Having joined ZAIKO in September 2024 as chief operating officer, Shimada was promoted to CEO in April this year.

Shimada has a wealth of experience in the industry thanks to positions with Warner Music Japan, Universal Music Group and Amazon Music.

Here, Shimada discusses ZAIKO’s latest goals and projects…

What projects are you currently working on?

Kaz Shimada: “We are currently working on a live concert for one of the major Japanese artists [who cannot currently be named]. This showcases our capabilities to manage ticket sales operations in the local Hong Kong market. We are working closely with a local promoter and a venue operator.”

What are some of the trends you are experiencing in the region?

KS: “There is an increasing level of interest in Hong Kong about getting access to popular Japanese IPs, namely music, vTubers, anime, game and esports. Also, the trend of strong inbound tourism from China to Japan is continuing its momentum and it is expected to grow even further in the next two to three years.”

What is in the pipeline projects-wise?

KS: “There will be more shows with the Japanese artists and IPs that we are planning to sell tickets for in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, specific names are yet to be announced, so cannot be disclosed.”

What are you looking to discover at TheTicketingBusiness ASIA 2025?

KS: “We hope to meet and interact with many business partners and players in the entertainment field in Hong Kong, such as concert promoters, IP owners, management companies, venues and financing companies.”

Join Kas and hundreds of ticketing and events execs at TheTicketingBusiness ASIA 2025 #TAS25 from October 21-23.

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The post #TAS25 Guest Spotlight: ZAIKO appeared first on TheTicketingBusiness ASIA.

AsiaWorld-Expo is one of the world’s premier exhibition, entertainment and conference venues, and has hosted the likes of Coldplay and Metallica since it opened its doors in 2005. 

Here, Dennis highlights Hong Kong’s battle with ticket scalping as well as its return to live events following the COVID-19 pandemic…

What are the key current challenges and opportunities in the sector/your market?

Dennis Wong: Ticketed events have been resuming vigorously in HK since early 2023 (post-pandemic) hence demand for ticketing platforms and admission systems surged.  An end-to-end ticketing and admission system certainly helps improve patrons’ experience going to events in particular concerts and live entertainment events.  

The increasing awareness in the prevention of ticket scalping to be enforced by the concert organisers prevails in Hong Kong market. In addition, both venues and organisers are looking into advanced and effective solutions to validate the authenticity of both physical and e-tickets.

What are the most interesting trends you are witnessing in the sector?  

Dennis: E-tickets and e-admission have been flying in a number of markets, but the pacing/approach in adoption varies significantly from one market to another.

What are your organisation’s major ticketing plans and initiatives over the coming year? 

Dennis: To secure trusted ticketing partners, to facilitate data analytics by event organisers and to enhance end-users’ experience. 

What are you looking forward to exploring more at the conference? 

Dennis: Successful case sharing, technology trends and capable solutions with reference to events ticketing…

Join Dennis and hundreds of ticketing and events execs at TheTicketingBusiness ASIA 2023 #TAS23, which takes place at The Wave in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong on 17-18 October.

We’ll explore what’s happening across sales, marketing and engagement tech for arts, culture, sports, live music, theme parks and visitor attractions throughout the APAC entertainment market.

The post #TAS23 Guest Spotlight: AsiaWorld-Expo appeared first on TheTicketingBusiness ASIA.

Theory Eleven is an event management and entertainment agency that specialises in organising a diverse range of events, talent booking, F&B concept creation, franchising, and E-ticketing solutions for private, governmental, and corporate clients.

Koushan’s role involves ensuring efficient ticket sales, event coordination, and providing strategic marketing feedback to promoters. He also oversees the development team as the company aims to stay at the forefront of technology trends.

Here, he discusses the increasingly competitive UAE market and the value of harnessing data to predict an event’s success…

What are the key current challenges and opportunities in your market?

Koushan Panjali: One of the primary challenges we currently confront is the increasing number of competitors and the proliferation of ticketing platforms. In the UAE, the number of ticketing platforms has exceeded the count of event organisers, intensifying the competitive landscape.

Another significant challenge revolves around ticket fraud and unauthorised ticket resellers. In accordance with UAE law, ticket resale is restricted. However, particularly for high-demand events like Cirque du Soleil, we encounter secondary ticket organisations listing tickets at prices two to four times higher than their original value. Regrettably, these unauthorised sellers often distribute counterfeit tickets, leading to considerable customer dissatisfaction and security concerns.

What are the most interesting trends you are witnessing in the sector?

