September 11, 2025 • 33 mins
What does it take to create extraordinary family entertainment that spans generations? Jim Moseley, VP of Event Marketing and Sales, Northeast, for Feld Entertainment, pulls back the curtain on how iconic brands like Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey continue captivating millions of fans yearly.
The numbers alone are staggering—10 million people attend Feld shows annually in North America, with up to 400,000 fans filling venues every weekend. But the true magic lies in how these experiences continuously evolve while honoring their beloved traditions. Moseley reveals the company's unique approach to cross-pollination between brands: "How can Ringling make ice shows better? Or how can ice shows make Ringling better?" This creative ecosystem has led to Disney on Ice incorporating more stunts and aerial acts inspired by Ringling's DNA, while allowing constant reinvention that keeps fans coming back.
Today's entertainment landscape demands more than just a show. Modern fans seek immersive experiences, digital engagement, and personalized connections. Feld has responded by transforming from event producer to franchise powerhouse, expanding beyond arenas into retail, digital media, licensing, and theme park experiences. Rather than competing with screens, they've embraced digital platforms to build community and showcase why nothing compares to the live experience. "We're not out here saving lives," Moseley notes, "but our goal is to create extraordinary moments for families that will create memories for a lifetime."
Ready to experience the magic yourself? Discover upcoming Feld Entertainment shows in your area and create your own unforgettable family memories that will last for generations.
Recorded Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Jim Moseley, VP of Event Marketing & Sales, Northeast, Feld Entertainment
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Innovation Advisor, Situation
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Peter Yagecic (00:04):
You're listening to Fandom Unpacked from
Situation and Intix, the podcastseries where we unpack modern
fandom with some of thebrightest minds in sports and
entertainment.
I'm producer Peter Yagisic, andjoining me for today's Q&A are
Situation's CEO and founder,Damian Mazzadana, and president
and CEO of Intix, MaureenAnderson.
Our guest today is Jim Mosley,VP of Event Marketing and Sales
(00:27):
for the Northeast region at FeldEntertainment.
Here's Damian to get us started.
Damian Bazadona (00:33):
Yeah, so hey, jim, thanks for doing this.
Jim is not only one of thekindest people in the business,
he's also one of the smartestpeople in the business and he
works for the incredible FeldEntertainment which is many
folks are very envious of thesuccess and the growth and the
quality over the years.
So I'm obviously a huge fan ofthe Feld Entertainment group and
the work you guys do.
Just to start, just out ofcontext, around the world, how
(00:56):
many people see a Feldproduction, I don't know in a
given year?
Just ballpark, Just ballpark.
Jim Moseley (01:02):
So I don't have the number for around the world,
but what I can tell you in NorthAmerica right, which is where I
do my business.
I can tell you that over 10million people saw a Feld event
last year.
Wow, 10 million just in NorthAmerica.
And so we don't play every weekand we don't play every day of
(01:24):
the week, but, if you know, giveor take on a on a weekend that
we are, we've got multiple toursaround the country and Canada
and that is going to equate tosomewhere between 300 and
400,000 people a weekend thatare seeing the Feld event.
Damian Bazadona (01:44):
It's incredible , but let's get into it.
So you've been at the helm ofsome of the biggest family
entertainment brands in theworld and so my family I mean,
I've grown, my children havebeen brought up going to Feld
experiences.
You know what's the secretsauce you guys carry to keeping
the live experiences.
You guys do Disney on Ice, onice monster jam feeling fresh
(02:06):
year after year without itgetting stale, because I feel
like I go back and it feelsfresh to me.
You could feel the differenceand I can't actually put my
finger on what it is and I knowa lot of your competitive
landscape.
Sometimes I've been back tosome of those and they feel
stale right in other markets.
But you guys have somethingthat you consistently do in
reinventing yourself right inother markets.
But you guys have somethingthat you consistently do in
reinventing yourself to getevery generation, generations
(02:27):
keep showing up like how do youthink about that?
Jim Moseley (02:31):
so I I really think the one constant about feld is
that all of our productions areoriented to families, but our
productions are continuouslychanging and evolving.
So when we're thinking about anew production, we push
ourselves to think about ourentire portfolio.
For instance, how can Ringlingmake ice shows better?
(02:53):
Or how can ice shows makeRingling better?
Today, disney on Ice has morestunts and aerial acts than ever
, and we got that by reallythinking about the creative DNA
of Ringling.
But then, on the flip side, ourexperience with ice allowed us
to produce a Ringling productionthat included an ice floor.
So when we think about thatsecret sauce, damien, I think
we're really thinking about ourcreative ecosystem and how can
(03:16):
we cross-pollinate between thebrands?
And, by the way, damien, incase you're wondering, no,
you're never going to see an icefloor at a Monster Jam, but I
do want to make one more point.
Damien, in case you're wonderingno, you're never going to see
an ice floor at a Monster Jam.
But I do want to make one morepoint.
We try to be incrediblyrespectful of the traditions
that built these brands, whetherit's the iconic trucks of
(03:36):
Monster Jam and the classicstories of Disney, but we're
never afraid to push boundaries.
We can combine that traditionand that familiarity with
innovations that can still forlack of a better phrase surprise
and delight.
Damian Bazadona (03:52):
I find the idea of reinvesting in innovation in
theory sounds amazing.
In practice, most don't do it.
So I have high respect that youguys consistently do it over
and over again, because I knowit's expensive and it's it.
That's that's, I think, thedifference between good brands
and the ones that don't last.
Yeah, so you, you typicallywork with pretty familiar IP.
(04:13):
Often many of it has like kindof built in I'll call it like
fandoms built in and legacy andhistory.
How do you balance servicingthe fans that are kind of in
that fandom with those thatmight be totally new to the
brand?
And we see this a lot of peoplein this webinar and in our past
fandom and pack series.
This is a common one, right?
(04:33):
You want to stay true to yourcore, what people grab, that
people gravitate towards, but atthe same time be open and
letting other people into thatspace.
I know it's not easy.
How do you think about that?
Jim Moseley (04:42):
yeah, thanks, finding that balance is.
It's not easy.
How do you think about that?
Yeah, thanks, finding thatbalance.
It's a fundamental challenge,but it's also a creative
opportunity.
We try to find ways to honorour core fans while also
extending our hand to the nextgeneration.
And it is not always easy, butwe are always thinking about how
to give both that core fan andnew fan a reason to come back,
(05:06):
give both that core fan and newfan a reason to come back.
But I also think it's importantto point out that we've always
emphasized, for instance, thatRingling is for all ages, and it
truly is.
Monster Jam may start with a toytruck in a kid's hand, but that
fandom can very well extend allthe way through adulthood.
Disney on Ice may capture youat a younger age, before you age
out, but you're back in thecycle again when you have your
(05:27):
own kids, and so there is insome cases, a potential for
creating a lifelong fan andother cycles.
But regardless, we're in aconstant active state of finding
new fans.
And one last point on how wetry to expand to new audiences.
Feld spends an inordinate amountof time trying to understand
(05:47):
who our consumers are.
