Access All AreasAEG has announced that Emma Bownes has been promoted to senior vice president of venue programming across its European venues.
It said that in her expanded role, Bownes will lead programming strategy and implementation for AEG Europe’s arena portfolio; The O2 in London, Hamburg’s Barclays Arena, and Berlin’s Uber Arena and Uber Eats Music Hall.
Bownes joined AEG in 2010 as programming manager at The O2, and has held multiple roles since. In addition to her new role at AEG, Bownes serves as a board member for the Music Venues Trust. In 2024, she was appointed an ambassador for the Young Voices Foundation, where she played a key role in sponsoring local schools to participate in performances at The O2.
AEG Europe chief operating officer John Langford said, “At AEG, our vision is to be the best-in-class live entertainment business and Emma’s work is fundamental to this. Under her direction, we’ve been able to deliver a record-breaking number of shows and ticket sales for multiple years now. Her elevation within the business is reflective of these achievements and the focus we have on continued future growth. Emma’s passion, knowledge, and pursuit of excellence is incredibly inspiring to all those who work with her.”
Bownes said, “I am incredibly grateful that I get to do what I love every day and do so for some of the world’s most iconic venues, alongside the very best. I’m excited by the road ahead and thankful to be part of a fantastic and talented team.”
AEG has also announces further promotions in the venue programming team. Jo Peplow-Revell has been promoted to director of corporate & special events and Marc Saunders has progressed to head of programming at The O2 arena, reporting to the venue’s senior programming director Christian D’Acuna.
The promotions follow a record-breaking year for AEG Europe in 2024 with The O2 reporting over 2.6 million arena ticket sales, a 3.5% increase from 2023, and venues in Germany seeing 11.5% YOY event growth.