Now in its second decade, TheTicketingBusiness Forum explores the opportunities of open, multi-channel connections to discovery, sales and distribution. The Forum is the essential meeting to learn from our industry’s leaders, discover what’s happening, re-connect with friends and make new connections into the global entertainment, sports, arts and leisure ecosystem.
More than ticketing, we now encompass the entire ticketing ecosystem from marketing and discovery through to pricing, CRM, analytics and loyalty. Join us as we plug in, connect and re-engineer our ticketing business… together!
Founder TheTicketingBusiness/Xperiology
Ian is the Owner and Founder of TheTicketingBusiness Forum and its news channel TheTicketingBusiness.com – both presented by his Xperiology events and marketing agency. His working life began in sports events management (including Formula 1, horse racing and Wimbledon) before pursuing an award-winning career in B2B magazine publishing. He has co-launched and edited numerous B2B publications and meetings, ranging from energy and industrial processes through to airport design and Intelligent Transportation Systems. He has also founded many of the sports sector’s most respected publications and news sources – including Stadia magazine, TheStadiumBusiness.com and TheStadiumBusiness Summit. In his downtime from family and worklife, he takes his dogs on the Downs, rides his (motor)bikes and treks up the occasional mountain.
Mentor, Advisor & Consultant TJChambers Consultancy
Tim Chambers is a Mentor, Advisor and Consultant. He currently works with a number of organisations seeking to enter, redefine or expand their operations within the live entertainment and ticketing sectors, advising on corporate development strategies and directing transactions. Tim also has a number of advisory posts including NED roles with various start-ups and emerging companies.
Co-Founder & Head of Business Development 3D Digital Venue
Francis Casado is one of the founders of Mobile Media Content – 3D Digital Venue and is currently serving as Head of Business Development. Prior to founding MMC- 3D Digital Venue, that revolutionized Interactive Digital Venue Management for Sports and Entertainment Venue Industry, Francis made his career around the beneficial application of 3D Technology and Virtual Reality for various sectors. A true entrepreneur, Francis’s previous time at Barcelona Media was primarily focused as a product manager responsible for developing innovative 3D solutions for use in construction of new urban developments by Barcelona Smart City Council.
Co-Founder & Product Leader Tixserve
James is Product Leader and Co-Founder at Tixserve, a Business-to-Business, Software-as-a-Service, white-label, digital ticket delivery platform for rights owners/ticket sellers in the global entertainment and sports sectors. With a background in delivering ground-breaking solutions in the payments and mobile airtime distribution sectors, James and co-founder Patrick saw an opportunity to add value to the ticketing industry with a market-led, next-generation, ‘last mile’ digital solution. The Tixserve mobile-based, patented technology enables effective personalised security, public health protocol compliance and access control to events, preventing unauthorised ticket exchange/resale and fraud while greatly enhancing the customer experience and supporting the development of new data-driven digital marketing and commerce partnerships.
Head of Ticketing RLWC2021
Shah-Zeib comes from a tourism and hospitality background after successfully running a number of successful businesses in Austria.
An exchange term abroad during his business undergraduate course in Vienna quickly resulted in Shah-Zeib finding his new home – in Manchester.
From there the journey only got better, where in the iconic Maracanã during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, Shah-Zeib fell in love with the world of ticketing.
What followed on from there:
· MBA Football Industries, University of Liverpool, 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018, FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 and many more
Having gathered global ticketing experiences as a service provider and rightsholder, Shah-Zeib’s journey has taken him to a different shaped ball game to the Rugby League World Cup 2021.
At RLWC2021, he is the Head of Ticketing, tasked with the delivery of the most inclusive edition of the tournament staging the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments across several iconic venues in England.
With the postponement of the tournament now confirmed Shah will also take on the role of dealing with the refunds process as a whole while still building towards the biggest and best RLWC ever in 2022.
