It’s celebration time, ticketing friends!
We all know the vital role that INTIX, its members and the worldwide ticketing community play in the success of live events and entertainment. Without ticketing professionals, the magic of live experiences simply wouldn’t happen.
That’s why it is essential to come together annually to spotlight the exceptional individuals whose expertise and contributions transcend job titles, borders and organizations.
So, without further ado, let’s raise the curtain and applaud the 2025 INTIX Award recipients!
INTIX Spirit Award — Margo Malone
The 2025 Spirit Award recipient is Margo Malone, Senior Manager, Ticket Memberships and Special Projects, San Francisco Giants, as voted by the INTIX membership. Each year, the Spirit Award recipient is an active INTIX member who exemplifies enthusiasm, camaraderie, participation and collaboration with peers and the industry.
Margo Malone.
Malone started her Major League Baseball (MLB) career in the early 1990s. Hired originally as the team archivist for the then-expansion Florida Marlins, she added media relations to her responsibilities and eventually served as the Marlins’ Manager of Baseball Information & Publicity. She joined the Giants’ front office in 1998, bringing the same warm presence, contagious enthusiasm and can-do spirit to the team as she does to INTIX.
“Margo is the Programming and Education Committee's greatest cheerleader,” says her nominator. “She tirelessly led our group through the session submission portal change. Even while dealing with a family health issue and long hours at the ballpark, she always had time to stop and talk with committee members who had questions, even if the question was just, ‘When does the grading start?’ She is frequently present on the Wednesday Wisdom calls and is always ready to share her experiences with the group. Margo's infectious smile and great attitude light up our committee meetings.”
An INTIX member for the past five years, Malone is resolute about actively participating and contributing to the community. She is the current Co-Chair of the conference Programming and Education Committee, having moved into that role two years ago after volunteering as a team member.
“Being able to shape the conference program is truly invigorating, and I thrive in being a part of the process,” she says.
Malone is committed to advancing initiatives that benefit INTIX’s diverse membership, serving on the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility) Committee. She was an original Task Force member, contributed to the success of INTIX 2024 in Las Vegas, and supports ticketing professionals in her local area through her participation in the Bay Area Professional Ticketing Association (BAPTA). Malone is also an INTIX donor and has been a Chairman’s Circle member since 2021.
“Having been fortunate enough to work for two MLB teams over the course of the past 32 years, I recognize the importance of giving back,” says Margo. “There is no task too large or inconsequential, and at the 2024 Las Vegas conference, I rolled up my sleeves and jumped into volunteering, including stuffing conference attendee bags. I have been a 20-year member of San Francisco’s regional ticketing group BAPTA, where I have long championed the benefits of joining INTIX to our members.”
True Tickets Young Ticketing Professional — Hatti Simpson
The 2025 True Tickets Young Ticketing Professional Award recipient is Hatti Simpson, Head of Ticketing, Nimax Theatres. Each year, this award goes to an INTIX member under the age of 40 who embodies the future of INTIX, the profession and the industry. The recipient also represents the ideals of INTIX and demonstrates growing leadership, innovation, customer care and critical thinking skills.
Hatti Simpson (center) accepted the True Tickets Young Ticketing Professional Award remotely.
Simpson has been an INTIX member for six years. She brings over a decade of experience to the table, starting in ticketing in Cambridge and then London, spanning a variety of theaters, arts centers and live performance venues.
Today, as she leads a “small but mighty … dynamic and driven” ticketing and sales team at the head office and seven West End ticket offices, her leadership is grounded in trust, respect and cultivating a supportive environment.
“I make it a priority to be approachable and available, but I also believe in giving my team the autonomy to take ownership of their work. They each bring a wealth of knowledge, ideas, skills and experience, and I trust and respect them, the work they do, and what they bring to the table,” says Simpson. “I avoid micromanaging and try to focus more on building confidence and developing ideas and projects.”
Simpson is passionate about professional development, striving to help her team members progress. She discovers what excites them, nurtures those interests and creates opportunities to support their growth.
Wellbeing is also a priority for Simpson. “A burned-out team is no team at all, and we need to find the fun amongst the intensity of things! We work hard, and we work fast, but we also make sure we’re taking care of ourselves and each other,” she emphasizes.
