Tickets

It’s that app with the owl. That app where you can instantly start learning anything from Spanish to Swahili, Hebrew to Hawaiian. But what’s behind the enormous success of Duolingo, the language learning app that now has over 300 million users around the world? Laura Nestler is Duolingo’s global head of community, bringing together learners and teachers from a multitude of countries and cultures. On this episode of Tickets we get into the art & science of building global communities, the unexpected secrets behind preserving a Duolingo streak, and compare notes on London’s best cocktail bars and fried chicken shops... Episode overview: 05:00: Duolingo’s beginning from a Captcha and a ReCaptcha 15:00: How much does an owl need to cry for you to come back to Duolingo?(!) 20:00: How to grow a community internationally (and Londoners' lack of eagerness...and Mexican food spots) 29:00: The growth of Duolingo's in-person events 40:00: Getting a new community off the ground: from 1, to 9, then 90

What have Harry Potter, Steve Wozniak, Los Angeles County School Board and the Indian Prime Minister got in common? They’ve all been part of the story of Kano, a London based computer company intertwining technology, education and entertainment. Today on Tickets I’m joined by Kano’s co-founder Alex Klein. We talk about the future of collective experiences, overcoming the dark times as an entrepreneur, the key ingredients of a compelling Kickstarter campaign, and how a 6 year old’s question was the catalyst for what has become one of the most exciting new computer companies around. Alex’s thoughts on using creativity to mobilise and empower people are inspiring - I hope you enjoy this conversation as much I did. 02:30: Kano's origin story 08:00: 3 key factors for a successful Kickstarter campaign 12:30: Assumptions in the early days of Kano 15:30: What's in the box 20:00: Blending education and entertainment 25:00: Working with teachers and schools 29:00: Alex's advice for entrepreneurs starting out 33:00: New forms of audience building and creating shared experience 37:00: What's in store for Kano in 2019

We're back! Tickets returns for its second season this November. Here's a brief introduction to this season and a bit of back story on how we got to now.

On the guest list today is James Beshara, global head of concerts at Airbnb. James leads Airbnb’s growing presence in the world of music experiences, providing guests, hosts and artists with new opportunities to share and enjoy live music. Inevitably it was at our season finale that we finally encountered a ton of of technical problems. Luckily James was more than accommodating - letting us overrun so we got a decent amount of time to chat and rescuing the episode by setting up the recording on his side as my laptop was misbehaving so much.  Listen on for James’s insights into the way Airbnb think about experiences, the importance of intimate concerts, and where to find the best green room in LA.  Episode overview 04:00 Airbnb concerts’ start point 08:30 The growth of music consumption in digital vs live 12:00 Scaling human connection through music 14:00 Learnings from Tilt into Airbnb 17:00 The Airbnb concerts business model -from early stage artists to international headliners 22:00 Differentiating in a crowded market 27:00 A pop up green room in Los Angeles

What do you get if you combine circus performance, immersive theatre, and electronic music? The answer is Elrow, a global events brand based in Barcelona. The party started at a venue in the city in 2010, but this business goes back to the mid 19th century, staying in the same family for nearly 150 years. On the guest list today is Victor de la Serna, Elrow’s global talent director, overseeing programming for events around the world.  In this highly entertaining conversation, we talk about the importance of thinking about the long game, how to stay ahead in a competitive market, and when mud and rain aren’t as bad as they seem. Episode overview 04:00 The family business from 1870 to today 22:00 Why Barcelona is such a hotspot 24:30 The secret behind the ‘Tickets’ name 27:30 The tipping point for Elrow from local party to global brand 35:00 Elrow’s themes 46:00 Staying ahead in a competitive market, and maintaining work/life balance 51:00 Taking over one of London’s busiest shopping districts

