Leadership / 12.21.21
2021 Recap: INTIX’s Coverage of the Great Reopening
Teddy Durgin
The year 2021 was definitely marked by the “Great Reopening,” with the world’s population receiving the COVID-19 vaccines and boosters that allowed live events in many parts to resume in one form or another. INTIX members, for the most part, were prepared for the return of fans, spectators and audience members, and many shared their stories of perseverance and preparations with INTIX in a series of articles.
Will 2022 be any easier? The omicron variant is trying to say “No.” But INTIX members will do their best to keep the lights on and the seats filled, while maintaining the highest public health and safety standards. Here’s how industry leaders responded to and lead the “Great Reopening.”
Early in the year, INTIX detailed (click here) Tessitura Network’s efforts to align its leadership team to accelerate the company’s progress toward strategic and technological goals. The existing teams became part of five groups: Innovation, Member Services, Professional Services, Growth and Operations. Tessitura entered 2021 with plenty of confidence, having added 50 organizations to its community in 2020 for a total of 726 arts and cultural organizations in 10 countries.
As chronicled here, one of the first major sporting events that returned to glory in 2021 was the Indy 500 on May 30. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) hosted more than 130,000 fans for the legendary auto race, which was still only 40% of the track’s unofficial capacity. That number of fans, as well as the track’s health and safety plan, were approved by the Marion County (Indiana) Public Health Department.
Allie McLaughlin, who manages the ticket operations at the Speedway, spoke of the pressure at the time: “We are going to host the largest single-day sporting event since the pandemic began, and the outcome of our event could very well alter the live events that come after us. We have many staff members on boards and committees across the state to help share information and planning tools so that other venues know what we have done and can build off of it to continue to better the live event industry during this pandemic and going forward.”
In June, INTIX published an article profiling one of the companies that has been helping the live events industry make a return to normalcy: accesso Technology Group PLC. Headquartered in England, the technology firm has nine offices around the globe; serves over 1,000 venues; and provides everything from ticketing to point of sale to guest experience management solutions.
Mechele Larmore, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at accesso, was amazed at how much live events had been missed and the level of excitement upon their return. “There’s clearly a deep longing from our guests to reconnect and return to the places and experiences they’ve missed so much,” she said. “I don’t think any of us will be taking those types of experiences for granted anytime soon, and venues have the opportunity to build on those experiences by embracing the idea that the guest journey really starts with that very first touch point of the ticket purchase. If you can make a great first impression right from the beginning, you can help build some truly remarkable relationships with guests.”
Another company that had successfully re-geared by the time people resumed buying tickets again in large numbers was Patron Technology, which specializes in helping live event organizers create better experiences for their attendees and deeper relationships with their sponsors via its data-driven event technology solutions. Its efforts were chronicled here.
Doug Lyons, the company’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, told us at the time, “Our mobile and experiential products had a surprising level of activity during the pandemic, and we integrated these tools with our virtual offerings to help our clients engage with their customers throughout the months of shutdowns and restrictions. Many of these clients are now full speed ahead with planning and putting on their in-person, virtual and hybrid events since many communities are allowing larger gatherings.”
Not to be outdone, Paciolan President and CEO Kim Damron noted in this feature interview that one of the biggest benefits for the ticketing industry in the COVID-19 era has been the acceleration of technology. In the April feature, she predicted, “There will be more and more mobile adoption. Paper tickets are eventually going to go away. And everything at the venues will be contactless — from contactless entry to contactless concession ordering and so forth. Even as audiences come back, people don’t necessarily want to touch everything.”
As spring gave way to summer, the delta variant of the coronavirus emerged as a real concern. But most ticketed events and live performances remained on the schedule. Tickets.com President and CEO Joe Choti was realistic at the time. “I think what we need to look at long term is the ability to be flexible in putting measures back in place should any new restrictions be placed,” he said here.
Ken Paul, Tix Ticketing’s Head of Sales & Customer Relations, was equally realistic about continental Europe’s reopening in this September feature. “For the next year or so,” he predicted, “we will not have the inbound travel that Broadway and London depend on. So, I believe that we will see a big rise in regional audiences. I don’t believe there will be permanent changes to customer behaviors, however. But I do believe venues will have to do more with ventilation and hygiene to make their audiences safe going forward.”
The series of Great Reopening articles was eventually expanded to include entire countries and how they had been faring. In October, INTIX ran a feature titled “Australia’s Ticketing Pros Weigh in on Getting Over the COVID-19 Hump.” Since the pandemic’s start, COVID-19 restrictions have been imposed by the government in each Australian state and territory. This means that different parts of the nation have been and are even now subject to different restrictions.
This has resulted in some rather unique problems for event planners and promoters. Amy Maiden, Managing Partner of Anthem (formerly AKA Australia), noted, “I’ve had multiple clients delay and/or cancel seasons not because the state isn’t allowing performances, but because they can’t get their casts into the state due to closed borders and interstate quarantine laws making things cost prohibitive.”
A total of four ticketing professionals were interviewed for the article, and they all concurred that removing capacity limits are imperative for live events to return Down Under.
Canada was the next country of focus in a November article titled, “O Canada, Our Home and Reopened Land.” Each province has implemented a “vaccine passport,” and restrictions on gathering have been greatly reduced in the four most populous provinces: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta. A major turning point happened on Oct. 9 when the government of Ontario lifted capacity restrictions, allowing 100% capacity in indoor settings like concert venues, theaters and cinemas.
Alan Moffat, Ticket Operations and Customer Relations Manager for The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, said at the time: “Thankfully, we are seeing the return of live events. The challenge is now navigating the frequently changing requirements imposed upon us due to the public health measures.”
Challenge has been a reoccurring word in INTIX’s news coverage throughout 2021. We’ve probably used that word more than any other in our coverage this year. But that’s because INTIX members have risen up to meet each and every challenge, whether it’s the gambles ticketing and live event pros have taken opening Las Vegas back up (click here) or the solid policies Joe Carter told Christine Payne he and his colleagues have put in place at the famed Hollywood Bowl, which officially reopened on the Fourth of July (click here). Others who offered their insights on the challenges of reopening during the past year ranged from AudienceView CEO Mark Fowlie (here) to SeatGeek co-founder Russell D’Souza (here).
Tags: Leadership , Reopening