Building with Purpose

Our Story

David Carlock founded Machete Group in 2007 after decades working across sports, entertainment, and real estate — from launching Disney's ESPN Zone destinations to overseeing Houston's Toyota Center construction. He witnessed how too many projects failed by focusing on just one piece of the puzzle.

Machete Group bridges that gap with a 360-degree perspective on complex venue developments. What began as a one-man venture has become a leading advisory and development firm serving sports franchise owners, developers, and cities worldwide. We've built our reputation tackling projects others find too daunting.

With over $5B in sports and entertainment projects completed, we guide stadium and arena developments, sports-adjacent mixed-use districts, and live entertainment venues from concept to completion — let's build.

TRACK RECORD

WITH INDUSTRY-LEADING CLIENTS ACROSS MAJOR SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LEAGUES

$0 BILLION

OF SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT WORK

DEEP AND

TALENTED BENCH

Why choose Machete

What sets us apart

We believe there are four things that really matter when you’re developing large venues and adjacent mixed-use real estate projects. Most firms bring one or two of these perspectives. We bring all four — because we’ve done the work, not just advised from the sidelines. That lens shapes how we think, design, build, and operate. We plan for the long arc of a project that needs to perform in year one — and hold up in year twenty.

Extensive Sports Venue Experience

We have overseen a wide range of first-class developments in the United States and around the world, including MiLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, NWSL, Olympics, Premier League, and WNBA venues. Our team has long-standing relationships with sports teams, leagues, and other industry stakeholders - built on trust and our ability to execute complex, high-impact developments through collaborative partnerships.

Expertise in Venue Operations

Our expertise goes beyond development. As former venue operators, we know what it takes to run a successful venue - including logistics, staffing, security, and delivering exceptional guest experiences. Our hands-on experience managing large-scale, live event spaces gives us unique insight into what makes a venue - and the surrounding district - thrive.

Inside Access to Team Operations

Having worked directly for sports teams across various functions, we understand what drives the business. That knowledge helps us fully harness the advantages unique to sports teams to unlock value creation across mixed-use developments - such as executing a cohesive, district-wide sponsorship strategy (a revenue stream typically unavailable to traditional real estate) and leveraging a team's in-market relationships to drive leasing and event business.

Mastery of Mixed-Use Development at Scale

Our team brings together decades of experience across a wide range of sectors, including office, multifamily, hospitality, sports venues, industrial, and land development. We know how to structure and execute large, mixed-use developments that are both commercially viable and community-focused - integrating and bridging the gap between sports, entertainment, and traditional real estate to create destinations with lasting impact.