Leadership / 01.19.22
Hellos, Hugs, Handshakes and Hallelujah — INTIX Is LIVE in Orlando!
Christine Payne
The sun was shining in Orlando on Tuesday as the 43rd International Ticketing Conference & Exhibition kicked off live and in person.
Attendees were beaming with smiles ear to ear, seen even behind their masks, as they arrived to greet colleagues, peers and friends who they had not seen, in many cases, since January of 2020 when we gathered in New York.
It has not been easy to get here — both figuratively and literally — but, friends, we did it!
From near and far, members and conference attendees continue to arrive. They have come from across the U.S. and overseas, through record snowstorms in New York state and southern Ontario, and some even spent time circling in planes above the Orlando airport as tornados whirled nearby.
To those who are unable to be with us this week, whether due to travel difficulties or otherwise, the entire INTIX community is holding you near and dear in our hearts, knowing that everyone will meet again and soon.
At the registration desk, Tiffany Kelham is offering a friendly INTIX welcome, warmly greeting everyone in the way that only she can. Kay Burnham, former Vice President of Guest Services for the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and former INTIX Board Chair, is busy handing out badges as attendees arrive, too. We are also so thankful to have Mark Turner and Mike Green from Microcom at the registration desk as they sponsor the radio-frequency identification (RFID) conference badges once again and the new digital tickets in 2022. And who can forget this year’s signature conference bag, sponsored as they have for over 40 years, by Weldon, Williams & Lick (WW&L).
Speaking of WW&L, even before the venue tours were set to start at noon in downtown Orlando, there was breaking news of a strategic partnership between the longtime INTIX sponsor and Project Admission. In a press release, the two companies announced that WW&L has tapped Project Admission to help seamlessly expand their offerings into the digital realm.
Conference attendees are receiving physical and digital commemorative tickets at registration. The two companies will also host a panel discussing the history of commemorative ticketing from its infancy to the future.
“It’s always exciting when INTIX partners collaborate to deliver innovation in the ticketing technology space,” says INTIX CEO Maureen Andersen. “I am pleased that WW&L and Project Admission have chosen our Annual Conference in Orlando to launch this exciting partnership.”
Tix Ticketing, another conference attendee, also shared exciting news leading up the conference, announcing the launch of its U.S. operations led by Aren Murray, formerly of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and a current member of the INTIX Board of Directors.
“We have experienced rapid growth in recent years as a result of providing the right integrated software and services that our customers need for digitized, modern event and ticketing operations. Our entry into the U.S. market is a natural progression of our growth and enables us to service a greater number of performing arts and multi-event venues,” says Hrefna Jonsdottir, chief operating officer of Tix Ticketing. “We are thrilled to launch our U.S. operations with an exceptional key hire in Aren Murray, an executive who has deep experience and a broad network within the U.S. ticketing industry.”
Venue Tours
At noon, attendees began boarding buses to get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at three magnificent venues: the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center; Amway Center Arena, home of the Orlando Magic; and Exploria Stadium, home of Orlando City SC. It was a memorable experience for all who attended.
Exploria Stadium
“Working at a performing arts center, I loved going behind the scenes at an arena. When we were at Amway, I loved being able to be in the tunnels,” says Lenore Heller, Box Office Manager at Stamford Center for the Arts. “In previous years, we’ve had to choose between two venues. This year, because of the proximity, we were able to see three venues.”
Amway Center
In addition to being among the first to step inside a new building, Heller and Matt Cooper, Vice President at Ticket Philadelphia, also had the surprise pleasure of being there while the Royal Philharmonic was in rehearsals. In the coming days, the orchestra will accompany the Royal Ballet, Leon Bridges and Jennifer Hudson before playing their own show on Jan. 23, 2022.
Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center
“It was really cool [to visit Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center]. It’s intimate, it’s pretty and they were very proud of their acoustically perfect venue,” Cooper says. “[My favorite parts of the tour were] sitting and listening to the rehearsal and also walking around Exploria Stadium and getting to be on the soccer pitch.”
Amy Kline at Exploria Stadium.
The Mentor Program and Member Connections Meet & Greet kicked off at 4 p.m. in partnership with Red61. This interactive event offered speed one-on-one networking, ticketing trivia games and an opportunity to learn more about the INTIX Mentor Program.
Cocktails and conversations at the outdoor pool capped off a grand first day, with thanks to the evening’s sponsors See Tickets and WRSTBND. It was exactly what everyone needed. In her remarks introducing Conference Chair Cary Clark, Andersen pointed to the beautiful full moon in the sky, thanked everyone for coming to Florida during a pandemic and shared that there was a space launch scheduled for shortly after 9 p.m. from Cape Canaveral.
“Best INTIX ever!” someone yelled out from the crowd.
Shawn Robertson, Center Theater Group and INTIX board member, and Gary Lustig, Principal, LusTicks Consulting and former INTIX board chair and member, reconnect at the evening party.
“We are over-the-moon delighted to be here with everyone again, with hugs and high-fives for those who are comfortable and the biggest smiles and air hugs for those who choose to remain a little bit more physically distanced at this time,” Andersen says. “Our community has moved mountains to open venues around the world and to safely host shows for arts, sports, music and live event fans. The technology vendors are as always playing a key role powering things behind the scenes. I’m amazed at everything that ticketing professionals have done and continue to do to make magic happen. After all, we are the magic behind the button.”
Thank you to Amy Kline for providing photos.
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Tags: Leadership , INTIX 2022