Nominees for this award are evaluated on the innovations they have brought into their work and organization. Simpson’s efforts are centered on driving efficiencies, elevating customer experiences, developing her team’s skills and strengthening the Nimax Theatres brand. Notably, she established a data and insights department within her team, underscoring her commitment to leveraging analytics for strategic decision-making. She also places significant emphasis on implementing new systems and communication practices, fostering connections between her team and the broader ticketing community, and cultivating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all audiences.
“I have launched a dedicated access project that includes expanding our access team and creating a new role to ensure we’re setting the standard for inclusivity,” she explains. “Our access manager now has increased responsibility and autonomy, which empowers us to keep accessibility at the forefront and to help us continually elevate our offerings.”
Simpson truly shines when it comes to outstanding customer service. When she joined Nimax Theatres in 2023, she immediately faced a unique challenge — bringing their phone room in-house. It was a major project and a colossal undertaking, but seeing it succeed was one of her proudest achievements.
“The night before the phones were due to go live, we were still struggling [to get] the rerouting of the phone lines, and I was very stressed. But finally, the right switch was flipped, it worked, and I had a little cry and a large whiskey in celebration with some of my team,” Simpson recalls. “Since then, the impact of having an in-house team has been clear — we’ve seen a drop in complaints and a significant increase in positive feedback. With our team now answering calls, customers speak to people who truly know our shows, theatres and audiences inside out, which has transformed the level of service we provide.”
Since becoming an INTIX member in 2019, Simpson has stepped up to share her expertise as a conference speaker, help UK-based ticketing professionals with their Professional Development Grant applications (she was a recipient twice), connect professionals with each other and more.
“She is extremely intelligent and capable as well as passionate about the business in which we are,” says her nominator. “I have known her [for] several years, and we did a session together at a previous INTIX conference. It has been great watching her rise in her career.”
Outstanding Ticket Office — Chapman University Ticket Services
The 2025 Outstanding Ticket Office is Chapman University Ticket Services. This award is presented annually to a ticket office with an exceptional reputation for customer service. The team must demonstrate outstanding collaboration, professionalism and a commitment to excellence while maintaining high standards of accuracy and precision in public and internal accounting responsibilities.
Allison Aoun Bertram.
At Chapman University, permanent, full-time ticketing professionals play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of ticketers and leaders, driving the team’s success and reputation. These seasoned professionals support student employees by sharing their expertise, instilling core values and fostering a culture of mentorship and growth. Many work-study students balance multiple jobs while attending school full-time, while others are experiencing their first professional role, making this guidance and support all the more impactful.
“We feel an obligation to set the tone with a positive work environment that [student employees] can emulate in the future when they are in positions to do so,” says Ticketing Services Manager Allison Aoun Bertram. “One of our permanent staff members always asks an ‘icebreaker question of the day’ to get people talking. Our full-time permanent staff have a good rapport with each other, which I liked to think rubbed off on our students as I'd see them getting along. Well, we created a student-employee survey and found our observations to be correct!”
Indeed, in just over five years of operation, the ticket office team at Chapman University has much to be proud of. Survey results revealed that student employees are “extremely satisfied” with their work, can perform the job confidently and that staff members are friendly, patient, and eager to help them.
"There is such a great balance of fun, growth, and professionalism maintained by all the full-time staff members, and it's what makes this job so special and really stands out in a sea of other on-campus employment opportunities,” reports one survey respondent.
Universities are often deeply impacted by major world events, where global challenges can ripple through campus life, making security and the safety of students, staff and visitors a top priority.
“As young minds passionately defend issues, protesting is not always peaceful and can have unintended consequences,” says Aoun Bertram.
She continues, “Last May, as graduation [drew] near and tensions were high [regarding the Israel/Palestine conflict], the university was vigilant in assessing security threats while also not detracting from the momentous celebration of a college graduation.”
The ticket office played a key role in stabilizing security concerns.
Eight days before commencement weekend, the decision was made to require students to submit the names of all their guests. The university would also ticket all 11 degree ceremonies rather than just the main commencement ceremony featuring a celebrity keynote speaker.
