Oak View Group has promoted Katie Harel to Managing Director of OVG Hospitality, putting her in charge of commercial strategy and F&B operations across the company's UK venue portfolio. Harel moves up from VP of Marketing at OVG International, a role she assumed after OVG acquired Rhubarb Hospitality Collection in 2023.
Harel's remit covers revenue growth, brand positioning, and partnership development for OVG's UK operations—including Co-op Live in Manchester, the country's largest indoor arena, and Etihad Stadium, where OVG partners with City Football Group. That's a significant footprint in a market where venue operators are racing to differentiate through premium F&B experiences, not just ticket sales.
OVG built its U.S. reputation on elevating arena and stadium hospitality beyond nachos and beer. The UK play follows the same playbook: bring culinary credibility to live entertainment venues. Harel's background at Rhubarb—a company known for high-end catering and event hospitality—positions her to execute that vision. She's tasked with translating creative food programming into scalable, profitable operations at scale venues.
The timing matters. UK venues are in the middle of a capital spending cycle, with new builds and renovations creating opportunities to rethink F&B from the ground up. Co-op Live opened with a stated ambition to reset guest expectations for arena dining. Harel's challenge is proving that model works operationally and financially, then replicating it across OVG's growing UK book of business.
OVG's UK expansion under Harel will test whether the premium venue hospitality model that worked in North America translates across the Atlantic—or if it requires localization beyond swapping dollars for pounds.
