In a city as culturally rich as Toronto, it might come as a surprise that, in the early 1980s, the individuals responsible for ticketing major events across venues, theaters and sports teams barely knew each other.
That realization struck Richard Carter shortly after he arrived in Toronto in 1981 as the very first Manager of Ticket Services for the Corporation of Massey and Roy Thomson Halls, where he hired, trained and managed a staff of 45, then subsequently computerized the ticket office.
“I didn’t know anyone,” Carter recalls. “I found out no one else knew anybody. The box offices didn’t talk to one another.”
Already a co-founder of Box Office Management International (BOMI), now known as the International Ticketing Association (INTIX), in 1980 with Patricia G. Spira, Carter saw another opportunity to unify ticketing professionals and strengthen their collective knowledge and voice.
He reached out to Spira, which resulted in her flying to Toronto to explore the idea of building a regional group. Their conversations, supported by a gathering of local industry professionals, marked the beginning of what would eventually become the Ontario Professional Ticketing Association (OPTA).
Carter says, “We had a lunch at Roy Thomson with many members of the ticketing community, and they began to understand [that meeting with other industry professionals locally] works.”
The early momentum would lead to the formation of the Association of Ticket Managers (ATM) in 1984 with 31 founding members, “including representatives from Hamilton Place, the Stratford Festival, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Blue Jays, Ticketron (now Ticketmaster), Cineplex and Five Star Tickets,” according to the OPTA website. Carter became the first Chair, supported by passionate colleagues like Vice Chair Ernest Rubenstein (O’Keefe Centre, now the Sony Centre), Treasurer Roy Reeves (Massey Hall) and Secretary Georgian Green (Toronto Free Theatre).
Despite the enthusiasm, ATM was short-lived. A busy industry, high turnover of ticket office managers, a heavy meeting schedule and a limited executive committee led to a hiatus just two years later. But the need for connection persisted, and the idea of a regional ticketing group refused to fade.
On Nov. 27, 1989, Carter called another meeting, this time with a broader group. Discussions at that gathering and in the months that followed resulted in the official formation of OPTA on April 23, 1990.
From the outset, OPTA set out to strengthen the Ontario ticketing community through collaboration. Founding principles included improving policies, sharing technical knowledge, and offering support through changing industry landscapes.
“We were a small community of theaters [and more] now, and I [could] call anyone up and say, ‘Here’s a problem, what are we going to do here, what do you suggest?’” Carter says. “That was something that didn’t exist before.”
In its earliest days, OPTA get-togethers were relatively intimate. “Early meetings were a small group [of 10 to 15] getting together in person four times a year to discuss mutual concerns — new ticketing systems, policies and procedures, and sharing experiences,” says Bruce Morrison, current OPTA President, a longtime member, and recipient of the Association’s Richard Carter Lifetime Achievement award in 2014.
As the 1990s and early 2000s unfolded, OPTA blossomed into a vibrant, diverse organization. At its peak before the pandemic, the association boasted around 120 members from across Ontario. Its membership spans the full spectrum of the live events industry, including performing arts, venues, music presenters and promoters, attractions (museums, galleries and the CN Tower amongst others), festivals and sports organizations. “Vendors also continue to play a role in the association,” Morrison says. “We have also had representation from adjacent services — such as marketing, front of house, and food and beverage.”
OPTA’s structure also matured, transitioning to a more formal board, expanding its professional development offerings and creating a website. The association also embraced digital tools like Zoom, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to keep members connected even when venues were shuttered. Virtual meetings continue to serve the membership well today. OPTA and its members also helped to host, manage and play a key behind-the-scenes role in supporting the INTIX conferences held in Toronto in 1995, 2001 and 2010, as well as two INTIX summer conferences.
Richard Carter (left) addresses attendees at the 2001 INTIX conference in Toronto as Bruce Morrison looks on (right).
Canadian volunteers stuffing attendee bags at the Ticketmaster offices for the Toronto 2001 conference. Front row seated (L-R) Laurel Ryshpan, unknown, Martha Gall. Back row standing (L-R) Rey de Guzman, Richard Carter, Shamayne Skelly, Jeff Mains, Pauline Thiessen, Jan Campbell, Gail Anderson, unknown, unknown and Gillian Morrison holding Braden Morrison, then one year and three months old, now in his mid-20s and a ticketing pro at the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bruce Morrison looks at the pile of WW&L bags that had been stuffed for the 2001 Toronto conference.
“For me, being a part of organizing and hosting the INTIX annual conferences in 2001 and 2010 holds fond memories,” Morrison reminisces, adding that many OPTA members are also INTIX members. Morrison has also served INTIX as a speaker, moderator, vendor, volunteer and past committee chair.
