Ten Years of Growth, Built on Partnership
Our Managing Director Hrefna Sif Jónsdóttir, founder Sindri Már Finnbogason and chairman Kjell Arne Orseth opened the conference, held at Sentralen in Oslo, by reflecting on Tixly's journey from our Icelandic roots to now serving 240+ venues across 15 countries. The numbers tell part of the story - over 19 million tickets sold through our system annually, with 16 new team members joining us in 2024 alone.
We're proud of how far we've come, and we're grateful to our clients who've grown alongside us. Your feedback, challenges, and successes have shaped every feature we build and every decision we make. This conference exists because the best insights come from venues working with our software every day.
Real Insights from Real Venues
One of the highlights was our client panel featuring representatives from Borgarleikhúsið, Musiikkitalo, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Cultuurconnect, and Kulturhuset Ælvespeilet. These are venue professionals managing everything from season planning to last-minute sales rushes.
Their practical insights - shared openly with the entire conference demonstrate exactly why we prioritise bringing clients together. When venues discuss shared challenges or successful strategies, everyone benefits from that collective knowledge.
Expert Perspectives on Industry Challenges
Our external speakers brought valuable perspectives that sparked thoughtful discussions throughout the event. Jocelyn Burnham's session on AI in the arts addressed both opportunities and concerns around fraud, bias, and cultural ownership, offering practical guidance for responsible experimentation. She emphasised the importance of maintaining human creativity whilst exploring how AI tools can enhance operational efficiency. Her balanced approach helped venues understand where AI can add value without compromising their artistic integrity.
David Taylor's session on social media strategy provided a framework many venues needed. With billions of videos uploaded annually, traditional promotion methods often struggle despite large followings. His "4 A's" approach - Action, Attention, Affinity, and Authority - gave venues concrete strategies for building relationships rather than just pushing tickets. His insights about declining referral traffic reinforced why venues need to own their direct audience relationships.
The Communication Revolution
Martin Gammeltoft from Activity Stream made a compelling case for shifting from transactional thinking to loyalty-building. With acquisition costs rising, your existing audience becomes more valuable. The ticket purchase should be the beginning of the next buying journey, not the end of the current one. His emphasis on empathetic, personal communication across multiple channels gave venues practical ways to convert first-time buyers into long-term supporters.
Wolfgang Graf from easy-connect shared data showing that attending three events in 18 months significantly increases loyalty. His insights on mobile app engagement - with conversion rates three times higher than mobile web and push notifications vastly outperforming email - highlighted opportunities many venues are still exploring.
Learning Through Collaboration
Our breakout sessions sparked lively conversations across a variety of topics. From APIs and Marketing Tools to Box Office Best Practices and Latest Updates, these sessions created space for venues to share what works in their specific contexts and hear directly from the Tixly team.
These collaborative discussions often prove as valuable as formal presentations. When venue professionals share real-world solutions to common challenges, the entire community benefits.
What's Coming Next
We shared updates on our new buying flow development - a major project that will benefit all our clients. The feedback from venues during the session confirmed we're heading in the right direction with this development.
We also went over recent updates such as the new online calendar view, price matrix improvements, and the new audit trail functionality.
Norwegian Culture and Community
The cultural elements of the conference created a relaxed environment where genuine conversations happen. From touring Oslo's National Museum to see Munch's "The Scream" to the fjord cruise with brilliant weather and a shrimp buffet, these experiences fostered the informal exchanges that often prove most valuable.
The Oslo Philharmonic concerts featuring Beethoven's Piano Concertos gave our clients a chance to experience another venue's approach to classical programming firsthand.
Supporting Our Community
We're grateful to our partners who helped make this conference possible. Activity Stream sponsored the Oslo Transport passes, giving attendees 24-hour access to explore the city, while Mollie sponsored the conference kick-off drinks that got conversations flowing from day one.
Looking Forward
The energy throughout those two days reinforced why we organise this biennial conference. When ticketing professionals from theatres, concert halls, and cultural centres across Europe and beyond share their challenges and solutions, innovation happens naturally.
We're already planning our next conference for 2027, and the enthusiasm from attendees suggests we'll have another engaged community gathering.
For those who attended, thank you for making it such a valuable experience. For those who couldn't make it this year, we hope to see you in 2027.
Interested in learning more about how Tixly supports performing arts venues?We'd be happy to show you what our clients experienced in Oslo, get in touch today.
