Today’s fans are discovering events in a crowded digital landscape, scrolling past endless content before deciding what earns their attention and their ticket purchase. At INTIX 2026 in Las Vegas, Alyssa Bullock, Account Manager at Bauer Entertainment Marketing (BEM), will tackle that challenge 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.”
Alyssa Bullock
Fast-paced and practical by design, the workshop focuses on how digital strategies come together to support ticket sales. Joined by colleague Kieran Bailey from BEM’s content marketing team, Bullock will explain how the different pieces of a digital advertising campaign fit together — from the advertising funnel and smarter targeting and creative to contest marketing and influencer strategies — and how to pull everything together into “a marketing campaign blueprint that they can take back and tailor to their own campaigns.”
A central concept the session will explore is the “fan funnel formula.” Bullock says, “The fan funnel formula is a structured approach to moving fans through their buyer journey, from first awareness of an event to becoming a ticket buyer and, ultimately, a repeat attendee. It is effective because it recognizes that fans need different messages and touchpoints at each stage. Instead of treating all audiences the same, the funnel allows marketers to build awareness, capture interest, nurture engagement and convert fans in a way that feels intentional.”
Another key tactic to be discussed is the use of dark ads, a term that may be unfamiliar to some. “Dark ads are digital ads that are delivered from an artist’s or talent’s social media pages rather than the venue or event’s main channels. They work because fans are hearing directly from the artist they already trust, which makes the message feel more organic and authentic. Since these ads are targeted specifically to the artist’s fan base, they drive high-quality traffic and conversions without cluttering or overwhelming the event’s public-facing social feeds.”
Bullock continues, “Dark ads and lead-generation campaigns are powerful tools that plug directly into the fan funnel formula. They strengthen certain stages of the funnel, increase conversion opportunities and help build an owned audience that can be marketed to well beyond a single event.”
Kieran Bailey
Influencer partnerships also play a growing role in digital marketing, but Bullock stresses that success depends on finding the right fit. “A great influencer partnership is built on authenticity and alignment. The right influencer already speaks to the audience you want to reach and genuinely fits the vibe of the event. Live event organizations should look beyond follower count and focus on engagement, audience demographics and content style. When influencers feel like a natural extension of the event brand, the partnership drives awareness, trust and ultimately ticket sales.”
With contests and giveaways, Bullock cautions that they are not all created equal. “A compelling contest offers a prize that truly appeals to the event’s ideal audience. To avoid attracting freebie hunters, contests should be paired with strategic entry requirements and follow-up campaigns that nurture entrants through the funnel. When done correctly, contests create excitement, grow email and SMS lists, and convert engaged participants into ticket buyers rather than one-time entrants.”
The session will also showcase real-world results. “While discussing the fan funnel formula, we’ll highlight a persona-based advertising strategy that delivered a 16.5x return on ad spend, generated over 31 million impressions and contributed to multiple sold-out events for one of our clients,” Bullock says. “It’s a great example of how targeting the right fans with the right message at the right time can drive massive results.”
While the session covers long-term strategy, Bullock is equally focused on helping marketing and ticketing professionals identify near-term opportunities. “One of the fastest tactics attendees can implement is launching dark ads,” she says. “If you already have access to your artists’ social pages, these campaigns can be set up quickly and integrated into existing marketing efforts. When combined with other funnel strategies, dark ads often deliver immediate performance gains and stronger conversions.”
Bullock says this session offers direction for anyone navigating today’s increasingly competitive online environment. “If you’re looking for proven, real-world digital marketing strategies that actually sell tickets, this workshop will give you practical tools and ideas you can put to work right away.”
Editor’s Note: Come to the 47th Annual INTIX Conference & Exhibition to learn about the latest trends, network with your peers, and ignite success. Register now for INTIX 2026 and be part of the conversations shaping the future of ticketing!
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