STANDS - CONFERENCE

Brands, clubs, and subcultures come together to learn from each other. Panel-talks, Workshops and others: a full day at the iconic Millerntor-Stadium, home of FC St. Pauli.

What the STANDS conference is all about?

1. Perspectives from across football, culture, and brands - sharing how the game is evolving and where it’s heading.

2. Firesides and exchanges that go beyond panels - focused on real experiences, ideas, and how things work.

3. A curated group of people from clubs, brands, and culture - connecting, sharing, and learning from each other.

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SCHEDULE | CULTURE STAGE

10:00–10:10 — Welcome to STANDS
Ryan McLaughlin, Niko Backspin, Lisa Tellers & Aissu Diallo (STANDS Hosts)

10:10–10:30 — When a Collaboration Becomes Culture
Jeff Staple (Founder, STAPLE) & Ryan McLaughlin (Founder, MCL & STANDS Host) moderating

10:35–10:55 — Building Identity Beyond the Badge
Rich Orosco (Chief Brand Officer, LAFC), Martin Drust (Head of Brand, FC St. Pauli) & Paul Rayment (PR Lead & Podcast Producer, Footballco) moderating

10:55–11:20 — How Can Football Grow Without Losing What Makes It Matter?
TBD

11:20–11:40 — BREAK

11:40–12:10 — Can Culture Be Built?
Afram Kakur (Director Brand & Experience, VfB Stuttgart), Ashish Patel (Chief Marketing Officer, West Bromwich Albion FC), Maggie Murphy (Managing Director, Aston Villa Women), Felicia Mutterer (Managing Director, FC Viktoria Berlin) & Pete Martin (Creative Director, SoccerBible) moderating

12:10–12:40 — Why Do We Still Become Fans?
Heiner Kuhlmann (Director Marketing, Spotify), Sunniva Ferri (Manager, Sabally Sisters), Afram Kakur (Director Brand & Experience, VfB Stuttgart), Charlie Copsey (Founder, Underground Fan Club) & Aissu Diallo moderating

12:40–13:10 — When Brands Stop Sponsoring Culture and Start Building It
Rogelio Vega (Chief Marketing Officer, Seattle Sounders FC & Seattle Reign), Vincent Brass (Partner, Amsterdam Berlin), Franziska von der Ahé (Founder, GLUTAMAT), Till Jagla (Former Global Brand Executive, adidas / Founder, FFS) & Ryan McLaughlin moderating

13:10–14:20 — LUNCH

14:20–14:40 — Creating Places Worth Belonging To
Mick McConnell (Designer, Architect of Culture, Formerly of Airbnb, Samsung, WeWork)

14:40–15:05 — Every Shirt Tells a Story
Jan Borgmann (Head of Brand & Marketing, BSC Young Boys), Mat Davis (Founder & Creative Director, Saturdays Football), Claudia Hartung (Project Manager Marketing, SV Werder Bremen), Rogelio Vega (Chief Marketing Officer, Seattle Sounders FC & Seattle Reign) & Asad Raza (Editor-in-Chief, MUNDIAL) moderating

15:05–15:25 — Why Women's Football Is Building Culture Differently
Maggie Murphy (Managing Director, Aston Villa Women), Charlie Copsey (Founder, Underground Fan Club) & Lisa Tellers moderating

15:25–15:45 — BREAK

15:45–16:05 — Building a Creative Club
Patrick Mushatsi-Kareba (Managing Director, FC St. Pauli), Chantal Ndombasi (General Manager, COLORS) & Niko Backspin (Chief Cultural Officer & MP, Serviceplan / STANDS Host) moderating

16:05–16:30 — When Brands Become Fans
Sophie Florian (Head of Sports EMEA, Google), Lars Ofterdinger (Lead Strategic Collaborations & Social Media, smart Europe), Anke Drewicke (Head of Marketing & Mobile, congstar), Rogelio Vega (Chief Marketing Officer, Seattle Sounders FC & Seattle Reign) & Ryan McLaughlin moderating

