THEY INNOVATE. THEY MOTIVATE. ONE MOMENT THEY’RE KNEEDEEP IN THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND THE NEXT THEY’RE ON THE FRONT LINES OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY DO A LOT OF EVERYTHING AND THEY DO IT WELL, AND THAT’S WHY THEY’RE THE VENUESNOW TICKETING STAR AWARD HONOREES FOR 2019. CHRISTINA ALLEN, JONATHAN LACK, ALEX RENFREW AND REBECCA THRONE ARE THE LATEST MEMBERS OF OUR TICKETING STAR “CLUB,” WHICH DATES BACK TO THE FIRST CLASS IN 2009. AFTER BEING NOMINATED BY PEERS, THEY WERE SELECTED BY A VOTE OF VENUESNOW SUBSCRIBERS AND STAFF AND INTIX MEMBERS.
venuesnow TICKETING STAR AWARDS ALL STARS
JANUARY 2019 3939 JOHN CURLEY - - - - - Her rstHer onsale as ticketing boss went After rst the sellout (53,963) event’s in Throne — whose alter Burning on at ego their own path, she the got chance make to tick eting own. her After rising a full-time to position as ticketing manager Throne reviewed in 2007, ticketingthe event’s agreement with then-start up agency InTicketing, which like Burning Man was scrappy but somewhat inexperienced. “beautifully,” with more than tickets 47,000 highest thefor sales event’s date, as to even she was noticing serious control problems with print quality that rejecting her to led half the tickets that year and insisting on reprints. “Printing tickets is like printing money: The more variance the have, you less reliable they she said,are,” which is why Throne took over ticket production that shining year, a “light on everything that needed improvement.” 2011, Burning Man transitioned working to with mettle Her Ticketªy. was tested the next though,year, when a switch a lottery to system that on paper” turned was “great into a “deep- ly traumatic, unfortunate … epic failure.” desert is site “TheMan’s Ruiner”said — the wasproblem that Burning Man had over complicated things by having too many price points, which those gave pay to able who were the least the of obtain percent) worst odds (15 ing tickets. That ªub left many of the most avid Burners on the outs, the a huge for problem community-focused event, which is focused on di¢erent that “camps” set up elaborate art proj ects, often taking months coordinate to before being assembled Rock. Black at on site - - “When I started it of processes,A lover unteering in ticketing in 2001 and by the next year became the manager of walk-in ticketthe event’s outlets, which that at time numbered three. was still kind of the she said,Wild West,” noting that instead of the usual path of building a business by making a product and then creating a community around it, Burning Man had the community but businessno plan. Her organizational skills and trustworthiness her got invited into the organi oces, where zation’s she was shown what then passed the for ticketing operation: a giant le cabinet drawer lled with unbundled, loose tickets with clear no chain of custody what for had by then grown to eight ticketing outlets. she secured the invento ry, and because Burning Man encouraged sta¢ and volunteers chart to : Copy University of A tie between Dana Harrison. I actually have don’t REBECCA THRONE REBECCA COLLEGE: FIRST JOB EVER: JOB: TICKETING FIRST MENTOR: THING YOU LOVE TO DO WORK:AT PET PEEVE WORK AT WHAT’S THE NEXT EVENT THAT YOU HAVE TICKETS TO? Ticketing department manager and box oice manager operations ManBurning California at Santa Cruz (go, Banana Slugs!). Art major. history shop. Managing walk-in ticket outlets for Burning Man. She built the foundation of all of Burning Man’s business infrastructure. She taught me that sound business practices don’t have to be at odds with compassion and integrity. changing people’s lives for the better and wearing pajamas and red lipstick on sale days. People not being kind. we all have all busy, We’re needs, all working we’re on important things, but that doesn’t mean you can treat people poorly. I’ve gotany! eye my Two on: the College Football Playoff Championship Game (if the Oklahoma Sooners make it), and the Solid Sound Festival, because I love Wilco.
