I write roughly 50 articles a year for the International Ticketing Association, and several of them have become annual features. This Thanksgiving column has become my favorite. I ask one simple question of INTIX members and live event professionals who I’ve interviewed over the months and years: “What are you thankful for this year?” The responses are frequently touching, sometimes funny and always fascinating. As it turns out, those who are responsible for putting people in seats have a lot to be thankful for as 2025 comes to a close.
Thankful for the Work
Some of our interviewees were most grateful for work-related accomplishments in 2025. None were more thankful and proud than Anthony Esposito, Senior Vice President of Ticket Operations for the Atlanta Braves. He says, “I am thankful for the incredible job we did pulling off hosting the 95th Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Atlanta in July! Just like with most big events that folks in our industry plan for, it was a boatload of stress in the months leading up to it and then was here and gone in the blink of an eye once the first event began. Kudos to Rob Capilli and Chrstine Fleming at MLB for having such a detailed and organized process for us to follow — and to my ticket operations team who did an unbelievable job building and executing the events. We ended up ticketing 14 total events both inside and outside of Truist Park during the five-day period of All-Star Week!”
This past year, Made Media CEO James Baggaley had the pleasure of visiting clients and conferences around the globe, including in London, Sydney, Melbourne, Minnesota, Ottawa, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles. “As a provider of digital services to live events organizations,” he notes, “it's too easy to fall into the trap of seeing live events only through a computer screen, so it's important to close the laptop and spend time in the real world, in real venues, with real humans. 2025 has delivered on that front. Next stop: Las Vegas for INTIX 2026!”
The Show Behind the Show
Several interviewees shared the same love for co-workers that Esposito did. One of them was JaeTi Randall-Valdes, Assistant Director of Ticketing Services for San Diego Theatres, who says, “I am most grateful for my team. They never cease to amaze me … constantly showing up, being adaptable, encouraging and supportive. We all know it takes a village — and I wouldn’t trade this group for anything. Our director is someone I genuinely admire and who really cares about the department and the reputation we have created. They are my home-away-from-home.”
Barbara Mazer, business development executive for Adage Technologies, was similarly grateful: “I’m thankful for the remarkable people I’ve had the privilege to learn from and work alongside in the arts and culture community over the past 25 years. This field tends to attract people who are engaging, creative, resilient and fun, and they make our work meaningful. Thank you to everyone who continues to enrich my life and career, and I hope I provide the same support and inspiration to you that you generously offer to me.”
Brittany Pallozzi
Not to be outdone was Brittany Pallozzi, Director of Patron Relations for the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, in Troy, New York. She remarks, “As we're in the home stretch of our Tessitura onboarding and migration, I’m feeling especially thankful this Thanksgiving for my box office team, my colleagues and my family. They’ve powered through my venting, constant questions and all the configuring, data testing and mapping I’ve thrown their way. This has been a major undertaking, and I’m truly grateful for their enthusiasm, patience and support!”
Kacy Woody, theatre Box Office Manager for the City of High Point, North Carolina, reached further back into the past. “I’m very thankful to have had several great mentors and teachers over the years,” she states. “Two of them gave me similar advice when I was young. ‘If you want to keep working in the theatre, WORK in the theatre! Sweep the floors, run a spotlight, take tickets sell popcorn — whatever keeps you in that orbit.’ I’m lucky to say that I have always had a job working in the performing arts.”
Cue the Lights . . . and the Gratitude
Some of our interviewees were very thankful for being able to take a break from the work and be fans themselves. One such INTIX member was Josh Ziegenbush, Senior Director, Ticket and Premium Operations for Major League Baseball’s the Athletics. He says, “My thankful live event moment will be next week! I'm attending the Player's Era College Basketball Tournament with my daughter. We're going to watch the Syracuse Orange, and I splurged for some great seats near the team bench [laughing] to share my advice with the coaching staff. Super excited to share this experience with my daughter and see my favorite team up close and personal!”