We're obsessed with it whatproducts they look like or what
products they like the socialmedia platforms they use.
What motivates them to engagewith our brands to begin with,
and then we use those insightsto try and find new fans.
But I will say there's a bit ofa dance that we do.
(06:08):
You can't put everyone in thesame bucket and engage with them
in the same way, and while youmay be marketing the same
creative over and over, you dotry to talk to fans in different
ways, using different touchpoints.
Damian Bazadona (06:21):
Gotcha.
Maureen Andersen (06:22):
Maureen To that point is let's look at
fandom today, in 2025.
And you know the world andeverything around us and
technology has changed prettyprofoundly in the last 10 years.
So what feels different from 10years ago, Because you have
such longevity, and what aresome of the forces that drive
(06:43):
audiences to show up now?
So, for example, is you havefelt experiences?
How does that infuse to theticketing?
And let's bring this back toticketing because we're in tics
the ticketing experience itselffrom then to now and kind of
what we are looking at now.
Jim Moseley (07:01):
Yeah, I mean to your point about felt
experiences.
We're continuously learning howto give our fans what they want
.
A decade ago, the valueproposition for the most part
was very simple right, youbought a ticket to the show.
But today feels very differentand fans want more immersive
(07:22):
experiences.
Some want to walk the trackbefore a Supercross race, Some
want to meet Monster Jam drivers, Some want the experience of
spending a moment with a Disneycharacter.
Most of these didn't exist adecade ago and it's been a
thrill to see this growth point,in particular, for Feld.
We even have a I'll do a littleplug here we even have a
(07:42):
dedicated website,feltexperiencescom, for some of
these upsells.
But, Maureen, in terms of whatfeels different than 10 years
ago, I would say it's the socialplatforms.
We're all on.
Tiktok and YouTube Shortsreally took off during the
pandemic and they haven't lookedback.
Youtube surpassed TV viewershipfor the first time ever this
(08:05):
past spring, and then 10 yearsago, YouTube Kids barely even
existed.
So I think today consumers, atleast in their eyes, are busier
than ever and the competitionhas never been greater.
We're not just competing withother live events, but actual
streaming platforms as well, butI'll say this platforms as well
(08:28):
.
But I'll say this if we canharness those platforms
correctly, crafting content thatentertains and helps us grow
our brand affinity, then we knowwe're moving in the right
direction.
But if we can take that justone step further and use it to
provide a compelling case thatseeing one of our live shows is
even better than on a device,then we've just opened a world
(08:50):
of opportunity.
Maureen Andersen (08:50):
So what I'm hearing is that's really meeting
the fans where they are, andthat the evolution has evolved.
It lets you have all thesedifferent avenues that are open
to new ways of doing things thatare digital, in market, in
arena, in the building, pre andpost.
And how's that evolution ofticketing and meeting the fan
where they are shaped, yourapproach to customer experience
(09:13):
overall?
Jim Moseley (09:13):
Yeah, I love the question.
Let me try to tackle themeeting fans where they are
first, and then I'll talk alittle bit about the evolution
of ticketing and how it'schanged us.
I mean, really, I think meetingfans where they are is about
moving away from that one bucketconcept I mentioned a moment
ago.
We have to be able to approachfans in a highly personalized
(09:35):
way.
So how do we do that?
Just use social media platformsfor advertising.
We have an in-house team whoseprimary focus is on building
community around our brandsthrough those platforms, right?
So the type of content that wedevelop aims to engage fans
(09:56):
enough that we're not onlyestablishing a relationship with
our fans at the show, but alsobefore and after.
And then, as far as meetingfans in market, here's a really
crazy trivia piece here Feldrarely does national scale
marketing campaigns.
Instead, last year we ran over350 localized marketing
(10:21):
campaigns in North America alone.
And then finally, in Arena, Iwould say, utilizing, obviously,
some of the digital technologyand video boards allows us to
have fun and interact with theaudience.
But it feels appropriate, Ithink, here to really give a
shout out to our venue partnersand the communities they've
managed to build around theirarenas and stadiums.
(10:42):
There's already a fandom basethere and they're essentially
allowing us to ride on theircoattails.
Yeah, of course a diehardEagles fan is going to want to
go see Monster Jam at theirteam's stadium.
Now I also wanted to addressyour second question about
ticketing quickly, and I'll justmake two quick points on that.
(11:03):
The first is that platforms nowgive us the ability to have
multiple price points and we usethem probably in ways that few
other promoters do, and we takegreat pride in that.
We're able to meet the fanwhere they are by having price
points for every family.
About having price points forevery family and the fact that
we can dynamically price ourtickets based on market trends
(11:24):
is also just an absolute gamechanger as a promoter.
The second point I'll make isthat the evolution of ticketing
has fundamentally changed ourrelationship with our fans.
That's no surprise.
It's no longer just a singletransaction.
When someone buys a ticket toour show, it's the beginning of
a relationship with that fan,and this first-party data
(11:44):
impacts not only how we marketour shows, but so much more.
It's what upsells do we offer,what merchandise are we selling
and even the content that goesinto our shows.
Maureen Andersen (11:56):
So we have a question from a long-term Intix
member.
She would like to know, Jim,what is the most successful,
your most successful touchpointto promote ticket sales.
Jim Moseley (12:06):
Ooh, most successful touchpoint.
I mean, listen, when socialmedia really began to surface in
the 2010s, it was an absolutegame changer for us.
Now, obviously, over the years,algorithms and new rules and
regulations have changed interms of how we target our
(12:30):
customers.
But overall, I don't think it'sgoing to be a surprise that
over 60% of our marketing spendis now online and we are still,
you know, obviously usingtraditional to try and get
multi-generational you know themessage out to multiple
(12:53):
generations, but I think I wouldprobably say that has been the
most important touch point forus, at least over the last
decade.
Peter Yagecic (13:03):
I'd love to sneak in one more audience question
and then kick it back to Damian.
Jim, you mentioned that familyis important to everything that
Feld does, so this question isrelated to that.
I imagine you have grandparentsand great-grandparents who are
looking to introduce youngermembers of their families to the
great experiences they had askids.
Does nostalgia play asignificant role in fostering
(13:25):
that multi-generationalexperience, in meeting people
where they are?
Jim Moseley (13:30):
Yeah, I mean listen , you talk about the emotions
and yes, I mean parents who aretaking their kids to our events
today probably saw events whenthey were kids our events more
specifically.
So there's a sense of emotionthat definitely surfaces and we
want the parents to feel a senseof nostalgia for what they
remember when they saw our showas kids and how they felt, but
(13:52):
we want them to leave the showtoday that they're seeing with
their own kids feeling like theyboth just saw something
completely new that none of themwill ever forget.
Maureen Andersen (14:05):
It's up to you .
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We'll see you there.
So you oversee the Northeast,We'll see you there.
Damian Bazadona (14:41):
So you oversee the Northeast okay, so it's one
of the most competitive markets.
We work a lot on the Northeast.
It stresses me the hell out.
We work on these major liveexperiences.
