Measurable Modal Shift

The trial delivered a measurable impact across audience travel behaviour.

Engagement with the Travel Assistant increased by more than 150% compared to the same period the previous year. More importantly, data showed a clear shift toward more sustainable modes of transport:

• Public transport journeys increased from 24% to 38.3%.
• Cycling journeys rose from 2% to 5%.
• Private car use reduced to 15.7% of planned trips.

Post-event surveys supported these findings, with around 50% of respondents reporting public transport as their chosen mode. These results highlight how data-led insight can support more effective travel demand management while enhancing the overall visitor experience.

Real-Time Carbon Reduction

The project also demonstrated how integrated travel solutions can deliver measurable environmental outcomes.

During the trial, the average carbon footprint per planned journey was approximately 4 kg CO₂e, significantly lower than the YST platform average of around 10 kg CO₂e. This provided Birmingham Hippodrome with a clear, evidence-based view of impact, enabling more robust sustainability reporting and informed decision-making.

For venues, this level of insight brings confidence and accountability to an area that has historically been difficult to quantify.

Panels and keynotes

Leading industry voices on how travel is transforming visitor experience for major events – streamlining delivery, reducing emissions, and unlocking revenue

Breakout sessions

Facilitated small group discussions to share what’s working, where the challenges are and what the live events sector needs to focus to move the dial

YST Service Desk & Partners

Meet the YST product team and selected supply chain partners, each with a dedicated presence, ready to discuss requirements and explore opportunities

Networking

An opportunity to swap notes on best practice with industry leaders and supply chain partners throughout the day, with drinks and networking to close

The Venue

Arboretum is an independent members’ club just off Trafalgar Square in Central London, founded with environmental consciousness at its core. A space built around sustainability, community and forward-thinking people — which is exactly why we chose it.

Arboretum, 2A Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HF
Nearest tube: Leicester Square (0.1 mi)

Plan your journey to Ģ����ý. Live

We would not be doing our job if we did not make it easy to plan your trip in advance. Use the Ģ����ý. Live Travel Assistant below to find the best route to Arboretum.

Analytics: Access Routes Chart

It’s always been possible to see how people are travelling. Now it’s possible to see exactly where they’re heading once they arrive.

The dashboard now shows which specific access routes audiences are planning to use, which car park, which entrance, which drop-off zone.

For venues and events managing multiple access points, this is genuinely useful. Where to put signage, where to allocate staff, where the pinch points might be.

Less guesswork, better decisions.

Understanding Dashboard Data

The dashboard shows modal split percentages and carbon figures. But what do those numbers actually mean in practice?

Tom Yiangou, Client Development Manager, has written a guide on making dashboard data as valuable as possible, covering how to set realistic modal shift targets, compare events against national travel averages, measure which communications increase engagement, and turn data into carbon reduction evidence for sustainability reports.

Growing the Team and Looking Ahead

We’re pleased to welcome Hannah George to the ‘Ģ����ý.’ team as Client Development Manager, joining Emma Gibbons and Tom Yiangou in Client Development. Hannah brings a background in sustainability strategy for live events and music venues.

The YST team now spans the UK, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, USA and Australia, and this quarter has been a busy one, with the team out on the road attending and speaking at industry events, visiting clients and experiencing events first-hand. As we move into the second half of the year, schedules are looking full for all the right reasons, with a packed calendar of client events, deployments and industry moments ahead.

Different cities, different time zones, same ambition.

Business development and sales

• ��Build, manage, and close a robust pipeline of net-new opportunities across MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS,college sports, live entertainment, and major event venues.
• Target and win complex, multi-stakeholder deals with C‑suite, VP, and Director-level buyers (e.g.,Ticketing, Operations, Fan Experience, Transportation, Sustainability).
• Lead the full sales cycle from prospecting, outbound campaigns, and first meetings through proposal, solution design, negotiation, and contract execution.
• Consistently meet and exceed quarterly and annual contract and revenue goals.

Go-to-market and strategy

• ��Localize and execute YST’s North American go‑to‑market plan, including target accounts, verticals, and partner channels.
• ��Use YST’s MLB club relationships as referenceable case studies to drive league-level and multi-club conversations.
• ��Provide structured feedback to UK product and leadership teams on US market needs, competitive landscape, and pricing expectations.
• ��Represent YST at key US conferences, league meetings, and industry events to raise brand visibility and generate high-quality leads.

