ASTOUND Group Expands Sports and Venue Leadership to Accelerate Sponsor Activation and Fan Experience Integration

Experiential design studio appoints Karim Wazani as Head of Sports and promotes Brittany Castle to Senior Vice President, Client Partnerships

LAS VEGAS, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ASTOUND Group today announced two leadership appointments that strengthen its ability to deliver sponsor activations that drive measurable ROI across stadiums, arenas, and live sports events. The company has appointed Karim Wazani as Head of Sports and promoted Brittany Castle to Senior Vice President, Client Partnerships.

The moves position ASTOUND to help brands and teams turn sponsorship agreements into fan experiences that actually move the needle. From permanent venue integrations to temporary activations and mobile tours, ASTOUND delivers end-to-end solutions that connect creative strategy, digital engagement, world-class design, and architectural-grade execution under one roof. The result: sponsors get measurable outcomes, not just visibility.

Karim Wazani Joins as Head of Sports

Wazani joins ASTOUND from Amazon, where he served as Global Head of Partnerships, leading strategic relationships across fashion, music, retail, and live events. He built and maintained partnerships with the NBA, NFL, UFC, and Nike, transforming partnership agreements into experiential programs that delivered business results.

A standout achievement was leading the partnership between Amazon, the NBA, and Emerald Expo to launch NBA Con in 2023, the NBA's flagship fan event platform. Prior to his partnerships role, Wazani served as General Manager of Zappos' $3 billion e-commerce business and created the first strategic partnership between Amazon and Nike through Rookie USA, serving as President of that division.

Before Amazon, Wazani held senior leadership roles at Nike, Converse, and Shoe Palace, where he drove large-scale sporting events including Nike's World Basketball Festival and developed athlete-led product lines.

As Head of Sports, Wazani will lead growth strategy across teams, leagues, venues, and brand sponsors, developing integrated programs that elevate fan engagement and deliver measurable partner value.

"ASTOUND has the rare combination of creative vision and executional infrastructure to deliver at venue scale," said Wazani. "I'm here to help leagues, teams and brands create experiences fans actively engage with."

Brittany Castle Promoted to Senior Vice President, Client Partnerships

Castle's promotion recognizes her leadership in delivering high-impact venue projects, most notably her work on Allegiant Stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders. As ASTOUND's lead on the project, Castle spearheaded master planning for integrating all founding partnerships into the building, navigating a stadium opening during COVID-19 while ensuring every partnership touchpoint delivered world-class results.

She began her career with the Cleveland Browns in Corporate Partnerships, developing expertise in sponsorship activation, partner servicing, and game-day execution. Her agency-side work has included strategic planning for Ferrari North America and Nike across premium motorsports experiences and lifestyle brand activations.

In her expanded role, Castle will deepen relationships with sports and entertainment clients while driving new opportunities with teams, venues, and brand partners. She will lead partnership development and oversee client strategy for major programs.

What This Means for Sponsors and Teams

"Sponsors don't need more static signage. They need activations that fans engage with and that deliver measurable outcomes," said Dale Morgan, CEO of ASTOUND Group. "Brittany proved that on the Raiders stadium during one of the most challenging builds in modern sports. Karim brings a track record of turning partnerships and events into business drivers at the highest level." 

ASTOUND's vertically integrated model supports reliable execution across permanent venue installations, temporary activations, premium hospitality environments, mobile tours, and sports conferences. This approach allows teams and leagues to uphold venue operations, brand standards, and fan experience priorities, while enabling sponsors to activate in ways that are authentic, compliant, and effective.

With dedicated leadership guiding its sports practice, ASTOUND partners with sponsors, teams, and leagues to create connected experiences that drive fan engagement, generate content, and support measurable business outcomes—linking physical environments and digital touchpoints to extend value well beyond game day.

ASTOUND Group is a creative-led experiential powerhouse that designs and delivers digitally driven live experiences—turning moments into measurable results for brands, fans, and consumers—powered by an integrated ecosystem of strategy, storytelling, production, and performance marketing.

SOURCE ASTOUND Group