Head of Ticketing Royal Opera House
Neil Jones has worked in live entertainment for over 25 years in a variety of roles across theatres, live venues and festivals including senior roles. Having started off in hist first job as a Box Office Assistant at the North Wales Theatre his career took him to various UK theatres, via Cheltenham Festivals and on to Operations Director for the Cambridge Corn Exchange and Cambridge Folk Festival.
In his current role of Head of Ticketing at the Royal Opera House he oversees the management and development of world-famous theatre’s Ticketing and Customer Support sections with the challenge of transforming the departments to better meet the demands of the modern digital age. Outside of the day job he has presented rock radio shows for 25 years. Whatever you do….don’t get him talking about Iron Maiden unless you have some time to kill!
Head of Ticketing/CRM Edinburgh International Festival / The Hub
Following a successful freelance career in children’s publishing, Leon started working for Aberdeen Performing Arts in September 2005. Leon moved up through the box office to become Head of Business Transformation in 2016, leading on the company’s IT strategy and policy development, managing the operations team and embedding environmental sustainability initiatives throughout the organisation. In August 2020, Leon took up a new role as Head of Ticketing and CRM at Edinburgh International Festival, where acts as the strategic lead for ticketing services.
Over the years, Leon has successfully delivered three ticketing/CRM system migrations, most recently in his current role, where he managed the transition from AudienceView to Spektrix – all done completely remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic! Edinburgh International Festival went live with Spektrix in April 2021.
VP of Product & Engineering TIX Ticketing
Einar is VP of Product & Engineering at Tix. Einar has been with Tix since earlier this year. Even though he does not have a long experience in ticketing he has a long experience in product management and is an experienced speaker. He has also experience in expansion as he has previously worked as VP of product management for both Bókun (now Tripadvisor) and Meniga.
TheTicketingBusiness Awards recognise leadership, innovation & achievement in the use of ticketing across sports, performing arts, music, live entertainment and visitor attractions.
2022 WINNERS 2022 FINALISTS3D Digital Venue, powered by Mobile Media Content, provides Interactive Digital Venue Management Solutions to Sports and Entertainment Venues across the globe. 3D Digital Venue platforms is with design need-based solutions for our clients providing them a robust, precise and Interactive Digital Twin of their Venue to deliver greater fan satisfaction, increase season ticket holder renewal rates, activate new channels of digital sponsorship and provide special viewing for prospective VIP buyers.
- View WebsiteAhead of the crowd on ticket protection and insurance. Partnering with ticketing companies, venues, events and sports clubs in the UK, Europe and North America. Protecting ticket buyers against their inability to attend events and providing a zero cost revenue stream to our partners.
- View WebsiteID&C® are industry leaders in intelligent credentials & accreditation. Supplying RFID & non-RFID wristbands, lanyards, laminates & other products to various sectors. Our supporters include the likes of, Live Nation, The O2 Arena, The NFL and Wembley Stadium. We have 25 years’ experience supplying the largest events, venues & most popular brands globally. With more users switching to cashless payments & needing increased security and data analytics with RFID / NFC technology, ID&C® are proud to lead the way providing innovative and forward thinking product solutions.
- View WebsiteQueue-it is the leading developer of virtual waiting room services to control website and app traffic surges, by offloading visitors to a waiting line environment. Queue-it enables venues, ticketing, and event platforms across the globe to keep their systems online and fans informed, blocking malicious bots and creating a personalized waiting experience on their most business-critical days. The use of Queue-it has ensured online fairness during high-demand online events for more than 2 billion end-users worldwide.The company has offices in Denmark and the U.S. To learn more about Queue-it, please visit our website.
- View WebsiteBooking Protect offers better protection for your customers, with better revenue for venues. Wherever they are. Wherever you are.
We provide the world’s most flexible and comprehensive refund protection. Making sure that your customers aren’t left out of pocket, should the worst happen.
But it’s not just your customer who benefits. By partnering with Booking Protect, venues get access to an all-new revenue stream with very little input from you, all at no cost.
Which means peace of mind for your customers, and a rewarding partnership for you.
