Stadium Experience is delighted to announce the appointment of Henry Crane as the new Chair of Public Catering for the not-for-profit association. Henry brings extensive experience from his role as Public Catering Manager at MKM Stadium, home of Hull City and Hull FC, and has been a dedicated member of the Stadium Experience community for over a decade.
This summer, Henry and his team celebrated a major achievement—winning their second Best Retail Catering Award in just three years at the independently judged Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards.
About Stadium Experience
Founded in 2002, Stadium Experience aims to promote stadia as premier venues for conferences, meetings, and events, while encouraging best practice and raising industry standards. In 2017, the association expanded to include a dedicated public catering arm, offering stadium venues a platform to share expertise, collaborate, and strive for continued excellence in catering services.
Leadership & Role
In his new role, Henry will join the Stadium Experience Leadership Team, serving as the voice of public catering professionals at stadium venues across the UK. This voluntary team drives the strategic direction of the association and includes industry leaders from venues nationwide:
- Collette Salmon – Sales Manager, Liverpool FC (Chair)
- David Timms – Senior Business Development Manager, Chelsea FC (Vice-Chair)
- Sue France – Treasurer, Stadium Experience
- Henry Crane – Public Catering Manager, MKM Stadium (Public Catering Chair)
- Kelly Englefield – Head of Sales for Stadia, Sodexo Live!
- Jenni Ford – Director of Sales & Marketing, Coventry Building Society Arena
- Marc Lee – Strategic Sales Manager, Principality Stadium
- Helen Tully – Conferences, Meetings & Events Assistant Manager, Norwich City FC
- Angela Sanders – Head of Conference & Events Sales, Edgbaston Stadium
- Debbie Rigney – Marketing & PR Manager, Stadium Experience
About Henry Crane
Henry began his career with thirteen years in a national recruitment agency, overseeing head office functions, national accounts, contracts, and team leadership. He then transitioned into the charity sector, spending three years in fundraising roles for various national and international organisations.
Fourteen years ago, Henry accepted what was meant to be a one-time opportunity assisting the matchday hospitality team at the then KC Stadium. His enthusiasm and talent quickly stood out, leading to a permanent role as Deputy General Manager. He later found his true passion in his current role as Public Catering Manager.
Henry has since led a team that continuously challenges the status quo in stadium catering—introducing street food concepts on concourses, building a strong social media presence, and consistently delivering high-street quality food to fans. His team’s innovative approach has earned industry acclaim, including two Best Retail Catering wins at The Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards.
He now takes over the Chair of Public Catering role from Nav Daine, who founded and led this arm of Stadium Experience for the past seven years.
Henry commented: “I’d like to thank Nav Daine for his outstanding leadership of the Public Catering group within Stadium Experience. From the very beginning, Nav has been the driving force behind the group’s success, and his dedication, passion, and willingness to support others has made a lasting impact on me and many others.
The Public Catering group has become an invaluable resource—a collective of passionate, like-minded professionals sharing knowledge, ideas, and experience. This spirit of collaboration is what makes the group so special.
I’m truly honoured to take on this role and look forward to building on the strong foundations Nav has laid. My focus will be on further developing the group and exploring new ways to add value for our members.”
Collette Salmon is the overall Chair of Stadium Experience. She commented: “Firstly, I would like to say a huge thank you to Nav for all the years he has given voluntarily to create and develop the Stadium Experience public catering forum. This is now firmly part of the activities offered by our association thanks to his hard work.
We are thrilled to welcome Henry to the Leadership Team as the new driver of our stadium public catering initiatives. His work at MKM Stadium has been truly ground-breaking, and we’re excited to see that innovation and expertise shared more broadly across our network.”
View more details about the Stadium Experience Leadership Team.
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