Tickets to Travel

It's the grand finale of Season One of Tickets to Travel Podcast, and we end with Fan Travel Stories ! For Episode 52, we head to Las Vegas with Greenwich, CT mom and former TV personality Dorothy Cascerceri-Simone —known to many as Dorothy on TV . Dorothy shares how a group of moms pulled off a 48-hour escape to catch the Backstreet Boys opening night at The Sphere , balancing family life with fa...

Episode 51 – Beyond Burnout: Rewriting Success in Events, Travel, and Hospitality with Mike Messeroff The events, travel, and hospitality industries are built on curating joy for others—but what happens when the professionals behind the experiences run out of joy themselves? In this episode, we sit down with Mike Messeroff , a former JetBlue leader turned transformational coach, who has walked awa...

Ep. 50 – Why OTAs Missed the Concert: The Untapped $10B Ticketing Opportunity with Eric Taraby For a decade, the travel and ticketing industries have circled each other without truly connecting. In this milestone 50th episode of Tickets to Travel: The Business of Travel Experiences , host Mario Bauduin sits down with ticketing technologist and consultant Eric Taraby to finally pull back the curtai...

Ep. 49 – Fiji, Festivals & the Future of Travel with Steve Pirie-Nally What does it take to turn a trip into a life-changing experience? Steve Pirie-Nally has the answer. From staging Diplo's unforgettable Antarctica performance to reimagining Gen Z spring breaks in Fiji, Steve has spent his career blending culture, entertainment, and purpose in ways that inspire and connect people. In this episod...

Ep. 48 – Expedia OGs Talk Online Travel Origins, Ticketing & Vegas Demand with Daniel Wathen What do Las Vegas call centers, hotel sort order manipulation, and Taylor Swift ticket chaos have in common? They're all part of the wild evolution of travel and ticketing—seen through the eyes of industry veteran Daniel Wathen. In this episode, Daniel joins host Mario Bauduin to unpack over 25 years of on...

Ep. 47 – Ticketing Chaos Explained: Bots, Brokers & Bold Claims with Joel Schwartz What do Donald Trump, Kid Rock, and a 200% ticket guarantee have in common? They're all part of the chaotic, misunderstood world of live event ticketing—and veteran ticket broker, founding member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) and attorney, Joel Schwartz is here to discuss the current executive...

From concert-fueled economies to cybersecurity chaos and legal bombshells shaking the venue world—this July was anything but quiet. In this episode, we break down the biggest current events impacting travel, ticketing, and live experiences right now. Whether you're planning Q3 campaigns, pitching new partnerships, or just trying to stay ahead of what's driving fan and traveler behavior, this is yo...

In this episode of Tickets to Travel , Mario is joined by Ian Chen, CEO & co-founder of Discotech, the platform that lets users "save money, party smarter." Ian shares the story behind Discotech's rise from a frustrating Vegas club experience to becoming a powerhouse for nightlife, festivals, and travel experiences—now with over 1.9 million app downloads. They explore how Discotech has evolved fro...

Episode 44 – Travel Media Reinvented: Inside Lost In Travel's Strategy with Jon Skogmo What happens when the mind behind viral sensations like Pizza Rat and FailArmy turns his attention to travel media? In this episode, we sit down with Jon Skogmo, founder of Lost In Travel and former CEO of viral media powerhouse Jukin Media, to explore how he's shaking up the travel publishing world. Jon shares...

Booked & Busy Abroad: SuaveSki's Blueprint for Going Global What happens when your biggest fans aren't in your backyard, but across the ocean? In this episode of Tickets to Travel: The Business of Travel Experiences , we sit down with SuaveSki — a rising independent hip-hop artist and touring entrepreneur — who's turned his U.S.-based hustle into an international movement. From Romania to Rome, an...

Ep. 42 - RevPar Problems, Real Talk: When Memes Meet Metrics with Calvin Tilokee How do revenue managers really think? What makes hotel rates spike during Taylor Swift concerts—or Bigfoot conventions? And why do memes about ADR hit harder than your star report? In this episode of Tickets to Travel: The Business of Travel Experiences , we sit down with Calvin Tilokee of RevPAR Media, the sharp mind...

Episode Title: Tickets for Good: How Humanitix Is Reinventing Ticketing with Purpose In this episode of Tickets to Travel , we sit down with Jessica Markowitz of Humanitix , the nonprofit ticketing platform that's proving business can be a force for good. From her personal journey into mission-driven ticketing to Humanitix's rise as a global disruptor, Jess shares how this innovative platform is t...

