Industry News
Melanie Smith Named CEO of ATG Entertainment
Smith succeeds Ted Stimpson in the role.
February 12, 2026 By Meg Masseron
ATG Entertainment has appointed Melanie "Mel" Smith as their newest CEO. Smith succeeds Ted Stimpson in the role, who has spent the past three years working closely with the ATG management team during a period of significant development for the group, including international expansion and portfolio growth.
Smith most recently served as the CEO of the NEC Group, the United Kingdom's largest live events venue operator where she led a series of transformational initiatives during a period of significant profit growth. She also serves as a deputy chair at Sadler’s Wells, a world-leading dance organization.
Smith offers over two decades of experience in executive and operational leadership across large-scale, consumer, and live events organizations, with a track record of delivering sustained growth and market expansion.
“Mel is an exceptional leader with a proven track record of running complex, global businesses across both the live entertainment and consumer sectors. Her combination of operational rigor, strategic insight, and genuine passion for theatre and live events makes her exceptionally well placed to lead ATG as the business enters its next phase of growth," said ATG board member and Providence Equity Partners Vice Chairman Andrew Tisdale in a statement.
"My focus will be to continue to build on ATG’s strong foundations, supporting its creative partners and working with teams across the business to shape the next phase of the Group’s development. ATG is the perfect place to bring together my passion for theatre and my experience of delivering world-class live events and experiences. I am excited to work closely with my new colleagues, and with Providence Equity Partners, as we continue to deliver outstanding live entertainment to audiences around the world and unlock new opportunities for the business,” added Smith.
ATG Entertainment owns, operates or programs 71 venues across the U.K., the U.S., Spain, and Germany, entertaining over 18 million audience members each year via a venue that includes historic theatres, studio theatres, cinemas, conference spaces, and modern live music arenas. ATG also owns a leading ticketing platform, ATGtickets.com, processing more than 18 million tickets each year for musicals, plays, concerts, comedy shows, and a variety of other live events.
Visit ATGEntertainment.com.
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