The 11 degree ceremonies were quickly built to go on sale the day after the decision was made. The ticket office was also required to staff the entire weekend of ceremonies, which included four events per day from morning to night, after a schedule had been released and most students had gone home for the summer. And all these changes had to be communicated to students and families.
“We quickly pivoted and sprung into action,” says Aoun Bertram. “With exempt employees and strategic scheduling, sufficient staffing for each of the ceremonies was acquired. Carefully crafted wording was useful in making new expectations clear. Staff was thoroughly debriefed on how to explain the situation as the new plan was exactly the opposite of what we'd been telling people.”
With less than 10 hours of overtime, the ticketing team delivered 38,000 admission tickets for 9,000 students and their guests. A response rate of 96% for guest names was also achieved, surpassing senior leadership’s expectation of 40-50%.
“This certainly tested us as our workload drastically increased, and everything was urgent and had significant security consequences,” explains Aoun Bertram. “The team took it in stride, though, and powered through with positive attitudes, resulting in a successful commencement weekend.”
Additionally, the Chapman University ticketing team has tested its customer service strategies over the past 12 months, completing the first year of a project that surveyed customers after their transactions. Patrons were not offered any incentives, but 1,100 responses still rolled in during the first six months with an 87% satisfaction rate. By the end of the first year, there were almost 1,600 responses, and the satisfaction rate was nearly 88%. There was lots of positive feedback, and no negative comments were received. Feedback on areas for improvement was analyzed and resulted in improvements, including a view-from-seat image project for every seat in the main 1,044-seat theater and the 252 seats in another theater. This process was completed in-house and in less than a week, from taking the photos to editing and uploading them.
“Having the data isn't enough; we ensure we use it,” Aoun Bertram says.
Outstanding Ticketing Professional — Marcy Edenfield
The 2025 Outstanding Ticketing Professional is Marcy Edenfield, Senior Director, Venue and Production Management, Duke University. This award is presented annually to an INTIX member who exemplifies excellence, precision, achievement, service and professionalism. The recipient also demonstrates consistent support for INTIX, its membership and its mission through involvement and participation.
Marcy Edenfield.
Consistent. Committed. INTIX committee member and supporter. Regional cofounder.
These are just a few of the words that capture the essence of Marcy Edenfield and her quarter century in ticketing.
Her career began in the arts, working in production, design, and management. Edenfield first found ticketing through a part-time job with a regional arts organization during her undergraduate studies. Then, she transitioned into various roles across three venues, gaining experience in ticket office management, administration and front-of-house operations. But ticketing would come calling again during graduate school when she focused on mastering the administrative side of the business.
“I was fortunate to have a mentor who gave me more responsibilities, allowing me to grow professionally even as a student,” she explains. “A few years later, I was hired as Director of Ticketing, Arts/Cultural at Duke University. My initial responsibility was a complete software migration and a transformation of the office’s operations.”
And Edenfield hasn’t looked back since.
Her team at Duke University currently oversees more than 1,000 campus events annually across multiple venues. Supporting a wide range of groups, including external users, student organizations, academic departments, Duke Arts Presents and more, Edenfield ensures her team consistently delivers an exceptional experience for every event and patron.
Present at almost every INTIX conference for the past two decades and chosen in 2015 by her peers as the recipient of the Spirit Award, Edenfield prides herself on giving back. She is a donor, Chairman’s Circle member, committee member, and co-founder and President of CaRTA, a regional ticketing organization serving North Carolina, South Carolina and southern Virginia. She is also fully committed to a career she loves.
“Over the past 19 years, I’ve expanded our box office operations from supporting a handful of events to a full-service provider for admissions and ticketing needs,” says Edenfield. “We now serve the Nasher Museum of Art, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, the American Dance Festival, the Duke Lemur Center, Family Weekend, commencement ceremonies, student fundraising and major university celebrations. Additionally, we have integrated our services with the university’s authentication and identification systems.”
When it comes to her most significant professional achievement, Edenfield describes developing programs, workflows, and policies while building the exceptional team that operates the performance and arts venues at Duke University today. When stepping into the role of Box Office Manager, she inherited a small team of three that was using outdated systems and resistant to change.