We sell millions of tickets forour clients, which is amazing,
but it's stressful.
There's just so much activity.
How do you like when you thinkabout the Northeast, how do you
(15:04):
think?
How is it unique?
I'm glad I'm in good company.
Jim Moseley (15:05):
What's that I said?
I'm glad I'm in good companyhere.
Damian Bazadona (15:08):
Yeah, it's, you know, it's like so much
opportunity, I'm like, yeah, andso much competition.
How do you think about?
How do you think?
Jim Moseley (15:39):
no-transcript.
It can be very challenging tobreak through with your own
message, and if it sounds likeI'm crying on your shoulders, I
am, but look.
What I can say is that thereare great opportunities in the
Northeast as well, so long as wecan find a way to get our
message through.
(15:59):
I think being in a denselypopulated region can also be a
very good thing, and tacticsthat we depend on, like word of
mouth, also tend to work muchbetter and faster in densely
populated areas.
And, by the way, I do want togive a hat tip, a have to, to my
team, of course, ofextraordinarily talented
(16:21):
promoters who are so methodicaland almost scientific in their
approach to promoting theirengagements.
But you absolutely need thatmethodical approach if you're
going to survive in this region,there's no question.
Damian Bazadona (16:34):
So for parents, failed shows are often a
child's first ever live event.
I think one of my favoritethings about working in the live
event industry is whether it'sin sports, theater, attractions,
whatever that might be a Feldshow you go and you watch the
relationship between theparent-child, the grandparent,
whatever that relationship is.
It is extraordinarily powerfulto give a little bit of purpose
(16:57):
to why you do what you do as acareer, to see the power and
impact it had in someone's life.
You see it.
Go to Monster, I see it atMonster when I go to Monster Jam
.
You see that and the father-sondynamic, all these different
dynamics that are playing out.
It's really powerful and you doevery night, every day in the
Feld universe.
That's responsibility of thatand the opportunity, as it
(17:23):
relates to you guys as abusiness, of being that entry
point into fandom.
Like, how does that play intothe way that you guys think
about your business?
Jim Moseley (17:27):
Yeah, I mean honestly, damien, this one
really sort of gets to my heart.
I'll say it this way we're notout here saving lives and we
don't come to work every daytelling ourselves that, but we
recognize what we provide.
Families is important and ourgoal is to create extraordinary
moments for families that willcreate memories for a lifetime.
(17:48):
And I'll just say, just to makeit a little bit more personal,
as a father myself, I can't tellyou how much it meant to me
when my daughter saw MickeyMouse on one of our ice shows
for the very first time.
I will never forget that lookin her eyes.
And I'll also add you know, forthe past few years we've
(18:10):
developed a close relationshipwith Make-A-Wish Foundation,
providing families with ticketsto Disney on Ice, and some of
the letters we receive fromparents are just, they're just
tearjerkers.
These families are goingthrough unimaginable pain and
heartbreak, but for two hourswe've created this space for
them to escape and for thoseparents to find that look in
(18:33):
their child's eyes.
So yes, to use your words, wetake that responsibility very
seriously your words.
Maureen Andersen (18:44):
We take that responsibility very seriously.
Yeah, so fans expect an awfullot these days, and more than
just the event they may want tobe engaged.
They want to you, to reach out,they want to be, create loyalty
and they want touch points thatare like before, during, after.
They want to hear from you, beinvolved with you.
What is one thing that Feld isdoing to extend that fandom
beyond the arena and secondaryto that is you told a great
(19:08):
story yesterday about the littleboy and trucks.
Jim Moseley (19:13):
Yeah.
So I'll just carry on withMonster Jam and use that as an
example.
Then, maureen, recently Feldstopped seeing it as just an
event but as a franchise.
The show is obviously a very,very crucial part of that
wheelhouse.
But for Monster Jam to become atruly global multimedia
(19:36):
franchise, we're thinking aboutnot just the live events, but
we're also thinking about retailpresence and digital media's
landscape, the broadcast andstreaming, the theme park
experiences and even ourlicensors, which, I'll say, just
seven years ago we only had 14licensors, Today we have 61.
(19:58):
It's a wheelhouse that livesand breathes every day.
And, maureen, yes, the marketresearch tells us that the
purchase of a toy truck in theUS is the number two reason
families attend a Monster Jamevent.
So we know we have aresponsibility to build those
(20:19):
touch points, not just duringour events but before and after.
Maureen Andersen (20:25):
That creates lifelong fans.
I mean, you know a QR code onthe bottom of that truck for a
ticket offer.
Jim Moseley (20:31):
Sorry, yeah, well, I love the idea, I love the
enthusiasm.
I'm going to write that onedown, All right.
And you know, one last thingthat I'll add is I gave Monster
Jam is just an example, butwe're replicating this approach
across our other brands.
There are so many excitingthings we're doing with our
Ringling brand that we'll belaunching over the next several
(20:53):
months that I'm just, I am soexcited about our colleagues are
excited about, so you'll beseeing more of that excited
about, so you'll you'll beseeing more of that.
Um, you know Ringling is is, youknow, for lack of a better
phrase, we're in.
You know, of course, it's a,it's a household name, it's a
tradition that has has lived, uh, in in America, folklore for,
for you know, hundreds of years,or over a hundred years, a
(21:15):
hundred and almost 150.
Um, and you know, we reallywant to.
You know, of course, we'rereimagining it, but we're also
seeing it as a startup, becausewe did take it out and then we
needed to reimagine it, and so,as we're thinking about that
reimagination, we're trying tofigure out how do we use the
(21:37):
same model that we have withMonster Jam as a wheelhouse, as
I called it earlier, and reallycreate this as a franchise.
Peter Yagecic (21:46):
I'd love to sneak in a couple more audience
questions.
We've got some great onescoming in this first one, I'm
going to tweak it slightlybecause I don't want to put you
on the spot, but I think thespirit of the question is
because you want to create arelationship with the fans who
are coming to see one of yourperformances.
How are you thinking aboutflexibility?
(22:08):
I think there was a lot ofthings that changed.
You know post-pandemic in termsof flexibility around you are
thinking about when you want tokeep that relationship front and
center.
That have been part of theconversations that you guys have
been having.
Jim Moseley (22:28):
So you mean like the journey from door to door?
Peter Yagecic (22:41):
uh, life happens for people and and the how do
you keep that relationshipstrong If they have something
that changes, that's up beyondtheir control?
Is is there?
Is that part of theconversation that you guys are
having?
Jim Moseley (22:48):
And I think you know again, I think it goes back
to trying to engage on a dailybasis in ways that you know
again, a doing this the rightway, then we're providing a
(23:14):
compelling case that being atour events is better than seeing
it on a device.
You just you cannot trade inthe you know the energy of a you
know house full of fans and soI think Um, and so I think uh,
(23:56):
it, you know it's definitelythrough our content.
I hope I did a good job anddidn't slaughter that answer.
Peter Yagecic (24:00):
Oh, absolutely.
And I want to bring in thisnext question which kind of
speaks to that scientificdata-led point that you were
just making.
