The Black Mirror Experience

The Black Mirror Experience

Inspired by the acclaimed television series known for its unsettling exploration of technology and human nature, The Black Mirror Experience is a groundbreaking 60-minute attraction that blurs the line between audience and story. Groups of up to six navigate immersive physical sets alongside free-roaming VR technology, following an original narrative centered on artificial intelligence and the limits of human trust. Guests enter as central characters witnessing the launch of LifeAgent, a revolutionary AI tool designed to simplify everyday life, only to sense that something beneath its polished surface isn’t quite as it seems.

Trusted by some of the world’s most iconic events, Leap is providing the commercial infrastructure behind the US debut of The Black Mirror Experience, powering ticket sales and admissions through its best-in-class ticketing platform and executing an integrated marketing strategy that encompasses creative support, digital advertising, and audience development. 

“The Black Mirror Experience represents the next evolution of immersive entertainment, where compelling IP, technology, and audience participation converge,” stated Allison Niedermeier Lee, SVP of Strategy and Head of Attractions at Leap Event Technology. “We’re excited to partner with the team behind this production and bring the full strength of Leap’s platform, data, and marketing expertise to support the US premiere and help introduce audiences to a truly one-of-a-kind experience.”

The experience arrives in New York after an extraordinary international launch. After its world premiere in Montreal and its European premiere in Madrid, The Black Mirror Experience earned the Special Mention Jury Prize in the Immersive Competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, recognizing its innovative approach to narrative and technology.

“The Black Mirror Experience challenges the way people think about technology and their relationship with it – with a fun, social and highly entertaining experience,” stated Tristan Desplechin, Director at Banijay Live Studio.

The production finds a natural home at The Shed, the innovative arts center at Hudson Yards. As Artistic Director Alex Poots noted, “This US premiere at The Shed brings audiences into Black Mirror^® in innovative and intimate ways.” With early coverage already generating significant buzz from outlets including Time Out New York, TheaterMania, Broadway World, New York Theater Guide, and The Arts Shelf, The Black Mirror Experience is shaping up to be one of NYC’s must-see events of the summer. 

Tickets and more information are available at nyc.theblackmirrorexperience.com.

About Leap Event Technology

Leap is a strategic growth partner for event producers and IP holders, providing a full suite of integrated live event solutions as well as advisory, analytics, and marketing services. By taking a data-led approach to ticketing, mobile apps, experiential marketing, and event management, Leap turns guest stats into revenue-driving strategies. With offices in Dallas, Montreal, and Sydney, plus an expansive remote workforce, its team is equipped to help organizers connect with audiences and bring culture-shifting experiences to fans around the world. Leap’s client list includes some of the most iconic names in sports, music, fandom conventions, and attractions. Learn more at www.leapevent.tech.

About The Black Mirror Experience

The Black Mirror Experience is an immersive hybrid physical and virtual reality attraction inspired by the Black Mirror^® universe, produced by Banijay Live Studio and Univrse in partnership with LETSGO. Guests become participants in an original interactive storyline that explores AI, technology, and human behavior through free-roaming VR and immersive theatrical environments. For more information, visit nyc.theblackmirrorexperience.com.

DALLAS, TX – April 21, 2026 – Leap Event Technology is entering a defining new chapter – one marked by a commitment to being a data powerhouse for live events from major league sports and iconic festivals to large fan conventions and pop-up attractions. With a strategic portfolio realignment and leadership evolution now complete, the company is reinforcing its position at the intersection of technology, live entertainment, and data intelligence. Leap is a portfolio company of Vector Capital Management, L.P. (“Vector”), a private equity firm with a nearly three decade track record leading transformational investments in established technology and technology-enabled businesses.

By unifying ticketing, marketing, and engagement data across its solutions, Leap enables clients to generate high-value fan data at scale and turn it into actionable insights. With Leap, organizers can sell more tickets, optimize marketing spend, fine-tune pricing strategies, and deliver highly personalized fan experiences. Leap’s technology is designed to work seamlessly together, creating a centralized data engine that fuels smarter decision-making and better events.

To enable Leap to capitalize on one of the most valuable assets in live events today – a rich, proprietary database built to serve iconic events across the globe – and sharpen its focus on its core business, Leap has divested PatronManager, a CRM platform serving the performing arts organization, nonprofit, and museum verticals.

