Rick Jurkiewicz (The Rugby Football League) on the future of ticketing and fan engagement

"Plan for the absolute worst case scenario. Always. Something will always go wrong. You need to be ready for it every time."

If you jump straight to the end of this TicketingPodcast.com season 2 episode with Rick Jurkiewicz - Head of Ticketing at the Rugby Football League - that is the advice you'll get. Listen carefully, but please also lend an ear to everything else that's on Rick's mind, because that's quite a lot, and it's highly engaging all the way through.

Rick's career within ticketing started 25 years back, and it can roughly be divided into two separate parts. First it was rock'n roll, then sports. He started his career at See Tickets and then moved on to Ticketmaster, and in the rock'n roll part of his career he did massive events like Glastonbury and Robbie Williams in Knebworth Park.

The shift to sports came with the UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine and the London 2012 Olympics, followed by the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. Since 2016 he's been Head of Ticketing at the Rugby Football League. Along the way, he's learned how to be a master risk preparer, especially in high-stakes situations where tickets have to be printed manually when time is of the essence.

In this episode, we tackle the fascinating concept of audience segmentation. Rick breaks down how ticketing managers slice and dice databases into profile audiences, ultimately using this data to better fulfil their customers' needs. He also walks us through the contrasting realities of ticketing for sports events versus theatre, emphasising the crucial role of capturing unique audience profiles in each sphere. 

Last but not least, join us as we envision the future of ticketing and fan engagement. Imagine a time when live events can rival the atmosphere and experience of watching a televised event, perhaps through the magic of augmented reality. Rick also shares valuable insights on the challenges in governance and integration, and lays out his golden rules for ticketing managers. 

This episode is a goldmine of insights and strategies for anyone drawn to the event industry, so be sure to listen in!