“There was no front-of-house operation, safety plan, emergency protocols or coordination with the production team or campus partners,” she recalls. “The [ticket office] was isolated [and] functioning independently with minimal collaboration. My first task was to select and implement a new ticketing system within six months, a challenge that quickly revealed how much needed to evolve.”
And evolve, they did.
New office policies and front-of-house protocols were created, training manuals were formalized, a volunteer usher program was established and safety policies and a communication strategy connected the ticket office with production counterparts. A second ticketing system implementation followed, too.
“Having the chance to lead this process a second time, with lessons learned and a talented team of staff and students by my side, was a gift,” says Edenfield. “It showcased just how far the office had come — from embracing technology to enhancing teamwork and streamlining operations.”
She adds, “In 2024, I’m proud to say that my team handles everything from ticketing operations, sales and setup to website support, email communications, venue reservations, volunteer recruitment, event production, revenue management and complete front-of-house services — including sales, house management, scanning, ushers, event reports and even a dress code. This transformation was only possible because of the incredible collaboration and dedication of my team, and together, we ensure every audience has a seamless and memorable experience.”
“Marcy's extensive background in the arts, coupled with her practical experience in ticketing, has enabled her to design innovative ticketing strategies that adapt to the evolving needs of audiences. Her forward-thinking approach ensures that Duke's venues remain competitive and relevant in an increasingly digital landscape,” says her nominator. “Moreover, Marcy’s contributions extend beyond her immediate team and venues. She actively participates in INTIX and encourages her colleagues to engage with the organization, fostering a sense of community and collaboration within the industry. Her commitment to sharing best practices and advocating for professional development has inspired others to elevate their standards and practices, ultimately benefiting the entire live entertainment sector.”
IMPACT Award — Jane Kleinberger
In addition to our annual awards honorees, INTIX was delighted to recognize Jane Kleinberger as its seventh IMPACT Award recipient.
The IMPACT Award is given at the discretion of the INTIX Board Chair to recognize an individual, organization, or partner that has provided continuous, consistent, extraordinary and exemplary service and support to INTIX. The award acknowledges the lasting impact on our members and the live event ticketing industry. To date, the award has been bestowed upon:
- 2019 – Linda Deckard, a public and passionate supporter of INTIX through Amusement Business and Venues Today/VenuesNow. Deckard recently came out of retirement to join IAVM as editor of Venue Professional magazine.
- 2020 – Jim Walcott, who retired as President of Weldon, Williams & Lick (WW&L) that year. Walcott passed away in 2023 and will always be remembered for his many contributions.
- 2021 – Albert Leffler, co-founder and employee No. 1 of Ticketmaster.
- 2022 – Bruno Boehi, the former CEO of ShoWare, now President of Operations at accesso.
- 2023 – Patricia G. Spira, to posthumously honor the INTIX founder and her legacy. The award was accepted by her children, Ann Spira, Ellen Spira Hattenbach and Dr. Jim Spira.
- 2023 – Angela Miles-Powell, Regional Vice President of Venues and Promoters at Ticketmaster.
- 2024 – Jack Lucas, who retired from 40+ years in the business after helping to build WestCoast Entertainment and TicketsWest into impressive industry success stories.
Jane Kleinberger.
Visionary, luminary, passionate and legendary are words often used to describe Jane Kleinberger, who helped found Paciolan in 1980, led the company as the industry’s first female CEO and continued for two years as an advisor until her retirement in 2019. And while Kleinberger has received several prestigious industry awards, she is defined by her character as much as her achievements.
Kleinberger once said, “This business chose me, and I happened to be doing something I loved.” This will come as no surprise to the INTIX community, for ticketing has a way of finding the path each professional is meant to travel.
So it was, like many others, Kleinberger fell into ticketing. In 1978, it was the wild west of software development, where anything was possible. Two seasoned ticketing professionals in Phoenix created a computerized ticketing company, and at the same time, in Southern California, a small accounting firm was traveling a similar path. It was a time when big ideas were taking shape, and as we all know, it takes a woman to make it happen.
Armed with an accounting degree and a minor in data processing software coding, Kleinberger moved to Southern California. She took a day job as a receptionist, secretary, and bookkeeper, all while moonlighting as a “starving student.” By 1980, Southern California Computers had grown into a small but ambitious team, with Kleinberger playing a pivotal co-founding role.
