Upcoming VenuesNow Conference Tackles Ticketing

VenuesNow Conference won’t waste any time wading into one of the thorniest issues in live events when the two-day event convenes Sept. 27 in Greater Palm Springs.

The Venue’s Role in Fair and Equitable Ticketing Solutions, the first panel discussion of the conference, takes on “fairness and challenges around making sure fans have first crack at hot tickets prior to their sale on the secondary market.”

Panelists Scott Aller Sr., director, NBA, NHL & Arenas, Ticketmaster; Michele Bernstein, founder, Michi B. Inc.; Alex Maxwell, vice president, touring, Live Nation; Josephine Vaccarello executive vice president, live, Madison Square Garden Entertainment; and Jed Weitzman, head of music, Logitix, will examine how venues can help put tickets in the hands of fans, not profiteers.

It’s just one of many discussions taking place at the sixth annual VenuesNow Conference (VNC6), taking place Sept. 27-28 at Indian Wells in the Greater Palm Springs Area. The event is produced by Oak View Group, parent company of Pollstar and VenuesNow magazines.

A must-attend event for anyone in the facilities industry, the conference will feature engaging panel discussions, town halls, keynotes as well as venue tours.

This year’s event will highlight the desert’s newest oasis for live entertainment, Acrisure Arena.

Click here to register for VNC6

Other VNC6 highlights include a Keynote Q&A, titled “From Goalkeeper to The Games,” with LA28’s Kathy Carter in conversation with OVG’s Kim Stone, “Beyond the Big Four: Alternative Sports as Premium Content” moderated by HBSE’s Sean Saadeh, with Amalie Arena’s Kelli Yeloushan, Georgia International Convention Center’s Mercedes Miller, Englebrecht Promotions & Events’ Roy Englebrecht, PBX Pickleball’s Jason Clement, and Golden 1 Center’s Sheena Way; and “What Tech Advances Mean for Marketing, Operations & Fan Engagement” moderated by Golden1 Center’s Alex Rodrigo, with OVG’s Katee Lapoff, attorney Megan K. Smith, Verizon’s Lee Field, xtract1’s Peter Evans, FLA Live Arena’s Bryce Hollweg, Oracle Food and Beverage & Central Industry Solutions’ Simon de Montfort Walker.

Town Halls include “Building Venue Coms Infrastructure to Handle Today’s Demands,” “Data-Driven Decisions: Amplify Experiences, Optimize Operations, and Drive Revenue,” “NextGen Digital Marketing Strategies,” “Family Shows: Brand & Marketing Strategies,” “Legal/Risk Management: Intel That Can Protect Your Venue,” and more.

Plus, the conference has sessions scheduled on sustainability; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); content booking; parking/mobility; safety/security; international venue development; convention centers; and more.