16:30–16:55 — The New Curators of Football
Sophie Florian (Head of Sports EMEA, Google) — 10-min YouTube introduction; Jens Fabian Kirsch (Sports Partnerships, YouTube), Manu Thiele (Football Creator) & Aissu Diallo (Founder & Managing Director, Butter Social) moderating

16:55–17:10 — Beyond the Feed – Safe Self-Expression in the Digital Age
Anna Hartmann (Team Lead, Global Influencer Marketing, cosnova beauty), Ann Rheinheimer (CEO & Head of Experience, myProtectify), Josephine Ballon (CEO, HateAid) & Aissu Diallo (Founder & Managing Director, Butter Social) moderating

17:10–17:40 — Football's New Creative Directors
Jan Borgmann (Head of Brand & Marketing, BSC Young Boys), Martin Drust (Head of Brand, FC St. Pauli), Felicia Mutterer (Managing Director, FC Viktoria Berlin), Vincent Brass (Partner, Amsterdam Berlin) & Ryan McLaughlin moderating

17:40–17:45 — STANDS Closing
Ryan McLaughlin, Niko Backspin, Lisa Tellers & Aissu Diallo (STANDS Host)

17:45–20:00 — Drinks / Community / Networking

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SCHEDULE | COMMUNITY STAGE

11:40–12:05 — Clubs That Build People
Marvin Willoughby (General Manager, Hamburg Towers), David Bellion (Head of Culture, Caledonian Braves), Rachel Etse (Expert for Racism Critique & Cultural Change in Football), Malte Schruth (Board Member, Berliner Fußball-Verband) & Lisa Tellers moderating

12:10–12:35 — Who Gets Seen. Who Gets Remembered.
Jermain Raffington (Director, Executive Producer & Creative Storyteller) & Micha Fritz (Co-Founder, Viva con Agua) moderating

12:35–13:05 — Can Products Create Culture?
Michael Krause (Chief Platform Officer, Zellerfeld), Tobias Pfeiffer-Kropp (VP Commercial, Kapten & Son), Asad Raza (Editor-in-Chief, MUNDIAL), Philipp Bohner (Head of Licensing, Bundesliga) & Niko Backspin moderating

13:10–14:20 — LUNCH

14:20–14:50 — Culture Doesn't Need Permission
Christian Hauke (Director Partnerships, Growth Marketing & Media, Warner Bros. Discovery / HBO Max), Michael Kümmerle (Advisor, ex-Global Head of Music Partnership Development, TikTok), Franziska von der Ahé (Founder, GLUTAMAT), Erdem Ağlar (Founder, HYPHEN & Creative Entrepreneur), Edwin Okyere (Global Client Service Director, Jung von Matt) & Aissu Diallo moderating

14:50–15:10 — What Will Football Mean Next?
Christoph Köchy (President, International Socca Federation), David Bellion (Head of Culture, Caledonian Braves), Kath Curran (Operating Partner, Monarch Collective) & Pete Martin moderating

15:10–15:30 — BREAK

15:30–15:55 — Football Doesn't Need Permission
Ryan Hunn (Co-Founder, STADIO), Musa Okwonga (Co-Founder, STADIO), Liam Miller (Founder, The Culture Division), Trisha Lewis (Founder, Romance FC) & Andrew Weber (Founder, Indie Football Festival) moderating

16:00–16:30 — Who Actually Decides What's Cool?
Stefanie Kim (MD, KIMKOM), Tamas Trunk (Founder & Creative Director, Sneakerness), Keane Pearce Shaw (Creative Director, SoccerBible), Mat Davis (Founder & Creative Director, Saturdays Football), Lucas Teuchner (Co-Founder, The Icon League; Managing Director, TWO SIDES & Electric Feel Europe) & Niko Backspin moderating