- JANUARY 2019 JANUARY
now venues AWARDS the of a lifetime job by accident. At the peak of the boom dot-com in the late 1990s, she was working boutique a at
TICKETING STAR TICKETING After attending rst her Throne’s tireless in work Throne’s craft- By 1997, the that event beganBy 1997, LIGHTING LIGHTING A FIRE BY GIL KAUFMAN GIL BY 40 BURNING MAN’S MAN’S BURNING THRONE REBECCA TURNS DESERT GATHERING’S A WELL INTO TICKETING OILED MACHINE Burning Man in 1999, where she by the sensewas of “gobsmacked community” and the accessibility of the patrons, Throne started vol ing a professional, smoothly run box oce operation the for event is just one reason peers her chose Ticketing asher 2019 a Star. as a cozy bonre ritual on Baker Beach in San Francisco before moving the to Rock Black Desert — where it outside Reno, Nev. quickly mushroomed an to arty 8,000-person — was blowout outgrowing its seat-of-the-pants operation and in desperate need of some organization. consulting rm in San Francisco in the same building as Wired magazine when she began hearing about something called Burning Man. “Everything I heard about sounded it like my saidThrone, of hell,” version an art history “Nobody major. mentioned the really art … I don’t like hot weather and a I have tolerancelow being for around impaired people.” R “It was a classic instance where a really venuesnow while launching the ticketing department dicult experience revealed a ton of opportu- and opening Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum. nity for growth,” she said. After distributing TICKETING STAR And for his work in the successful venue 10,000 tickets directly to the groups that AWARDS opening, the 34-year-old Lack was chosen had been “fractured” because of the lottery by his peers as a VenuesNow 2019 Ticket- system — and who, therefore, could not fully ing Star. commit to building their projects — Throne It’s also why he got one of the µirst calls learned that she had to take a stronger hand in from Raj Saha after Saha was hired as managing ticket disbursement. START ME UP general manager of Fiserv Forum for the “Rebecca always says that selling tickets is Bucks. The two men had worked together the easy part, building community through at the O2 Arena in London. ticket sales is the hard bit,” reads Throne’s JONATHAN LACK’S ABILITY “What separated (Jonathan) from other nomination statement from Lulu Lurline, candidates was the ability to work under Burning Man ticketing project manager. “Year tight deadlines,” Saha said. after year she innovates new programs and TO MULTITASK WAS ESSENTIAL “Before he was at O2 he was at Tick- sale structures to support this goal. This in- etmaster in the U.K. (and) we decided to cludes Burning Man’s Secure Ticket Exchange TO LAUNCHING TICKETING AT go with Ticketmaster early in the process Program (STEP), the Low Income Ticket before our box ofµice was hired,” Saha Program that supports 4,000 low income par- FISERV FORUM said, adding, “Part of it was his knowledge ticipants in purchasing reduced price tickets of Ticketmaster but also his ability to know to the event, and the creation of our Directed BY ROBERT GRAY how to build out an event. Within 10 days Sales Group programs which ensure that art (of Lack starting the Bucks job) we had a project groups, theme camps, and volunteer building manifest and an event on sale.” teams have enough core members to produce L ±, ² ³ director Saha said the secret to Lack’s success is their projects at the Burning Man event.” of ticketing for the NBA’s Milwaukee “the ability to take a project and under- The Directed Sales Group helps members Bucks, has made a name for himself stand the process to get it across the µinish of established theme camps in good standing in the ticketing industry thanks to his line. The ability to multitask is huge.” obtain tickets directly from Throne’s team, ability to innovate and, perhaps more It didn’t take long for Lack to call upon all and the STEP program aims to thwart scalpers important, implement new technology of his skills and resources as the very rst and prevent unscrupulous sales. Jand big ideas. “By design Burning Man is hard, and a