24/10/2026
🙌We’re delighted to welcome Paul Walters as Patron & Academic Research Lead at Art VR!
Paul Walters is a Lecturer and Programme Leader at the University of Salford Business School, where he leads the BSc (Hons) Sport Business Management programme. A Senior Fellow of Advance HE, Paul brings over 35 years of experience across higher education, live events and sport management.
He is co-author of the third edition of Events Management: Principles and Practice (SAGE Publications) and the forthcoming Strategic Sport Event Management (Kogan Page, 2026). His industry experience includes working at major sporting events and festivals, including the World Track Cycling Cup, a PGA golf tournament in Denmark and the Dubai International Airshow.
Paul is passionate about improving fan welfare and engagement through research, innovation and emerging technologies. As Patron and Academic & Research Lead at Art VR, he supports the exploration of immersive virtual reality as a tool to help fans manage anxiety at sporting events. By gathering data at supporter centres, Paul aims to help build a robust evidence base to evaluate the effectiveness of Art VR in supporting fan wellbeing.
Paul has worked with Sarah for over two decades across various universities, where she has worked as an Associate Lecturer in Sports Event and Business Management. Having seen first-hand Sarah’s passion, drive and commitment to improving the experiences of others, Paul is delighted to support her venture. He admires her determination to turn an innovative idea into a practical solution that can make a meaningful difference to people’s lives and is proud to support Art VR’s mission to make sport more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