Account and partner development

• Land and expand: grow contract value through cross-sell and upsell with clubs, venues, and destination partners after initial wins.
• Develop strategic partnerships (e.g., ticketing platforms, mobility providers, fan engagement and venue-tech vendors) to create integrated, “better together” solutions and co‑sell opportunities.
• Ensure a smooth handoff to YST’s Client Development team, while staying engaged as executive sponsor for key North American accounts.

Forecasting, process, and collaboration

• Maintain accurate, up-to-date forecasts and deal hygiene in CRM; communicate clearly on pipeline health, risks, and upside.
• Work closely with marketing to refine messaging, campaigns, and content for the US audience, with clear value propositions and ROI stories.
• Collaborate with product and operations to shape commercially viable solutions and proposals that meet US customer requirements.

Ready to Buy?

SmartCoach has been tested live on rail replacement services and is ready for deployment. Interested in turning your fleet smart?

About Innovate UK
, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK’s innovation agency. We work to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. With an annual budget of over £1billion we provide businesses with the expertise, facilities and funding they need to test, demonstrate and evolve their ideas, driving UK productivity and economic growth.

From planning to impact

Across and , personalised, event-specific travel planning was deployed at scale – generating 38,000+ personalised travel plans and providing clear insight into how audiences actually travelled to each event. Rather than relying on static travel advice, the case studies explore how clear, tailored information and strong pre-event communications can actively influence audience behaviour, supporting tens of thousands of journeys, nudging audiences towards public transport and lower-carbon options, and translating engagement with travel information into measurable insight that closely aligns with post-event reporting.

What the case study uncovers

Rather than presenting travel advice as a static add-on, the case study explores how clear, event-specific information, shared at the right moments, can shape audience decision-making at scale.

They look at how personalised travel planning was embedded into pre-event communications, how audiences engaged with that information, and how organisers gained clearer visibility of travel patterns across two large, complex live events.

Why it matters

For organisers, audience travel is one of the biggest contributors to impact – and one of the hardest areas to influence meaningfully.

This case study shows how clearer information and better timing can support more confident journeys for audiences, while giving organisers the insight needed to plan, evaluate and improve future events.

To explore the full data, insights and outcomes from Glasgow and Edinburgh Summer Sessions, access the complete DF Concerts & Events case study below.

Speaking at the Conference

As part of the programme, ‘Ģ����ý.’ will be speaking at the conference – sharing insight into how smarter travel planning can support event sustainability, improve the audience experience, and help organisers meet their environmental goals.

A short video presentation will also feature ahead of the sustainability panel, introducing the role of travel demand management in reducing carbon impact across the event lifecycle.

Time:���յ���
Location: TBC

Speakers:

• Chris Thompson, CEO, ‘You.Smart.Thing’
• TBC
• TBC
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Meet the Team

Plan your travel to the Access All Areas Conference & Awards 2025

Empowering Host Cities & Event Organisers Through Exceptional Visitor Experience��

We’ll be hosting a panel discussion on Day 2 of Host City 2025, exploring how curated travel demand management can support more sustainable and impactful visitor experiences at major events.

There are multiple stakeholders involved in delivering visitor experience, from the act to the host city, from the venue and ticketing platform to transport operators. Whether your priority is managing occupancy, growing retail revenue, allocating human resources, environmental sustainability, marketing and sponsorship or safety and security.

Panel 9: Sustaining the Future with Major Events

Our CEO, Chris Thompson, will also contribute as a speaker on another panel during the event.

Is sustainability a burden or a business opportunity for major events? What new delivery models are emerging to make events fit for the future? Net zero and other priorities – how can major events serve as a force for positive change?

Date & Time: Tuesday 2nd December, 14:45
Location:Technology & Innovation Centre in Glasgow, Scotland

Speakers:

• Helen Helliwell, CEO, Invictus Games Birmingham 2027

• John David, President & CEO, SportsETA

• Dr. Igor Lanzoni, Vice President, International Ju-Jitsu Federation (JJIF) and senior representative, International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF), International Pitch & Putt Federation (IPPA), International Throwball Federation (ITF)

Moderator: Chris Thompson, CEO, You.Smart.Thing

Date & Time: Wednesday 3rd December, 12:05
Speakers:

• John Langford, COO, AEG Europe
• Chris Thompson, CEO, You.Smart.Thing

Moderator: Selina Donald, Director of Sustainability, The Bulb, Trivandi Group

Meet the Team

Plan your travel to Host City 2025

Hosting a Panel on Sustainable Travel

Ģ����ý�ý.’ will host a panel session during the conference, focused on how major events can shape and encourage more sustainable travel behaviour.

