Speakers at 26th IAKS Congress

Elizabeth provides leadership and direction for service delivery, strategic business planning, major facility design and development, and marketing across the Community Services Division. She is passionate about building stronger, healthier and connected individuals and communities. Richmond is known for its leading-edge infrastructure including the Richmond Olympic Oval, the City Centre Community Centre and the soon to be complete Minoru Centre for Active Living. Elizabeth is also proud to be on the Board of the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association.

Caitlin (Katie) has been focused on designing community recreation centers, libraries, and other public architecture for over 25 years. Principal and COO, Katie is not only a go-to resource within BRS for all things related to the latest trends influencing the recreation design and construction industry, but she is a frequent speaker and author on the topic.

Her passion lies in continuous improvement of the systems and processes of design and construction projects to bring the most value to communities. Katie is always focused on balancing the programming needs and desires of a community with the operational efficiencies of the building. At the same time, she is also cognizant of creating a building specific to a community in order for its residents to take pride in a building designed uniquely for them.

Wolfgang has contributed to and developed various international and national Sport for All programs and campaigns. He has been consultant for Sport for All in more than 30 countries. His international positions include his seat on the IOC Sport and Active Society Commission and he is the Vice President of the International Council of Sports Sciences and Physical Education (ICSSPE). In 2015 he was appointed member of High Level Advisory Group of the EU Sport Commissioner.

Wolfgang is appointed guest teacher at the Private Universities of Mannheim and Seeburg (Austria). He has published on the topic in magazines, professional journals and books.

Since 1986, Wolfgang has been managing the University and Provincial Sports Centre in Rif/Salzburg. From 2001 to 2013, he was also manager of the Salzburg Red Bull Arena football stadium before becoming a member of the stadium‘s directorate. Wolfgang lectures as an Assistant Professor at the University of Salzburg and at the private University “Schloss Seeburg”.

Thomas Beyer is chairman of the supervisory board of top-league basketball club Hamburg Towers e.V. and works as a consultant to large sports clubs. Before that, he was full-time managing director of Hamburg university sport for almost 30 years, managing partner of a sports consultancy agency and director of the Hamburg Land sports department.

During his professional career, he has worked in numerous fields such as setting up, organising and securing the success of major sports clubs, developing sport and urban districts and designing modern exercise programmes as well as sports policy and public sports administration.

Conrad Boychuk is on the Executive Board of the IAKS and in 2017 was made a Vice President.  He is one of Canada’s foremost designers of multi-purpose mid-size spectator venues. He has been involved in the development of over 40 community recreation facilities throughout Canada and the United States including arenas, fitness centres, and aquatic facilities.

Conrad has extensive experience in the public consultation process and the development of master plans and feasibility studies that reflect broad-based community needs while recognizing and responding to financial and economic impact.

Conrad is Canada’s national representative on the International Union of Architects’ Sports and Leisure Group. He is a past executive board member of the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association.

Henrik is an award winning Danish journalist. Since the summer of 2018, he has been an independent consultant in the sports and leisure sector running his own consultancy idkon.dk. From 2005 to 2018 he was the founding director of the Danish Institute for Sports Studies. Before that he was a journalist covering sport and sport politics for the national Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten from 1993 to 2005.

Henrik has an extensive knowledge of trends, tendencies and people in the Danish and Scandinavian sports sector and he has been in charge of a large number of conferences and research initiatives into topics such as operation, management and governance of sports facilities, sports innovation, sports participation, and sports politics.

Darryl Condon is interested in design that acts as a catalyst for positive social change. As Managing Principal he has created successful public spaces including community centres, pools, recreation facilities, fire halls and libraries across Canada, and beyond. Darryl is a registered Architect, a LEED Accredited Professional and a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

After 30 years of practice creating these dynamic, engaging and effective spaces, Darryl is asking ‘what’s next’. The intent is to push, think and break away from preconceptions of conventional practice at every scale, to maximize the impact and potential of projects and collaborations. These efforts are focussed on creating spaces which leave lasting legacies in our communities while maximizing social impact. His work has been recognized internationally for its innovation and design excellence.

Shaun has been involved in the London 2012 Olympic project from bid stage in 2003 to now leading the organisation which has guaranteed the future of three London 2012 legacy venues: Lee Valley White Water Centre; Lee Valley VeloPark; Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre. Shaun was a member of the UK Government’s Rio 2016 Advisory Panel He has also provided advice to Tokyo 2020 on venue design and legacy planning.

He has extensive experience of strategic planning, business modelling, development and management of sports venues. A particular focus has been delivering viable and sustainable venues that are community focused and commercially driven.

