Top industry talents join YTL Arena Bristol

We are thrilled to be expanding the team at YTL Arena Bristol and welcoming two talented new hires, Une Marija Jurkstaite and Matt Blackhouse.

Une Marija Jurkstaite joins YTL Arena Bristol as Head of Experience, where she will play a pivotal role in growing the YTL Arena fan database and ensuring each event sells to its targeted full capacity. She will drive our world-class digital user experience across ticketing, food and drink ordering, travel and loyalty programmes.

Une joins us from her previous role as Chief Business Officer for Žalgiris Arena where she developed a track record for driving fan growth and creating a “sell-out” culture at the venue. Žalgiris Arena is a 20,000-capacity indoor arena hosting international sell-out concerts, large exhibitions and national conferences. It is also home to Žalgiris Basketball Club, a top competing EuroLeague team, with 23 Lithuanian championships under its belt.

“I am very happy to be joining this world-class new venue,” Une said. “I look forward to bringing my passion for customer experiences to ensure every touchpoint across the YTL Arena Bristol customer journey is exceptional.”

Matt Blackhouse will be bringing his 16+ years of experience in the live events industry to his role as Senior Events Project Manager at YTL Arena Bristol. Matt is a crucial link in our team, ensuring we build the very best back of house facilities for all touring artists, promoters and event organisers as we start our countdown to construction and opening.

Matt started his career in live music as the Events and Entertainments Supervisor for Cardiff University Student’s Union, bringing in top British bands including Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party and more. He then joined St David’s Hall as Events Coordinator, working to deliver a wider programme of events including orchestral events, comedy shows, and internationally televised operatic singing competitions.

In 2014, Matt joined the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff as Senior Events Manager, leading the events management and technical teams in the delivery of hundreds of events, including live internationally televised boxing, snooker, wrestling and darts events. Matt has managed shows for some of the biggest names in music, including Elton John, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, The 1975 and many more.

“I am really excited to be joining the team that will deliver the South West’s first-ever purpose-built arena,” Matt said. “I grew up in the region and know how much demand there will be from huge events wanting to come to Bristol, and I can’t wait to get started in helping make this a must-play venue for acts.”

We’ve also been working with industry-leading consultants, Richard Latham and Ian Tussie, leveraging their years of experience in live events to ensure we deliver a truly world-class venue.

Richard Latham, Director of Tier 1 Security Consultancy, joins the team as Senior Security Consultant. Richard is a highly experienced security professional, including Head of Security for O2 Arena, The House of Commons and Shakespeare’s Globe. He has also recently served as an Expert Security Witness in the Manchester Arena Inquiry. Safety will always be the first priority at YTL Arena Bristol.

Ian Tussie, Managing Director of T8 Partnerships and former Head of Commercial Partnerships at ASM Global, will be working with our partnerships team to develop and support the delivery of YTL Arena Bristol’s commercial partnership programme. Ian will be bringing his 10+ years of experience with AO Arena, First Direct Arena, P&J Live Arena, and the Bonus Arena, to create partnerships that put fan experience and sustainability at the heart.

We are continuing to grow our team with the very best in the business, working together to design, build and operate the first indoor arena and exhibition centre in the South West, and one of the most sustainable venues in Europe.

Keep an eye out for new vacancies and opportunities on our social @ytlarenabristol or sign up to our newsletter.