Leap also announced that Michael Marty has been promoted from President of Leap to Chief Executive Officer & President, bringing with him a clear vision for Leap’s future as a data-driven technology company. Marty’s predecessor, Marc Jenkins, will continue to support the company and has transitioned to the Board of Directors.

Sharper Focus As a Data Intelligence Partner for Events

Today, Leap’s integrated and scalable suite of solutions and all-in-one platform for event technology and data insights can serve every type of major event, providing cutting edge technology and data intelligence services for event organizers. Leap’s clients include NBA All-Star Weekend, Fanatics Fest, the NFL Draft, the NFL Super Bowl Experience, D23 Expo, REDWEST music festival, and New York Comic Con.

“Data is the most valuable asset in live events today, and we are strategically positioning our company to help our clients fully harness it,” stated Michael Marty, Chief Executive Officer at Leap. “With a strong path forward and accelerating momentum, Leap is well positioned to drive innovation, deepen customer value, build better experiences at scale, and shape the future of the events industry.”

A New Era of Leadership to Drive the Company’s Future

“This leadership change is a deliberate part of our long-term strategy. We have been preparing for this transition for some time, and it marks a natural and positive step forward for the company,” stated Jenkins. “Marty is the right leader for Leap’s next chapter, and I’m excited to continue supporting the company’s vision as part of the board.”

Both Marty and Jenkins have been working together for the past seven years building out Leap’s vision as the leading live event platform for data insights. This leadership shift reflects an intentional balance of stability and forward momentum, positioning Leap to scale its impact while staying grounded in the disciplined strategy that has fueled its success.

About Leap Event Technology

Leap’s global event technology solution empowers organizers to transform their events into electrifying experiences for attendees. The company provides an all-in-one suite of ticketing, mobile apps, experiential marketing, and event management tools, combined with expert marketing and analytics services. This unified approach empowers organizers to drive nonstop engagement and capture fan insights before, during, and after their event. With offices in Dallas, Montreal, and Sydney, plus an expansive remote workforce, their team is dedicated to helping organizers connect with audiences and bring once-in-a-lifetime experiences to event goers around the world. Their game-changing technology and passionate team are why the most iconic brands in attractions, music, fandom conventions, and sports use Leap to elevate their experiences. Find out more at www.leapevent.tech.

About Vector Capital Management, L.P.

Vector Capital is a leading, San Francisco-based investment firm focused on transformational investments in middle-market technology and technology-enabled businesses. Founded in 1997, Vector manages $3.7 billion in capital across its credit and private equity strategies on behalf of a high-quality group of global limited partners. For nearly 28 years, we have invested in technology businesses concurrent with implementing an operational transformation to deliver breakthrough operational and financial results. For more information, please visit www.vectorcapital.com.

At the NFL’s Fan Experience in downtown San Francisco’s Moscone Center during Super Bowl week, Rocket Mortgage delivered an event activation that exemplified how storytelling, technology, and data strategy can work together to drive remarkable results. Let’s dive into what made the elements of their onsite activation so effective.

The Messaging: Building a Brand Activation that Connects with Authenticity 

Rocket Mortgage’s Super Bowl LX campaign set out to be a rallying cry for the American neighborhood. To bring this concept to life, the brand transformed its activation area into an immersive neighborhood, inspired by Bay Area front porches, bus stops, and famous architecture like the painted ladies. Every detail of Rocket Mortgage’s footprint reinforced how connection doesn’t happen by accident, it happens when people show up for their community and each other.

This message aligned perfectly with the themes of the NFL’s biggest fan event and resonated with thousands of sports fans. Just as football brings communities together, Rocket Mortgage showcased itself as a brand that supports those same relationships in everyday life. Their campaign inspired deep connections with fans for a few key reasons:

• It tapped into universal human truths of belonging, community, and home.
• It created emotional relevance beyond their product.
• It made the brand feel authentic, not transactional.

For event organizers, this underscores how technology can amplify a brand’s impact, but especially when the story is strong enough to carry it.