You know, with all in pricing,With all in pricing, have your
scientists seen any salespattern changes since those new
ways of looking at things havegone into effect?
(24:20):
Anything that sticks out fromyou, from what you guys are
seeing?
Jim Moseley (24:23):
Yeah, that's a great question and, man, I got
to tell you it's so timely,obviously because the new FTC
rules just came out in May andit was a fire drill and we had
some really big concerns that itwas going to have an impact and
(24:45):
we were very sensitive to theway our ticketing partners were
going to educate the consumer.
We've tried to do a littleeducating on our own, uh,
because for those, for those ofus in the industry, of course we
knew these were coming down thepike with but, but the typical
consumer had had no idea and so,yes, there was definitely some,
some fear and trepidation inthe beginning.
(25:05):
Um, this has been, um, you know, felt has had a, had a great
year, but it probably wasn't.
It has not been as great aslast year and we believe that
most of that has to do with theeconomy, but probably less to do
(25:26):
with the all-in.
Ticketmaster, based on theirresearch, believes that the
all-in pricing is not havingmuch of an impact and I hope
they're right.
But we'll know I would bebetter equipped to answer that
probably a year from now, peter.
Peter Yagecic (25:44):
Well, we're going to have you back.
I promise you that I'm going tosneak in one more audience
question and then kick it backto Damien, uh, since we're
getting kind of close to time.
But, uh, you know, damienalluded at the beginning that
innovation is hard uh, and thatthat not a lot of people tackle
it because logistically it canbe very tricky.
Uh, I'm curious is thereanything, uh, in terms of
(26:05):
emerging technologies thatyou're particularly excited
about right now, uh, and do youthink that there's any way that
something you're you're lookingat could play a role in ensuring
that that attention span, whichis evaporating for all
audiences, uh is, is held ontouh, fellow properties?
Jim Moseley (26:23):
uh like technology in our uh productions anywhere,
but yeah, sure, wherever youwant to go with it, I mean.
So I'll just get back to thefact that we, you know, at least
in arena, we try to interactand use the technology that's in
the arena to interact with ourfans and guests.
I feel like we do a really,really good job of utilizing
(26:46):
that.
But yes, I mean, we, you know,a couple of years ago we had a
Jurassic Park production withour relationship with NBC
Universal, and it was incrediblethese dinosaurs and the
technology that had been createdand that evolved as that tour
(27:07):
went on and something that wewere immensely proud of and
something that we were immenselyproud of.
And we are also.
If you attend one of our shows,you're going to see how
different it was, even fiveyears ago, but certainly 10 in
terms of how much we'reutilizing technology, and that
(27:29):
includes in Ringling, whichfeels so fresh and new.
Obviously, we do not haveanimals in our shows anymore, so
we have to figure out othercreative ways to grab the
attention of our fans and guests.
You should consider I'll do alittle plug here you should
consider going, because you youwill see quite a bit of
(27:49):
difference in in technology, weeven have a little dog robot
named bailey.
Uh so uh, which is a lot of fun.
That's incredible.
Peter Yagecic (28:07):
I I do want to see that and I love the example
from jurassic park of using newtechnology to animate dinosaurs.
That's just.
That's so great, damien.
Uh, you want to take our lastquestion?
Damian Bazadona (28:18):
yeah, sure um, I think, uh, working in like
live entertainment, I could justI'll speak for myself and just
say I feel like there's kind ofmixed signals in the market and,
on one hand, it seems like theceiling for what people will be
willing to spend to do thethings that they love with their
family seems to just keep beingbroken, like people will spend
outrageous amounts of money todo the things to hit the passion
plug in their life Remarkable.
(28:40):
At the same time, there's acompeting signal that says
there's never been a better timeto stay on your couch.
There's technology, there'sfriction, there's all these
different things.
So there's like these mix ofsignals as we go forward and I
think if you were to zoom out, Iwould just love your
perspective Like, what do yousee as the biggest challenge or
the biggest opportunity?
Pick other side.
Are you a glass half full,glass half empty?
Everyone approach, butsomewhere Do you see ahead of,
(29:02):
like, the future of fandom andlive family entertainment, which
I know we have a lot oflisteners on this that are in
that lane right now.
What are you looking at orthinking about?
Opportunities or threats?
Jim Moseley (29:16):
I feel like I could probably spend an hour on this
question alone, but instead I'mgoing to make it just sweet and
simple.
I think it's important for usto regularly remind ourselves
that our audience isn't static.
We can't rely on the same fanshowing up the same way year
after year, and so we have tothink about our approach to
(29:37):
everything Our productions, ourcreative, our marketing
campaigns, our merchandise andretail presence.
We have to think of all of thatevery day to make sure it's all
aligning with a world that isjust always quickly changing.
Damian Bazadona (29:55):
Well said.
Peter Yagecic (29:57):
You know, I know we said we would end it there,
but maybe could we slip in onemore audience question.
Do we have time for that?
So, Jim, are there any audiencestrategies that you're
implementing to address thetrend of late ticket purchases
while maintaining confidence inyour projections?
Jim Moseley (30:14):
Wow, that's a great question actually, because I
tell you in this market todayand many on this call probably
recognize it that it isdefinitely switched to a late
market purchase and it of courseobviously frightens us all
because it's, you know, you'rejust running and burying it
right up until the weekend ofthe production.
(30:37):
So there's definitely been ashift in market behavior.
What we're doing is, you know,we're doubling down on our
marketing approach.
We're trying new and differentthings that we haven't in the
past, and that includes, youknow, typically we wouldn't have
discount offers once our mediabegins, and the media, you know,
(30:58):
our media begins, you know itdoesn't run the entire sales
cycle, it runs towards the end,right before the production, and
so we're thinking throughtactics, like offers, that we
never would have done in thepast, and we feel like that's
helping to move the needle.
But we know we've got some morework to do on that because,
(31:20):
frankly, we'll all sleep alittle bit better at night when
we know that folks are buyingour tickets and not just at the
last minute, right.
Damian Bazadona (31:31):
Do you have any personal hacks to manage the
stress?
I eat ice cream because I getstressed.
How do you manage the lastsecond?
You're looking at these salesthings Like do you have any
personal hacks?
This will be my last question,Then I'll say goodbye.
Take a run around the blockthere you go All right.
There, you go All right.
Jim Moseley (31:49):
Just sweat it out on my Peloton.
There you go, you know, andthen seek the comfort of others,
including my colleagues.
But again, you know, I reallydo have.
I have such great faith in mypromoters and on my team, and my
colleagues for that matter,that you know I feel like Feld
(32:09):
is in a really good place, it'sin good hands.
And so you about the stress,and it is.
It can be very stressful, butat the same time knowing that
I'm working along such finepeople who are such
professionals makes it a loteasier to sleep at night.
Damian Bazadona (32:29):
Well, I would say I've had the chance to work
with you over the years and meetyour team and collaborate with
your team over the years.
It is a top-notch group ofpeople, a top-notch brand, which
it's not a surprise of thesuccess.
