Gensler Launches Sports and Brand Advisory Service
Venue owners can now integrate brand strategy and revenue planning directly into their early architectural design process.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Advertising
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Gensler has launched a specialized sports and brand advisory service, appointing industry veteran Molly Mazzolini as its Global Director of Sports and Brand Strategy. The service aims to assist teams, leagues, and venue owners in integrating brand positioning and revenue strategies directly into the early design phase of their projects.
Why it matters
As sports venues shift toward becoming year-round hubs for hospitality and entertainment, owners face increasing pressure to monetize fan experience beyond game days. This new advisory model seeks to align design infrastructure with commercial performance from the start, rather than retrofitting brands into existing spaces.
The new advisory unit leverages a 30-year career portfolio that includes managing 70 sponsors and suppliers across 5 Super Bowls. The service is now available to help leagues and venue owners coordinate revenue strategies.
The players
Gensler
A global architecture and design firm that provides planning and consulting services across commercial, sports, and entertainment markets.
Molly Mazzolini
A veteran strategist and co-founder of Infinite Scale Design Group who now serves as Global Director of Sports and Brand Strategy at Gensler.
The details
Gensler’s new advisory service operates by embedding brand strategy into architectural projects before a formal design brief is even written. By integrating experts in naming rights, partnership revenue, and fan experience early, the firm aims to ensure the built environment directly supports commercial goals. This approach targets sports and entertainment entities, including teams and venue boards, to maximize the utility of spaces designed as multi-use, year-round destinations.
Timeline
1996: Molly Mazzolini began her career at the Atlanta Olympic Games.
October 2026: Gensler launched the sports and brand advisory service.
Market Landscape
This development follows the industry-wide transition toward year-round venue utilization by formalizing the link between architectural design and commercial branding. It reflects a broader trend of sports venues evolving into mixed-use destinations for hospitality, entertainment, and culture.
Operators of sports and entertainment venues should consider whether their current design and construction plans effectively integrate revenue-generating brand strategies. Integrating advisory services during the planning stage can help align physical infrastructure with long-term partnership goals.
The takeaway
The move signals a shift toward treating venue design as a core component of brand commercialization rather than a standalone construction task. Owners should monitor how early-stage integration of brand consultants impacts their ability to secure naming rights and sponsor partnerships.
Further reading
Explore deeper insights on brand positioning and market reach in our Advertising section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Stadia Magazine.
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Do you believe transforming sports venues into year-round destinations improves the fan experience in your community?
