What if a sports team stopped selling your attention and started earning your trust? We sit down with Emily Cole, whose company, Fans First Entertainment, owns the Savannah Bananas, to unpack how putting fans first can flip an entire industry. From all-in ticket pricing and ad-free outfields to a face-value resale platform that prioritizes local families, Emily shows how clear principles lead to bold choices and unforgettable nights.

We explore what “partnership” means when logos aren’t plastered on every wall and value flows to the guest first. Culture sits at the core: hiring for hungry, humble, and smart creates a team that thrives on autonomy, learns relentlessly, and treats every city with care. Emily’s quiet moments during every national anthem become a compass for the work; thousands choosing to spend their time and money with you is a responsibility, not a metric.

Beyond the field, we dive into Bananas Foster, their joy-first initiative that celebrates foster families at every game, turning applause into awareness and action through local connections. And because they love doing the opposite of normal, the Bananas even bring fans together at sea with a multi-day cruise designed for deeper community. Along the way, Emily addresses misconceptions about “overnight” success, why they keep prices accessible despite demand, and how measuring people served beats watching the bank balance.

If you’re craving a roadmap for fan experience, meaningful partnerships, and community that lasts, this conversation delivers play-by-play insight. Follow and share the show, and leave a review so more curious fans can find it.

Recorded Tuesday, December 9th, 2025
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Emily Cole, Founder, Fans First Entertainment & Owner, The Savannah Bananas
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Innovation Advisor, Situation

What happens when a show stops asking you to watch and starts inviting you to be seen? We sit down with impresario Randy Weiner, the creative force behind Sleep No More, Queen of the Night, The Box, and the new Phantom Masquerade, to explore how human touch, story clarity, and radical hospitality can transform a night out into a memory that won’t let go.

Randy traces his spark back to the balcony at Cats, where performers spilled into the aisles and changed his idea of what theater could be. From there, he breaks down why so many “immersive” attempts stall: great ideas without great execution. His approach feels more like opera than chasing the latest trend; cast world‑class talent, bring in award‑winning designers, invest in lights, sets, and sound that hold up inches from an audience’s face, and take responsibility for the entire journey, from box office to bar to goodbye. We dig into why Masquerade insists on formalwear and masks, how that shared ritual forges instant cohesion, and why the million‑dollar chandelier uses real crystals instead of plastic.

If you’re curious how to turn spectators into co‑conspirators, and why the details matter when audiences are within arm’s reach, this conversation is your blueprint. Follow the show, share it with a friend who loves live experiences, and leave a review to help more curious fans find us.

Recorded Tuesday, November 25th, 2025
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Randy Weiner, Founder, Outside the Box Amusements
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Innovation Advisor, Situation

Want to see how a loyalty program actually moves behavior without feeling transactional? We sit down with Katie Dalton, president of Audience Rewards, to unpack the mechanics that turn a thrilling night out into a habit fans can’t wait to repeat. From the first “wow” perk to AI-powered recommendations, we explore the playbook that keeps people choosing live entertainment over another night on the couch.

We start by nailing what success looks like: delight for the fan and measurable value for the brand. Katie explains why theater has a head start—emotion. With Broadway as a passion product, the goal isn’t just discounts; it’s crafting moments that spark dopamine and bring fans back into the tent. We dig into the unique Broadway challenge where each show is its own business, why some productions engage at a level ten and others hesitate, and how suburban audiences remain a high-potential segment for repeat attendance when you structure rewards around realistic frequency.

We get tactical about incentives—why tickets top the redemption list, how micro-earning hooks like daily trivia drive stickiness, and how experience-led rewards can produce outsized results. If you care about ticketing, fan engagement, retention, and the business of Broadway, this conversation delivers strategy you can act on today and a vision for where loyalty is heading next. Subscribe, share this with a colleague in live entertainment, and leave a review to help more fans find the show.

Recorded Thursday, November 6th, 2025
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Katie Dalton, President, Audience Rewards
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Innovation Advisor, Situation