Indoor Team Talk 6 – Catalysing Sustainable Travel Behaviour through Regional and Major events

This panel session dives into the overlooked 80% of a typical event’s carbon footprint – the Scope 3 emissions from visitor travel. Featuring case study examples from Bradford UK City of Culture and Great Run Company, the panel will reveal how personalised travel plans and curated routes can nudge people towards new travel behaviours, accelerating decarbonisation whilst improving visitor experience. The panel will discuss the necessity of collaboration between key stakeholders, sharing their experiences of working with local authorities and public transport operators.

Time: 13:15 – 14:15

Location: The Royal Armouries Museum

Speakers:

• Chris Thompson, CEO, ‘You.Smart.Thing’
• Jamie Saye, Carbon Literacy Trainer, Bradford 2025, UK City of Culture (Executive Director & Co-Founder, SAIL)
• Gary Wright, Chief Operating Officer, Great Run Company

Come Say Hello

Plan your travel to the National Modeshift Convention 2025

‘Sustainable Venues Don’t Make a Difference – Are We Obsessing About the Wrong Metric?’

The Sustainable Events Show is known for sparking bold conversations — and this year introduces a dynamic new format that moves beyond traditional panels.

In this fast-paced session, speakers are given five minutes each to present their perspective on a provocative topic: “Sustainable Venues Don’t Make a Difference – Are We Obsessing About the Wrong Metric?”

Alex Townshend, Head of Environmental and Socio-economic Impact (ESI) at’ Ģ����ý.’, will join Danny Pecorelli from Exclusive Collection to debate which sustainability metrics truly matter. The session concludes with a short audience Q&A and a potential live vote to capture the room’s views.

Time: 10:30 – 11:00
Location: Chicago Booth London Conference Centre

Speakers:

• Alex Townshend, Head of Environmental and Socio-economic Impact (ESI), ‘Ģ����ý.’

• Danny Pecorelli, Managing Director, Exclusive Collection

Come Say Hello

Hosting a Panel on Sustainable Travel

As WSA members, the ‘Ģ����ý.’ team will be attending as delegates and taking part in the Partner exhibition space, now located in the main conference room to allow for more direct engagement throughout the day.

If you’re attending, come and find us – we’ll be happy to chat about how smarter travel planning can support your sustainability goals, reduce emissions linked to audience and staff travel, and make events and fixtures more accessible and low-carbon.

Time: 09:30–15:30
Location: Main Conference Room

Learn More About the Event

To explore the full agenda and find out more about the WSA Sustainability in Sport Conference, visit the official event website:

Plan your travel to the WSA Sustainability in Sport Conference 2025

Looking Ahead

As we move into autumn, our focus remains on helping destinations, venues, and events deliver smoother, more connected visitor experiences. We’re continuing to refine how organisations plan, manage, and understand the journeys that shape each visit – making travel simpler, more accessible, and aligned with sustainability goals.

Existing clients can look forward to their next data insights update, sharing the latest analytics from recent deployments.

For those discovering ‘Ģ����ý.’ for the first time, it’s a great moment to explore how personalised travel planning can enhance operations and the visitor experience.
Book a demo or log in to your dashboard to learn more.

Hosting a Panel on Sustainable Travel

Ģ����ý�ý.’ will host a panel session during the conference, focused on how major events can shape and encourage more sustainable travel behaviour.

Panel title: Catalysing Sustainable Travel Behaviour Through Major Events
This panel session dives into the overlooked 80% of a typical event’s carbon footprint – the Scope 3 emissions from visitor travel. Featuring case study examples from DF Concerts’ Edinburgh & Glasgow Summer Sessions, Great Run Company, and the Etihad Campus in Manchester, the panel will reveal how personalised travel plans and curated routes can nudge people towards new travel behaviours, accelerating decarbonisation whilst improving visitor experience and event revenues. The panel will discuss the necessity of collaboration between key stakeholders, sharing their experiences of working with local authorities and public transport operators.