This accounting firm was busy developing systems for college athletics associations, but ticketing soon came calling. The name and address database for the University of Southern California was the first domino to fall, followed by San Diego State, the University of Washington and Missouri, all seeking to buy their system.
Soon after, Paciolan was born. The name Paciolan came from the great 15th-century Franciscan monk Luca Pacioli, credited with creating the double-entry accounting standards still used today. Kleinberger grew this accounting solution into a powerhouse ticketing system, serving hundreds of clients across multiple verticals. Indeed, Paciolan and its co-founder have become legendary in the ticketing world.
“Jane has been an inspiration to me,” says Josh Ziegenbusch, INTIX Board Chair and Senior Director, Service and Retention for the Oakland Athletics. “As a young ticketing professional new to INTIX, she gave me the ‘nudge’ I didn’t even realize I needed to get more involved. She was the Board Chair when I was first elected to the Board. She promised me we would ‘have a lot of fun’ and ‘you’ll love it.’ Perfect, let’s go.”
Ziegenbusch continues, “My first board meeting was eight hours of ironing out details and getting the last ounce of collaboration in our time together. I was thinking to myself, hmmm, not sure fun and love are the thoughts going through my head right now. We were exhausted, but it dawned on me [that] this was a true professional. The passion and love for the industry and what we do was on full. If it was up to her, we would have talked INTIX and ticketing through the night.”
To INTIX, Kleinberger (or “Just Jane” as she humbly refers to herself in retirement) is a mentor, friend, colleague, speaker, sponsor, donor, recruiter, board member and award winner. She has played a vital role in the growth, advocacy, and longevity of INTIX, offering unwavering support throughout the years. Kleinberger created and funded the first one-day seminars that took INTIX on the road. She ensured her company recruited and hired ticketing professionals, offering career-long opportunities to generations of ticketers. And when INTIX needed leadership, she stepped up, serving on three CEO search committees and contributing countless hours of support. Her work, alongside her co-chairs, resulted in the Strategic Long Range Plan that continues to guide INTIX's work today.
Kleinberger’s impact has been nothing short of profound. She has been a tireless advocate for women in the industry, frequently reminding us, “Don’t get me wrong, we love our men, but it has been my privilege to elevate women in this industry — to help them step up.” She built a company that was not just successful but a beacon for women in leadership. Under her guidance, Paciolan saw not one, not two, but three women rise to the role of President and CEO.
Her management style has always been collaborative, supportive and aggressive, holding herself and others accountable. Kleinberger has led by example, teaching those who worked with her the importance of teamwork, risk-taking and not allowing anyone to be pigeonholed. She has shown us all what it means to face challenges head-on and find new paths to success.
Kleinberger has never wavered in her belief that the future of this industry lies in the hands of the next generation. She has long championed younger professionals to enter ticketing, sports, entertainment and technology. And she has taken every opportunity to mentor, coach and support the growth of the up-and-coming talent who will carry this industry forward for decades to come.
“Jane often quotes that 15th-century monk,” says Ziegenbusch. “‘Frequent accounting makes for long friendships,’ she says. Jane has built a legacy of long-lasting relationships in this industry, and her impact will be felt for generations to come.”
Patricia G. Spira Lifetime Achievement Award — Tracy Noll
INTIX’s highest honor is The Patricia G. Spira Lifetime Achievement Award. The 2025 recipient is Tracy Noll, Director of Business Services at the Centre for the Performing Arts at Penn State University. This award is given annually to a member who has consistently and measurably contributed to the standards of excellence in the ticketing and live event industry. The recipient has shown consistent dedication to the ongoing promotion, support and development of INTIX, its membership and its mission.
Tracy Noll.
Noll has dedicated over three and a half decades to the ticketing industry and more than 30 years as a committed member and strong supporter of INTIX. She is someone that her employer and INTIX can always count on, having worn many hats at Penn State and the organization she “absolutely loves.”
Starting as a part-time student employee, Noll has risen through the ranks, holding jobs from Ticket Manager and IT support to Sales Director and Marketing Director simultaneously.