The Technology: Powering Seamless Fan Engagement with Leap

Behind the scenes, this activation was fueled by a seamless integration between Leap’s engagement platform and the NFL’s OnePass mobile app. Powered by Leap, the NFL OnePass app provided fans with a central hub for event information and the key to unlocking personalized experiences. This event mobile app is also how brands collect authenticated fan data in real time.

As fans entered onsite brand activations like Rocket Mortgage’s, they scanned their OnePass QR codes to instantly register their participation and tailor their experience. Fans were greeted by name, reinforcing the sense that they were stepping into a community designed specifically for them. 

Throughout the space, connected digital touchpoints worked together to capture engagement data without interrupting the flow of the activation. This approach ensured that the technology remained invisible to the user while still delivering powerful results and deep data insights for the brand.

The Experience: Brand Activations That Drive Engagement

Rocket Mortgage designed its activation as a series of unique experiential journeys to engage fans. Attendees moved naturally from one interaction to the next, while the brand captured valuable attendee data at every step.

Dream Home Finder

At the center of the booth, the Dream Home Finder offered a gamified experience. Attendees could connect neighborhoods to NFL players and teams, and also identify potential dream home locations across the country using a geo-guessing game. As participants played, the system captured gameplay metrics, preferences, and selected destinations. This information was then paired with each fan’s profile, offering insight into where they live and where they aspire to move. For a company in the mortgage and home-buying industry, imagine the value of capturing these insights from prospective customers. They are goldmines for lead generation and customer acquisition! 

Photo & Video Booth

Nearby, the neighborhood-style photo and video booth introduced a more personal layer to the experience. Once inside, guests were prompted to answer the question: “What does it mean to be a great neighbor?” Their responses were recorded as short video testimonials, and each fan received a branded photo strip to take with them as well. Each interaction was automatically tied to their engagement profile through OnePass, allowing Rocket Mortgage to collect user-generated content alongside structured data that serves as valuable material for their future marketing efforts.

This stop in the experience was brilliant marketing – it empowered fans to share personal perspective into what creates that intimate feel of neighborhood and community. The content provides Rocket Mortgage with organic marketing assets that not only align with, but amplify their brand messaging out in the market. 

Mail Your Postcard

Attendees were encouraged to share their moments with others, extending Rocket Mortgage’s reach far outside the Super Bowl Experience. After snapping a picture in the photo booth, fans received two photo strips: one to keep as a souvenir and another to add to Rocket Mortgage’s neighborhood bus stop. They could also choose from a series of original postcards co-branded with Rocket Mortgage and Super Bowl. Fans could simply fill their postcard out to send to a friend and drop it into the booth’s mailbox. These were then mailed free of charge after the event. This simple addition helped reinforce the campaign’s theme of connection while creating additional brand touchpoints outside the venue.

NFL Player and Celebrity Meet & Greets

Throughout the week, meet-and-greet appearances of famous NFL players and celebrities drew consistent crowds to the space. Fans had the opportunity to take photos, interact with these public figures, and watch them participate in themed challenges tied to the idea of being a good neighbor. Some of these challenges included bench-pressing grocery bags or pushing trash cans as fast as they could. The chance to see and interact with NFL stars helped drive large crowds throughout the week, and Rocket Mortgage used best-in-class experiential concepts to make each moment exciting for fans. 

The Data: Reaching Beyond the Event with First Party Data

As Rocket Mortgage’s broader campaign (including a Super Bowl commercial) generated awareness on a national scale, the activation functioned as a powerful engine for capturing high-quality, first-party data.

Every interaction within Rocket Mortgage’s booth contributed to a growing dataset that blended insights on demographics and consumer behavior. Over the five days of the Super Bowl Experience, Rocket Mortgage built a robust dataset that included:

• Travel origins of attendees
• Dream home preferences and locations
• Distance between current and desired place to live
• Favorite NFL teams
• Booth interactions, including who visited multiple times

This data flowed directly from Leap’s mobile app and activations into Rocket Mortgage’s marketing systems, enabling seamlessly targeted communications after the event. The data collected onsite informed their email outreach and other marketing efforts, allowing the brand to continue building relationships with attendees after they left the venue.