- View WebsiteTixserve is a digital ticketing delivery solution for live events in the global sports, music and entertainment industry. Redefining ticket delivery for richer experiences, the solution empowers event organisers and sponsors with next-gen digital tools that bring experiential and commercial gain.
With accurate and verified data capture, patented security features, direct communication, fan engagement and revenue generation tools, the system transforms ticketing into the digital age.
The next-gen white label ticketing app puts clients’ brands directly into their fans’ hands bringing them closer to their audiences like never before.
BESPOKE PACKAGING AND GIFTWARE FOR FANS AND VIPS
We are the trusted partner of some of the world’s leading professional sports clubs, associations and venues. We create innovative, bespoke solutions that make fans feel appreciated and rewarded for their loyalty – solutions that drive both engagement and retention rates.
We are experts in membership and season ticket packs, working with over 100 clubs, venues and associations around the world. Our custom packs include RFID and non-RFID cards, game-day giveaways, presentation boxes, branded merchandise, tickets, lanyards, accreditations, hospitality passes and video packs, as well as hospitality, VIP and high-value corporate gifts.
- View WebsiteTLS – Boca Systems distributes BOCA thermal ticket printers, tickets and other related products, such plastic cards and barcode scanners through its international network of subsidiaries. The sturdy BOCA thermal ticket printer is the industry standard for fast, high-quality thermal printing. Moreover, the combination of the BOCA printers and our tickets guarantees carefree and secure ticketing with our Lifetime Print-Head guarantee. TLS – Boca Systems mainly supplies their products through its system partners. These partners supply the BOCA printers and/or tickets to their end user(s). End users mainly operate in the following areas: Theatres, Stadiums, Cinemas, Congress & Exhibition Centres, Family & Leisure parks, Museums, Ticketing Services, Zoos & Aquariums, Airports & Air Traffic Control and Public Transport.
- View WebsiteTix strive to offer high-quality ticketing system presented in the simplest way, to help customers succeed with minimum effort. Tix was founded in Iceland in 2014 and in 2017 we started expanding to Scandinavia and became the fastest growing supplier in the Scandinavian market. We focus on offering user friendly and modern ticketing system for the culture industry; concert halls, theatres, culture- and music houses.
The ticketing industry is becoming increasingly complex and competitive. In our opinion, this increases the need and value of being a local partner. Tix is local and now outgrowing the Nordic region into e.g. The United Kingdom. Our experience and focus on this market – which differ from other regions and countries in so many ways – ensures that there is always an adjusted and clear strategy in our development and overall vision. In our company, we are completely focused on developing and implementing our platform in this segment where we have our in-depth and long-term knowledge and experience, and this is where we are currently experiencing an overwhelming interest in our solutions and offers.
We do not promise things we can not deliver and we deliver what we promise, honesty and transparency is the most important thing building up a strong customer relationship.
Sports & entertainment businesses worldwide come to us frustrated by systems that don’t talk to each other, isolated data sources, and fragmented audience engagement, making building meaningful connections on an individual basis a near-impossible task.
For years, we’ve solved these problems with a single platform for data, analytics, CRM, and marketing automation to deliver value that drives insights, revenue, and profitability across teams, leagues, venues, and arenas.
This centralised platform enables world-leading organisations to deliver sold-out stadiums quicker than ever, increased corporate sales, innovative partnership programs, unforgettable hospitality and event experiences and tailored communications.
EngageRM leverages the full capability of Microsofts industry-leading ecosystem, including AI, machine learning, blockchain and other next-gen technologies. We centralise data from any location to provide a single source of truth, enabling customers to generate revenue, interaction and engagement with their audience 365 days per year.
- View WebsiteSeat Unique is the premium ticketing marketplace helping fans access official premium tickets and hospitality packages for live events. As digital transformation experts, we work with clubs and venues to bring outdated booking processes online with a white-label website that’s specifically designed, tested and built for selling hospitality.
We also help clubs expand their hospitality offering with the creation of a brand new premium ticketing category. We achieve this by providing optimisation software that dynamically prices an allocation of premium tickets. This benefits both fans looking for great VIP access and clubs looking to increase revenue.