Koushan: One of the most compelling trends in our industry, from my perspective, is the realm of data management and analytics. By harnessing the data we collect, we’re able to provide valuable insights to event organisers. In fact, through data analysis, we can predict the success of an event with a remarkable 90% accuracy rate. This predictive capability extends further to guiding our partners on the most effective marketing channels, thereby addressing their marketing challenges.

What’s intriguing is that, at times, we advise event promoters that achieving their goals doesn’t necessarily require substantial expenditures. It’s about understanding the nature of the event or show, leveraging our experience, and utilising the right data. This synergy of information and experience allows us to make well-informed assessments of an event’s potential success, helping our partners make informed decisions.

What are your organisation’s major ticketing plans and initiatives over the coming year?

Koushan: In the upcoming year, we’re dedicated to innovation, customer satisfaction, and market expansion to provide the best ticketing solutions.

What are you looking forward to exploring more at the conference?

Koushan: I am eager to delve deeper into the challenges and innovative solutions within the ticketing industry. Additionally, I look forward to staying abreast of the latest technological advancements that can enhance our services. Furthermore, I anticipate the opportunity to establish meaningful connections with diverse teams and companies, fostering strong and mutually beneficial relationships.

Join Koushan and hundreds of ticketing and events execs at TheTicketingBusiness ASIA 2023 #TAS23, which takes place at The Wave in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong on 17-18 October.

We’ll explore what’s happening across sales, marketing and engagement tech for arts, culture, sports, live music, theme parks and visitor attractions throughout the APAC entertainment market.

The post #TAS23 Guest Spotlight: Theory Eleven Entertainment appeared first on TheTicketingBusiness ASIA.

Johnson has been based in Hong Kong for more than a decade, holding a series of roles across the cultural scene, including Head of Performing Arts at Kids’​ Gallery, and Corporate Hospitality Sales Manager at Art Basel.

Two years ago, she began working for French May Arts Festival, the popular annual event that incorporates Gallic-themed visual arts, operas, dance, music and theatre, circus and cinema.

Here, she discusses the opportunities created by modern ticketing systems and how AI tools can transform the utilisation of ticketing data…

What are the current challenges and opportunities in ticketing?

Claire Johnson: For arts events taking place in traditional cultural venues, I think there is currently the challenge of implementing the advanced technologies being used in more commercial events (such as concerts and festivals), due to constraints in existing ticketing software and platforms, lack of flexibility in onsite operational models, alongside limited financial resources for investment in this area.

While this is a challenge, it does in itself create an opportunity for better ticketing systems for arts and cultural events, particularly in utilising digital ticketing, dynamic pricing and customer data analysis.

What are the most interesting trends you are witnessing in the industry?

Claire: The scope for use of AI tools utilising ticketing data to predict event capacity and seat mapping alongside informing pricing strategies is an extremely interesting development which I would foresee being relevant across all event industries including arts and culture.

What are your ticketing plans over the coming year?

Claire: I am currently busy with French May Arts Festival planning the 2024 festival programme, and working with our fantastic partners on an exciting array of events!

What are you most looking forward to exploring at TheTicketingBusiness Asia?

Claire: I’m looking forward to hearing from industry experts across varying event sectors to understand the synergies and differences in our approaches to ticketing and to see what can be learnt and shared.

Join Claire and hundreds of ticketing and events execs at TheTicketingBusiness ASIA 2023 #TAS23, which takes place at The Wave in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong on 17-18 October.

We’ll explore what’s happening across sales, marketing and engagement tech for arts, culture, sports, live music, theme parks and visitor attractions throughout the APAC entertainment market.

The post #TAS23 Guest Spotlight: French May Arts Festival appeared first on TheTicketingBusiness ASIA.

Rasool – also known as DJ Javed – has been teaching dance, deejaying and organising local and international dance events in Hong Kong since 2005. Dance With Style, founded more than a decade ago, provides salsa, bachata and Cuban salsa dance instruction to individual students as well as at social and corporate events…

What are the key current challenges and opportunities in your market?

Javed Rasool: My company is a dance and events company and it’s a small single ownership company. Most importantly, my business is based on people. If people join our dance classes and attend our events then life is good, but since Covid hit and now, post-Covid, the biggest challenge is to get people to join our events.

Corporates have completely disappeared. There is not much spending, so businesses like mine are bleeding.

Another challenge is getting the venues to pay us what we deserve, and on time.

What are the most interesting trends you are witnessing in the sector?