A Blueprint to Skyrocket Event Engagement

Rocket Mortgage’s presence at the Super Bowl Experience offers a clear example of what makes a successful brand activation – one built on connection, powered by technology, and sustained through data. By anchoring the experience in a meaningful narrative and leveraging seamless technology to execute it, this company created an activation that delivered both deep fan connection and measurable results.

Looking to fuel more authentic connections between brands and fans at your event, while capturing valuable data in the process? Contact our team to learn how Leap’s technology can make that possible with our attendee engagement solution.

“This rebrand represents more than just a name change. It’s about unifying our incredible technology and passionate teams under one vision,” said Michael Marty, President of Leap Event Technology. “By bringing ShowClix and Ticketbooth under the Leap umbrella, we’re creating an unstoppable force that will revolutionize how organizers connect with their attendees and transform experiences.”

Current ShowClix and Ticketbooth users can rest assured that their event operations will continue without interruption. While the platform names will transition to Leap Event Technology across dashboards, ticketing pages, and customer communications, the core products, features, and functionality remain unchanged. Consolidating under one recognizable name reinforces how clients can easily go beyond ticketing and tap into Leap’s full suite of solutions – from mobile apps and fan engagement to marketing services and event management – to elevate their experiences.

The rebrand is coming at a time of significant expansion for Leap Event Technology, as the company continues to enhance its capabilities and extend its global reach. By consolidating its solutions under the Leap brand, the company reinforces its position as an innovative leader within the rapidly evolving live events industry.

About Leap Event Technology

Leap’s global event technology solution empowers organizers to transform their events into electrifying experiences for attendees. The company provides an all-in-one suite of ticketing, mobile apps, experiential marketing, CRM, and event management tools, combined with expert marketing and analytics services. This unified approach empowers organizers to drive nonstop engagement and capture fan insights before, during, and after their event. With offices in Dallas, Montreal, and Sydney, plus an expansive remote workforce, their team is dedicated to helping organizers connect with audiences and bring once-in-a-lifetime experiences to event goers around the world. Their game-changing technology and passionate team are why the most iconic brands in attractions, music, fandom conventions, sports, and the arts use Leap to elevate their experiences. Find out more at leapevent.tech/.

The events industry is buzzing with innovation! From AI-powered personalization to immersive hybrid experiences, we help you transform how you connect with audiences and create unforgettable moments. Let’s explore the exciting trends shaping the future of events and what they mean for organizers like you.

What Types of New Event Technology are On the Rise?

Event technology isn’t just about having the latest gadgets at your venue. It’s about creating engaging experiences that happen in real time, managing the logistics of physical spaces, and connecting with passionate audiences who live and breathe your events. When these three elements come together, that’s when the magic of event tech truly shines. Let’s explore some of the most impactful new technology for events like yours!

1. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the event industry in ways we couldn’t have imagined, even just a few years ago. While some applications of AI may fade with the current hype, this technology has real potential to elevate attendee experiences when implemented thoughtfully and with proper training.

AI-powered solutions can streamline support, enhance community-building between attendees with similar interests, and save you loads of tons of time with its event planning technology capabilities. At Leap, we’re exploring how AI can empower organizers to create more personalized, engaging experiences without losing the human touch that makes events special. We’re leveraging it to innovate checkout experiences, deliver more in less time, and even handle image cleanup and cropping for our photo ops.

2. Hybrid Experiences

The lines between physical and digital experiences continue to blur in exciting ways. AR and VR technologies are creating immersive environments that transport attendees beyond traditional event boundaries. For example, 4D theatres are taking entertainment to the next level with sensory experiences that engage audiences like never before.

Many venues are upfitting their spaces with new technology capabilities, breathing fresh life into classic locations. Interactive streaming solutions allow remote attendees to participate in real time, creating truly flexible attendance options. These hybrid approaches amplify your event’s reach while maintaining the energy and connection that make live experiences unforgettable.

3. Data Analytics from Fan Engagement

Understanding your audience has never been more important, and modern analytics tools are making it easier than ever. Personalization and hyper-targeting capabilities let you create tailored experiences that speak directly to individual preferences. Gamification elements drive engagement and create memorable interactions. Crowd recognition technology can help optimize flow and safety, while deep trend analysis reveals what truly resonates with your attendees. The secret is balancing data collection with genuine connection. This means focusing on capturing meaningful engagement rather than forcing data collection at every touchpoint.

