Ticketing professionals from my past
26 March, 2026
After another successful Ticketing Professionals Conference, I found myself worrying about where the ticketing professionals of tomorrow are going to come from.
Me at the Ticketing Professionals Conference
I went to my first Ticketing Professionals Conference in 2017, which was only its second year. (The first year, I was simultaneously trying to put a massive batch of Fringe shows on-sale, complete the purchase on my first flat, and learn how to parent a 5-month-old — so I hope Andrew Thomas will forgive me.)
Since then, I've been back for many more, including as a presenter in 2022, 2023, and 2024. So if you've seen me at TPC and arrived here by Googling me, welcome! Here's a collection of all the TPC content I've got.
Blog posts
Presentations
Where should we innovate in ticketing?
Ticketing Professionals Conference 2026
Conferences like TPC showcase the depth and richness of innovative thinking around ticketing today — from AI, to dynamic pricing, to improved CRM. But when was the last time you saw a session about improving the process of actually setting up a show, or selling a ticket? When was the last time a session challenged you to innovate… baskets? These basic ticketing functions are at the heart of what we do, day in and day out, and yet they’ve become a bit like the QWERTY keyboard: everyone just carries on using them the way they are, without ever stopping to think if a different approach would work better.
When “Yes, We Have an API” Isn’t Enough: Effectively Integrating Solutions
Ticketing Professionals Conference 2026
I was invited to participate as a panelist in this session, discussing the realities of system integration and exploring the challenge faced by every venue: fragmented systems that claim to connect, but don’t deliver on the promise. What does it really take to unify data flows across ticketing, marketing, and customer engagement? How can the sector can move toward more meaningful interoperability?
What is a ticketing system?
Ticketing Professionals Conference 2024
You probably use a ticketing system every day, but if your life depended on it could you describe what a ticketing system actually is? "Something that sells tickets" covers everything from Taylor Swift selling her arena tour to the person running the raffle at the village fete, and omits features most modern ticketing systems boast as standard. Yet making the description more complicated raises more questions than it answers. Does a museum need to offer reserved seating? Does an arena need to offer timed entry slots? Does the village raffle need CRM? Does a ticketing system need to do any of this? More importantly, how are we supposed to build better ticketing systems if we can't even agree what a ticketing system is to begin with?
Related article: Four essential questions to ask about your ticketing system
Ticketing without a ticketing system
Ticketing Professionals Conference 2023
Ronnie Scott's, the iconic London jazz club, doesn't have a ticketing system. Yet they still manage to sell out almost every show, every night of the week. In this case study, you'll find out why a well-established venue would choose to work without a ticketing system - and what you can learn from their unusual approach.
What cathedrals can teach you about your ticketing system
Ticketing Professionals Conference 2022
Like any venue, cathedrals regularly sell admission tickets and host ticketed performances - and the pandemic forced them to find new, digital solutions for doing so. As a result, in the past two years several cathedrals launched new websites that creatively tackle a number of common ticketing problems. This session will look at some of the best examples to draw valuable learnings that any venue or visitor attraction can apply to their own digital operations.
Related article: What cathedrals can teach you about your venue's ticketing website
Articles
Four essential questions to ask about your ticketing system
April 2024
At the Ticketing Professionals Conference 2024, I put together a panel discussion about what a ticketing system is and what it should do for your organisation. there are a few things everyone agreed were critical. So if you have a ticketing system at your organisation, here are a few questions you should definitely be asking yourself about how well it's working for you.
ReadFour essential questions to ask about your ticketing system (external link)
What cathedrals can teach you about your venue's ticketing website
October 2022
Cathedral websites, it turns out, face a lot of the same challenges as theatre and other venue websites. But cathedrals have addressed those challenges in some original and often really innovative ways that you almost never see in the arts. So what can cathedrals teach you about your own arts website?
ReadWhat cathedrals can teach you about your venue's ticketing website (external link)