Meet the Team | Guillermo Garcia

To start, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to joining IMG’s Stadia & Arena Consulting team?

I’ve been with IMG for just over a year now. Previously, I spent three years at FIFA working on venue operations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022^TM and the FIFA World Cup 2026^TM, prior to that, I worked for Arup on the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. I’ve also lived in Vietnam and studied in Shanghai.

I’m an architect by training, and honestly, when I started my degree, I never imagined I’d end up working in sports. But here we are!

What inspired you to specialize in stadia and arena consulting within sports?

It’s the power these venues have to make thousands of people feel something at the same time. Stadia are the backdrop to some of the biggest memories in people’s lives. They have this ability to shift the mood of entire cities, even countries.

They’re also how you present yourself to the world. Your home. And there’s something incredibly powerful about that.

When consulting on stadium or arena projects, what do you see as the key factors that make a venue successful both operationally and commercially?

A successful project has to grow the business while growing the culture. Stadia are too big to think short-term. They need to be entities connected to the club but not 100% dependent on it. The way you connect is through the club’s culture, how it treats its fans, and how it represents values of excellence.

Operationally, growth in infrastructure doesn’t mean you forget the expertise the people working in a stadium need. That gets overlooked. If you go from driving a regular car to an F1, you need to drive differently.

How does IMG help clients balance fan experience, revenue generation, and operational efficiency in stadium projects?

We have something unique. We integrate operations, commercialization, and financial understanding like no one else. We help stadiums understand how to grow across every front they need.

We work from the conception of a stadium, its project vision or business case, all the way to final operations and hospitality sales. No one else has the full range of expertise we do. 

How do you approach tailoring solutions to different clients, whether it’s a club, league, or government entity?

For smaller clubs, we usually enter with phased approaches where one phase funds the next. We analyze their hospitality product, for example, and advise on quick wins that pay for themselves in 5 to 15 matches. Those wins then fund more ambitious phases.

A tunnel club is one example. This kind of investment generates payback in many markets within 15 matches. Pitch-side boxes pay for themselves in 2 to 3 matches. And the best part? They bring fans closer to an intimate experience with their club, which grows the culture.

From your perspective, what trends or innovations are shaping the future of stadiums and arenas globally?

The biggest trends are all about driving innovation. Digital advertising, cashless systems, video walls are all important, but the key thing is monetizing dwell time by giving fans a unique feeling of status and belonging.

Some clubs let you rent square meters of pitch, and if a goal is scored from that area, you get a discount on next season’s ticket or a cheaper ticket to another match. That’s creative!

Are there particular regions or markets where you see interesting opportunities or challenges for venue development?

There’s a big growth opportunity outside of Europe and North America. Not only are many stadiums being built, but there’s room to improve operational standards too. The challenge is that there are almost no established professionalization programs, but we’re helping with that. We’re currently working with a club in Saudi so they can get Standard Operating Procedures across 9 departments and then be certified by ISO.

In Europe, one of the big challenges is fan zones around the stadium. Getting fans to arrive early and have plenty to do around the venue instead of showing up five minutes before kick-off. Another is the fan journey related to transport and the general chaos of getting home after a match.

What advice would you give someone looking to build a career similar to yours?

Some of my biggest learning opportunities came from major tournaments. They help you grow fast, there are plenty of opportunities, and there are people who started as volunteers who end up with permanent roles.

It’s a very attractive sector. But be careful…it’s addictive!

Quickfire

Favourite stadium you’ve visited?

Allianz Arena for the exterior, Metropolitano for comfort inside, Santiago Bernabéu for wow factor, Tottenham for concession monetization… but I still need to visit SoFi Stadium. Hopefully soon!

Go-to pre-match meal:

Bocadillo de jamón serrano! You’ll never change me!

Most listened to song on your playlist right now?

“River” by St Woods (who happens to be my brother) or “The Rapture” by Black Coffee