Thanks to our attendee engagement solution, Leap can help you harness these insights while keeping the focus on what matters most: creating incredible events. Our activations platform helps event organizers deliver tailored content and recommendations to attendees based on insights gathered during events.

4. Privacy and Security

As event technology advances, so does the importance of privacy and security. For instance, facial recognition systems offer convenience for faster logins; however, they require careful implementation with attendee consent and transparency. Security threats continue to evolve, making robust protection essential for attendee data and payment information. At Leap, we prioritize security in every platform, so you can focus on creating amazing experiences with confidence.

What is Driving These Events Industry Trends?

Several powerful forces are pushing new event technology forward. The hottest topic, AI, is shaking up every industry.  When it comes to events, AI is affecting every step of your customer journey, including marketing, travel, and fan engagement once onsite. The convenience of its power can be leveraged to empower operations, analytics, and even content accessibility like live translations.

The demand for hybrid and flexible attendance options has skyrocketed, driven partly by the lasting impacts of remote work culture. As travel costs continue to rise, virtual participation through livestream is becoming a popular, accessible alternative for some attendees. At the same time, the fans who attend these events in person expect more engaging, interactive experiences to justify their investment of time and money. General improvements in technology and internet accessibility make sophisticated solutions possible for events of all sizes.

Mastering the Latest Event Technology Trends

The events industry is an incredibly exciting space to be in right now. Innovation is happening at every level across every type of event, including festivals, conventions, theaters, sports leagues, and so much more! By staying ahead of these trends, your events will be set up for success to bring in more attendees and keep them coming back year after year.

Ready to take your event to the next level? Leap is an industry leader driving many of these event technology trends alongside our clients. We empower event organizers in every industry to amplify their impact and streamline their operations with our full suite of event technology solutions. Let’s give your attendees an experience they will never forget!

Part One: Meet Mike Barbeau

Since graduating from University of Colorado Boulder, Mike has built 25 years of marketing experience with brands like Adobe, NBA, Coachella, and AMEX. He’s even worked on Budweiser Super Bowl commercials and helped eBay when it was just a startup. Whether it’s branding, influencer marketing, or digital advertising, he is an innovative leader in the ever-changing marketing industry. We met with Mike to learn more about how all this experience translates into his role at Leap as SVP of Strategy in Marketing Solutions to elevate how Leap manages its clients’ marketing.

What does your strategic role encompass, and how do you define success in it?

I’m here to broaden the scope of marketing and analytics services that Leap can offer to clients. Whether that’s paid media, creative, technology projects or data services, we need to identify where our clients have needs, then build the teams, traits, and processes to deliver those services at a world class level. The short-term success will come in the form of more strategic conversations with our existing clients. The long-term success will be visible in the form of better fan engagement, more revenue for our clients, and deeper relationships within the industry as a trusted advisor around empowering the people and products that drive the world’s best events.

What are the most exciting opportunities you see right now in the live event technology industry for Leap?

This industry has some of the hungriest, most passionate people that are literally trying to put on events that make people’s jaws drop. That energy and drive has led to people building things at speed, which leads to opportunities for us to create structure and scale for repeatability and growth. Whether that’s orchestrating data, optimizing the use of technology to make things faster or less expensive, or finding new channels and ways to get messages to the right people, the opportunities are nearly as endless as the energy to collaborate and create with our clients.

Part Two: Meet Erik Hostetler

Erik is an award-winning creative executive with 25 years leading teams and delivering results for brands like Nike, Delta Air Lines, and Coca-Cola. He has pioneered Publicis Groupe’s “Makers Studio” and has been recognized by some of the leading award shows in the industry. Now, he’s bringing cutting-edge ideas into his role as SVP of Creative in Marketing Solutions at Leap. Here’s what he had to share about what he does and what his strategic vision for the company looks like.

What is your role at Leap Event Technology like? Walk us through what a week at your job might entail.