lot These skills combined with Lack’s ver- of the value comes from that and forging those satility and flexibility have all been tested CONTINUED ON PAGE 42 relationships with groups that inspires them to take on the impossible,” she said. “The goal has never been to make it easy for everybody.” One group that Throne has worked to make things a bit easier on is low-income Burners, who in 2012, were invited onto the Playa through a Low Income Ticket Program. In the works now is a new o¢set plan that will help more economical- ly stable Burners directly support the expansion of the low-income program. One of her other innovations is the “sexiest shipping container” ever, an 18-window box oce made up of three shipping containers that nally gave the on-site ticketing operation a functional home. Another formalization of what was previously a chaotic will-call pro- gram, the Playa box oce became her “super geeked-out” pet project. “I got to go down the rabbit hole of queueing theory,” she said, noting that because the box oce is in the brutally hot desert — and the opening time changed from midnight to noon in 2014 — she had to devise a clever way to make sure people didn’t pass out from heat exposure while waiting in line. That involved medical teams handing out umbrellas and water, but also a clever method of measuring the queue that involved handing out time-stamped laminates that allowed her team —150 mostly volunteers — to measure the number of people passing through the system and plan accordingly. “I’m most proud of being able to support the Burning Man organization in its growth and business needs while simultaneously nurtur- ing the community,” said Throne of the event, which housed 80,000 attendees in 2018. “That and my box oce teams kicks ass!” NICK MONROE FISERV FORUM - — JONATHAN LACK — JONATHAN After all, happened it him to when he The gotten resurgent Bucks, who haven’t “Hopefully going further go to we’re in Success also may breed imitators off somebody somewhere, anywhere.” hismet wife, Kristen, on a setup a Dave at Matthews Band concert the at O2 Arena in been They’ve married2010. µive for years and two have children. past the µirst round of the NBA playoffs sincethe 2000-01 season in but were second Eastern Conferenceplace in the as of NBA’s aremid-December, helping scorebusiness thefor nascent arena, Lack said. the playoffs. The further and go we better perform,we draws said. it he interest,” “It’s not just the team. Sales will improve and seeing that,we’re and we’ll see more inter est in our special and events in activations outside the building.” the court. Lack said other ticketing venue executives are taking notice of the Bucks’ hadprocesses: some attention “We’ve since reach out venues had a few opened,we I’ve askto about it. Since (Ticketing my Star) nomination already had I’ve three people call and ask come to see it.” - - “Innovations (are) coming (are) “Innovations will bene it in tech that will be a huge us. … There leap forward.” The Killers performed as the “That was a really big show for The ticketing executive says issues but he’s lookingissues forward but he’s theto next iteration where near µieldcommunication devices will replace the bar code scanners. “The hands-free nature those (of devices) is great guest for services greetto quite guests,” said. he “It’s welcoming.” µirstarena’s Sept. ticketed event 4, but Lack points a Justin to Timber lake performance that later month as crucial the to building’s launch. said. he for onus,” it worked “We eight months. was It one of the µirst put shows on we sale, had a we people insellout the 17,000 of over building.” ishe happiest when the seats are a sense get packed.“I of fulµill And he’s already anticipatingAnd he’s another full Lackman is passionate arena a household for name in February: show really excited about Elton John’s “I’m going be to a reallyhere. It’s a legendary He’s great show. act.” about not only music but also the ticketing business. His ticket mantra: is “A moremuch than just a ticket. isIt an experience and a life-changing to moment ment on show day, with on show day, musicment especially, a fullwhen there’s house.”
