Eventbrite’s new general manager for the UK & Ireland talks wearable tech, the future of Facebook and the industry’s move to online.

EXPERIENCE ECONOMY Eventbrite is using technology to make a massive impact on both how organisers manage their events and how consumers find interesting ones to attend. I’ve always been a fan of live events so it is exciting to be part of helping drive these types of experiences. It is really inspiring to see the variety and range of the businesses, creative industries and individuals who use Eventbrite as a platform to power their events through technology.

DATA HOUNDS We can provide organisers with ready access to their event trends by digging into the data and by presenting it in an easily digestible format. Most organisers will be using online metrics to predict attendee flow, to avoid shortfalls and maybe even no-shows.

QUEUE FATIGUE The entry queue could well become a thing of the past, as RFID wearables and online ticketing data are set to genuinely help flow of traffic and address any bottlenecks.

EVENTBRITE V GOOGLE Agility and nimbleness are two values that I’d relate back to both Eventbrite and Google. The main difference is that while Eventbrite is on a path to becoming a household name for event organisers around the globe, we are not there yet; there are still industries and countries where we are not that well known. Helping to grow a global tech company that simplifies event organisers’ lives around the world is incredibly exciting.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT My role of general manager for the markets in the UK and Ireland was newly created – so I’ve been focused on carving my way and defining the remit. That in itself has been the greatest achievement so far.

SMOOTH OPERATOR Organisers can utilise RFID for smooth and quick entry management, as well as crowd control and other more hidden benefits such as being able to quickly adapt to changing situations (like redeploying RFID scanners from one entrance to a busier one) and the ability to track how people are spending within a festival environment.

WATERCOOLER TOPIC We spotted close to 100 events in London on our platform where the EU referendum was being discussed, which is a great indicator of how Eventbrite is a platform for all kinds of events can help facilitate debate.

BABY STEPS There’s a movement towards online, and within that towards mobile. I also think RFID is very exciting, not least because here in the UK it is still in its infancy and it holds much more potential that goes beyond smooth entry control – think cashless payments and location tracking within the venue for improved crowd control.

FACEBOOK ME Many consumers, especially in the younger age brackets, learn about events on Facebook. We’re working on enabling ticket purchases right in the Facebook app, without consumers ever having to leave it – you’ll also get your ticket right in the app. This is part of simplifying the ticket purchase experience for consumers through technological innovation, eventually helping to drive ticket sales for our organisers.

EMPOWERING ORGANISERS Secondary ticketing has created a lot of understandable discontent on the consumer side, as well as backlash from artists desiring greater regulation efforts in the UK. At Eventbrite, our goal is to empower organisers to list events of all sizes, and help consumers purchase the full range of those events, at list price. This is a win-win for everyone.