Technical University Of Vienna, Master Degree 1998

Specialist in indoor and outdoor sports facilities as well as Stadiums and Assembly Spaces

Lecturer, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

Lecturer, University of Applied Sciences FH Technikum Wien

Expert Member for Sports Facilities Construction, Austrian Standards Institute

Member, UIA – International Union of Architects / Sports and Leisure work program

President IAKS Austria - International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities

Mike specialises in the design of sports facilities and leads the work of FaulknerBrowns Architects in this sector, both nationally and internationally. This includes elite, competition and training venues as well as community sport and leisure projects for public and private sector clients. Mike sits on the IAKS International Swimming Pool Expert Circle and is a representative of the International Union of Architects (UIA).

He is an advocate of developing expertise as a springboard for innovative solutions in this specialist field, where the social spaces are as valuable as the fields of play. Notable examples include the multi award-winning Derby Arena, Lee Valley White Water Centre for the London 2012 Olympic Games, University of Surrey Sports Complex and Beacon of Light, for the Sunderland Foundation of Light, a building that harnesses the power of sport to transform lives.

Theis Bavnhøj Hansen has a large knowledge and operational experience in sport and leisure development, public health, sport- and leisure facilities development, NGO coorporation and community/city politics. In his position he develops plans for sports facilities with regard to optimizing daily operation, communication, capacity use, and business development. Theis has cooperated with NGOs and sports facility manangers on the  planning, funding, building, and modernization of sports facilities in the combination with upcoming trends and community needs.

Examples of his work incluce the connection of sports halls to outdoor facilities to combine a wide variety of activities for the whole family in a community; the inclusion of children from lower social classes into community activitie; and the ”open school”. The latter aims to attract school children for a wider variety of sports disciplines and more leisure time acitivities in clubs.

With a background of M.Sc. SportsPhysiology and Political Science from the University of Copenhagen, Theis has a long teaching background at university, college and high school in sports and political science. 

Mark comes to the field of architecture with a background in sport that makes him particularly well suited for his role leading HDR’s sport and recreation team. Mark played high level competitive sports including football, rowing, and hockey. Over a now 20 plus year career he has focused on the design of sport and recreation facilities in Canada and the US that includes aquatics centres, ice arenas, community centres and competitive sport and entertainment venues.

His background in sports allows for a unique insight into the design of sport facilities through the eyes of a participant who truly understands the nuances of what makes recreation facilities special.

Mark is very enthusiastic about utilizing stakeholder engagement and helped develop a unique design charrette process that has been effectively used on both major urban recreation facilities and small community centres.

At Convic, Bryce is responsible for ensuring that communities are shaped or strengthened through creating some of the world’s most iconic  youth inclusive spaces or places. Through community lead design outcomes and innovative solutions, Bryce has delivered a number of high profile multi-functional and multi-generational active youth spaces. With over 12years experience as a landscape architect in the private sector, Bryce has worked on a vast array of sporting facilities and active recreation precincts.

He is passionate about design and has a keen interest in delivering successful community infrastructure that enables active, healthy and happy lifestyles.

As CEO and Head of Sales at AST - market leader for ice rink technologies, developers and suppliers of high-quality dasher board systems, and distributor of ice resurfacing machines and ice rink accessories – Peter manages the sales department in house and the global sales network of daughter companies and partners.

Gar is the Founder and Chairman of the Aura Holohan Group who operate eleven public aquatic centres and a chain of private fitness gyms in Ireland. He is also Chairman of the International Union of Architects (UIA) Work Program for Sport & Leisure, and a member of the IAKS Swimming Pool Expert Circle.

Since 2015, Christoph Holstein is the City Councilor for Sport within the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany. Former spokesperson within the Senat of the Free an Hanseatic City of Hamburg as well as within the Ministry of Interior and Sports he has been attached to sports since the early 1990ies.

Viktors is a founding partner of MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects in Toronto, Canada, MJMA, and has helped to establish the firm’s projects as internationally recognized models for a new form of hybrid community building, that brings together different user groups under one roof. He has dedicated his career to sport and recreation with a unique expertise in aquatic and arena programming, planning, and design, comparable to few in the industry.

A qualified engineer who also has a Master’s in Business Administration, Charles started at Sport England in 2008 as Property Director where he is responsible for the Capital Investment Programme for public sports facilities, a multi-disciplinary practice. Charles came to Sport England from MDA Consulting where he was Chairman and CEO.

He began his career at Jaguar before joining Sainsbury’s where he spent 25 years progressing to become Director of Construction and Facilities, managing an annual budget of over £500 million. Charles is a trustee on the London Marathon Trust, Royal Albert Docks Trust, Foal Farm and the Manchester Velodrome Trust.