Truly, I appreciate you comingthrough, jim, and doing this
today, and thank you, maureen,for really collaborating with us
and bringing all this togetherand all the amazing intake.
We have an amazing audience.
What a great turnout.
(32:50):
And I just want to personallysay thank you because I know
you've taken a leap of faithwith us on this.
It really means a lot.
Maureen Andersen (32:56):
My honor.
Thank you so much, and it wasgreat to see so many ticketing
pros in the room today.
Jim Moseley (33:00):
Thank you so much for having me yeah.
Peter Yagecic (33:04):
That's going to do it for this episode of Fandom
Unpacked the podcast.
If you liked what you heard,please be sure to leave us a
review on Apple Podcasts.
Find out how to join us livefor an upcoming recording at
SituationLivecom slash fan.
We'll see you next time, truebelievers.
You're listening to Fandom Unpacked from
Situation and Intix, the podcastseries where we unpack modern
fandom with some of thebrightest minds in sports and
entertainment.
I'm producer Peter Yagisic, andjoining me for today's Q&A are
Situation's CEO and founder,Damian Mazzadana, and president
and CEO of Intix, MaureenAnderson.
Our guest today is Jim Mosley,VP of Event Marketing and Sales
(00:27):
for the Northeast region at FeldEntertainment.
Here's Damian to get us started.
Damian Bazadona (00:33):
Yeah, so hey, jim, thanks for doing this.
Jim is not only one of thekindest people in the business,
he's also one of the smartestpeople in the business and he
works for the incredible FeldEntertainment which is many
folks are very envious of thesuccess and the growth and the
quality over the years.
So I'm obviously a huge fan ofthe Feld Entertainment group and
the work you guys do.
Just to start, just out ofcontext, around the world, how
(00:56):
many people see a Feldproduction, I don't know in a
given year?
Just ballpark, Just ballpark.
Jim Moseley (01:02):
So I don't have the number for around the world,
but what I can tell you in NorthAmerica right, which is where I
do my business.
I can tell you that over 10million people saw a Feld event
last year.
Wow, 10 million just in NorthAmerica.
And so we don't play every weekand we don't play every day of
(01:24):
the week, but, if you know, giveor take on a on a weekend that
we are, we've got multiple toursaround the country and Canada
and that is going to equate tosomewhere between 300 and
400,000 people a weekend thatare seeing the Feld event.
Damian Bazadona (01:44):
It's incredible , but let's get into it.
So you've been at the helm ofsome of the biggest family
entertainment brands in theworld and so my family I mean,
I've grown, my children havebeen brought up going to Feld
experiences.
You know what's the secretsauce you guys carry to keeping
the live experiences.
You guys do Disney on Ice, onice monster jam feeling fresh
(02:06):
year after year without itgetting stale, because I feel
like I go back and it feelsfresh to me.
You could feel the differenceand I can't actually put my
finger on what it is and I knowa lot of your competitive
landscape.
Sometimes I've been back tosome of those and they feel
stale right in other markets.
But you guys have somethingthat you consistently do in
reinventing yourself right inother markets.
But you guys have somethingthat you consistently do in
reinventing yourself to getevery generation, generations
(02:27):
keep showing up like how do youthink about that?
Jim Moseley (02:31):
so I I really think the one constant about feld is
that all of our productions areoriented to families, but our
productions are continuouslychanging and evolving.
So when we're thinking about anew production, we push
ourselves to think about ourentire portfolio.
For instance, how can Ringlingmake ice shows better?
(02:53):
Or how can ice shows makeRingling better?
Today, disney on Ice has morestunts and aerial acts than ever
, and we got that by reallythinking about the creative DNA
of Ringling.
But then, on the flip side, ourexperience with ice allowed us
to produce a Ringling productionthat included an ice floor.
So when we think about thatsecret sauce, damien, I think
we're really thinking about ourcreative ecosystem and how can
(03:16):
we cross-pollinate between thebrands?
And, by the way, damien, incase you're wondering, no,
you're never going to see an icefloor at a Monster Jam, but I
do want to make one more point.
Damien, in case you're wonderingno, you're never going to see
an ice floor at a Monster Jam.
But I do want to make one morepoint.
We try to be incrediblyrespectful of the traditions
that built these brands, whetherit's the iconic trucks of
(03:36):
Monster Jam and the classicstories of Disney, but we're
never afraid to push boundaries.
We can combine that traditionand that familiarity with
innovations that can still forlack of a better phrase surprise
and delight.
Damian Bazadona (03:52):
I find the idea of reinvesting in innovation in
theory sounds amazing.
In practice, most don't do it.
So I have high respect that youguys consistently do it over
and over again, because I knowit's expensive and it's it.
That's that's, I think, thedifference between good brands
and the ones that don't last.
Yeah, so you, you typicallywork with pretty familiar IP.
(04:13):
Often many of it has like kindof built in I'll call it like
fandoms built in and legacy andhistory.
How do you balance servicingthe fans that are kind of in
that fandom with those thatmight be totally new to the
brand?
And we see this a lot of peoplein this webinar and in our past
fandom and pack series.
This is a common one, right?
(04:33):
You want to stay true to yourcore, what people grab, that
people gravitate towards, but atthe same time be open and
letting other people into thatspace.
I know it's not easy.
How do you think about that?
Jim Moseley (04:42):
yeah, thanks, finding that balance is.
It's not easy.
How do you think about that?
Yeah, thanks, finding thatbalance.
It's a fundamental challenge,but it's also a creative
opportunity.
We try to find ways to honorour core fans while also
extending our hand to the nextgeneration.
And it is not always easy, butwe are always thinking about how
to give both that core fan andnew fan a reason to come back,
(05:06):
give both that core fan and newfan a reason to come back.
But I also think it's importantto point out that we've always
emphasized, for instance, thatRingling is for all ages, and it
truly is.
Monster Jam may start with a toytruck in a kid's hand, but that
fandom can very well extend allthe way through adulthood.
Disney on Ice may capture youat a younger age, before you age
out, but you're back in thecycle again when you have your
(05:27):
own kids, and so there is insome cases, a potential for
creating a lifelong fan andother cycles.
But regardless, we're in aconstant active state of finding
new fans.
And one last point on how wetry to expand to new audiences.
Feld spends an inordinate amountof time trying to understand
(05:47):
who our consumers are.
We're obsessed with it whatproducts they look like or what
products they like the socialmedia platforms they use.
What motivates them to engagewith our brands to begin with,
and then we use those insightsto try and find new fans.
But I will say there's a bit ofa dance that we do.
(06:08):
You can't put everyone in thesame bucket and engage with them
in the same way, and while youmay be marketing the same
creative over and over, you dotry to talk to fans in different
ways, using different touchpoints.
Damian Bazadona (06:21):
Gotcha.
Maureen Andersen (06:22):
Maureen To that point is let's look at
fandom today, in 2025.
And you know the world andeverything around us and
technology has changed prettyprofoundly in the last 10 years.
So what feels different from 10years ago, Because you have
such longevity, and what aresome of the forces that drive
(06:43):
audiences to show up now?
