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Articles

Day Two – What you missed

In keeping with the grand Irish vibe from the last three days, Ian Nuttall took the stage this evening to bid our delegates farewell, with a pint of Guinness in hand. Raising a final toast to our stellar line up of speakers, industry-leading sponsors, expert judging panel, VIP guests, old friends, new faces and the TTF team who brought them all together under one roof.

Delegates departing words told of leaving the Emerald Isle with a sense of satisfaction having debated some of the industry’s most immediate issues and collectively considered the future of ticketing.

Almost more poignant, was how open our speakers were to sharing the hurdles they had faced, carving a more certain future for those who follow the path. Although in attendance there were many with successes to shout about, the forum was not just a parade of achievements, but more a sharing of knowledge and experience, and a unified discussion of how to move forward.

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The second day of the forum more than upheld the previous day’s caliber of content, beginning with an intimate fireside chat with Tommy Higgins – honoured last night with the award for outstanding achievement. Paul Williamson conducted an affectionate conversation with the industry legend to an uncharacteristically packed second morning, discussing the beginnings of his career, the regrets along the way and the stories behind his immense impact on the ticketing world.

Tommy delighted the room with tales of Ticketmaster Ireland starting with just £100 in the bank, listening to an ‘idiot with a spreadsheet’ and missing what could have been a life-changing investment, and that if it was his last night on earth he would choose music over sport every time.

‘Nothing touches live entertainment – that feeling when the lights go down and you hear that first note being played’. An inspirational figure and a truly deserving winner.

The over flowing conference room was shortly shocked awake by second speaker, Stephanie Kovach, leading an energiser – ‘something very googley’. Stephanie commented on her first Forum experience: ‘I really enjoyed myself and meeting new people who are disrupting the industry’

The sheer volume of great content raised for this year’s edition of the forum resulted in an afternoon of parallel, expert tracks in several rooms throughout the venue. Delegates moved from room to room diving in and out of debates covering everything from UX, fraud and security, the World Cup and the arts, to competitor collaboration, data insights and pricing strategies.

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Our closing presentation tackled the big debate – does anybody still need a box office? Dan Eastmond, Fire Station Arts and Eric Valley, Cirque du Soleil led the discussion and Eric, who took home the ‘Moving on Up’ Award last night, showcased their experiential box office designs to maximise engagement of their customers.

Departing messages on social media confirmed that the Forum will be in the minds of attendees long after the final chairs have been stacked:

“Such a pleasure being a part of #TTF16. Two days with fantastic speakers and tonnes of knowledge shared’ Luc Behar, Secutix

“Thank you @TicketTechForum for a great conference. #goodconnections #insights #challenges #experience” Liz Baird, Wales Millenium Centre

“The Forum is over! We are full of impressions and hope to come again next year” Natalie Senyk, Softjourn

Thank you to all of our sponsors, speakers and delegates for the most successful Forum to date. We wish you safe journeys home and will see you all next year.

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