Episode 40 – Beyond the Logo: The Real ROI of Event Sponsorships with Faisal Shariff Guest: Faisal Shariff | Sponsorship Strategist and Consultant What do Spotify, FC Barcelona, Travis Scott, Qatar Airways, and spring break in Cancun have in common? They all demonstrate the power—and complexity—of strategic sponsorships when executed well. In this episode, host Mario Bauduin speaks with Faisal Sha...

Fan Travel Stories: Loyalty Runs Deep – Tattoos, Tickets, and Traveling for Tottenham Hotspur FC What does it mean to be a true football superfan? For Dipak Patel, it means building entire vacations around matchday, joining supporter clubs for insider ticket access, and yes—getting not one, but two Tottenham Hotspur tattoos. In this episode of Fan Travel Stories , we dive into how this Spurs dieha...

In this special News Flash episode of Tickets to Travel: The Business of Travel Experiences , host Mario Bauduin breaks down the biggest travel, ticketing, and live event stories making waves in May 2025. From the explosive growth of music tourism — projected to hit $268 billion by 2030 according to IQ Magazine — to Airbnb's new partnership with Live Nation, this episode explores how fandom, festi...

Ep. 37 - Ticketing, Travel, and Trust: Why BookSeats is Winning Over Teams and Fans with Joseph DeMarinis Podcast Episode Description: In this episode of Tickets to Travel: The Business of Travel Experiences , host Mario Bauduin sits down with Joseph DeMarinis, Founder and CEO of BookSeats.com, for a deep dive into the evolution of fan travel and the technology that's reshaping how sports teams an...

FREE TICKETS?! Yes, really. In this episode of Tickets to Travel: The Business of Travel Experiences , we're joined by the ultimate guest list insider, Lance Dashoff , founder of Loudie — the app that's quietly revolutionizing how fans score free concert, comedy, and festival tickets across the U.S. From his early days at WME curating VIP access, to launching a platform that fills empty seats and...

Cheeks in Seats, Heads in Beds: Building Travel Demand Through Sports with Travis Apple What do Orlando Magic, concierge kickbacks, and the World Cup have in common? They all come up in this no-holds-barred conversation with Travis Apple —sports sales expert, author of "Hustle Your Way to Success in Sports Sales," and host of the podcast 52 Weeks of Hustle . In this episode, Travis and Mario dive...

Episode Title: From World Cup to Burning Man: The Ultimate 2025–26 Event Travel List Ready to plan your next unforgettable adventure? In this episode of Tickets To Travel , we're breaking down the Top 10 global events worth booking a flight (and maybe a payment plan) for in 2025 and 2026. From the massive stadiums of the FIFA World Cup to the surreal sands of Burning Man , we're covering the sport...

Whether you're training for your first 5K or plotting your sixth World Marathon Major, this episode goes the distance. We're joined by Neal Sheridan , media strategist and marathon runner, who breaks down how global marathons aren't just personal milestones—they're massive travel events that shape entire city economies. From hotel bookings to recovery rituals, Neal shares insider tips on planning...

Festival season is here—and so is Alex Mac, our go-to live music and event strategist. In this high-energy episode of Tickets to Travel , we dive deep into the travel trends, ticketing behaviors, and cultural moments shaping the global music festival scene in 2025. From Ultra's surprise Sia set in Miami to Lollapalooza's genre-bending lineups and the Backstreet Boys invading the Sphere in Vegas, A...

🎙️ Episode 31 – "Body Slams & Boarding Passes: Life as a Traveling WWE Super Fan What happens when your love for pro wrestling turns into a passport-stamping, ringside-seat-hunting, global adventure? Meet Z and Matt—power couple, travel pros, and certified WWE superfans—who've attended over 100 events across 7+ countries , racked up 100,000+ air miles , and become fan-famous faces on screen. In th...

In this episode of Tickets to Travel: The Business of Travel Experiences , we dive headfirst into the global travel ripple effect created by HBO's The White Lotus . From Maui to Sicily to the newly released Season 3 set in Thailand, the series has done more than spark memes — it's ignited a luxury tourism boom that's flooding real destinations with curious fans… and a few questionable tan lines. W...

Episode 30: Heisman Moments, Magic Johnson, and Red Carpet Events — What Happened to the Sports Museum of America? What do you get when you combine the Heisman Trophy, Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, red carpet events, and an all-star team of tourism pros in downtown Manhattan? You get the Sports Museum of America—a $100 million startup attraction that opened with massive fanfare... and quietly closed...

Booked, Broke, and BTS Bound: Bernadette Joy's KPOP Ticket & Travel Experience Playbook In this episode of Tickets to Travel , we dive into the high-energy world of KPOP superfans with Bernadette Joy , a financial educator and lifelong music lover who's traveled coast to coast (and beyond) for her favorite idols. From navigating dynamic ticket pricing and limited tour stops to mastering fan club p...