships designed to scale with it.
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About Live National Entertainment
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company, comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.
Media contact
Live Nation DanikaAzzarelli@LiveNation.com