At age At I’m thinking I’m University of Event night. Alison Jeeves JONATHAN LACK JONATHAN COLLEGE: FIRST JOB EVER: JOB: TICKETING FIRST MENTOR: THING YOU LOVE TO DO WORK:AT PET PEEVE WORK: AT WHAT’S THE NEXT EVENT THAT YOU HAVE BOUGHT TO? TICKETS Senior director of ticketing Bucks Milwaukee Southamptonin England. 16 worked in gift shop at a museum, then called the Amberley Chalk Pits Museum (now Amberley Museum & Heritage Center). Goodwood Revival in West Sussex, selling tickets to vintage car races. of AXS Europe, who was head of ticketing at the O2 Arena when Lack worked there. “It’s the culmination of a lot of work from a lot of people.” Huge, colossal production changes that come up the night before your irst presale, and ish being cooked in the microwave at lunchtimeon an event day (you know who you Runningare). out of ticket stubs, changing ticket printer. about buying tickets to see the Rolling Stones next year in Chicago. I’ve seen them a couple of times and they are fantastic. JANUARY 2019 JANUARY - - - - Fiserv Forum is also using self-scanning Bucks tickets are bought, stored and even He also said it’s a harbinger of what’s to also a harbingerHe to said of what’s it’s Lack said it’s Lack said it’s Lack’s techLack’s skills Still, Lack said, The Bucks 42 CONTINUED FROM FROM CONTINUED 41 PAGE Falcon pods speedhelp to guests into the Lackvenue. noted there are on employees hand them help to with any questions or shared proprietary via the team’s app, which team execs will say be expanded include to additional in-venue functionality. come the at “In the venue: next year we’ll see more mobile-only special for events. There are innovations coming in tech that will beneµit us with Apple and Pay Google Wallet. There will be a huge forward leap in the delivery of tickets.” working: “The fake tickets out there (for Fiserv) are so few compared other to worked.” places I’ve from his days at Ticketmaster have proved invaluable as the Bucks have been mobile-only for their games since the doors opened. Fiserv Forum to decided turn o¢ the “print at optionhome” (they o¢er maildo options other events for than Bucks’ games) in o¢er to a bid more convenience as well as stymie counter feiting and scalping. “For the most“For part it went well.” executive says his team with worked Ticketmaster sort to out which guests had priority, especial- ly those with VIP packages, although Lack conceded that not every guest was pleased. band put to tickets on sale the at venue, Maroon 5, recong gle thrust down the middle V-shaped.” to ured its ªoor seating after tickets were available.made “It was our third show this at ever build Lacking,” recalled. “The ªoor seating changed from a sin COURTESY TSONGAS CENTER SPECTRA AT TSONGAS CENTER, IN TECHNOLOGY INROLES GROWN WITHCHANGES ALEX RENFREWHAS BY NOELLE RILEY THE JOB RIGHT FOR LEARN MOREAT SPECTRAEXPERIENCES.COM TICKETING STAR AWARDS venuesnow at TD Garden in Boston. in Garden TD at position.” my regional under with Iwork oices box other the and team our with corporate. Spectra for ticketing and experience client of president vice Holowaty, athletic ticket oice. Massachusetts Amherst teller. bank time Massachusetts Amherst. Spectra for regional oice box Southeast and Northeast and Mass., Lowell, Center, Tsongas Spectra, for sales and marketing ticketing, of Director TICKETS TO? TO? TICKETS BOUGHT HAVE YOU THAT EVENT NEXT THE WHAT’S AT WORK: DO TO LOVE YOU THING MENTOR: JOB: FIRST TICKETING EVER: JOB FIRST COLLEGE: RENFREW ALEX University of of University Jacque “Collaborate “Collaborate University of of University Eric Church Church Eric CONGRATULATIONS 2019 VenuesNow Ticketing Star Award Winner, Part- THE TSONGAS CENTERANDSPECTRA TEAM. WE AREPROUD TO HAVE YOU AS PART OF ALEX RENFREW! A to the NCAA Division I UMass Lowell River Hawks men’s Hawks River Lowell team. hockey IUMass Division NCAA to the Coast. East the down and up properties tra-managed Spec 12 between venue. liaison He’s at the aregional manager oce also box the he was that before and Mass., Lowell, Tsongas in Center at the helpful.” for ways to be looking CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 The Tsongas Center is a 7,000-capacity, multipurpose facility and home home and facility multipurpose a7,000-capacity, Tsongas