The partnership

Three companies. One Houston summer.

When the world arrives in Houston for the 2026 World Cup, the city's biggest sporting moment in decades is hosted by a partnership that's been quietly building toward it — three Black-owned businesses across Houston and Chicago, joining forces to deliver an experience worthy of the moment.

How it came together

Houston-led, cross-city, built for the moment.

Houston has been chosen to host seven matches of the 2026 World Cup. What happens around those matches — how fans arrive, where they gather, how the city shows up — is being built by Barnes Marketing & Management, The Culture Of Sports, and the Community Collective for Houston. Two of the principals are based in Houston; the third is in Chicago. All three are Black-owned. All three are in this because Houston deserves a fan experience that matches the scale of what's coming.

The partnership is Houston-led: the venue, the operations, and the on-the-ground hospitality run through the Community Collective's 20,000-square-foot campus five minutes from Houston Stadium. The Culture Of Sports brings the sports-industry depth and brand strategy. Barnes Marketing & Management owns the marketing, logistics, and customer-facing experience. The result is parking and chartered shuttles to all seven matches, plus a signature VIP Fan Fest Night in the Grand Ballroom on June 20.

The principals

Meet the three companies behind it.

Barnes Marketing & Management · Houston

Stanley Barnes

President & CEO

Barnes Marketing & Management is a Houston-based agency that has spent 25 years building experiences for the sports and entertainment industries — event management, athlete and artist representation, marketing and promotion, global concierge, and chartered transportation. The firm has worked with everyone from emerging artists to established sports personalities, and projects from intimate galas to large-scale productions. For Houston Fan Fest 2026, Barnes Marketing & Management leads the partnership's marketing, the fan-facing experience, and the chartered transportation operation that moves ticket-holders from the Community Collective to Houston Stadium on every match day — bringing a quarter-century of event-and-transport know-how to bear on the city's biggest sporting summer.

barnesmarketing.com ↗

The Culture Of Sports · Chicago

Darryl Woods

Founder

The Culture Of Sports (COS) is a next-generation sports, media, and innovation ecosystem that builds premium experiences, strategic partnerships, and long-term value across events, youth development, brand strategy, and cultural impact. Darryl's work spans the CIAA, Coaches vs Racism and its All-Women's College basketball games, Sports News-Global, and a broader portfolio of sports media and event leadership.

LinkedIn ↗

Community Collective for Houston · Houston

Teeba Rose

Founder

Teeba Rose founded the Community Collective as a 20,000+ square-foot, 501(c)(3) event venue built for the moments — weddings, quinceañeras, galas, concerts, conferences, community gatherings — that make Houston feel like itself. Centrally positioned at 12401 S. Post Oak Rd., five minutes from Houston Stadium and between Downtown, the Galleria, Pearland, and Sugar Land, the Collective spans eight unique spaces including the Grand Ballroom, the SouthWing, the Jessie Jones Room, the Southeast Ballroom, a 6,000-square-foot foyer, and the Collective Lounge — capacity up to 2,300 guests. For Houston Fan Fest 2026, the Collective becomes the partnership's basecamp: secured parking, staging tents, and the Grand Ballroom hosting the VIP Fan Fest Night on Saturday, June 20.

communitycollectivehouston.org ↗

In their words

“We partnered on Houston Fan Fest 2026 because The Culture Of Sports, Barnes Marketing & Management, and the Community Collective for Houston are built to elevate global moments — and Houston deserved a fan experience that matched the scale, energy, and cultural heartbeat of the world's biggest sporting event. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to create accessible, community-driven, premium sports experiences that leave a lasting legacy.”
— Darryl WoodsFounder, The Culture Of Sports

What we're delivering

Two products, one weekend-by-weekend operation.

Game-day Parking & Shuttle

To all seven Houston Stadium matches — secured parking five minutes from NRG, chartered coaches and Sprinters, police-escorted entry, tagged re-entry.

See the service

VIP Fan Fest Night, June 20

The partnership's signature single-night event in the Grand Ballroom, running parallel to Netherlands vs. Sweden at Houston Stadium.

See the night

Corporate & sponsorship programs

Custom hospitality bundles, sponsor activations, and dedicated coach arrangements built on top of both products — available by inquiry.

Talk to us

Press, partnership, or proposal?

For interviews, photography, or partnership questions, the principals are available — and we'll route inquiries to whoever's the right fit for what you're asking.

Get in touch Sponsorship inquiry