Think about the last trip you booked. You may have done it all from your mobile phone. Flights - Kayak or SkyScanner. Hotels? Expedia, Tablet, or maybe Hotel Tonight Transfers - well, Uber and Lift make it easy But what about a tour, an exhibition or an attraction at your destination? Even if the booking is online you may still need a paper ticket to gain entry. It’s a headache for both consumers and businesses alike. On the guest list today is Leith Stevens of Redeem, a Colorado based startup building digital ticket solutions for experiences around the globe. In this conversation Leith gives us an insight into the inner workings of the tourism industry, the most interesting shifts in the ticketing business, and valuable advice for startups in all industries looking to go and build the right thing. Episode Overview 04:00 How technology has impacted travel and tourism - from flights to hotels and tours 13:00 Lessons learned from startup 1 to startup 2 16:30 Disney’s Magic Band and the growth of multi-day passes for attractions 21:00 The fragmented tours and attractions market in 2018 23:30 A branding and digital marketing challenge 25:30 Starting Redeam - failed experiments and successful anchors 31:30 Trends in the ticketing business 35:30 Growth in the timeslot model 39:20 Resellers, distributors and secondary markets 41:30 Taking a trip to the Mexican cenotes

As the retail apocalypse looms large, the hospitality and entertainment industries are sitting up to take note, and the world of commercial office real estate is coming under threat like never before. The big question is what happens next. On the guest list today is Bart Higgins, a partner at the international innovation consultancy WhatIf. Bart runs the firm’s 4D Experience practice, helping companies across retail, workspace, hospitality and entertainment identify new business models, create better experiences and build their internal capabilities. In this conversation Bart shares his insights into what other industries can learn from retail’s struggles, the future of the company town, and how real estate owners can reimagine the experiences they provide. Episode overview: 05:00 Lucky breaks and designing a workplace for Wired Magazine 13:00 Reimagining retail store design - people, place and technology 19:00 Lessons from Little Waitrose and Whole Foods 27:00 The new commercial opportunity in the world of work 30:00 The office apocalypse, the 3 models of real estate ownership, and 3 big shifts 37:00 The future of the company town 42:00 Advice for real estate developers 45:00 The emergence of an important new hybrid role 47:30 Managing tension between old and new working styles 52:00 Thinking human 55:00 Iron Maiden and supermarket shocks

Make a list of the most respected international festivals and Sonar is bound to feature. Starting in 1994 as a 3,000 capacity event in Barcelona, Sonar has grown to host over 120,000 attendees in the city each year and now has a presence in locations as diverse as Istanbul, Buenos Aires and Hong Kong. On the guest list today is Ventura Barba, CEO of Sonar’s parent company Advanced Music. Having known the Sonar founders since that very first edition, he spent time at BMG and Yahoo Music before reconnecting with the founding team in 2009. In this conversation we talk about how Sonar take their concept into new cities around the globe, the importance of featuring new technologies, and how brands are deepening their partnerships with festivals. Episode overview: 02:30 Sonar from 1994 to 2018 07:30 Expanding around the world and thinking about creative networks first 16:00 Sonar’s technology focus 26:00 Going out of your comfort zone to enable longevity 28:00 Brands as co-creators

On the guest list today is Mia Tramz, Editorial Director of Enterprise and Immersive Experiences at Time Magazine. Following a degree in Visuals Arts at Columbia University, Mia began her career as a photo editor before branching out into VR through her role running Time’s Life VR initiative. In this conversation Mia talks about how she tackles telling compelling VR stories across over 30 brands, what’s it like to run a startup within a large organisation, the 4 levels of VR immersion, and reveals a life-changing night in the company of Gwen Stefani and Weezer. Episode overview: 09:00 Taking a visual arts degree into photo editing and VR 12:00 Approaching VR across 30+ brands 19:00 Advice for startups interacting with brands and agencies 22:00 The 4 levels of immersion and the roadmap for VR and AR over the next few years 33:00 Identifying and hiring talent 40:30 The most exciting tracks for storytelling in VR 44:00 Productivity tips and staying ahead 47:00 90s concerts from Weezer to Hedwig and the Angry Inch

On the guest list today are Will Prince and Charlie Marshall, principals at Parc Office, a New York based experience design practice. Blending digital technology with physical environments, Parc’s projects include Google’s Cultural Institute, flagship store design for Adidas, reimagining Le Meridien hotel in Istanbul, and creating a modern day fashion Museum for Gucci in Florence. Listen on for the duo’s insights into the impact of Instagram, how they assess new technologies, customising experiences for local audiences, and tales of jet-lagged Parisian bar crawls. Episode overview 09:00 Parc’s founding principles 14:30 Positioning and meeting market needs 21:00 What clients are thinking about today 28:00 Retail strategies 35:00 Innovation and the trough of disillusionment 45:00 Choosing technologies and learning from failure 55:00 Designing for the hospitality industry 62:00 The dive bar experience