Paul Williamson - Director, Two Circles; Non Executive Director, Tour de France Grand Depart 2027

Revenue strategy in major sports events

Lecturer 2: Paul Williamson
Role: Director, Two Circles; Non Executive Director, Tour de France Grand Depart 2027

Live lectures and on-demand content, straight from the industry.

Thursday 17 September 2026

13:00 CET

What you will learn

A major event is a startup. You begin with a blank sheet of paper, build a strategy, sell as hard as you can, deliver the event, and then close down, with no next season and no renewal campaign. Paul will show you what it actually takes to drive revenue under those conditions, drawing on a career built at the very top of the industry.

How to build a ticketing strategy from nothing, with no existing fan base or season ticket holders to fall back on
How to sell a dream rather than a sport, and why that mindset changes how you market an event
How to use pricing creatively to fill venues and generate atmosphere, not just revenue
Why a full stadium is not just a commercial outcome but the foundation of the broadcast, the atmosphere and the event's legacy
How to get fans to commit early, so you can plan, staff, price and deliver with real certainty

Speakers

About
As Director of Ticketing for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paul Williamson oversaw the sale of nearly 11 million tickets worth 1 billion US dollars across 950 sessions. As Director of Ticketing for England Rugby 2015, he built a ticketing operation from scratch to 274 million pounds in sales, setting world records for attendances and revenue. He then ran his own consultancy, Sports Ink, for eight years, advising the International Olympic Committee, the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Rugby World Cup, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Commonwealth Games and many other major events, before joining Two Circles, three times named Sports Industry Agency of the Year. He also sits on the board of the Tour de France Grand Depart 2027.

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