Javed: Unfortunately, the one trend I see is that everybody seems to be struggling to make ends meet.

What are your organisation’s major initiatives over the coming year?

Javed: My long-term plan is to organise and host an annual international dance competition where people from all over the world descend to Hong Kong for this event.

What are you looking forward to exploring more at the conference?

Javed: I’m looking forward to meeting with corporates, brands, sponsors and more to expand my business in new areas on my bucket list.

Join Javed and hundreds of ticketing and events execs at TheTicketingBusiness ASIA 2023 #TAS23, which takes place at The Wave in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong on 17-18 October.

We’ll explore what’s happening across sales, marketing and engagement tech for arts, culture, sports, live music, theme parks and visitor attractions throughout the APAC entertainment market.

The post #TAS23 Guest Spotlight: Dance With Style appeared first on TheTicketingBusiness ASIA.

Chris B was born and raised in Hong Kong and organises, create and curates live music events under the brand known as The Underground HK. She launched Mellow Yellow Music Festival in 2019 and writes a popular blog about the local music and culture scene…

What are the key current challenges and opportunities in ticketing?

Chris B: I see customer experience is a definite current challenge here in Hong Kong. I’ve heard some nightmare experiences recently from people trying to buy tickets to a show (not mine!) who encountered difficult, unnecessary hurdles as well as website glitches.

I think ticketing platforms have a great opportunity to leverage data analytics to find out their customer preferences and market trends, which in turn could help to optimise pricing for events.

What are the most interesting trends you are witnessing?

Chris B: Customers being comfortable with digital tickets without the need to print them out to bring to the event! Finally!

What are your plans over the coming year, and what are you most looking forward to exploring at TheTicketingBusiness Asia?

Chris B: We plan to host more live music events in the coming year. At TheTicketingBusiness Asia, I will be on the lookout for new and better ticketing systems plus I look forward to hearing about case studies and innovative approaches to event promotion and management throughout Asia.

Join Chris B and hundreds of ticketing and events execs at TheTicketingBusiness ASIA 2023 #TAS23, which takes place at The Wave in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong on 17-18 October.

We’ll explore what’s happening across sales, marketing and engagement tech for arts, culture, sports, live music, theme parks and visitor attractions throughout the APAC entertainment market.

The post #TAS23 Guest Spotlight: The Underground HK appeared first on TheTicketingBusiness ASIA.

Originally from New Jersey, Beale has been based in Hong Kong for more than a decade. She opened the Aftermath Bar on Wyndham Street in 2018, looking to create a venue with a different vibe to what was already out there.

Since then, The Aftermath bar evolved into something much more than an events venue, blossoming instead into a hub and home for the creatives of Hong Kong…

What are the main challenges and opportunities in the sector in your market?

Alicia Beale: Right now, the most pressing challenge in Hong Kong events sector for my business is finding affordable marketing channels that can present my events to the widest array of potential customers. The second challenge is finding a channel that helps to showcase my events unique selling point. A ticket channel that can both help me to acquire new customers on their own platform as an addition to my own marketing would be a significant opportunity.

What are the most interesting trends you are witnessing?

Alicia: One of the most interesting trends that I have seen has been the ticketing platform Zicket who utilises online data research to drive sales to a target market and also offers sponsored ad promotion to get more traction on their platform.

What are Aftermath Bar’s major ticketing plans and initiatives over the coming year?

Alicia: We are planning to present new signature events each month over the autumn/winter seasons for our creative community to continue enjoying our boutique live music experiences as well as to reach new casual cultural consumers.

What are you looking forward to exploring more at the conference?

Alicia: I am looking forward the most to making new connections in the events and ticketing network.

Join Alicia and hundreds of ticketing and events execs at TheTicketingBusiness ASIA 2023 #TAS23, which takes place at The Wave in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong on 17-18 October.

We’ll explore what’s happening across sales, marketing and engagement tech for arts, culture, sports, live music, theme parks and visitor attractions throughout the APAC entertainment market.

The post #TAS23 Guest Spotlight: The Aftermath Bar appeared first on TheTicketingBusiness ASIA.

“The goal was always to bring the best acts of the West to the East, and the best acts of the East to the West.  Along with our local co-promoters, we have produced dozens of shows across numerous Asian and Middle Eastern markets, and have also brought some fantastic Asian talent to both North and South America.

“Eventim Live Asia is just getting started.”

A major opportunity

Miller noted that Asia is an important market, and that agents and managers should not think about it as an afterthought to a large tour. 

