Leadership / 01.24.23
Hello, INTIX 2023!
Christine Payne
Here we are now, entertain us.
Nirvana fans will immediately recognize this noteworthy line from one of the Seattle rock band’s most famous songs.
The lyrics also fit as attendees of the 44th Annual INTIX Conference & Exhibition arrived at the Hyatt Regency downtown for four days of learning, networking, camaraderie and fun.
The day kicked off with volunteer orientation, where a group of enthusiastic helpers toured the great hotel spaces that will come to life throughout the week. The rooms will be jam-packed with conference keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, networking breaks, cocktail social events and more. Attendees can access all the conference floors via elevator (no room key needed!) or the bank of escalators by the registration desk. Maps of all three conference floors are conveniently located in the mobile app.
Speaking of registration, Tiffany Kelham is here greeting everyone with friendly smiles, and the warmest of INTIX welcomes. Ticketing consultant and former INTIX board member Geo Haynes has also been busy welcoming attendees alongside other registration desk volunteers. We have another amazing signature conference bag sponsored by Weldon, Williams & Lick (WW&L). The bags have been a beloved INTIX mainstay for over 40 years, and we know many members who have quite the collection. INTIX is also grateful to have Mark Turner and Mike Green at registration once again as Microcom returns as sponsor of the RFID conference badges and digital event tickets for 2023.
Oh, and don’t miss the hospitality desk across from registration and the Columbia Ballroom. On top of great tourism materials, you can grab some gum to chew on your walk to Pike Place Market, just a few blocks from the host hotel. The market is where you will find the Gum Wall, a popular tourist attraction and unique feature of the city. And yes, people do actually stick their gum on the wall to contribute to the colorful, eclectic display.
Networking Ahoy!
The Mentor Program and Member Connections Meet & Greet kicked off at 2 p.m. in partnership with Red61. This interactive event offered one-on-one speed networking where attendees discussed topics such as their branch of ticketing, the thing they most hoped to learn at this year’s conference, their most productive time of day and why, and how they got started in ticketing.
Learn how you can join, help and/or benefit from mentorship on Wednesday afternoon in the “INTIX Mentor Program: Giving Back to the INTIX Community” session.
Venue Tours
On Monday afternoon, attendees went behind the scenes at two magnificent venues — the Paramount Theatre and Climate Pledge Arena. The INTIX venue tours are always a hit, and these tours were a magical and memorable experience for all those in attendance.
Almost 200 attendees made their way to the Paramount Theatre for the first of the two venue tours. The staffer showing us the ornate, historical building has been with the organization for 22 years. As the jukebox musical “Ain’t Too Proud” loaded in behind us for a Jan. 24 opening, he shared many interesting facts and features of the theater, which first opened in March 1928. He talked about the convertible floor, which allows seating to be configured in several different ways. For some shows, it is flat with the stage. For others, it is configured as rake seating, sloping upward from the stage. The night before our venue tour, the chairs had all been stored under the floor to create a flat dance space for a hip-hop show. Our venue tour guide revealed that it takes eight to 10 crew members approximately four hours to change the configuration of the floor seating.
Our group also enjoyed learning about the Paramount Theatre’s ornate ceiling, which has catwalks above it and holes for rigging and truss. All in all, it was a beautiful venue that we were very fortunate to tour.
Of course, we remembered to take photos of the Paramount Theatre box offices too!
Climate Pledge Arena
It is hard to say anything other than “wow” about Climate Pledge Arena. The newly built venue under a historic roof took our breath away in a very different way than the Paramount Theatre.
INTIX was welcomed on big screens, on the scoreboard and throughout the venue.
Among the highlights, we toured an owner’s suite, walked through the tunnel from the NHL Seattle Kraken’s dressing room to the ice, took photos rink side and saw the elephant door, which is aptly named for its size, color and because it is indeed big enough to load in an elephant.
That said, the living wall was the most popular spot on the tour for INTIX conference attendees. This was no surprise, as the vertical garden is also a hit with concertgoers, Seattle Kraken hockey fans and Seattle Storm basketball fans. And while many of us stopped to take photos or selfies with the living wall as the backdrop, it is much more than a photo op. “It’s a living symbol of the hope, optimism, and ingenuity required to navigate the climate crisis, and it practices what it preaches,” David Brenner, Founder and Principal at Habitat Horticulture and the architect of the iconic wall, says.
Everyone who came to Climate Pledge Arena received a commemorative INTIX conference ticket, produced again in 2023 through the WW&L, KIS Technologies and Project Admission partnership. WW&L will also host a “Packaging Physical and Digital Collectibles Into Revenue That Builds Community and Engagement” workshop on Thursday morning. Ticketing experts Josh Logan of the NCAA and Josh Simon of the Arizona Diamondbacks have been tapped for this session.
No INTIX conference is ever complete without breaking news.
JCA announced Monday that it has promoted James Minehart to President and Chief Operating Officer. In his expanded role, James will oversee the administrative, operational and financial areas at JCA, and will guide the company in achieving its initiatives set out in its strategic plans. James will work alongside founder and CEO Steve Jacobson, who continues to lead the company.
We also learned of a new executive appointment at SECUTIX, where Michael McDermott has been named General Manager of the Americas. McDermott brings 30 years of experience in the technology sector, launching new products and achieving global expansion and growth. McDermott will lead go-to-market strategy and operations for the Americas.
Additionally, SECUTIX announced that TuEntrada recently signed up for its secure mobile ticketing solution, TIXNGO.
Cocktails and conversations were a wonderful end to a fabulous first day, with thanks to the evening’s hosts and sponsors See Tickets and WRSTBND.
We can’t wait to see everyone on Tuesday for our opening keynote, INTIX Villages, breakouts by venue type, educational workshops, the Exhibit Hall Grand Opening and more!
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Tags: INTIX 2023 , Seattle , Venue Tours