INTIX is at its best when many great conversations are happening. The 47th Annual INTIX Conference & Exhibition delivers exactly that kind of energy across the schedule, with sessions that speak to every corner of the ticketing and live events profession. From leadership and technology to marketing, revenue and finance, professional development, strategy and management, the program reflects the full breadth of our industry.
As a result, there are moments where more than one workshop feels like the right choice. That abundance is by design. Each session is thoughtfully produced by members of the ticketing industry community, ensuring that no matter where you land, you’ll walk away with valuable insights you can apply right away.
Here are just a few sessions to consider as you begin planning your INTIX 2026 experience — and if you haven’t registered yet, now is the perfect time to join us. These highlights capture only a snapshot of the dozens of educational opportunities available in the INTIX 2026 program.
AI Meets Humanity: Leading People, Not Just Processes, in a Tech-Driven World
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, at 3:15 p.m. PT
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already reshaping ticketing. In “AI Meets Humanity: Leading People, Not Just Processes,” Kay Burnham, CEO of Perceiving Possibilities, addresses the questions leaders are facing, offering a thoughtful approach to using the technology while staying grounded in empathy, communication and people-first leadership.
“There is a lot of fear right now around AI. There is a lot of misunderstanding. There is a lot of confusion,” Burnham says. “And none of those things lead to good leadership outcomes.”
Rather than positioning AI as something leaders need to master technically, Burnham reframes the conversation, focusing on what AI is and isn’t, when AI is appropriate, and when “leading like a human” still matters most.
“Non-tech leaders need to at least understand where the ball is and where it’s going so that they can help their staff come along in a way that is empowering instead of fear-based,” she explains.
Learn more: Leading People in an AI-Driven World: A Conversation at INTIX 2026
Transforming Customer Service and Ticketing Via AI Chat Agents
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 at 11 a.m. PT
“Transforming Customer Service and Ticketing Via AI Chat Agents” offers another opportunity to explore AI through a clear, practical lens. The workshop will demystify how AI can be applied in real-world customer service environments and make an immediate, meaningful difference.
“Attendees can expect a practical, jargon-free look at how AI is already transforming customer service in the performing arts,” says Molly Lee, Director of Strategy for Adage Technologies. The session will give an overview of how AI can improve business operations and share real-world examples “illustrating how chat agents and automated workflows can reduce staff workload, enhance patron satisfaction and strengthen digital engagement.”
Lee describes the workshop as an opportunity for attendees to see where AI delivers real value and where it falls short, “so organizations can make smart, scalable choices rather than chasing hype.”
Learn more: INTIX 2026 Workshop Aims to Give You the Smarts to Harness Artificial Intelligence
The Self-Service Revolution: Empowering Patrons While Reducing Operational Costs
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at 11 a.m. PT
Also, at 11 a.m. Wednesday is a forward-looking session that asks how much autonomy audiences actually want and what self-service really means in practice.
The self-service conversation isn’t about replacing staff. It is about meeting changing expectations, according to James Baggaley, CEO of Made Media. He says self-service tools can empower customers while freeing teams to focus on revenue-generating activities and high-value, human-centered interactions.
“Attendees will learn practical opportunity assessment techniques and customer journey mapping specifically for online ticketing operations. They'll see examples of self-service solutions that genuinely work, from online ticket exchanges to group bookings, and learn from both successes and challenges across venues of all sizes. Most importantly, they'll leave with templates and calculators they can implement straight away, not just theory,” he explains.
Baggaley says the goal is for attendees to walk away from “The Self-Service Revolution: Empowering Patrons While Reducing Operational Costs” workshop with a practical 90-day roadmap, an ROI calculator and strategies they can put to work immediately.
Learn more: Will a Self-Service Revolution Be Started at INTIX 2026?
The Confidence Loop: How to Build Teams That Know What to Do Next
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at 11 a.m. PT
This Wednesday morning session shifts the focus toward how teams are trained, supported and motivated to move ahead with confidence.
In “The Confidence Loop: How to Build Teams That Know What to Do Next,” Sonja Baker, Assistant Director of Patron Services and Ticketing at Interlochen Center for the Arts, addresses the leadership challenge of talented teams that rely too heavily on their managers for direction.
“When your team has to constantly ask, ‘What do I do next?’ it pulls you away from the projects that actually move your department forward,” Baker says. “When all the knowledge stays in your head, the team stays dependent, and you stay overwhelmed.”
Her session will introduce a simple framework designed to move information out of leaders’ heads and into systems teams can use. The result is not just efficiency, but confidence.
“This is not a staff issue. It’s a systems issue,” Baker explains. “When you give people a clear framework for how things are done and what success looks like, they stop hesitating and start acting. That is when you get your time back, and that is when your team becomes more confident and independent.”
Learn more: The Confidence Loop: How to Build Teams That Know What to Do Next at INTIX 2026
Ticketing as Partnership: Interdisciplinary Collaboration & Vendor Strategy
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at 12 p.m. PT
A session on strategic partnerships continues the theme of intentional leadership, but this time through the lens of vendor relationships.
“Treating vendors as strategic partners is essential because ticketing today is far too complex, fast-moving and interconnected for transactional relationships to succeed,” says Rebecca Throne, Consultant at Art of Ticketing and INTIX Chair-Elect.
Throne’s session, “Ticketing as Partnership: Interdisciplinary Collaboration & Vendor Strategy,” explores how deeper collaboration leads to better outcomes not just for organizations but also for live event attendees.
