Ticketing Professionals Conference, 19-21 March 2025

How technological and data innovations are influencing the sector:

Last week, our team of intrepid consultants ventured all the way to…Manchester…to explore the latest trends and insights in booking systems and customer journeys. Read on for their reflections on how technological and data innovations are influencing the sector: 

A key theme of this year’s Ticketing Professionals Conference was the urgent need to embrace the ongoing technological revolution. Over the past 25 years, rapid advancements in home computing, smartphones, and social media have often left the ticketing industry playing catch-up to deliver the best customer experiences. Smaller venues, institutions, and destinations, in particular, risk falling behind or relying on outdated processes.

Now, with AI poised to transform every aspect of our work, it’s crucial that we at CTConsults not only adopt these changes but also lay the groundwork and provide support for our clients—ensuring that organisations, institutions, and destinations do not get left behind. (Andrew Adshead)

I was impressed by how much innovation is happening in ticketing right now. There’s a lot of new tech being developed, like allowing audiences to bid on seat upgrades, borrowing from the airline model in a way that makes sense for live events. AI is playing a growing role, especially in making dynamic pricing models more responsive. I was also interested in how venues are tapping into social media, with user-generated content doing much of the selling for them. It’s clear the industry is shifting in a big way. (Rachel Sipes)

Being a first timer to the conference one thing that struck me was the range of organisations at the Ticketing Professionals Conference. Alongside national providers were independent venues, local collectives, tech developers and regional cultural partnerships. It highlighted just how connected and collaborative the sector is. What stood out to me and something I will remember is that: ticketing should be accessible and adaptable, regardless of the size or structure of your organisation. (Ryan Nevin)

A key takeaway from the conference is the realisation that data alone isn’t the answer. It’s meaningless unless transformed into actionable insights, as insights are what drive change. Data and insights are discoveries, and discovery is inherently creative. It’s okay to try, learn, and experiment with limited risk. Insights mean nothing without influence, particularly when it comes to influencing stakeholders. Change can’t happen without that influence. Starting small to test changes, and learning from failures to understand why something didn’t work, offers valuable lessons and drives continuous improvement. (Jady Ng)