is The Center for Spectra sales and marketing ofticketing, director the is Renfrew Tsongas Center General Manager Keith Vaske. Keith “He’s Manager Tsongas General Center always everyone. to work with well ability and personality ing undemand- his appreciate also They him. applaud bosses his reasons ofthe one is analytics oce box understand Spectra helping and for technology, aknack ² ¼ ½ º » “He’s such an easygoing, down-to-earth person,” said person,” said down-to-earth “He’s easygoing, an such JANUARY 2019 43 - MANDY D’ALOISIO PHOTOGRAPHY now venues CHRISTINA ALLEN CHRISTINA AWARDS TICKETING STAR TICKETING ³ ² º, Christina Allen slept outside the box oce tickets for see to performers favorite her Fighters, — Foo Counting Crows and Alanis Morissette among them— the at that venue now her. employs “It’s kind of fun“It’s going from that high school KEEPING KEEPING HAPPY THEM BY NOELLE RILEY NOELLE BY OTTAWA’S OF CARE TAKING THAT FINDS SATISFIED TO LEADS STAFF CUSTOMERS kid who tickets slept outside for sitting to theat a box at oce desk in on the a venue, said Allen,otherside,” who is the box oce Ottawamanager Senators and the for NHL’s I - - . “The reason the I have ability be to nomi- also“I a general have manager, Keith alsoHe highlighted the hard and work On a personal the note, loves he Boston started“We dating said. he in college,” The couple has been married since 2011 Renfrew’s colleague Maureen McCarthy been a privilege“It’s getting know to him VenuesNow nated is because of the team with,” work we said,he giving props his to manager, Jacque vice of client experienceHolowaty, president and ticketing Spectra, for who nominated him the for recognition. who lets me tryVaske, new things do to so that can we continue be to successful,” Renfrew said. dedication Center box of Tsongas oce manager Christine Maurais. a great “She’s said. he resource me,” for Red Sox and the England New Patriots. His wife, Christine Renfrew, also works in the industry as the client support director in eld managementevent Ticketmaster. for “Since in work we the same industry, un we derstand the jobs.” demands of each other’s and a 3-year-old have son, Riley. His wife was expecting their second child around Christmas. has known him years. 10 for She works for Spectra as the associate athletic director ticketingfor and director of ticketing operations Rhode at Island athletics the at Ryan Center. throughout the years and growing up with him in this industry really and see he’s how grown and Mc taken on a leadership role,” Carthy said. “Everyone respects him. all We the rightknow guy he’s the for job.” - - When JANUARY 2019 JANUARY
Patti-Anne Tarlton, University of Toronto Working with part-time Cher in April, here. COLLEGE: CHRISTINA ALLEN CHRISTINA FIRST JOB EVER: JOB: TICKETING FIRST MENTORS: THING YOU LOVE TO DO AT WORK: PET PEEVE WORK: AT WHAT’S THE NEXT EVENT THAT YOU HAVE BOUGHT TICKETS TO? Box oice manager Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and Canadian Tire Centre I worked on a farm in the summers, picking corn and strawberries. Administrative assistant at the box oice MLSE. Ticketmaster Canada; Jody Thorson, Canadian Tire Centre. staff and working on event days. people complain and do don’t anything about it. Using proper resources and building a “Through Excel had a dashboard we Prior Paciolan to creating venues for a way “Paciolan and him grown have together. Renfrew has helped the Center Tsongas “He oversees“He about a dozen accounts up He tookHe on his regional position about two 44 great team is Renfrew how measures his success. was He humbled when found he out washe given the Ticketing Star award from where thedata was pulling live reports see to in at were where we terms Ren- of renewals,” frew said. “Since then, Paciolan has come a long in way their analytics. I really like being dive to inable the analytical ... side and real- ly letting your data talk you.” for to trackto ticket renewals, Renfrew built a spe- cialized dashboard the for Center to Tsongas track such data. He understands it so well,” Vaske said. understandsHe Vaske so it well,” incorporate new technology into its ticketing operations through platforms such as Group matics, Experience, VetTix and Sidearm, which are all integrations