As the Ticketing Professionals Conference celebrates its tenth birthday, this session asks a simple question: if we jumped forward to 2036, would we even recognise a ‘ticket’? To find out, the panel will start by rewinding to 2016, looking at what the industry boldly predicted, what it completely missed, and what we can learn from a decade of crystal-ball gazing.

From there, we’ll launch into four lively potential futures for 2036. In one world, AI assistants quietly book everything for us while biometric identity replaces scanning entirely. In another, fan communities take centre stage, with memberships and tokens shaping how people gain access. There’s also the tougher scenario where regulation and distrust clamp down on innovation, and a more hopeful one built around sustainability, ethical pricing, and digital simplicity.

Panellists will challenge one another on which futures feel likely, which are exciting, which feel risky, and which should probably stay in the pages of science fiction. Along the way, the audience will join in through live polling and quick-fire discussions.

The goal is not to pick the ‘right’ future but to help delegates think more creatively about the decade ahead. Everyone will leave with four clear scenarios they can use in their own planning, a sense of the forces already shaping the next ten years, and practical steps they can take now on AI, sustainability, accessibility, and data privacy. Above all, attendees will gain the confidence to bring these conversations back to their organisations and start preparing today.