WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026
11:30 am - 5:30 pm
Join us at Variety Experience & Culture Summit: The IRL Advantage presented by OUTFRONT at The Town Hall by Skylight.
As audiences increasingly crave connection beyond the screen, the day will explore the growing power of IRL media and experiential marketing, spanning live events and festivals, sports collaborations, retail experiences, tours, pop-ups, and more.
We’ll bring together leading voices across culture, entertainment, sports, technology and marketing to explore how brands can create experiences that people feel, share and remember.
FEATURED CONVERSATIONS WITH:
Questlove, Award-Winning Musician & Filmmaker
Charlamagne Tha God, Multimedia Mogul & Co-Host of the Breakfast Club
Rafael Espinal, Commissioner, New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
As well as a Keynote Conversation with Nick Brien, CEO, OUTFRONT.
PANELS INCLUDE:
Trailblazers of the Experience Economy
Grace Kao, CMO, Snap
Jimmy Knowles, Global Head of Experiences, Canva
Kelly Mahoney, CMO, Ulta Beauty
Heather Malenshek, CMO, Land O’Lakes
Stephanie Paturzo-Swingle, Head of Commercial Marketing, Instacart
Emily Silver, CMO, Dick’s Sporting Goods
IRL Advantage: Building Trust in an Agentic World
Aarti Bhaskaran, Head of Research, Consumer Insights and Strategy, Snap
Jeff Greenspoon, CEO, Americas, Kantar
Stacy Minero, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer, OUTFRONT
Sports Gamechangers Roundtable
Patrick Arthur, CMO, Washington Commanders
Jessica Ciccone, VP, Brand & Influencer Marketing, New York Jets
Radhika Duggal, CMO, Major League Soccer
Tim Ellis, CMO, NFL
Nilay Shah, SVP Marketing and Brand Strategy, New York Giants
Sarah Swanson, Chief Brand Officer, Women’s Tennis Association
The Next Frontier of Experiential Entertainment
Paul Caine, President, On Location, TKO Group Holdings
Christine Cassis, CMO, Twitch
Bess Spaeth, EVP of Global Brand Management & Experiences, American Express
Josephine Vaccarello, President, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.
Benoit Vatere, Chief Media and Digital Commerce Officer, Liquid Death
The Business of Fandom: NBC100 and the Power of Cultural Moments
Ice-T, Sgt. Odafin Tutuola, Law & Order: SVU
Mark Marshall, Chairman Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal
Julie Scelzo, Chief Creative Officer, Xfinity
Rachael Zaluzec, CMO, Volkswagen
...with more to be announced!