through the Paci olan ticketing system. The Paciolan system managershelps with marketing, fundraising and analytics. and down the East Coast from down here creative. He’s said. Florida,”to “He’s Vaske been in the business seen long enough. He’s thehow ticketing has world changed and has grown in technology.” years ago, working with ticketing sta¢ at Northeast and Southeast Spectra box oces. His main is job overseeing the ticketing operations and the at Center, his Tsongas regional position allows him share to best practices among ticketing operations at other Spectra managed venues. Canadian Tire Centre. two full-time managers and 25 to 30 part-time “I bribed them with this, and it worked,” That was before the internet, she said with employees. Allen said. “Managing them is a big part of a laugh. “It’s always very important to her to moti- keeping them happy. Happy them, happy me.” She grew up in Ottawa but spent years in To- vate her sta¢,” said Jody Thorson, director of That means happy customers, Thorson said. ronto, attending the University of Toronto and ticket operations at the arena. “She gets the “She’s the only one I’m aware of that does working in her rst ticketing job at Maple Leaf best out of them.” something like that for her team,” she said, Sports & Entertainment. Her second big gig Allen started a reward and recognition highlighting that Allen’s broad base of knowl- in the industry is her current position, which program for her employees when she was the edge in the ticketing industry is also a strength. Allen has held since 2010. Allen also collaborates with Allen’s “yes” attitude, lighthearted spirit and industry peers outside of the Ca- ability to make employees feel important have nadian Tire Centre. After starting allowed her to establish herself in the industry, At the end of every her current position, she launched and all those qualities helped her earn recogni- a ticketing professionals network- tion as a Ticketing Star Award honoree. season, Allen hosts a ing group in Ottawa with two “I’m very speechless. I’ve been in the others called the Ottawa-Gatin- industry for 15 years. It’s pretty ªattering to barbecue for staff and eau Regional Ticketing Group, win something that’s voted on by your peers,” which meets quarterly to share Allen said. “I’ve always been surrounded by hands out awards. best practices in the industry. very strong leaders.” “I just think career and growth Patti-Anne Tarlton is perhaps her most is very important to her,” Thorson important mentor, Allen said. Tarlton worked assistant manager of ticket operations for Live said. “I just think she’s done so many great with Allen at MLSE. Tarlton is now the chief Nation at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment things over the last couple of years.” operating ocer of Ticketmaster Canada. in Toronto. When she’s not working, she loves to travel The vice president and executive director of She gives her sta¢ $10 co¢ee gift cards if to Los Angeles to visit her best friend from col- Canadian Tire Centre, Tom Conroy, is anoth- they’re having a bad day or if they do some- lege, Lauren Zaklikowski, a production agent er strong leader, Allen said. “(He) just let me thing well, and each month she picks a Player at Innovative Artists. go when I got here and let me become my own of the Month and rewards a $25 gift card. At “She’s extremely selªess, which makes her manager,” she said. the end of every season, she hosts a barbecue great at her job and it makes her a great friend. The Canadian Tire Centre is a multipurpose for sta¢, recognizing team members as Player She likes the people she works with and she indoor arena with a capacity of 18,600 capaci- of the Year or Rookie of the Year or with one of likes the company she works for, so I’m happy ty and home to NHL Senators. Allen manages four spots on an All-Star Team. for her,” Zaklikowski said.
Golden Touch Congratulations 2019 Ticketing Stars!
March Contents: SPOTLIGHT: CA venues SPOTLIGHT: TX venues SPOTLIGHT: PACnet ‘19
For ad reservations, please contact: Rich DiGiacomo, Account Executive 310.429.3678 [email protected]
Brij Gosai, UK Account Executive +44 (0) 207.359.1110 [email protected]
Ad deadline: February 15, 2018
Photo Courtesy: Chase Center
JANUARY 2019 45