My role is to raise the standard of what we make, how it performs, and how consistently it shows up across channels. This means leveling up our marketing offerings and turning our intelligence, insight, and data into impactful, well-crafted creative output. That starts with identifying what more we can unlock for our clients through better messaging, media-ready ideas, as well as ways to connect creativity to data and technology. From there, I build the teams, processes, and craft required to deliver work at a world-class level.

In the short term, success shows up in better creative conversations – clearer briefs, stronger ideas, and work that earns confidence from clients. Over time, it shows up in results. Higher fan engagement, more revenue, and deeper partnerships built on trust in what Leap can accomplish for them.

What impact do you hope your creative leadership will have on the company’s identity and the events industry overall?

I want my creative leadership to sharpen the company’s creative identity around performance, taste, craft, and trust. When people see our work, they should immediately understand what Leap stands for: smart ideas and high-quality work that drives real outcomes.

Internally, the impact is clarity and confidence. Teams know the bar. They understand how the creative aspects connect to data, media, and technology, and they feel ownership of the product they put into the world. That raises production speed and consistency at the same time.

For the events industry, the impact is setting a higher creative standard. Creative should not be decoration or promotion. It should be a growth engine. It should be a well-crafted blend of art, science, and philosophy. Work should sell more tickets, deepen fan loyalty, and create moments people actually want to be part of. If we do this right, we help shift the industry toward building creative assets that are accountable, scalable, and built to perform.

Part Three: Meet Joe Hix

Since graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a background in computer science, marketing, and advertising, Joe Hix has built over 20 years of experience driving innovation and growth for some of the world’s most iconic brands. From the Dallas Cowboys and Verizon to Nike, Marriott, and Live Nation, Joe has a proven track record of delivering transformative solutions across marketing, technology, and operations. With expertise in customer data platforms, generative AI, and marketing technology, he continues to shape seamless multi-channel experiences for live events and global clients. We sat down with Joe to hear more about the vision he has for his role as SVP of Innovation in Marketing Solutions.

What are the primary responsibilities of your innovative role?

In my role leading innovation at Leap, I focus on elevating and expanding the company’s technology capabilities. My work ranges from advising clients on their marketing and revenue operations stacks to architecting a data-as-a-service platform and modernizing the way Leap approaches analytics to uncover deeper customer insights.

I’m driving the transformation of Leap’s execution stack, from traditional email and CRM programs to multi-channel ecosystems that span acquisition through retention. I’m also playing a key role in evolving creative production from static assets to highly personalized, dynamic experiences powered by data and technology.

Beyond that, I contribute heavily to Leap’s mobile solutions, help shape customer strategies, and partner closely with the new business teams to extend the reach of the company’s technical and service offerings.

How is Leap uniquely positioned to lead innovation in the live events industry?

What makes Leap truly special is the breadth of technology and solutions we bring to the table, covering the entire customer experience from end to end. Our capabilities span multi-channel marketing strategy and execution, ticketing platforms, mobile apps, experiential solutions, and more.

From a data perspective, we have visibility into the full customer journey from start to finish. That means we’re never guessing; we’re building insight-driven, customer-valued solutions that evolve continuously. This connected ecosystem allows us to create experiences that are smarter, more relevant, and always aligned with what customers actually want.

A Builder’s Mindset: Why Barbeau Chose Leap

For Barbeau, the decision to join Leap was rooted in people and purpose as much as it was in opportunity. After decades working with globally recognized brands, he reached a point where the quality of the people he collaborated with mattered more than anything else.

When he initially connected with Leap, it seemed almost too good to be true – a company filled with innovative, driven people working with some of the most compelling brands in live events. Best of all, Leap offered something Barbeau and his team value deeply: the chance to build. “The biggest thing for us is we’re builders [and] we wanted to build something bigger,” he noted. In light of this, Leap has given them full autonomy to create a marketing service offering designed to become a true growth engine for clients.

Why Events Demand a Different Marketing Playbook

What excites Barbeau most about leading Leap’s marketing services is the unique nature of the events industry itself. Event marketing stands apart from traditional product marketing by offering a clear and tangible measure of success. “At the end of the day, there’s [an] arena that is either full or not full,” stated Barbeau. “And that’s the cool part of the events.” That environment creates both urgency and opportunity, allowing marketers to test, learn, and adapt far more quickly than in many other industries.

