Ticketing Professionals to Gather in Sydney

Ticketing professionals from around Australasia are set to gather in Sydney at the beginning of February for the key event in their professional calendar, the 2010 Northern Australia Regional Performing Arts Centres Association (NARPACA) Ticketing Professionals Conference and Trade Show.

Key to the event, 'People: The Human Face of the Box Office', is the need to ensure that technology does not distract ticketing professionals from the fundamental importance of people.

Over three busy days, the event, being held at the Sydney Marriott Hotel from 10th to 12th February 2010, will let delegates hear from national and international experts and will see delegatesnetwork with their peers from around Australia. As part of the conference, the trade show offers system vendors and the opportunity to share, discuss and demonstrate recent advances in ticketing systems and the analysis of box office data.

Explaining the conference theme, Organising Committee Chair, Tim Roberts states "performance is at the core of most entertainment (and) the performing arts are about a performance on stage each night that is the effective result of the cooperation of a lot of different people both back stage and front of house.

"People help deliver the service of live performance in a variety of roles from the usher to the artist to the person behind the bar after the show and many other supporting roles.

"The staff in your box office are often the first point of contact for a patron and hopefully not the last!"

Speakers at the conference will include Aaron Curran of the Sydney Opera House; David Eedle the founder ArtsHub; Beth Aplin of The Aplin Partnership from the UK and more.

The well known Ian English will also draw on his experiences of ticketing nationally and internationally over the last decade and a half to deliver a presentation entitle 'Access Control: An Overview of Technology and Techniques.'

Another topic, the vexing issue of conflict resolution will addressed by Jeremy Dixon, Director Human Resources, Marketing and Ticketing at THE EDGE® in Auckland.

The 2010 NARPACA Ticketing Professionals Conference and Trade Show is set to build on the success of five previous NARPACA ticketing professionals conferences.

Event sponsors include NARPACA, Tickets.com, Tessitura, seatem, SeatAdvisor, House of Tickets, Showbiz International and Arts Victoria.

The event's platinum sponsor will be announced when the venture launches later this month.

For more information contact Organising Committee Chair, Tim Roberts on 0419 277 694, E: tim.roberts@ticketingprofessionals.com.au, www.ticketingprofessionals.com.au