The moment someone walks through your venue's doors, you can feel it: they’re carrying expectations, nerves, excitement, and a very specific picture of how the night should go. We sit down with Ashley Voorhees, VP of Patron Services at Omaha Performing Arts, to talk about what happens when venues treat patron services as far more than ticketing and treat every touchpoint as part of the show.

We dig into the real mechanics of building loyalty in live events and performing arts: the “know before you go” communication that prevents a bad parking experience from souring a great performance, the power of active listening when a patron is frustrated, and why flexible policies often create more long-term value than rigid rules. Ashley shares how empowering staff with de-escalation training, coaching, and scenario practice turns customer service into confident, cross-department problem-solving.

We also explore accessibility as experience by design, including Omaha Performing Arts’ Sound Shirt testing and how inclusive planning affects everything from reservations and sizing to arrival logistics and promotion. Then we look forward: one-click buying patterns, 24/7 purchasing behavior, frictionless entry, and the privacy questions that come with emerging technology in arts and culture.

If you care about audience development, customer experience, accessibility, and the future of ticketing, hit play and take notes. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review telling us what detail venues still underestimate.

Recorded Friday, September 25th, 2026
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Ashley Voorhees, Vice President of Patron Services at Omaha Performing Arts
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work

September brings an industry-wide reset across Broadway, television, museums, and performing arts centers. But as PBS Vice President of Multiplatform Marketing and Content Amy Wigler points out, past loyalty and nostalgia are great hooks, but they can't be the final destination. Discover why launching a new season is all about taking that baseline emotional connection and redirecting it toward what your brand is doing today.

Hear the full conversation with Amy in Season 1, Episode 7 of Fandom Unpacked: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/16825707-turning-audiences-into-a-multigenerational-fanbase-at-pbs

A baseball season gives you 81 chances to get it right, and 81 chances to lose someone if you don’t. We sit down with Anthony Esposito, Senior Vice President of Ticket Operations for the Atlanta Braves, to unpack what actually creates lasting fandom when the calendar is packed and the expectations are high.

We start with what makes Braves fans distinct, including the long reach of the “TBS effect” and the way baseball becomes a family routine across generations. From there, Anthony shares how changes like the pitch clock and the new balls-and-strikes challenge reshape fan attention and even improve the in-venue flow, from bathroom breaks to concession timing. If you care about fan experience design, this is a rare look at how rules, rhythm, and predictability can strengthen engagement.

Then we go deeper on loyalty beyond the game itself: Truist Park as a destination, The Battery Atlanta as a live-work-play entertainment district, and the year-round relationship with A-list members through events, access, and intentional touchpoints. We also talk concerts, postseason ticketing whiplash, All-Star Week complexity, and the modern ticketing skill set that blends customer service with analytics, dynamic pricing, and clear reporting.

If you’re building a live experience brand in sports, music, theater, or attractions, you’ll leave with practical ideas on CRM-driven relationship building, “know before you go” communication, and the Braves’ simple “three bases of service.” Subscribe, share this with your team, and leave a review with the one touchpoint you’d improve first.

Recorded Tuesday, September 8th, 2026
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Anthony Esposito, SVP of Ticket Operations, Atlanta Braves
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work