Some would think that the last thing a professional who sells tickets and fills seats for a living would want to do is … buy a ticket and fill a seat with their own behind. But INTIX members are a different breed. Most of us love our work, and we want to be entertained ourselves. So, with the Memorial Day weekend behind us and June now underway, we polled some of the membership and asked them what their hot ticket is for the summer of 2025. Not surprisingly, live music was a big must-see.
Concerts
Music-loving INTIX pros are traveling for their hot tickets this summer. Marissa Topham, CCA Box Office Manager and Ticket Operations for Utah State University’s Fine Arts Center, is one of them. She says, “My hottest ticket item is [English rock band] Sleep Token. I was in three queues, and my boyfriend was in some others, and I finally got into the map for Oakland, California! I'm really excited for that one because I've never been to Oakland/San Francisco, so we are planning a whole trip around this!”
Mike Riddle, Assistant Box Office Supervisor for the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center and the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center in Sacramento, is also taking to the road. He says, “I am excited to see Kane Brown perform in Lake Tahoe this summer. There is something special about watching live music under the open sky, surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the Sierra Nevada in the crisp Lake Tahoe air. Kane was one of the first concerts my wife and I saw together. So, seeing him in a new venue is something we’re both excited for.”
Equally excited is Brittany Pallozzi, Director of Patron Relations at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, New York. She states, “This one is special. My husband and I are meeting up with friends to see John Moreland at the Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, in August! He’s a great singer/songwriter whose been in the industry a long time — his songs play frequently in my car when my little family and I are on mini-trips for the day. It’s really hitting home that he’ll be within driving distance, and I can attend!”
Cait Schumann
Cait Schumann, Vice President, Special Event Ticketing for Nationwide Arena & Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment (including the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets), will have to wait a while for her dream band. “My hot ticket for the summer is Nine Inch Nails (NIN) in Cleveland over Labor Day weekend,” she says. “I have been a fan of NIN since I saw them at the Newport Music Hall — 1,700 capacity — here in Columbus back in 1990. Since then, I have probably seen them 20 times, including a special performance during Joe Walsh’s VetsAid benefit concert that took place in one of my buildings [Nationwide Arena] in 2022. The fact that Trent Reznor is dynamic in concert, a fantastic songwriter and film score composer and one award away from an EGOT is what keeps me a fan — yikes! — 37 later!”
Theatre
Live stage shows of past Broadway favorites are high on the list of two INTIX members. The first is Chris Stasiuk, Head Treasurer of the historic St. James Theater in Manhattan. She exclaims, “ABBA! ABBA! ABBA! The Broadway musical ‘Mamma Mia’ is coming back to New York City in August, and I will be there belting out every tune with my bell bottoms on.”
Not to be outdone is Shawn Robertson. He says, “The event I’m looking forward to this summer is the production of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at the Hollywood Bowl. Cynthia Erivo will be playing Jesus, and Adam Lambert will be Judas. I’m such a fan of both artists for their sheer talent as well as the transparent and relentless positivity in the way they lead their lives. As queer artists, they are an inspiration to so many young artists and those of us who have worked in the arts supporting and admiring them. It feels like a generational production, and to see it at the iconic Hollywood Bowl is just the chef’s kiss of perfection.”
Sports
For other INTIX members, summer is a time of great sporting events. Toby Baptist, Vice President of Operations for LasVegasTickets.com, says, “I have a great relationship with Speedway Motorsports, so I really enjoy making it out to their tracks for NASCAR races in the summer. Nashville Superspeedway for the Cracker Barrel 400 at the end of May and Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 at the end of June are on the list for sure!”
Bauer Entertainment Marketing President Brian Bauer states, “I’m looking forward to taking my family to the MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby in Atlanta. My oldest son, in particular, is a massive baseball fan. This will be a dream experience for him!”