He continues, “OPTA has provided opportunities for ticketing industry professionals to interact, has provided an awards program to recognize achievements by our peers, social events, and provided financial assistance to members to attend other conferences such as INTIX.”
The COVID-19 pandemic posed one of the biggest challenges in live entertainment history, halting shows, canceling seasons, and leaving ticket offices in limbo. Like so many organizations in the industry, OPTA was impacted but not immobilized.
“The passion of Richard Carter and Jim Aldridge, in particular, kept the association going in the early years. That passion was infectious and led to a sustainable group of professionals who have kept the mission going through the years,” Morrison shares. “The pandemic took a bite out of OPTA as it did the entire live event industry, and it was a determined group of members who sought to rebuild the association post-pandemic — a task that is showing fruit now in 2025 and forward.”
Throughout the pandemic years, OPTA remained a valuable resource and lifeline. The association waived membership fees, hosted online sessions, and provided content and connection for members, many of whom were furloughed or facing uncertain futures.
As the industry continues to recover and evolve, OPTA has made a concerted effort to welcome and support new professionals. Morrison notes the association has prioritized outreach to early-career ticketing staff and encourages employers to register multiple team members with OPTA as a professional development tool.
“Joining a regional group can expand your network and solve common concerns,” Morrison explains. “It can show your employer that you are engaged with the industry. And it provides mentorship opportunities to help people who are new to the field.”
For Morrison, that spirit of mentorship is deeply personal. On his first day as Box Office Manager at the O’Keefe Centre in 1993, he received an unexpected welcome from a neighboring venue.
Diane England, who managed the ticket office at the St. Lawrence Centre next door, stopped by and said, “‘Welcome to Toronto. You must come to our current show as my guest, and you must attend the OPTA meeting next week.’ That started my journey with OPTA and reinforced over the years my career choice in ticketing. I have many friends who I originally met through OPTA and have felt supported and encouraged as I moved through my career.”
Beyond workshops and networking, OPTA has grown into a respected industry voice. In 2010, Morrison represented OPTA in a stakeholders’ meeting with the Attorney General of Ontario. This conversation helped shape amendments to the Ticket Speculation Act to address bots and the secondary ticketing market.
OPTA has also tackled issues such as digital ticketing, privacy legislation (PIPEDA, the Protection of Privacy and Electronic Documents Act), Canadian anti-spam laws, accessibility compliance under AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act), and the fast-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) in customer service.
Recently, the association hosted sessions on the use and misuse of chatbots, customer service in the digital age, and the value and pitfalls of AI in the ticketing world.
The ripple effects of OPTA’s success extend well beyond Ontario. Regional groups now thrive across North America and beyond, including the Bay Area Professional Ticketing Association, the Georgia Professional Ticketing Association, OTT-TIX in Ottawa, and the first cross-border regional group, Greater Niagara Ticketing Professionals, among many others.
“For me, the single most important reason to have a regional group is to have a network of your colleagues and peers, in your own geographic and legislative area, to reach out to for advice, assistance and occasional commiseration,” Morrison says. “It strengthens the concept of ticketing as an industry and career and provides a more localized complement to international organizations such as INTIX.”
Having that regional support was crucial in the early days, Carter adds. “When I was at Roy Thomson, customers would say, ‘They do this over there, why can’t you do that?’ or they would ask about exchanges. I would say, ‘It’s because you are not a subscriber,’ and they would say they were a subscriber at another organization. The customers were confused about how things worked, and we needed a way to share ideas and information. Did we allow exchanges? Did we refund service charges? What are the salaries for staff? How are we paying people, and what type of work schedules are the best? Some people don’t open until noon with their ticket sales. What are your times? Some work with price plus a percentage when they sell on the phone, that was another [issue].”
To those considering starting their own regional group, Morrison offers this practical advice: “Start gradually. Get a core group of people together over drinks and/or food and discover your common interests and issues. Be prepared for growth and understand people’s skills [and] desires to be leaders in the regional. Evangelize, evangelize, evangelize — reach out to everyone in your area to foster cooperation and growth.”
As OPTA looks toward the next decade, Morrison sees continued momentum, growth and opportunity.
“[I hope to see OPTA] continuing with the growth of membership and the continuous injection of ‘new blood’ in the leadership of the Association,” he says. “It should become the authoritative voice of the ticketing industry in Ontario, which may involve advocating to elected officials regarding regulations or legislative changes.”
As OPTA charts its path forward, the association remains committed to being a unifying voice and resource for ticketing professionals in Ontario. And what began as a small network of colleagues seeking connection 35 years ago has evolved into a vital association that reflects the needs of a dynamic industry and has helped shape its future.
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