Reimagining Ticketing: Balancing Fan Access, Artist Empowerment, and Marketplace Fairness (Pollstar Live! Panel Recap) 

Panels at Pollstar Live! – and the music business in general – can easily stir up controversy, from tensions between the indies and major promoters to rivalries between agencies. But the Rainmaker session devoted to “Reimagining Ticketing” presented a united front, with the moderator, speakers (and seemingly the audience) in agreement that something must be done to address fraud in ticketing.

As moderator Jeremy Thompson, VP of Policy Communications at Live Entertainment, noted when starting the panel, the T word that’s dominating our industry isn’t tariffs – it’s ticketing.

The panel featured California Assemblyman Isaac Bryan (CA-55th District), who is the driving force behind AB1349, described as the “most ambitious pro-artist ticketing bill in the nation.” The bill tackles issues like speculative ticketing and ticket harvesting and aims to set a new standard for protecting fans and artists from broker manipulation.

Referencing the troubled economic times, Assemblyman Bryan pointed out that as things feel unaffordable for folks in so many ways, from whether or not you can keep a roof over your head or pay your student tuition, many fans might be questioning whether they can afford to purchase concert tickets. He quipped that he “couldn’t have predicted that me and Kid Rock would come together on the same issue,” drawing laughter from the crowd.

Thompson and Assemblyman Bryan were joined by Ron Gubitz, Executive Director of the Music Artists Coalition, a premier advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of music creators, and David Touhey, Principal of Connett Consulting and a member of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) who currently serves as Chair of Industry Affairs. Touhey has led efforts to educate both venue professionals and elected officials on ticketing reform, including testifying before the U.S. Congress in 2023 in support of federal ticketing legislation, advocating for greater transparency and stronger consumer protections in the live events industry.

Gubitz explained that at the Music Artists Coalition (MAC), “We want to make sure artists have a seat at the table with these convos that affect their livelihood.” 

He added, “I think this bill does such a good job of bringing people together … NIVA, Live Nation … they’re all coming together. … Artists want to be able to build a long term relationship, whether [fans go to] three or 25 or 50 shows [per year] it’s about building that long-term relationship. Make sure fans have those experiences … that collective effervescence where there’s this moment, we’re all connecting [at a show] – all this predatory ticketing is taking away from that, before you’re even in the door.”

From the venue perspective, Touhey pointed out that it can feel like “playing whackamole with all this legislation around the country. Venues are busy …  the more we can get this put in place, the more we can protect fans and our customers.” 

Assemblyman Bryan — who spoke about how he is approaching the issue as a music fan who has experienced trying to buy tickets for his favorite shows and seen how quickly they sell out because of bots – spoke about how when “California does something it becomes a model for something else. We believe we have an opportunity to lead in this space.”  

Later in the conversation he reiterated his commitment to protecting fans and artists.

“What i’ve learned in my time in Sacramento, you have to take the appropriate steps to lay the foundation. … We’re not going to be able to get it all done [immediately] but the mission is there … there’s momentum . I don’t plan on stopping until we solve this.”