BArch (Dist), BSc (Hons) Arch, UWCC, RIBA

Tom has a keen interest in how sports and entertainment buildings and events can enhance cities and communities. He has a great passion for sport and has been able to use this in the design and delivery of a number of high-profile projects around the world, including the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Emirates Stadium for Arsenal FC and the Olympic Stadium for the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

In addition to running major projects, Tom has co-authored the technical guide to Sports Facilities in the Metric Handbook and contributed to a series of international publications. He is a member of the Executive Board of IAKS and sits on the Sports Economy Sector Advisory Group for DIT (Department of Industry and Trade). He has also spoken at a range of conferences and events around the world on the sustainability of sports and entertainment buildings.

Jim is an architect whose 37-year practice has focused on advancing public architecture within civic and campus environments. His work challenges established building conventions through the expressive nature of placemaking, program synergies, environmental performance, and construction innovation.

Jim’s career is distinguished with award-winning community centers, recreation facilities, libraries, education and cultural arts centers. He has presented at regional and international conferences, served as an adjunct architecture professor, and participated on regional and national design awards juries.

After completing his MBA and Ph.D. in economic sciences at University St.Gallen (Switzerland), Stefan has worked for four years at strategy consultants Bain & Company in Zurich, Munich and London. In 2001, he became Managing Director of the Swiss family business Kannewischer Management AG. He was appointed by Thomas Bach to the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission.

Maria Keinicke Davidsen has more than 15 years’ professional experience in developing sport’s buildings and active public spaces. She focuses on creating atmospheric universes that invite movement, in which, motion is a naturally integrated and fun experience for the user. With creative combinations of effects such as light, shape and color, she unfolds the original interior and creates changes that transform people.

Since Maria qualified as an architect at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation in 2003, she has worked as an architect and teacher. She has taught architecture, processes and methods at the Copenhagen School of Interior Design, and spent a number of years working at the University of Copenhagen in connection with interdisciplinary urban planning.

In addition to running her own company and working as a construction manager, Maria has worked for the art duo Bosch and Fjord and worked as a project manager for the Centre for Sports and Architecture.

Maria is currently working at Keingart, an architect firm that she founded with Flemming Overgaard in 2007 (initially called Keinicke og Overgaard Arkitekter)

Veith combines his Sports Sciences diploma from the University of Cologne with experience as a former professional skateboarder. At the skatepark design office Landskate he plans and realizes skate park projects on any scale. He frequently works as a consultant for cities and municipalities on general aspects of skatepark planning.

The presentation for the IAKS Congress represents key findings of Kilberth’s dissertation. The work utilizes social sciences for the design planning of public sport facilities. The results are equally based on Veith’s scientific research as well as his professional experience in the planning and design of state-of-the-art skateparks.

As an author, Veith recently published as co-editor an anthology titled “Skateboarding Between Subculture and the Olympics: A Youth Culture under Pressure from Commercialization and Sportification”.

As Head of Sports Facilities Holger manages the sports facilities in the Municipality of Gladsaxe which is located in the east of Denmark. Gladsaxe has about 70,000 inhabitants and stretches over 25 km². Holger is Vice President of the Danish Association for Sports Facilities bringing together owners, operators and managers of sports facilities in Denmark with the purpose of contributing to innovation in and the development and planning of sports facilities. Since its founding, Holger sits on the board of IAKS Nordic.

Matthew is a chartered town planner and qualified urban designer with over 20 years’ experience in the public and private sectors. Since joining DLA, he has managed and contributed towards a range of different projects at both a local and strategic level with a focus on public sector clients particularly drawing up Development Plan Documents. He has worked on a number of significant urban extensions, coordinating the masterplanning and subsequent design input into major planning applications.

Prior to joining DLA, Matthew gained extensive experience of the development management and local planning fields working for local authorities in the North East, the Midlands and South East of England. He was a trustee of the Town Planning Summer School, an independent education charity, and has also contributed to the design review panel in the north east of England. Matthew currently contributes to the Hertfordshire design review panel.  

Mike is an architect with over 35 years of experience in designing sports and public buildings across the world. He has also been an advisor to National Sports Government Bodies in Europe and across the globe. He designs large scale urban regeneration projects in the UK combining commercial and residential buildings with sports culture and Civic buildings.

In addition to being a Director for LA architects, Mike has been a Board member for the Royal Institute of British Architects. His buildings and Company have received numerous National and International design awards.

In her position Michelle oversaw the development of the IOC Sustainability Strategy (published in January 2017) and is responsible for its implementation across the IOC administration, the Olympic Games, and the Olympic Movement. Michelle has extensive expertise in event management and operations with more than 20 years of professional experience in the area. Her background combines recognised educational knowledge with a successful hands-on experience of implementing event management procedures across an extensive range of sporting and non-sporting events, both large and small.

Before joining the IOC, she worked as the International and Protocol Director for the Local Organising Committee of the Paris 2003 World Athletics Championships, and previously as Venue Operations Manager at the Organising Committee for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Michelle has given numerous public presentations, chaired several expert groups and mediated numerous workshops on topics ranging from sustainable infrastructure, natural sites, sourcing and resource management, mobility to workforce and climate.