So, for example, is you havefelt experiences?
How does that infuse to theticketing?
And let's bring this back toticketing because we're in tics
the ticketing experience itselffrom then to now and kind of
what we are looking at now.
Jim Moseley (07:01):
Yeah, I mean to your point about felt
experiences.
We're continuously learning howto give our fans what they want
.
A decade ago, the valueproposition for the most part
was very simple right, youbought a ticket to the show.
But today feels very differentand fans want more immersive
(07:22):
experiences.
Some want to walk the trackbefore a Supercross race, Some
want to meet Monster Jam drivers, Some want the experience of
spending a moment with a Disneycharacter.
Most of these didn't exist adecade ago and it's been a
thrill to see this growth point,in particular, for Feld.
We even have a I'll do a littleplug here we even have a
(07:42):
dedicated website,feltexperiencescom, for some of
these upsells.
But, Maureen, in terms of whatfeels different than 10 years
ago, I would say it's the socialplatforms.
We're all on.
Tiktok and YouTube Shortsreally took off during the
pandemic and they haven't lookedback.
Youtube surpassed TV viewershipfor the first time ever this
(08:05):
past spring, and then 10 yearsago, YouTube Kids barely even
existed.
So I think today consumers, atleast in their eyes, are busier
than ever and the competitionhas never been greater.
We're not just competing withother live events, but actual
streaming platforms as well, butI'll say this platforms as well
(08:28):
.
But I'll say this if we canharness those platforms
correctly, crafting content thatentertains and helps us grow
our brand affinity, then we knowwe're moving in the right
direction.
But if we can take that justone step further and use it to
provide a compelling case thatseeing one of our live shows is
even better than on a device,then we've just opened a world
(08:50):
of opportunity.
Maureen Andersen (08:50):
So what I'm hearing is that's really meeting
the fans where they are, andthat the evolution has evolved.
It lets you have all thesedifferent avenues that are open
to new ways of doing things thatare digital, in market, in
arena, in the building, pre andpost.
And how's that evolution ofticketing and meeting the fan
where they are shaped, yourapproach to customer experience
(09:13):
overall?
Jim Moseley (09:13):
Yeah, I love the question.
Let me try to tackle themeeting fans where they are
first, and then I'll talk alittle bit about the evolution
of ticketing and how it'schanged us.
I mean, really, I think meetingfans where they are is about
moving away from that one bucketconcept I mentioned a moment
ago.
We have to be able to approachfans in a highly personalized
(09:35):
way.
So how do we do that?
Just use social media platformsfor advertising.
We have an in-house team whoseprimary focus is on building
community around our brandsthrough those platforms, right?
So the type of content that wedevelop aims to engage fans
(09:56):
enough that we're not onlyestablishing a relationship with
our fans at the show, but alsobefore and after.
And then, as far as meetingfans in market, here's a really
crazy trivia piece here Feldrarely does national scale
marketing campaigns.
Instead, last year we ran over350 localized marketing
(10:21):
campaigns in North America alone.
And then finally, in Arena, Iwould say, utilizing, obviously,
some of the digital technologyand video boards allows us to
have fun and interact with theaudience.
But it feels appropriate, Ithink, here to really give a
shout out to our venue partnersand the communities they've
managed to build around theirarenas and stadiums.
(10:42):
There's already a fandom basethere and they're essentially
allowing us to ride on theircoattails.
Yeah, of course a diehardEagles fan is going to want to
go see Monster Jam at theirteam's stadium.
Now I also wanted to addressyour second question about
ticketing quickly, and I'll justmake two quick points on that.
(11:03):
The first is that platforms nowgive us the ability to have
multiple price points and we usethem probably in ways that few
other promoters do, and we takegreat pride in that.
We're able to meet the fanwhere they are by having price
points for every family.
About having price points forevery family and the fact that
we can dynamically price ourtickets based on market trends
(11:24):
is also just an absolute gamechanger as a promoter.
The second point I'll make isthat the evolution of ticketing
has fundamentally changed ourrelationship with our fans.
That's no surprise.
It's no longer just a singletransaction.
When someone buys a ticket toour show, it's the beginning of
a relationship with that fan,and this first-party data
(11:44):
impacts not only how we marketour shows, but so much more.
It's what upsells do we offer,what merchandise are we selling
and even the content that goesinto our shows.
Maureen Andersen (11:56):
So we have a question from a long-term Intix
member.
She would like to know, Jim,what is the most successful,
your most successful touchpointto promote ticket sales.
Jim Moseley (12:06):
Ooh, most successful touchpoint.
I mean, listen, when socialmedia really began to surface in
the 2010s, it was an absolutegame changer for us.
Now, obviously, over the years,algorithms and new rules and
regulations have changed interms of how we target our
(12:30):
customers.
But overall, I don't think it'sgoing to be a surprise that
over 60% of our marketing spendis now online and we are still,
you know, obviously usingtraditional to try and get
multi-generational you know themessage out to multiple
(12:53):
generations, but I think I wouldprobably say that has been the
most important touch point forus, at least over the last
decade.
Peter Yagecic (13:03):
I'd love to sneak in one more audience question
and then kick it back to Damian.
Jim, you mentioned that familyis important to everything that
Feld does, so this question isrelated to that.
I imagine you have grandparentsand great-grandparents who are
looking to introduce youngermembers of their families to the
great experiences they had askids.
Does nostalgia play asignificant role in fostering
(13:25):
that multi-generationalexperience, in meeting people
where they are?
Jim Moseley (13:30):
Yeah, I mean listen , you talk about the emotions
and yes, I mean parents who aretaking their kids to our events
today probably saw events whenthey were kids our events more
specifically.
So there's a sense of emotionthat definitely surfaces and we
want the parents to feel a senseof nostalgia for what they
remember when they saw our showas kids and how they felt, but
(13:52):
we want them to leave the showtoday that they're seeing with
their own kids feeling like theyboth just saw something
completely new that none of themwill ever forget.
Maureen Andersen (14:05):
It's up to you .
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(14:27):
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We'll see you there.
So you oversee the Northeast,We'll see you there.
Damian Bazadona (14:41):
So you oversee the Northeast okay, so it's one
of the most competitive markets.
We work a lot on the Northeast.
It stresses me the hell out.
We work on these major liveexperiences.
We sell millions of tickets forour clients, which is amazing,
but it's stressful.
There's just so much activity.
How do you like when you thinkabout the Northeast, how do you
(15:04):
think?
How is it unique?
I'm glad I'm in good company.
Jim Moseley (15:05):
What's that I said?
I'm glad I'm in good companyhere.
Damian Bazadona (15:08):
Yeah, it's, you know, it's like so much
opportunity, I'm like, yeah, andso much competition.
How do you think about?
How do you think?
Jim Moseley (15:39):
no-transcript.
It can be very challenging tobreak through with your own
message, and if it sounds likeI'm crying on your shoulders, I
am, but look.
What I can say is that thereare great opportunities in the
Northeast as well, so long as wecan find a way to get our
message through.
