Many INTIX members, speakers, vendors and assorted friends, loved ones and colleagues had a lot of fun at last month’s INTIX 2026 in Las Vegas. But few had more enjoyment than the delegation from INTIX sponsor partner and vendor Situation, led by founder Damian Bazadona.
Damian Bazadona
Bazadona founded this New York City-based advertising agency back in 2001, with an emphasis on helping iconic brands build passionate communities. Over the years, he has partnered with many of Gotham’s most recognizable and beloved brands from The Guggenheim and The Metropolitan Opera to WICKED and even HBO. While Bazadona has been part of many large events, he spoke with particular fondness of INTIX 2026 only a few days removed from the event.
“There were a lot of high points,” he says. “It felt alive and genuinely participatory. Situation’s Managing Partner Lisa Cecchini spoke on the ‘Women Leading the Show: The Power, Strategy & Future of Live Events’ panel, and that was such a standout. I also loved watching Peter Yagecic, my co-host on Fandom Unpacked and the founder of A Mind at Work Consulting, work his magic during our Leadership Village. And Las Vegas in January after dodging winter storms? [chuckling] I won’t pretend that didn’t help!”
The Fandom Unpacked Podcast Casts a Wide Net
What’s this Fandom Unpacked he speaks of, some of you may be asking? It’s only the most entertaining podcast that ticketing and live events professionals are currently enjoying. Although it’s a smooth-running production now, Bazadona recalls the early going: “Fandom Unpacked started with a bit of frustration, if I’m being honest. Everyone talks about ‘audience growth,’ but very few people talk honestly about how fans are actually made. Partnering with Peter was key from the start. He brings a deep understanding of how people think, decide and connect, which shaped the tone and curiosity of the show.”
It has also helped to have INTIX President and CEO Maureen Andersen as the other co-host. Bazadona says, “She grounds everything in the real, lived experience of this industry. She has an incredible instinct for asking the question everyone in the room is thinking, but no one has quite articulated yet. We wanted a space where leaders could drop the buzzwords and talk candidly about what’s working, what isn’t and what surprised them. Over time, it’s evolved from a series of interviews into more of a shared exploration. It’s less about answers and more about better questions.”
He went on to describe he and his co-hosts as being “allergic to panel-speak.” According to Bazadona, the goal of each podcast is three-pronged: “Energy, specificity and humanity. We want listeners to feel like they’re overhearing a great conversation, not sitting through a presentation. That means stories, mistakes, strong opinions and a little laughter. If someone finishes an episode and thinks, ‘Oh, I’m not the only one dealing with that,’ then we’ve done our job.”
Podcasts, in general, have become increasingly popular in the ticketing, live events, sports and entertainment worlds. So what makes for a good one? What separates the podcasts that have only a smattering of fans and those that have gained real traction?
Bazadona believes it comes down to respecting the audience’s intelligence and their time. “A great podcast has a point of view, not just a lineup of guests,” he states. “And it leaves space for complexity instead of rushing to tidy conclusions. Most importantly, it feels human. If people trust you to be honest, thoughtful and occasionally wrong, they’ll come back. Fandom, after all, is built on trust.”
Some episodes, though, have stood out more than others. For example, just before Christmas, the Fandom Unpacked podcast delivered a very entertaining, year-end recap episode. How much fun was that to put together, and what made it so different from “regular episodes?” Still with a bit of holiday cheer, Bazadona answered, “That episode was a joy! It felt like a highlight reel. What made it different was the connective tissue. When you put insights from the US Open, F1, The Grammys, PBS, Feld Entertainment and BroadwayCon side by side, the patterns show up fast. You start to see how the same challenges echo across sports, Broadway, venues and media — trust, access, legacy and the lived reality of the fan experience — even when the business models look completely different.”
Bazadona is very hopeful there will be similar special episodes in the future. He says, “Those episodes give us permission to step back and synthesize, which is something the industry doesn’t always make time for.”
Partnering With INTIX
Situation’s affiliation goes beyond Andersen sitting in on each podcast. It’s a partnership that has benefitted both sides immensely. Bazadona remarks, “INTIX is where the smartest, most generous and most future-focused people in live entertainment gather. Partnering with INTIX has helped us stay honest. It’s easy to get stuck in your own echo chamber. INTIX pulls you back into the real world. The conversations, the questions, the pushback — it truly all sharpens our thinking. And it almost goes without saying, but a lot of what we research, write about and build starts with things we hear directly from INTIX members.”
Situation is indeed an advertising agency. But what sets it apart for INTIX members is that Bazadona and team don’t treat marketing as something layered on top of a product. He concludes, “We treat it as part of the experience itself. We live at the intersection of data, creativity and culture, and we’re constantly asking: ‘Why do people care, and how do we earn that care?’ We work across sports, live entertainment, attractions and culture, so we get to borrow ideas from everywhere. That cross-pollination is where the interesting stuff happens, and certainly where our clients feel the difference.”
Look for Part 2 of this article next week, chronicling Situation’s recently released Live Entertainment Leadership Survey and presented at INTIX 2026.
You May Also Like
Want news like this delivered to your inbox weekly? Subscribe to the Access Weekly newsletter, your ticket to industry excellence.