After “the craziest four years of my career” managing two departments, Noll was given a choice by a new director. She had done a stellar job overseeing both sales and marketing but chose to return to her first love, the sales department.
Noll’s responsibilities continued to grow over time, eventually expanding to include development services. She took on her current role when the sales and finance departments merged.
“My primary responsibility is to oversee our finance operations and fiscal stability … through strategic planning, reporting, and daily financial transactions along with continuing to oversee the operation of the Arts Ticket Center,” she explains. “I now negotiate Broadway deals, handle settlements and I’ve even booked my first artist.”
Noll takes the “other duties as assigned” part of her job very seriously, too. She has taken on the role of data analytics manager, ensuring that the data collected via ticketing systems, post-event surveys and education engagements is skillfully leveraged and properly reported.
“We are taking it to the next level and hoping to connect our ticketing system directly to the dashboard to extract the data,” she says. “This is crucial to reporting accurate data when applying for and reporting on grants, proving our value to the college and evaluating our objectives and key results.”
Noll has played a key role in developing a donor benefit structure, which increased the number of donors by 25% in one season and increased donation income by 38%. And her enhancements to the organization don’t stop there.
“For our 2024-25 season, I decided to do away with our phone fee when ordering tickets. In order to have a well-trained part-time staff, they needed experience handling customers,” she explains. “Our phones had been rather silent the past couple [of] years. They are once again ringing, and we are selling more tickets!”
Something else Noll is sold on is INTIX. She continues to serve in any capacity she can and has attended every annual BOMI/INTIX conference since the first one held in New Orleans in 1993, along with eight summer conferences. She represented INTIX at the Europe Talks Tickets conference in Amsterdam in 2007, was named Outstanding Ticketing Professional that same year, and received the 2011 Spirit Award. Noll has also served as a speaker and moderator at several conferences, contributed to many committees, and was an INTIX board member from 2003 to 2006.
Noll’s additional year on the INTIX leadership team was by special request — the board asked the current executive committee to extend their service for an extra year while the search for a new president was underway. Following that hiring, that same group was then charged with examining every detail of the INTIX organization and figuring out how to take it into the next century.
“We claimed to be the leader of the ticketing industry but had left our own technology fall behind, and the way we conducted business was based on a model that had existed since the inception of Box Office Management International (now INTIX). It was time to make critical decisions, or our beloved organization would no longer exist. We closed the office in New York City and took the organization virtual. Years later, we can see how the organization has benefited from these changes … I’m proud that I was able to play an important role in this process.”
Noll believes her most important contribution has been as a key resource for information. She has counseled several peers on how to shop for a ticketing system, shared knowledge on subscription and group sales and invited several ticketing managers to visit and see her team’s ticketing system and operations in action. “I think that we can be each other’s best resource for information, and I love helping everyone that I can,” she says.
A member of the Ticketing Industry Leadership Team (TILT) created by FutureTix in 2008, Noll helps to identify and discuss the merits of various ticketing trends and their impact on the future of the entertainment industry.
“To be asked to be one of the 12 respected, innovative and savvy industry leaders to participate in this group was a great honor,” she says.
It has also been Noll’s honor to elevate INTIX, the organization that has given her so much.
“I have promoted INTIX at other conferences that I’ve attended. I am constantly touting the benefits of being a member and attending the conference. I have convinced several people over the years to join as members of INTIX, and they’ve never regretted it. Many of the employees I’ve supervised over the years have become leaders in the ticketing industry,” she says.
Noll adds, “I truly love nurturing young people with an interest in this industry. I’ve been a guest instructor for arts administration classes and have met one-on-one with young professionals looking for advice.”
She obviously makes the job look challenging, exciting, rewarding and perhaps even glamorous, as both of her daughters have followed in her footsteps and now work in ticketing, too.
“Tracy Noll is the poster child for INTIX,” says her nominator. “Whether she is promoting INTIX, recruiting for INTIX or leading an INTIX session, she does it with incredible enthusiasm. She cares about what INTIX stands for and wants to make sure every member gets their money's worth, especially at the conference. So many times, she will be the first one down for breakfast and one of the last to leave the bar. She is constantly sharing stories and mentoring other INTIX members. I have been in the business 35 years, and I still learn from our conversations.”
Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients!
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