Key takeaways from Ticketing Business Forum 2025

Our Chief Revenue Officer, Joel Crouch, recently returned from the Ticketing Business Forum in Manchester, an event that brought together industry leaders to discuss the evolving landscape of live entertainment and ticketing.

Here are just three of the key themes and takeaways from #TBF25.

The 'Festivalisation' of events

One of the most talked-about themes was 'festivalisation' – the growing trend of transforming traditional events into immersive, multi-dimensional experiences.

This means going beyond the main act, match or attraction to include food, music, social spaces, and interactive elements that turn a simple outing into a more complete all-day or multi-day experience.

It's a shift that's driving deeper audience engagement and opening up new revenue streams for venues and organisers alike.

Understanding and nurturing new audiences

As audience demographics shift, there's an urgent need to better understand who the new attendees are – and what they're looking for.

Whether it’s recognising the shifting priorities of Gen Z audiences, or catering to families seeking more inclusive and accessible environments, the message is clear: future success depends on crafting experiences that meet the evolving needs of diverse, younger audiences.

Now more than ever, it's vital for event organisers to be able to understand who their audience is, what they want, and how to deliver it for them.

Loyalty, community and incentivisation

The importance of incentivisation and loyalty programmes is growing rapidly.

As competition for attention intensifies, creating compelling reasons for customers to return – and reward them for doing so – is no longer optional.

Smart loyalty strategies not only drive repeat business, but also help build lasting relationships, create communities, boost word-of-mouth, and deepen customer lifetime value.

The Ticketing Business Forum reinforced what many of us already know: the ticketing industry is changing fast, and those who embrace innovation, audience insight, and long-term engagement will lead the way.

For more exploration of the key themes shaping the event industry, you can download our Event Industry Trends Report 2025.

You can also get in touch to discuss how FIXR could help you use data and actionable insights to understand your audience and grow your events business.