(15:59):
I think being in a denselypopulated region can also be a
very good thing, and tacticsthat we depend on, like word of
mouth, also tend to work muchbetter and faster in densely
populated areas.
And, by the way, I do want togive a hat tip, a have to, to my
team, of course, ofextraordinarily talented
(16:21):
promoters who are so methodicaland almost scientific in their
approach to promoting theirengagements.
But you absolutely need thatmethodical approach if you're
going to survive in this region,there's no question.
Damian Bazadona (16:34):
So for parents, failed shows are often a
child's first ever live event.
I think one of my favoritethings about working in the live
event industry is whether it'sin sports, theater, attractions,
whatever that might be a Feldshow you go and you watch the
relationship between theparent-child, the grandparent,
whatever that relationship is.
It is extraordinarily powerfulto give a little bit of purpose
(16:57):
to why you do what you do as acareer, to see the power and
impact it had in someone's life.
You see it.
Go to Monster, I see it atMonster when I go to Monster Jam
.
You see that and the father-sondynamic, all these different
dynamics that are playing out.
It's really powerful and you doevery night, every day in the
Feld universe.
That's responsibility of thatand the opportunity, as it
(17:23):
relates to you guys as abusiness, of being that entry
point into fandom.
Like, how does that play intothe way that you guys think
about your business?
Jim Moseley (17:27):
Yeah, I mean honestly, damien, this one
really sort of gets to my heart.
I'll say it this way we're notout here saving lives and we
don't come to work every daytelling ourselves that, but we
recognize what we provide.
Families is important and ourgoal is to create extraordinary
moments for families that willcreate memories for a lifetime.
(17:48):
And I'll just say, just to makeit a little bit more personal,
as a father myself, I can't tellyou how much it meant to me
when my daughter saw MickeyMouse on one of our ice shows
for the very first time.
I will never forget that lookin her eyes.
And I'll also add you know, forthe past few years we've
(18:10):
developed a close relationshipwith Make-A-Wish Foundation,
providing families with ticketsto Disney on Ice, and some of
the letters we receive fromparents are just, they're just
tearjerkers.
These families are goingthrough unimaginable pain and
heartbreak, but for two hourswe've created this space for
them to escape and for thoseparents to find that look in
(18:33):
their child's eyes.
So yes, to use your words, wetake that responsibility very
seriously your words.
Maureen Andersen (18:44):
We take that responsibility very seriously.
Yeah, so fans expect an awfullot these days, and more than
just the event they may want tobe engaged.
They want to you, to reach out,they want to be, create loyalty
and they want touch points thatare like before, during, after.
They want to hear from you, beinvolved with you.
What is one thing that Feld isdoing to extend that fandom
beyond the arena and secondaryto that is you told a great
(19:08):
story yesterday about the littleboy and trucks.
Jim Moseley (19:13):
Yeah.
So I'll just carry on withMonster Jam and use that as an
example.
Then, maureen, recently Feldstopped seeing it as just an
event but as a franchise.
The show is obviously a very,very crucial part of that
wheelhouse.
But for Monster Jam to become atruly global multimedia
(19:36):
franchise, we're thinking aboutnot just the live events, but
we're also thinking about retailpresence and digital media's
landscape, the broadcast andstreaming, the theme park
experiences and even ourlicensors, which, I'll say, just
seven years ago we only had 14licensors, Today we have 61.
(19:58):
It's a wheelhouse that livesand breathes every day.
And, maureen, yes, the marketresearch tells us that the
purchase of a toy truck in theUS is the number two reason
families attend a Monster Jamevent.
So we know we have aresponsibility to build those
(20:19):
touch points, not just duringour events but before and after.
Maureen Andersen (20:25):
That creates lifelong fans.
I mean, you know a QR code onthe bottom of that truck for a
ticket offer.
Jim Moseley (20:31):
Sorry, yeah, well, I love the idea, I love the
enthusiasm.
I'm going to write that onedown, All right.
And you know, one last thingthat I'll add is I gave Monster
Jam is just an example, butwe're replicating this approach
across our other brands.
There are so many excitingthings we're doing with our
Ringling brand that we'll belaunching over the next several
(20:53):
months that I'm just, I am soexcited about our colleagues are
excited about, so you'll beseeing more of that excited
about, so you'll you'll beseeing more of that.
Um, you know Ringling is is, youknow, for lack of a better
phrase, we're in.
You know, of course, it's a,it's a household name, it's a
tradition that has has lived, uh, in in America, folklore for,
for you know, hundreds of years,or over a hundred years, a
(21:15):
hundred and almost 150.
Um, and you know, we reallywant to.
You know, of course, we'rereimagining it, but we're also
seeing it as a startup, becausewe did take it out and then we
needed to reimagine it, and so,as we're thinking about that
reimagination, we're trying tofigure out how do we use the
(21:37):
same model that we have withMonster Jam as a wheelhouse, as
I called it earlier, and reallycreate this as a franchise.
Peter Yagecic (21:46):
I'd love to sneak in a couple more audience
questions.
We've got some great onescoming in this first one, I'm
going to tweak it slightlybecause I don't want to put you
on the spot, but I think thespirit of the question is
because you want to create arelationship with the fans who
are coming to see one of yourperformances.
How are you thinking aboutflexibility?
(22:08):
I think there was a lot ofthings that changed.
You know post-pandemic in termsof flexibility around you are
thinking about when you want tokeep that relationship front and
center.
That have been part of theconversations that you guys have
been having.
Jim Moseley (22:28):
So you mean like the journey from door to door?
Peter Yagecic (22:41):
uh, life happens for people and and the how do
you keep that relationshipstrong If they have something
that changes, that's up beyondtheir control?
Is is there?
Is that part of theconversation that you guys are
having?
Jim Moseley (22:48):
And I think you know again, I think it goes back
to trying to engage on a dailybasis in ways that you know
again, a doing this the rightway, then we're providing a
(23:14):
compelling case that being atour events is better than seeing
it on a device.
You just you cannot trade inthe you know the energy of a you
know house full of fans and soI think Um, and so I think uh,
(23:56):
it, you know it's definitelythrough our content.
I hope I did a good job anddidn't slaughter that answer.
Peter Yagecic (24:00):
Oh, absolutely.
And I want to bring in thisnext question which kind of
speaks to that scientificdata-led point that you were
just making.
You know, with all in pricing,With all in pricing, have your
scientists seen any salespattern changes since those new
ways of looking at things havegone into effect?
(24:20):
Anything that sticks out fromyou, from what you guys are
seeing?
Jim Moseley (24:23):
Yeah, that's a great question and, man, I got
to tell you it's so timely,obviously because the new FTC
rules just came out in May andit was a fire drill and we had
some really big concerns that itwas going to have an impact and
(24:45):
we were very sensitive to theway our ticketing partners were
going to educate the consumer.
We've tried to do a littleeducating on our own, uh,
because for those, for those ofus in the industry, of course we
knew these were coming down thepike with but, but the typical
consumer had had no idea and so,yes, there was definitely some,
some fear and trepidation inthe beginning.