- View WebsiteSKIDATA is an international leader in the field of access solutions and their management. Almost 10,000 SKIDATA installations worldwide in ski resorts, stadiums, airports, shopping malls, cities, spa & wellness facilities, trade fairs and amusement parks provide secure and reliable access and entry control for people and vehicles. SKIDATA places great value in providing solutions that are intuitive, easy to use, and secure. The integrated concepts of SKIDATA solutions help clients optimize performance and maximize profits. SKIDATA Group (www.skidata.com) belongs to the publicly traded Swiss Kudelski Group (www.nagra.com), a leading provider of digital security solutions.
- View WebsiteAxess is a leading international company that provides access control solutions for stadia, arenas and venues. New intelligent technologies which control venue entry and the flow
of visitors are the focus. By offering contactless access control to venue operators Axess systems are ready for the new lifestyle that is defined by social distancing and touchless applications.
Axess systems have been installed at several Olympic Games, FIFA, UEFA and WORLD CUP events as well as more than 70 stadia and arenas.
- View WebsiteSmeetz is the #1 data-driven ticketing and dynamic pricing software for attractions and cultural venues to optimise revenue and occupancy. Our solution allows to automate pricing strategies, optimise occupancy rates and sell on multiple channels.
With Smeetz for Business, we provide our customers with an all-in- one solution to manage, market, and price their products efficiently
by leveraging data and approaching sales from a tech-savvy perspective.
Smeetz was founded 3 years ago and is currently based in Switzerland. We are currently entering the British market and will expand to multiple European countries in 2022. The company is composed of more than 30 team members internationally and is looking to expand!
Vatic’s dynamic pricing software is specifically designed for performing arts and ticketed venues. Vatic’s sixteen proprietary algorithms help you find the right price for each event. Vatic has managed pricing for more than 2000 performances, delivering over $3 million in revenue growth to its partners in 2021 alone. With both fully automated and hybrid solutions, Vatic’s software works with virtually any ticketing CRM.
- View WebsiteAll the latest ticketing business news, blogs, videos, and up-to-the-minute media coverage from all the leading voices in the ticketing business industry, all in one place. Curated and brought to you by the TheTicketingBusiness Forum.
- View WebsiteThe Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), is the representative body for the UK ticketing industry, promoting consumer confidence and excellent service through a strict Code of Practice and as an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution body for its members.
STAR’s membership includes ticket agencies, West End and regional theatres, arenas, music venues, travel companies and many others in the ticketing industry. Sales through STAR members represent over 90% of UK theatre and music ticket sales.
With widespread support and recognition from entertainment venues, promoters and producers as well as law enforcement and government, STAR has been at the forefront of cross-industry initiatives to improve consumer confidence, combat fraud and make ticket buying safer for the past twenty-four years.
Our host venue, Emirates Old Trafford is a flexible, multi-purpose conference and events venue and world-class international sporting stadium ideally located in Manchester. Catering from ten to 2,000 people across a multitude of events, from small meetings to large exhibitions, our high end space is fully supported by dedicated and in-house services, such as event duty managers, IT support and experienced event planners. With over 3,600m² of space, 43 meeting rooms, over 700 on-site parking spaces, amazing transport links and a 150-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn hotel on-site, Emirates Old Trafford is an event organiser’s dream!
- View WebsiteEmirates Old Trafford is also home to Lancashire Cricket, a world-class international sporting stadium, playing host to some of cricket’s most iconic moments since 1857 and also hosting world famous artists such as Rihanna and Beyoncé. Founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club, Lancashire have played at Old Trafford since then and, in 1865, played their inaugural first-class match, beating Middlesex at Old Trafford.
An integral part of the North West sporting scene, the Club is synonymous with great triumphs, famous names and a will to succeed. Steeped in tradition, nostalgia and prowess, Lancashire Cricket has earned itself a reputation and status that businesses and individuals wish to be associated with.
- View Website