Toby Baptist, Vice President of Operations for LasVegasTickets.com, was also recently an event attendee. On Nov. 16, he took his family to the Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. “We had an amazing time,” he states. “We got to go down to the field level, and my kids got to meet the mascot T-Rac and tour his locker room. My oldest son even got to ride out on the field in the ATV with the mascot during the pregame presentation. Without the relationships and friendships built within our industry, I would never get the opportunity to do something like that. Creating memories my kids won't soon forget is something I am truly thankful for!”
Toby Baptist and his family at a Tennessee Titans game.
The General Feels
And then there was those interviewees who just expressed gratitude for their general good fortune from the past year and wanted member-readers to stop and savor just lucky we all are to work in this industry. One was Amy Graca, Senior Vice President of Entertainment for Caesars Entertainment. She says, “I am most thankful for all the fans that show up to our Caesars Entertainment venues. We strive to partner with the greatest artists at our properties and provide unforgettable memories.”
Dawn Zappitello
Striking a similar note was Dawn Zappitello, Senior Manager of Park Arrival and Guest Relations for Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort. She remarks, “I'm thankful for the wide range of live entertainment options we have. Whether it's exciting sports events, interesting book tours (Kenny Chesney's was a highlight), amazing concerts or holiday specials, there's always something to enjoy. Live entertainment is a great way to take a break from everyday life and enjoy time with a loved one or reconnect with a friend.”
Mitchell Klein, ATG Entertainment's U.S. Vice President of Ticketing, was just grateful in general: “This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for passionate fans, hardworking crews and all the holiday miracles — fans showing up early and with their tickets ready, stable Wi-Fi and scanners that work — that make holiday events the beautiful chaos they are.”
Karie Lurie, Senior Director of Audience Services at Arizona State University’s Gammage campus, acknowledged that it has been a difficult year for many. “I’m thankful theater has been a safe place for communities to come together,” she says. “Shared experiences remind us of the inherent good in people.”
Lauren Reid, President of John Gore Organization, which owns and operates Broadway Across America, was grateful for the charitable work our business often gets involved in. Specifically, she says, “This year, I am especially thankful for the Entertainment Community Fund and how they showed up with compassion, generosity and support for those affected by the devastating California wildfires. The Entertainment Community Fund turned hope into something real for so many who work in the live entertainment and film industries.”
INTIX member Shawn Robertson has had an especially tricky 2025 to navigate. It has been a year of change for this ticketing professional, some good and some challenging. He says, “What I’ve been grateful for is the love and support of my friends and colleagues in this industry. I made a huge leap in 2024 to leave a job after 15 years to protect my physical and mental health. Since then, I’ve had highs of working as a consultant with great companies like True Tickets and RevPro and lows of being told by prospective employers –—written by their ChatGPT bot — that they ‘are moving forward with other candidates whose experience more closely aligns with the job and their organization for this entry level position.’ Gut punch! Reality check!”
He continues, “Through it all, the things that have held me together are the support, kind words, check-ins of texts and calls and e-mails with job postings I might be interested in from my INTIX friends. I am thankful for each one of you always. As someone who finds it difficult to ask for help, I am blessed to have so many folks cheering me on.”
Russell Thompson and His Women
Perhaps the interviewee who spoke most touchingly about what has made him grateful this past year was Russell Thompson, Box Office Manager and Event Coordinator for State University of New York at New Paltz’s School of Fine & Performing Arts. Specifically, he is thankful for having two strong women in his life — his mother and his wife:
“This past year, my mother was struck with an autoimmune disease, which unfortunately attacked her heart muscles, causing complete heart failure. In July, she was transported to UPMC Presbyterian’s ICU in Pittsburgh where she was put on a temporary heart pump and added to the heart transplant waitlist. It wasn’t even a week after being put on the waitlist that the hospital identified a matching organ and performed the surgery successfully! Heroes truly work there. I’m happy to report that my parents have just gotten back to their home in Western New York just in time for the holiday season. I am so proud of her for her resilience and strength throughout this whole experience!”
He concludes, “Additionally, I owe a humungous shout-out to my wife, Meg Thompson, who just successfully ran the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 2! This was a long-time goal of hers, and she had been preparing for quite some time. I was happy to be there with a group of family and friends — armed with custom Big Heads, cheering her on at mile 16 just off the Queensboro Bridge and at the finish line around Columbus Circle!”
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