Webinar: Major Events & Venues – From Gut Feeling to Simulation-Based Planning
Join us on May, 12, 2026 for a webinar on how simulation supports the planning and operation of mobility for large venues and mega events, enabling a seamless “sofa to seat” experience through scenario-based, evidence-driven decision making.
What is the webinar about?
Major events and stadium operations represent one of the most complex challenges in mobility planning, and the expectations for seamless “sofa to seat” experiences are only increasing.
From global tournaments to everyday stadium operations, cities and organizers must manage extreme peaks in demand, coordinate multiple stakeholders, and ensure that transport systems and venues perform reliably under pressure.
This webinar focuses on how pedestrian and traffic simulation supports capacity planning across the full spectator journey – from arrivals and security to circulation and large-scale egress under both normal and critical conditions.
The session will feature Michael Tschanz, former lead of Disney’s Engineering and Simulation group, sharing insights from simulation in complex venue environments; Dr. Matthias Pfriem, Senior Product Manager for PTV Vissim, demonstrating how Viswalk enables detailed analysis of pedestrian and traffic interactions; and Frida Aspnäs, transport consultant at WSP, presenting a real-world case from Stockholm, where simulations of 45,000 visitors informed design and operational decisions for a major arena district.
This is an opportunity to hear from experts across practice and technology, and to understand how simulation enables planners to move beyond assumption-based approaches toward scenario-based, evidence-driven decisions – supported by clear visualizations that align stakeholders and improve outcomes for major events and large-scale venues.
Webinar Speakers
Dr. Matthias Pfriem is a transport and mobility expert with a background in electric mobility and data-driven planning. He began his career as a researcher at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology from 2010 to 2015, focusing on real-world analysis of electric vehicle usage and earning his doctorate in this field. From 2016 to 2021, he managed a cross-organizational mobility research cluster, leading projects and strategic initiatives. Since 2021, he has been with PTV Group, where he drives forward the development for PTV Vissim and PTV Viswalk in his role as Senior Product Manager.
Frida Aspnäs is a transport and mobility professional working in the field of transport systems analysis and planning. She studied Communication and Transport Systems (KTS) at Linköping University, a program that combines technical transport modelling with communication and behavioral aspects of mobility.
After her studies, she built a career in the transport consulting sector and is associated with WSP (a global engineering and consultancy firm), where she works with transport modelling, traffic analysis, and mobility planning projects.
Michael Tschanz is the Owner and Founder of Tschanz Technologies, an Industrial AI, Simulation, and Data Analytics consulting firm and professional musician. He recently retired from Disney where he led a multidiscipline team which developed mathematical/physics models for transportation, ride and animatronic systems, custom software/network applications, and robotics. Michael also led Disney’s Scientific Data Analytics initiative focused on digital twins and attractions predictive maintenance. Michael earned his BSEE from Ohio Northern University and a MSEE from the University of Texas Arlington.