Time: 11:40 – 12:20
Location: Maiden Room

Speakers:

• Chris Thompson, CEO, ‘You.Smart.Thing’
• Steve Gilholme, Strategic Projects Director, Transport for Greater Manchester
• Kevin Mackay, Sustainability Manager, DF Concerts
• Gary Wright, Chief Operating Officer, Great Run Company

Come Say Hello

Tens of thousands get on board with the Bee Network as Oasis hit Heaton Park

More than 80,000 journeys were made on trams and shuttle buses as fans headed to Oasis’ homecoming gigs this weekend.

The events were some of the biggest in the history of the Bee Network but thanks to the efforts of TfGM staff and passengers, people were able to get to the gigs without a hitch. Around 30% of all journeys to and from the gigs were made on public transport with a further 20% made by people choosing to enjoy the sun and walk to Heaton Park.

In total it is estimated more than 80,000 journeys were made across the two nights on both trams and the special shuttle buses, with thousands more choosing to walk to and from Heaton Park.

Fran Wilkinson, TfGM’s Director for Customer and Growth, said:

“The last two nights have been truly special for Greater Manchester. Seeing thousands of fans come together for Oasis’ homecoming gigs was unforgettable, and we were proud to play our part.

Our teams were busy throughout both evenings, with more than 80,000 journeys made on trams and shuttle buses between the city centre and Heaton Park and back, with thousands also choosing to soak up the sun and walk to the gigs. This means that around half of all journeys to the gigs were on public transport or by people choosing to walk.

A massive thank you to everyone who travelled with us – your patience, good nature, and high spirits made all the difference. And a huge shout-out to our staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes and on the frontline to advise and support passengers to keep things moving like clockwork.

“These were two of the busiest nights in the Bee Network’s history. And we know at times there were some queues but we got these moving as quickly as we could and got everyone to the gig and then home again safely. Even at the busiest times we weren’t seeing queues longer than 45 minutes – which is a real credit to our teams, our partners and our passengers.

If you do feel your journey took too long or things could have been done better, we always want to hear from you, so please Rate Your Journey through the .

As we gear up for more gigs this week we’re expecting three more busy nights. Extra trams will be running every six minutes or less from Victoria station, and tickets are still available on shuttle buses leaving from the Northern Quarter. Please give yourself plenty of time to get there and we will make sure you don’t look back in anger at your journey!”

Above: Shuttle bus signage on Lever Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter; Below: Crowds guided to shuttle bus pick up point after the show.

Plan a trip to Heaton Park

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate marketing strategies and campaigns
• Organise marketing collateral, document and digital asset management
• Oversee social media account management and content curation
• Coordinate marketing events, both virtual and in-person
• Conduct market research and analyse trends to inform marketing strategies
• Prepare and distribute marketing materials, such as PDFs and newsletters
• Monitor and report on the effectiveness of marketing campaigns
• Maintain the marketing database and ensure data accuracy
• Collaborate with external vendors, partners, and agencies

Benefits:

• ~£40k pa (subject to experience)
• Pension, private healthcare
• Annual profit-share-based bonus scheme
• Employee share option scheme
• Flexible working from home and shared workspace
• Personal and career development support

Key Responsibilities:

• Financial Operations Management: Oversee and manage daily financial operations, ensuring all financial activities are conducted efficiently, accurately, and in compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
• Bookkeeping: Maintain comprehensive financial records using Xero accounting software.
• Transactions: process all invoices, expense claims, credit card and bank transactions.
• Controls: Ensure costs are reviewed, authorisations & signoffs are in place and adhered to.
• Bank: Ensure bank accounts reconciled daily; prepare/send supplier payment runs.
• Credit Control: ensure timely billing and chase outstanding debtors for payments.
• Reconciliation: ensure a regular cadence of Balance Sheet reconciliation and control.
• Management Accounts: Prepare monthly management accounts to be reviewed during board meetings. Update and maintain the financial model.
• VAT: prepare, validate and submit VAT Return.
• Payroll: run end to end payroll administrations on Xero incl all payments and submissions.
• Pension: manage any administration and submissions related to the Nest Pension scheme.
• Liaison: Act as the primary contact for finance matters, liaise with accountants and advisors.

To book an online session that focuses on the specific priorities of your local area, please click here.

Alternatively, to arrange a face-to-face stakeholder workshop, raise any direct questions or questions for the speakers that we can pass on, please email: client.development@yousmartthing.com