(25:05):
Um, this has been, um, you know, felt has had a, had a great
year, but it probably wasn't.
It has not been as great aslast year and we believe that
most of that has to do with theeconomy, but probably less to do
(25:26):
with the all-in.
Ticketmaster, based on theirresearch, believes that the
all-in pricing is not havingmuch of an impact and I hope
they're right.
But we'll know I would bebetter equipped to answer that
probably a year from now, peter.
Peter Yagecic (25:44):
Well, we're going to have you back.
I promise you that I'm going tosneak in one more audience
question and then kick it backto Damien, uh, since we're
getting kind of close to time.
But, uh, you know, damienalluded at the beginning that
innovation is hard uh, and thatthat not a lot of people tackle
it because logistically it canbe very tricky.
Uh, I'm curious is thereanything, uh, in terms of
(26:05):
emerging technologies thatyou're particularly excited
about right now, uh, and do youthink that there's any way that
something you're you're lookingat could play a role in ensuring
that that attention span, whichis evaporating for all
audiences, uh is, is held ontouh, fellow properties?
Jim Moseley (26:23):
uh like technology in our uh productions anywhere,
but yeah, sure, wherever youwant to go with it, I mean.
So I'll just get back to thefact that we, you know, at least
in arena, we try to interactand use the technology that's in
the arena to interact with ourfans and guests.
I feel like we do a really,really good job of utilizing
(26:46):
that.
But yes, I mean, we, you know,a couple of years ago we had a
Jurassic Park production withour relationship with NBC
Universal, and it was incrediblethese dinosaurs and the
technology that had been createdand that evolved as that tour
(27:07):
went on and something that wewere immensely proud of and
something that we were immenselyproud of.
And we are also.
If you attend one of our shows,you're going to see how
different it was, even fiveyears ago, but certainly 10 in
terms of how much we'reutilizing technology, and that
(27:29):
includes in Ringling, whichfeels so fresh and new.
Obviously, we do not haveanimals in our shows anymore, so
we have to figure out othercreative ways to grab the
attention of our fans and guests.
You should consider I'll do alittle plug here you should
consider going, because you youwill see quite a bit of
(27:49):
difference in in technology, weeven have a little dog robot
named bailey.
Uh so uh, which is a lot of fun.
That's incredible.
Peter Yagecic (28:07):
I I do want to see that and I love the example
from jurassic park of using newtechnology to animate dinosaurs.
That's just.
That's so great, damien.
Uh, you want to take our lastquestion?
Damian Bazadona (28:18):
yeah, sure um, I think, uh, working in like
live entertainment, I could justI'll speak for myself and just
say I feel like there's kind ofmixed signals in the market and,
on one hand, it seems like theceiling for what people will be
willing to spend to do thethings that they love with their
family seems to just keep beingbroken, like people will spend
outrageous amounts of money todo the things to hit the passion
plug in their life Remarkable.
(28:40):
At the same time, there's acompeting signal that says
there's never been a better timeto stay on your couch.
There's technology, there'sfriction, there's all these
different things.
So there's like these mix ofsignals as we go forward and I
think if you were to zoom out, Iwould just love your
perspective Like, what do yousee as the biggest challenge or
the biggest opportunity?
Pick other side.
Are you a glass half full,glass half empty?
Everyone approach, butsomewhere Do you see ahead of,
(29:02):
like, the future of fandom andlive family entertainment, which
I know we have a lot oflisteners on this that are in
that lane right now.
What are you looking at orthinking about?
Opportunities or threats?
Jim Moseley (29:16):
I feel like I could probably spend an hour on this
question alone, but instead I'mgoing to make it just sweet and
simple.
I think it's important for usto regularly remind ourselves
that our audience isn't static.
We can't rely on the same fanshowing up the same way year
after year, and so we have tothink about our approach to
(29:37):
everything Our productions, ourcreative, our marketing
campaigns, our merchandise andretail presence.
We have to think of all of thatevery day to make sure it's all
aligning with a world that isjust always quickly changing.
Damian Bazadona (29:55):
Well said.
Peter Yagecic (29:57):
You know, I know we said we would end it there,
but maybe could we slip in onemore audience question.
Do we have time for that?
So, Jim, are there any audiencestrategies that you're
implementing to address thetrend of late ticket purchases
while maintaining confidence inyour projections?
Jim Moseley (30:14):
Wow, that's a great question actually, because I
tell you in this market todayand many on this call probably
recognize it that it isdefinitely switched to a late
market purchase and it of courseobviously frightens us all
because it's, you know, you'rejust running and burying it
right up until the weekend ofthe production.
(30:37):
So there's definitely been ashift in market behavior.
What we're doing is, you know,we're doubling down on our
marketing approach.
We're trying new and differentthings that we haven't in the
past, and that includes, youknow, typically we wouldn't have
discount offers once our mediabegins, and the media, you know,
(30:58):
our media begins, you know itdoesn't run the entire sales
cycle, it runs towards the end,right before the production, and
so we're thinking throughtactics, like offers, that we
never would have done in thepast, and we feel like that's
helping to move the needle.
But we know we've got some morework to do on that because,
(31:20):
frankly, we'll all sleep alittle bit better at night when
we know that folks are buyingour tickets and not just at the
last minute, right.
Damian Bazadona (31:31):
Do you have any personal hacks to manage the
stress?
I eat ice cream because I getstressed.
How do you manage the lastsecond?
You're looking at these salesthings Like do you have any
personal hacks?
This will be my last question,Then I'll say goodbye.
Take a run around the blockthere you go All right.
There, you go All right.
Jim Moseley (31:49):
Just sweat it out on my Peloton.
There you go, you know, andthen seek the comfort of others,
including my colleagues.
But again, you know, I reallydo have.
I have such great faith in mypromoters and on my team, and my
colleagues for that matter,that you know I feel like Feld
(32:09):
is in a really good place, it'sin good hands.
And so you about the stress,and it is.
It can be very stressful, butat the same time knowing that
I'm working along such finepeople who are such
professionals makes it a loteasier to sleep at night.
Damian Bazadona (32:29):
Well, I would say I've had the chance to work
with you over the years and meetyour team and collaborate with
your team over the years.
It is a top-notch group ofpeople, a top-notch brand, which
it's not a surprise of thesuccess.
Truly, I appreciate you comingthrough, jim, and doing this
today, and thank you, maureen,for really collaborating with us
and bringing all this togetherand all the amazing intake.
We have an amazing audience.
What a great turnout.
(32:50):
And I just want to personallysay thank you because I know
you've taken a leap of faithwith us on this.
It really means a lot.
Maureen Andersen (32:56):
My honor.
Thank you so much, and it wasgreat to see so many ticketing
pros in the room today.
Jim Moseley (33:00):
Thank you so much for having me yeah.
Peter Yagecic (33:04):
That's going to do it for this episode of Fandom
Unpacked the podcast.
If you liked what you heard,please be sure to leave us a
review on Apple Podcasts.
Find out how to join us livefor an upcoming recording at
SituationLivecom slash fan.
We'll see you next time, truebelievers.
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