John is an appointee of Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock serving as the Deputy Executive Director of Recreation for Denver Parks & Recreation (DPR) since 2015. He is responsible for 30 recreation centers, 31 pools, and 10 core program areas including Community Recreation, CityWide Sports, and Outdoor Recreation. He is also entrusted with finding new and creative ways to engage Denver communities through sustainable facilities, programs, and partnerships at all levels.

With over 19 years of recreation experience, John began his career as a Recreation Coordinator in 2000 and has held various positions since, including Recreation Supervisor, Recreation Manager, and Director of Recreation, all before accepting his official appointment from the honorable Mayor Michael B. Hancock in 2015. John is credited for starting Denver’s CityWide Sports program that made recreation sports leagues for adults in a city where they were almost non-existent. John also breathed new life into Denver’s Outdoor Recreation program by taking inner city youth and giving them the opportunity to experience the adventure that is the great outdoors. His efforts and contributions have helped to re-define what recreation and community engagement look like in the Denver Metro area. John’s unwearied dedication and commitment to the city he proudly represents is truly unparalleled this day and age.

Matt is responsible for developing and aligning the service division behind a single strategy focused around driving operational efficiency and improved customer service outcomes by leveraging technology and data. The position also oversees the City’s four operational depots and asset management across the division.

Key achievements:

▪ Facilitate Divisional wide strategy workshop

▪ Established buy-in for change from management team

▪ Prepare 4-year Divisional strategy for Executive

▪ Develop staff engagement strategy through reforms

▪ Build capability by identifying skill gaps and developing mission critical staff

▪ Oversee recruitment process for roles

▪ Develop, implement and imbed 360 business intelligence Dashboard

▪ Develop service strategy for the City’s four operational depots

▪ Transition 150 staff to new 5-star Green rated operational depot

▪ Develop a communications framework around WHS for the City

A senior executive and change leader, James McLaughlin is responsible for managing the ongoing evolution of the recreation landscape in Calgary. James is focused on creating vibrant communities and inspiring citizens to be active and creative by strategically leading and investing in Calgary’s recreation sector.

Through direct and partner service providers, James oversees Calgary Recreation’s delivery of recreation programs and services in and out of facilities. This includes providing Calgarians access to more than 12 aquatics and fitness centres, 13 arenas, 11 leisure centres, 13 athletic parks, 8 outdoor pools, 8 golf courses, 3 driving ranges, 2 arts centres, 1 sailing school, 1 soccer center, and 1 velodrome.

As Acting Director, James is involved in all aspects of service development for Calgary Recreation, from policy development and planning through to new amenity developments. 

Laura focuses on the development of common spaces regarding physical activity, inclusion, social relations, and sustainable urban life. She has been involved in numerous projects regarding physical activity for a broader realm and has an extensive experience from working within the fields of the built environment and politics of sports and recreational life. Laura holds a Msc in Humanities and Social Sports Sciences and is a graduate in Organisation and Management from Copenhagen Business School.

She has formerly worked for The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities and amongst others, she has been involved in the IAKS awards winning projects ‘Athletic Exploratorium in Odense’, ‘Herning Football Experiment’ and ‘StreetMekka in Copenhagen’.

Karin Schwarz-Viechtbauer is the managing director of the Austrian Institute for Schools and Sports Facilities (OEISS) - a public foundation, which acts as a competence centre for the planning, building and maintenance of sports and leisure facilities. The institute is responsible for the development of general information and guidelines and provides consultancy and surveillance. Karin is an educated architect and has experience as a lecturer at several universities in Austria.

Mikkel Selmar is the former Head of social programs in GAME and now serves as Head of Facilities in the organization. GAME is a Danish NGO founded in 2002 with a mission to create lasting social change through youth-led street sports and culture. GAME transforms old industrial buildings into street sports facilities through user-driven innovation and participatory processes and educates youth-leaders as instructors and role models. GAME works in selected countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

As one of Canada’s leading sports and recreation architects, Andrew understands the trends, technologies, rules and governance of sport and recreation building typologies. He has led the design on several high-profile recreation and high-performance sport facilities across Canada including the Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge, the Remington YMCA, the Repsol Sport Centre, and the Olympic Canmore Nordic Centre.

Andrew graduated from the University of Waterloo and is a registered architect in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, and is a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). Andrew sits on the board of Sport Calgary, an advocacy body for amateur sport in southern Alberta.

Former tennis professional Nicky leads on the implementation of the Liverpool Active City 2014-21 Strategy within the Sport and Outdoor Recreation Service. She works in partnership with the Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, ensuring that physical activity is at the heart of the city’s health and wellbeing strategy. Among other duties, she procures large scale funding.