EP 34: #BeCowboy with Kosha Irby

In honor of International Women's Day, we sat down with three amazing women from AudienceView's leadership team: Nancy (VP of People), Rosemary (VP of Sales), and Jennifer (VP of Product Management) They're here to share their experiences and offer advice on what makes a workplace truly great. From the best and worst advice they've received to the importance of inclusion, this episode is full of valuable insights for anyone looking to grow in their career and create a positive work environment. Tune in and join the celebration.

Is extended reality (XR) poised to revolutionize the live events industry? AudienceView's Jo-Ann Chiam thinks so. With over 20 years of experience in tech and ticketing, she has committed her career to staying on top of trends and their impact on the big picture. Already leveraged to make massive financial gains during the pandemic shutdown, XR's immersive and interactive experiences add a layer of excitement to eventgoers, making them feel like they are a part of the action. No longer limited by physical restrictions, XR can bridge the gap between audiences and venues across the globe, and unlock new doors in terms of accessibility, allowing people with hearing impairments or language barriers to participate fully.   Want to learn more? Listen in and check out these links below to continue your education on XR, and we can't wait to facilitate new ways for audiences to discover, attend and remember events.   https://www.xrwomen.com/ https://metamandrill.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchiam/

Laurie B. Squire, Director of Ticketing & Business Insights at Imagine Exhibitions Inc., joined Mike Evenson on episode 40 of the Unobstructed podcast. Laurie is a collaborative, results-driven sales and guest experience professional with over two decades of expertise generating revenue in live entertainment venues, museums and attractions. They discussed the importance of data-driven decision making, storytelling, looking outside of your core industry to meet revenue goals, pricing strategies, things live events professionals can learn from attractions & exhibitions, optimizing per capita spending, and much more! Quick links: Laurie Squire on LinkedIn Imagine Exhibitions, Inc. Dino Safari USA Downton Abbey: The Exhibition Box Office Ticketing Software

Matt DiFebo, a highly respected industry leader and visionary in #SportsBiz, joined Mike Evenson on episode 39 of the Unobstructed podcast. Matt has become known as the nation's leading expert in collegiate ticket sales and has been recognized as a pioneer who has revolutionized the industry in regards to how college athletic departments can maximize revenue from ticket sales. They discussed the need for greater sophistication in college sports, breaking down silos within athletics departments (and on campus), the growing need to diversify offerings, the importance of pricing analytics, the changing landscape of fan engagement, maximizing revenue, retention risks as we reopen, sales culture, the psyche of the customer and much more! Quick links: TheFanSummit.com Matt DiFebo on LinkedIn

Garry Golden, an academically trained Futurist that helps organizations explore implications of long term change, joined Mike Evenson on episode 38 of the Unobstructed podcast. Garry is also the founder of Into the Future, a Brooklyn-based learning space that has a mission to help the world anticipate and lead change. They discussed futurology, the slow pace to fast change, trends vs. fads, cryptocurrency, TikTok, spatial computing, the intersection of social and technological change, the empowered athlete / actor / entertainer and much more!

Jim Gilmore, an Assistant Professor of Innovation and Design within the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, joined Mike Evenson on episode 37 of the Unobstructed podcast. Jim is a co-author of The Experience Economy: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money – the book that spawned worldwide interest in experience design, customer experience management and experiential marketing.  They discussed all aspects of the experience economy – a subject that Jim Gilmore literally wrote the book on! Topics included 'thrice in a lifetime' experiences, integrating virtual events with physical goods, curating audiences, seating people by interest, failing small (and often), events inside of events, economy of scale versus economy of scope, money value of time and much more!

Gena Buhler and Scott Crossfield from Theatre Projects joined Mike Evenson on episode 36 of the Unobstructed podcast. Gena is Head of New Business Development for North America, while Scott is the organization's principal theatre designer. They discussed the accelerated adoption of technology by theater-goers, the future of the hybrid event model, the need to remove "excuse barriers" in the arts, the ray of hope as arts organizations begin to put tickets on sale and much more! They also examined parallels that highlight the similarities between the years after the 1918 influenza pandemic and our current environment as we begin to reopen.

Bret McCormick, facilities and ticketing beat reporter at the Sports Business Journal (SBJ), joined Mike Evenson on episode 35 of the Unobstructed podcast. Bret has been a sports reporter, writer and editor for more than 15 years, focusing on creative storytelling, investigative journalism and using social media to interact with readers. They discussed the increase in mobile adoption across all age segments, creative tactics being used by sports organizations to make up for revenue shortfalls, re-entry into large crowds of people, the challenges associated with monetizing "stay at home fans," spending in college athletics, hygiene theater and much more!

Kosha Irby, CMO at the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), joined Mike Evenson on episode 34 of the Unobstructed podcast. Kosha has 18+ years of cross-functional experience in global live event marketing, professional sports, NCAA Intercollegiate Athletics, brand development, integrated sales, touring logistics and more. They discussed the PBR's 2020 journey, the decision to double-down on content, embracing 2nd and 3rd screens, reimagining the in-venue experience, multi-tasking fans, the #BeCowboy mentality, silent discos and much more! Quick links: PRB.com PBR on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Kosha Irby on Twitter

Aubrey Bergauer, CEO of Changing the Narrative, joined Mike Evenson on episode 33 of the Unobstructed podcast. Hailed as "the Steve Jobs of classical music," Aubrey is known for her results-driven, customer-centric, data-obsessed pursuit of changing the narrative for symphony orchestras. They discussed the patron experience, relentlessly pursuing retention, removing barriers, the importance of diversity across our staff and stages, ideas for new and recurring revenue streams, the role of an arts organization's website, owning the value chain and much more!