“The guest experience we all aim to create is only possible when every touchpoint works in concert, including the technology and services our vendors provide,” Throne explains.
She adds, “Staying transactional limits potential. Strategic partnership creates shared accountability, shared creativity and better outcomes for clients, vendors and the guests they serve together.”
Learn more: Where Collaboration Meets Innovation: Rethinking Strategic Partnerships at INTIX 2026
Don’t Give Up the Upsell
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at 10:45 a.m. PT
A customer’s experience, along with an organization’s revenue potential, starts taking shape long before the event itself. The session “Don’t Give Up the Upsell” tackles add-ons and how they can meaningfully increase secondary spend across every genre.
“There are so many organizations that are not utilizing secondary spend at all,” says Sam Biscoe, Marketing and Partnerships Manager at Secure My Booking. “It felt natural that we could speak to that, because we are able to provide lots of different examples inside and outside of the performing arts. There are lots of really helpful examples about who is doing it really well, who could improve their offer and ultimately helping the audiences have a better experience when they get [to the online sales environment] and also, obviously, helping organizations earn some extra revenue.”
Rather than aggressively pushing add-ons, Biscoe will focus on framing, timing and relevance. Or, as he says, “how to ask your customers to buy something and to say ‘yes, please’.”
With a detailed case study of “Mamma Mia! The Party” in London, where almost half of all transactions included an add-on, this workshop shares proof that smart upselling can benefit both attendees and organizations.
Learn more: Don’t Give Up the Upsell: How Smart Add-Ons Boost Revenue and Enhance the Guest Experience at INTIX 2026
Cracking the Audience Code: How AI Supports Smarter Strategy
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at 12 p.m. PT
Led by Jen Taylor, Director of AI Strategy at Capacity Interactive, this session is designed for marketers, CRM leads and others focused on audience growth, offering a clear, non-technical view of how AI can strengthen marketing strategy from audience insight to improving the customer journey.
“I’ll show real, arts-focused examples of how AI is being used today, not hypotheticals,” explains Taylor. “We’ll walk through how AI can uncover hidden audience barriers, pressure-test your messaging and pinpoint friction in the customer experience.”
What is the goal of her session, “Cracking the Audience Code: How AI Supports Smarter Strategy”? Taylor says, “You’ll leave with practical prompts and frameworks you can start using immediately, even if you’ve never opened ChatGPT before. This isn’t about learning another tech tool. It’s about learning to think differently, with AI as a creative and strategic partner.”
Learn more: Workshop Will Show INTIX 2026 Attendees How AI Can Support Smarter Strategies
Always Watching: 24/7 Bot Activity and What It Means for Your On-Sale Strategy
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at 12 p.m. PT
Bots continue to threaten fairness and access in ticketing. This session confronts that reality head-on, offering insight into how bot behavior is evolving and what organizations can do next. Because bot activity doesn’t just spike during on-sales, as some may believe. Ticketing sites are under constant surveillance by a sophisticated, hidden ecosystem.
CrowdHandler CEO Jake Grimley will lead the workshop titled “Always Watching: 24/7 Bot Activity and What It Means for Your On-Sale Strategy.” He says, “Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the bot ecosystem and what they’re actually looking at when they see bot activity. Most ticketing professionals know the bot problem is growing and are frustrated by speculative selling, but they don’t have a firm grasp on the mechanics of how bots actually work. When you observe strange traffic patterns, it can be confusing because you’re seeing facets of a much larger ecosystem — scrapers, seat mappers, pricing bots, account farms — all working together in ways that aren’t immediately obvious.”
Grimley continues, “This workshop decodes that ecosystem. You’ll learn what each type of bot is actually doing, why they’re on your site and practical strategies to disrupt their operations and protect your inventory before tickets even drop.”
Learn more: INTIX 2026 Workshop Will Show How to Combat Bots to Avoid a Grim Future
From Scrolling to Sold-Out: Digital Marketing That Moves Tickets
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at 12 p.m. PT
In a digital landscape crowded with competing messages, fans are making quick decisions about what captures their attention and earns their ticket purchase. Alyssa Bullock, Account Manager at Bauer Entertainment Marketing, will explore that reality in a session titled “From Scrolling to Sold-Out: Digital Marketing That Moves Tickets.”
“This topic is essential for ticketing and marketing professionals in 2026 because the way fans discover and purchase tickets has fundamentally changed,” Bullock says. “Audiences are more fragmented, and competition for attention is higher than ever. To sell out events, marketers and ticketing pros need smarter, more targeted digital strategies that meet fans where they are and guide them from discovery to purchase.”
Fast-paced and practical, the workshop will connect the dots between the many elements of digital marketing that influence ticket sales. These include how the advertising funnel, smarter targeting and creative, contest marketing and influencer strategies work together to offer a clear blueprint that conference attendees can tailor to their own campaigns.
Learn more: How Digital Marketing Is Driving Sold-Out Events at INTIX 2026
Planning Ahead for INTIX 2026
Ticketing professionals who are registered for INTIX 2026 have the opportunity to join a special “Preparing for the 2026 INTIX Conference” webinar on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at 12 p.m. ET, hosted by the INTIX Member Connections Committee. The webinar will help attendees make the most of their conference experience, covering all the “must-do” opportunities, planning tips and what to expect in Las Vegas, with time for questions and answers, too. Can’t attend live? All registered participants will receive access to the recording afterward. Register now for INTIX 2026 to secure your place and take advantage of this added opportunity to prepare and plan.
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