Raffaella Paniè is an Italian designer and creative director, serving as Director of Brand, Identity, and Look for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games Milano Cortina. She leads the design of the Games’ visual identity, including the emblem, pictograms, mascots and medals. Her work emphasizes a modern Italian spirit, sustainability, and community, showcasing Italy’s creativity on the global Olympic stage.

She joined the Podcast to discuss how the design process was developed for the Games, how many version of the Olympic torch and medals were designed before settling on what was revealed to be the final design, where the design inspiration came from and if any design can ever be truly finished before being released to the world.

Raffaella Pani&egrave; is an Italian designer and creative director, serving as Director of Brand, Identity, and Look for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games Milano Cortina. She leads the design of the Games&rsquo; visual identity, including the emblem, pictograms, mascots and medals. Her work emphasizes a modern Italian spirit, sustainability, and community, showcasing Italy&rsquo;s creativity on the global Olympic stage.
She joined the Podcast to discuss how the design process was developed for the Games, how many version of the <a href="https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/organizers-unveil-metallic-torches-for-milan-cortina-olympics-and-paralympics/">Olympic torch</a> and <a href="http://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/2026-olympic-and-paralympic-medals-for-milan-cortina-unveiled/">medals</a> were designed before settling on what was revealed to be the final design, where the design inspiration came from and if any design can ever be truly finished before being released to the world.

In-depth discussions with leaders in the sports-event industry.

SportsTravel Podcast

Raffaella Paniè: Designing The Look of the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Carlos Ezpeleta joined Dorna Sports as an intern in 2007, took on a full-time role in 2013 and has since worked his way to Chief Sporting Officer at MotoGP, directly responsible for the Sporting and Technical areas of the Championships as well as overseeing activities in the Promoters, Operations and Talent Promotion departments. Dan Rossomondo’s career began in advertising sales at Madison Square Garden and has since taken him to IMG, Time Warner Global Media and the NBA. From his role as Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Media at the NBA, Dan moved to become Chief Commercial Officer of Moto GP and Dorna Sports in 2023. We discussed the recent announcement of Guenther Steiner taking ownership of a Moto GP team, the series since Liberty Motor Group took a new majority role, the intersection of travel and sports and how they look to elevate spectator experiences, working in a "traveling circus" that other more stationary sports don't go through and the future outlook for the series, especially in the United States. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

This episode of the Sports Travel Podcast is being sponsored by TEAMS Europe, the world’s leading conference and expo for the sports-event industry. TEAMS Europe unites sport event organizers with destinations, venues and suppliers interested in hosting or supporting their events. TEAMS Europe in 2026 will be March 17–19, 2026 at The Belfry, an award-winning hotel and resort located less than 10 miles from the city center of Birmingham, England. For more details on everything planned at TEAMS Europe, please visit teamseurope.com.

Carlos Ezpeleta joined Dorna Sports as an intern in 2007, took on a full-time role in 2013 and has since worked his way to Chief Sporting Officer at MotoGP, directly responsible for the Sporting and Technical areas of the Championships as well as overseeing activities in the Promoters, Operations and Talent Promotion departments. Dan Rossomondo&rsquo;s career began in advertising sales at Madison Square Garden and has since taken him to IMG, Time Warner Global Media and the NBA. From his role as Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Media at the NBA, Dan moved to become Chief Commercial Officer of Moto GP and Dorna Sports in 2023. We discussed the recent announcement of Guenther Steiner taking ownership of a Moto GP team, the series since Liberty Motor Group took a new majority role, the intersection of travel and sports and how they look to elevate spectator experiences, working in a "traveling circus" that other more stationary sports don't go through and the future outlook for the series, especially in the United States. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
This episode of the Sports Travel Podcast is being sponsored by TEAMS Europe, the world&rsquo;s leading conference and expo for the sports-event industry. TEAMS Europe unites sport event organizers with destinations, venues and suppliers interested in hosting or supporting their events. TEAMS Europe in 2026 will be March 17&ndash;19, 2026 at The Belfry, an award-winning hotel and resort located less than 10 miles from the city center of Birmingham, England. For more details on everything planned at TEAMS Europe, please visit teamseurope.com.

Dan Rossomondo and Carlos Ezpeleta: The Growth of MotoGP and What's Next to Come

Rob Stull was elected president of the International Modern Pentathlon Union in November 2024, a four-year tenure that includes the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. Stull was an alternate to the 1984 U.S. Olympic modern pentathlon team, competed in both fencing and modern pentathlon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, then competed in modern pentathlon at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Starting at the LA28 Games, modern pentathlon will replace equestrian riding with obstacle racing after a long process that took several years. Modern pentathlon is a five-sport event that, for 2028, will include fencing, freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing, laser pistol shooting and cross-country running. We discussed the lead-up to LA28, Stull’s work at the international federation since being elected president and much more. 

