A baseball season gives you 81 chances to get it right, and 81 chances to lose someone if you don’t. We sit down with Anthony Esposito, Senior Vice President of Ticket Operations for the Atlanta Braves, to unpack what actually creates lasting fandom when the calendar is packed and the expectations are high.

We start with what makes Braves fans distinct, including the long reach of the “TBS effect” and the way baseball becomes a family routine across generations. From there, Anthony shares how changes like the pitch clock and the new balls-and-strikes challenge reshape fan attention and even improve the in-venue flow, from bathroom breaks to concession timing. If you care about fan experience design, this is a rare look at how rules, rhythm, and predictability can strengthen engagement.

Then we go deeper on loyalty beyond the game itself: Truist Park as a destination, The Battery Atlanta as a live-work-play entertainment district, and the year-round relationship with A-list members through events, access, and intentional touchpoints. We also talk concerts, postseason ticketing whiplash, All-Star Week complexity, and the modern ticketing skill set that blends customer service with analytics, dynamic pricing, and clear reporting.

If you’re building a live experience brand in sports, music, theater, or attractions, you’ll leave with practical ideas on CRM-driven relationship building, “know before you go” communication, and the Braves’ simple “three bases of service.” Subscribe, share this with your team, and leave a review with the one touchpoint you’d improve first.

Recorded Tuesday, September 8th, 2026
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Anthony Esposito, SVP of Ticket Operations, Atlanta Braves
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work

What turns attendance into loyalty? In this episode of Fandom Unpacked: In Case You Missed It, Heather revisits a conversation with Mel Barry of the New Orleans Pelicans about the rituals, energy, and sense of place that keep fans coming back. Because when an experience starts to feel familiar, meaningful, and shared, showing up can start to feel a lot like coming home.

Hear the full conversation with Mel in Season 1, Episode 2 of Fandom Unpacked: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/16825422-converting-local-fans-into-lifelong-brand-advocates-with-the-new-orleans-pelicans

Ticketing works best when it disappears, and that’s exactly why we wanted this conversation. We’re joined by Andrew Bragman, VP of Ticket Operations for SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park, to unpack what it takes to deliver a seamless fan experience for everything from NFL crowds to global pop tours and World Cup matches. When tens of thousands of people show up with sky-high expectations, “just scanning a ticket” becomes a chain of tech, process, and human decisions that can either build trust or break it.

We talk about what fandom has in common across wildly different audiences, then get practical about where friction still lives today: the on-sale moment, the dreaded queue, app download resistance, and the realities of mobile ticketing when phones break or lose power. Andrew shares how the best ticketing teams operate in the shadows, plus why strong SOPs and real contingency planning matter more than flashy features when something goes sideways.

We also explore what the next five years could look like, including biometrics, facial recognition for faster entry and concessions, and personalization that helps fans without crossing into “creepy.”

If you enjoy smart conversations about fan engagement, venue technology, and the future of ticketing operations, subscribe, share this with a friend in live events, and leave us a rating and review.

Recorded Friday, August 28th, 2026
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Andrew Bragman, VP, Ticket Operations, SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theatre & Hollywood Park
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work

As the US Open returns to New York, we revisit our conversation with Nicole Kankam, Managing Director of Pro Tennis Marketing & Entertainment at the USTA. Nicole shares how the US Open's Fan Week has become a more accessible and diverse entry point to tennis, and how that experience is helping to build the next generation of players, attendees, and fans.

Hear the full conversation with Nicole in Season 1, Episode 14 of Fandom Unpacked:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17559771-serving-the-future-how-the-us-open-became-a-culture-first-sports-brand

With D23 2026 just days away, we revisit our conversation with Michael Vargo, Senior Vice President of D23, Corporate Events, and the Walt Disney Archives. Michael reflects on Mousequerade, D23’s fan costume competition, and what makes it such a powerful example of fans becoming active participants in the experience rather than just spectators.

Hear the full conversation with Michael Vargo in Season 1, Episode 12 of Fandom Unpacked:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17321112-from-club-to-kingdom-the-power-of-the-disney-fanbase-with-d23

A period-instrument orchestra relocates to a working-class public school, teams up with student street dancers, and suddenly Bach becomes a sold-out, standing-ovation collaboration. That real story, “Breaking Bach,” is our jumping-off point for a bigger question: how do arts and culture organizations grow by shrinking the distance between the stage and the street?

We’re recording live at the 2026 Tessitura Learning and Community Conference near Washington, DC, with returning guest Andrew Recinos, President and CEO of Tessitura. We talk about what arts leaders are feeling right now: ongoing uncertainty, higher costs, and more careful consumer spending, plus the surprising optimism that shows up when creative teams commit to new ways of working. Andrew lays out why “community” can’t just be a department or a calendar of one-off events. When it becomes the mission, it changes fundraising, relevance, and the story people tell about who the arts are for.

We also revisit technology for live experiences: ticketing, customer service, and the temptation to automate away the very human moments that build loyalty. We get honest about AI ethics, bias, environmental impact, and what it means to innovate with integrity. We wrap up with a lightning round of 2027 growth opportunities, from immersive and interactive experiences to finding “shadow audiences,” measuring wellness benefits, and having the discipline to say no.

Subscribe for more conversations on fandom, audience engagement, and the future of live events, then share this with a colleague and leave a review. What’s one way your organization could reduce distance and build real belonging?

Recorded Tuesday, August 5th, 2026
Host: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting
Guest: Andrew Recinos, President and CEO, Tessitura
Lightning Round Guests:
Fernando Masterson, Director of Marketing, New York City Center
Toni Garcia, Marketing Coordinator, The San Francisco Symphony
Brad Dunn, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Matt Zarracina, CEO & Co-Founder, True Tickets
Parker Krug, Director of Partner Development - Broadway, EBG
Jill Robinson, CEO & Owner, TRG Arts
Producer: Heather Gault, Event Operations Manager, Situation

https://situationinteractive.com
https://amindatworkconsulting.com
https://www.tessitura.com

The arts don’t have a marketing problem. They have a mission translation problem, and it’s hiding in plain sight. From the floor of the Tessitura Learning and Community Conference in Washington, D.C., we talk about what happens when financial pressure pushes nonprofit arts organizations toward short-term tactics, while the very thing that makes them special is long-term community impact.

We unpack a striking insight from our TLCC survey: almost everyone inside an organization understands its mission, but they believe only about 35% of patrons do. That gap is more than a branding issue. It affects loyalty, repeat attendance, donations, subscriptions, and whether audiences feel proud to advocate for you. We explore how “save $30” urgency can coexist with meaning, and why mission-forward brand marketing often makes performance marketing work better, not worse.

We also get honest about measurement. Boards love charts, but not everything important shows up in attribution. Damian shares a gut-check analogy about relationships and ROI, while Meghan and Jackie push for clearer, braver messaging that explains why arts institutions matter without apology. We end with practical ideas for communicating impact, inviting new audiences into your ecosystem, and challenging the “this is how we’ve always done it” story.

Subscribe to Fandom Unpacked, share this with someone who markets live experiences, and leave a rating and review so more listeners can find the show. What’s one sentence you wish every patron knew about your mission?

Recorded Monday, August 3rd, 2026
Guests: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation; Meghan Goria, Account Group Director, Situation; Jackie Lau, Managing Partner, Situation
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting

With TLCC 2026 just around the corner, we revisit a conversation with Tessitura President and CEO Andrew Recinos about what makes a professional community meaningful. Andrew reflects on the forums, affinity groups, and relationships that help arts and culture professionals support one another, not just during a conference, but long after everyone heads home.

Hear the full conversation with Andrew:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17200606