After attending IEBA, one thing is clear: everyone’s fed up with the current ticketing situation. With venues, colleagues, customers, and innovators gathered, a unified sentiment emerged: it’s time for a real solution. Here's what stood out during the sessions we attended.

Fixing Ticketing: The Time is Now

During the ticketing sessions, several key points were emphasized:

Use Your Tools

Venues were reminded to use the full suite of tools provided by their ticketing platforms. Whether it’s dynamic pricing, “view from seat” maps, or programmatic following of fans from site to site, the tools are there. But the real question is: are they working together smoothly?

Engage Fans Beyond the Ticket Purchase

Platforms that offer creative ways to keep fans engaged with more than just the ticket will win. Think music, merch, upsells, and event updates - it’s all part of the fan experience. 

Smarter Marketing

The message was clear: send the right message to the right fan at the right time. Having a fan database is great, but using segmented data to send targeted messages rather than generic blasts, is the next big step.

What's Next for Ticketing? 

The future of ticketing is poised for major innovations:

• Dynamic pricing is gaining traction
• Better seat mapping, with features like "view from seat," is becoming essential.
• Ticketing legislation is pushing for transparency, especially with all-in pricing.
• Fraud and chargeback prevention and protection are top priorities

Innovation matters, but it’s not just about tech—expectations need to be managed. Venues should prioritize transparency with fans about everything from sightlines to on-site logistics. A solid venue ops system with a connected CRM makes that possible, and it’s exciting to see Opendate leading the way in this new era! 

Ticketing Legislation: Advocacy is Key

Audrey Fix Schaefer’s session on Ticketing Legislation hit hard, emphasizing that now’s the time for everyone in the industry to speak up as new laws are being shaped. Whether it's capping resale prices, banning speculative tickets, or cracking down on sketchy URLs, lawmakers need input from those who know the struggles best.

Also, heads up: Audrey and a few others will be joining our next Make More Money webinar, Secondary Markets: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly – don’t miss it!

While big events like Taylor Swift tours get the spotlight when it comes to secondary market issues and fraud, smaller events are feeling the hit too. Stories of fans showing up with fake tickets are all too common, and platforms like Fixthetix.org are stepping in to help. But the real takeaway? The venue community needs to raise their voices before the legislative session kicks off in January – lawmakers need to hear from us!

What Agents Want You to Know

In a fascinating look at agent-venue dynamics, agents provided insight into what they want venues to understand:

Make Things Easier for Artists 

Venues should do what they can to make life on the road smoother for touring artists. We’re talking everything from offering puppies (yes, seriously!) to cold plunges and saunas – anything to help artists relax and recharge.

Local Insights are Key

Keep agents and promoters in the loop about what’s going on in your city, especially if there are competing events that could affect their show.

Strategic Touring is the New Normal

Gone are the days of touring just for the sake of it. Mid and small-tier artists are getting much more strategic about when and where they tour, making marketing and pricing strategies more important than ever.

Looking Ahead to 2025

The 2025 predictions? Expect more residencies, creative packaging of tours, and potentially more focus on venue-based experiences. And while antitrust efforts may have stalled, the consensus was that the push should be towards regulation.

The Bottom Line

The message is clear: The industry’s heading toward smarter, more data-driven ways of handling booking, ticketing, and marketing. Venues are asking for real solutions, and as these conversations continue, so will the evolution of the tools and strategies that shape the live music experience.