“It’s a massive opportunity to build and cement an artist’s career, with passionate new fans,” he commented. 

“Sixty percent of the world’s population is in Asia. How can any artist who is serious about their career, and their future, not make Asia a priority?”

Asia’s return to live music took slightly longer than it did in Western countries, with Singapore only allowing audiences to attend concerts at music venues in March last year, for example. It was even later in Hong Kong, where restrictions were eased as late as October 2022. 

“The pandemic has grown unprecedented global demand for live music and shared experience,” said Miller. 

“We are seeing this across all the key Asian markets, even though some countries in Asia started later than other regions of the world. Nevertheless, ELA is uniquely positioned to take advantage of that tremendous growth today.”

Gaining momentum

Eventim’s ambition in Asia is reflected in its success globally, with the company announcing it had hit the €1bn (£900m/$1.1bn) revenue mark in its half-yearly revenue report compared to this time last year. 

At the time, chief executive Klaus-Peter Schulenberg said: “The breadth and depth of our portfolio and the successful internationalisation of our business are the key drivers of our strong and stable growth.”

Last month, CTS Eventim announced that it had exercised its call option to acquire a further 17% of France Billet’s share capital, upping its hold to a majority 65%. 

And in July, the entertainment and live music ticketing firm launched a new concert promoter and artist booking company in Switzerland. 

Miller commented: “Eventim is legitimately a visionary company, and it’s on a roll. Take a look at their growth over the last 10 years. Nearly tripled revenue, and literally doubled it in just the four years leading up to COVID. 

“They’ve done that with a unique combination of organic growth, as well as by partnering with or acquiring the best executive talent, and companies, in a string of new markets. Eventim is as much a global touring company as anyone in the world.”

Looking forward, Miller noted that experience and strong relationships will be the key to pushing ELA to the top of its game and attracting international talent. 

“Succeeding in Asia requires experience and relationships. You really need to know what you’re doing and who the best partners are to build the best events,” he said. 

“As part of the global Eventim Live network, I’m excited my team can bring all of these lessons learned over the years to a lot of great artists, and ultimately to the passionate fans of music and entertainment all over Asia.”

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We’re delighted to welcome back these supporters of our launch meeting:

• EVENTIM LIVE ASIA is a new partnership between CEO Jason Miller and CTS EVENTIM, one of the world’s top three live entertainment companies. Headquartered in Singapore, EVENTIM LIVE ASIA will focus on the rapidly growing live entertainment markets in China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. The company is run by Miller, who previously led all touring activity for Live Nation Entertainment’s Asia and Middle East offices, working with the world’s biggest artists and most powerful brands. Miller produced 80 percent of the last decade’s highest-grossing Asian tours for Western artists, including Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Madonna, Maroon 5, U2, and countless others.
• Queue-it is the leading developer of virtual waiting room services to control website and app traffic surges, by offloading visitors to a waiting line environment. Queue-it enables venues, ticketing, and event platforms across the globe to keep their systems online and fans informed, blocking malicious bots and creating a personalized waiting experience on their most business-critical days.

New for 2023, we also now welcome:

• Cover Genius is the insurtech for embedded protection. Through XCover, its global distribution platform for any insurance or other type of protection, the company protects the global customers of the world’s largest digital companies including Booking Holdings, Intuit,, Ryanair, Icelandair, Turkish Airlines, Ola, Descartes ShipRush and SeatGeek. It is also available at Amazon, Flipkart, eBay, Wayfair and SE Asia’s largest company, Shopee. Its event and ticketing partners also include AXS, Seetickets, Moshtix, Tessitura, Secutix, AudienceView, Zaiko, Freshtix, NIGHTOUT, TicketSource and more.
• NFT-TiX is a robust, scalable, fair and transparent home for event organizers and attendees to engage in a ticketing experience for the 21st century. NFT-TiX is a proven solution for events of 5,000+ attendees utilizing blockchain technology and a forward-thinking business model (such as % of ticket re-sale revenue going to the event organizer) to address the major issues that plague the ticketing industry and ultimately hurt the consumer, as well as adding new features that will revolutionize how we think about tickets. NFT-TiX “empowers and promotes the relationship between the event organizers and attendees without the need of middlemen, firmly putting the power back in the hands of the stakeholders.”

A limited number of #TAS23 meeting partnerships and exhibition opportunities are available. To discuss presenting your products and services to our regional audience at #TAS23, please get in touch here.

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