Rob Stull was elected president of the International Modern Pentathlon Union in November 2024, a four-year tenure that includes the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. Stull was an alternate to the 1984 U.S. Olympic modern pentathlon team, competed in both fencing and modern pentathlon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, then competed in modern pentathlon at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Starting at the LA28 Games, modern pentathlon will replace equestrian riding with obstacle racing after a long process that took several years. Modern pentathlon is a five-sport event that, for 2028, will include fencing, freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing, laser pistol shooting and cross-country running. We discussed the lead-up to LA28, Stull&rsquo;s work at the international federation since being elected president and much more.&nbsp;

Rob Stull: Growing Modern Pentathlon's Global Reach

John Kemp may be the perfect person to be at the helm at the Lakeshore Foundation. As you’ll hear in this episode, his passion for the adaptive sports community isn’t just professional. It’s personal. Born without arms and legs, Kemp had to adjust at an early age to his surroundings, and managed to play baseball even if his career may not have been worthy of the Hall of Fame as he’ll discuss. He has, however, gone on to a Hall of Fame career when it comes to advocacy for the disability movement. His previous leadership roles include serving as the national executive director of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, president and CEO of VSA Arts and VSA Arts International, and as general counsel and vice president of development for the National Easter Seal Society, among others. In 1995, he co-founded the American Association of People with Disabilities. He recently served as president and CEO of the Viscardi Center and Henry Viscardi School in New York.

But in 2021, he was named president at CEO of the Lakeshore Foundation. The foundation has taken on different forms over the years but traces its origins all the way to 1925 as the Jefferson Tuberculosis Sanitorium. Since then, its focus has turned to a much wider spectrum, and in 1984 began as something close to its current form as the Lakeshore Foundation, with Jeff Underwood taking the helm as the first president and CEO. As the relatively new leader, Kemp oversees a program that is now an official U.S. Paralympic Training site, and serves over 4,000 people annually through its various programs. Last year, it opened its Sports Science & Performance Center, a first-of-its-kind program that will help fuel the pipeline for Team USA and other elite athletes through a performance lab, strength and conditioning center and nutrition lab among other things.

In this conversation, we’re going to discuss Lakeshore’s amazing history, the rise of the Paralympic movement, the opportunities ahead with the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and perhaps most importantly, what host cities and venues need to know about serving the community of adaptive sports athletes.

 

John Kemp may be the perfect person to be at the helm at the<a href="https://www.lakeshore.org/"> Lakeshore Foundation</a>. As you&rsquo;ll hear in this episode, his passion for the adaptive sports community isn&rsquo;t just professional. It&rsquo;s personal. Born without arms and legs, Kemp had to adjust at an early age to his surroundings, and managed to play baseball even if his career may not have been worthy of the Hall of Fame as he&rsquo;ll discuss. He has, however, gone on to a Hall of Fame career when it comes to advocacy for the disability movement. His previous leadership roles include serving as the national executive director of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, president and CEO of VSA Arts and VSA Arts International, and as general counsel and vice president of development for the National Easter Seal Society, among others. In 1995, he co-founded the American Association of People with Disabilities. He recently served as president and CEO of the Viscardi Center and Henry Viscardi School in New York.
But in 2021, he was named president at CEO of the Lakeshore Foundation. The foundation has taken on different forms over the years but traces its origins all the way to 1925 as the Jefferson Tuberculosis Sanitorium. Since then, its focus has turned to a much wider spectrum, and in 1984 began as something close to its current form as the Lakeshore Foundation, with Jeff Underwood taking the helm as the first president and CEO. As the relatively new leader, Kemp oversees a program that is now an official U.S. Paralympic Training site, and serves over 4,000 people annually through its various programs.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/new-lakeshore-foundation-center-ups-the-game-for-adaptive-sports/">Last year, it opened its Sports Science &amp; Performance Center</a>, a first-of-its-kind program that will help fuel the pipeline for Team USA and other elite athletes through a performance lab, strength and conditioning center and nutrition lab among other things.
In this conversation, we&rsquo;re going to discuss Lakeshore&rsquo;s amazing history, the rise of the Paralympic movement, the opportunities ahead with the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and perhaps most importantly, what host cities and venues need to know about serving the community of adaptive sports athletes.
&nbsp;

Raffaella Paniè: Designing The Look of the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

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