Also going to the Mid-Summer Classic is Josh Ziegenbusch, Senior Director, Ticket and Premium Operations for Major League Baseball’s Athletics. He says the annual spectacle “provides an opportunity to recognize the players — current and past — and a chance to see many of my friends and colleagues around the league. The 2025 events are in Atlanta this year. So, I am extra excited to have the chance to see our INTIX leaders Jessica Lee and Anthnoy Esposito showcase their ballpark."
Family
Other ticketing and live event professionals say family has everything to do with their hot tickets of summer 2025. Mandi Grimm, Director of Fraud Prevention for Etix, notes, “If I am allowed to brag on my brother [Matt Grimm, Senior Vice President, Motion Pictures, for Skydance] and not sound too much like a commercial or plug for him, I’m going to reply with a family answer. My brother works in film and just had the movie ‘Fountain of Youth’ released and ‘The Old Guard 2’ later this summer. So, those are the entertainment events I’ve been looking forward to. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Christina Allen, Senior Manager of Box Office for Senators Sports & Entertainment in Ottawa, adds, “In August, I’m taking my niece to see My Chemical Romance in Toronto. She’s going into her second year of university, so I love that we still go to concerts together even as she’s growing up. My Chemical Romance is her favorite band right now, so it will be so awesome to experience that with her. We’re also bringing her mother with us, so it’s always fun to go on adventures with my sister as well!”
Still Workin’ It
Then there are those INTIX members who just couldn’t help acknowledging that their hot tickets are events they are involved in personally. Bruce Trout, Senior Director of Ticket Operations | Ilitch Sports + Entertainment in Detroit, says, “We are just looking forward to our 90+ outdoor shows this summer. We have five venues and are primarily indoors at our arena and 4,800-seat capacity Broadway theatre. But every May, we so look forward to being outside at our amphitheater. Walking from our office to the pavilion to check sightlines, going back to hospitality, taking tickets back to the tour … any reason to be outside is appreciated.”
Amy Graca, Senior Vice President Entertainment for Caesars Entertainment Inc., touts, “Kelly Clarkson opens at The Colosseum on July 4! We have Teddy Swims at PH Live and at our Summer Series Venue at Caesars Republic in Lake Tahoe. Then we are heading to Old Dominion in Stir Cove, Council Bluffs, Iowa; Windsor, Canada; and again, to our Summer Series Venue at Caesars Republic in Lake Tahoe. It’s going to be an exciting summer for the Caesars venues!”
Liz Baqir
Liz Baqir, Associate Director of Ticketing Services for Cal Performances, says, “I spend most of my summers working box office for various music festivals, and this year is no exception. I love working festivals — even though it's technically work, I love the summer vibes, the abundance of music, and making so many people smile. This year I am especially looking forward to High Sierra Music Festival (HSMF) — or as I call it, the happiest place on earth — in Quincy, California, at the beginning of July. The founder of High Sierra passed away last year, and we were all unsure of the future of this 33-year-old legendary fest. Fortunately, others stepped up to make it continue.”
She continues, “Amongst other duties, I manage the late-night box office at HSMF, and the antics of festival goers at 1 a.m. never cease to amaze and amuse me! After the uncertainty of last year, I am anticipating a particularly joyous audience this year, and I can't wait to be there.”
Staying Home
Finally, there are those members who see the summer as a sort of down time. One of them is Dawn Zappitello, Senior Manager, Park Arrival and Guest Relations for Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, who says, “I don't have an ‘event’ that I am looking forward to yet this summer. But I am super jealous to not be attending Kenny Chesney's residency at the Sphere and hopeful that he will add more dates for later in the summer!”
Finally, Ebony Hattix, Director of Guest Relations and Arena Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies, says her hot ticket for the summer is her time to reset. “I have tickets to couch thinking and books! I have time to reset goals and expectations with my team. I am grateful for all of that. All my favorite sports share seasons — NBA, NFL and my latest addiction hockey. But trust me when I say, I’ll be enjoying some MLB from the couch!”
You May Also Like
Want news like this delivered to your inbox weekly? Subscribe to the Access Weekly newsletter, your ticket to industry excellence.