It also creates space for Leap to play a more consultative role with clients, moving beyond simply executing requests to actively guiding strategy based on what is working from the data. For Barbeau, that shift is about more than just driving better results. It’s about building careers, fostering talent, and creating an environment where people can grow alongside the clients they serve.

Challenging the Status Quo in Digital Event Marketing

At the heart of Leap’s marketing philosophy is a clear understanding of the challenges event marketers face today. Many teams are stuck in patterns built on habits rather than creative risk-taking. This means sending the same emails, spending on the same paid ads, and repeating tactics because they’ve always been done that way.

The problem isn’t that marketers are doing everything wrong; it’s that they aren’t willing to try something new that could be “more right,” as Barbeau put it. While doing the same strategies may deliver incremental gains to a business for now, he emphasized that “the status quo is always going to fail eventually”. Leap’s approach is built around helping clients – like the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Roots – stay ahead of that curve. This includes testing new ideas, learning from failure, and applying proven successes across its broad client base.

The Shift Towards Convergence in Marketing

Those shifts in consumer behavior are fundamentally reshaping event marketing strategy, by moving away from volume-based marketing (i.e., the more ads, the better) to a more thoughtful, data-driven approach. “I think the best event marketers are going to be doing less communication and spending less money to get more return on their investment,” he noted.Leap is prioritizing relevance, timing, and personalization in its content, recognizing that audiences only respond to communications when they are useful and timely. According to Barbeau, it’s an approach centered around one key theme: convergence. That means aligning email, paid media, and all other marketing channels into a cohesive plan that prioritizes impact over output, even when that runs counter to traditional revenue models built on sheer execution volume.

Data as Leap’s Superpower for Events

This philosophy is deeply tied to Leap’s differentiator in the market: data. With access to tens of millions of ticket buyer records and engagement touch points across industries, Leap operates from a vantage point few can match. Thanks to this huge database of ticket sales, Barbeau stated, “We know how the world of ticket buying works.” That cross-pollination allows Leap to provide proven marketing advice to its clients, identifying what works in one vertical, understanding what won’t translate to another, and tailoring strategies accordingly. To this end, Barbeau added,“We are now trying to be more of a consultative force in the services industry in events.” In a world where marketing is increasingly shaped by data rather than instinct alone, that breadth of perspective is a powerful advantage. 

That consultative mindset is reinforced internally through close collaboration between Barbeau and Leap’s other leaders. The dynamic is intentionally built on open communication, daily collaboration, and a shared belief that the best ideas can come from anywhere. By combining pragmatic business thinking, deep technical expertise, and bold experimentation, the team is able to deliver powerful solutions that connect strategy, technology, and storytelling in meaningful ways.

Leading the Charge in Event Marketing

Leap’s consultative approach is more than just a business model; it’s a commitment to building lasting partnerships. By leveraging unparalleled data and challenging the norm, Leap empowers clients to build stronger, more meaningful connections with their audiences. By investing in forward-thinking marketing services with Barbeau and his team, our company has made its goals and ambitions clear. Leap is not only staying ahead of the curve, but actively defining it.

At Leap, we approach our software with a mindset of continuous improvement. Rather than treating your ticketing as a static, “set-it-and-forget-it” system, we treat it as a living, evolving experience — one that’s continuously tested, refined, and optimized to meet modern buyer expectations while protecting revenue at scale. Discover how we used this approach to optimize the ticketing checkout flow on our new event pages to help earn clients additional revenue.

Why a Smooth Checkout Matters for Event Attendees

Today’s ticket buyers bring high expectations into the checkout experience. They expect speed, clarity, and confidence, especially when purchasing tickets for premium or high-demand events. Any friction in the checkout funnel (e.g., extra fields, redundant steps, or slow loading speeds) can quickly lead to cart abandonment. This is amplified during on-sale moments for large events, when the stakes are even higher.

That’s why checkout optimization is no longer just a UX concern. It’s a discipline that blends user experience design, data analysis, and payment infrastructure to ensure transactions are fast, secure, and reliable. As every organizer knows, the event experience begins long before doors. Touchpoints like the ticket purchase process, confirmation pages, and follow-up emails are key factors in meeting those high expectations. Put simply: a smooth checkout builds trust in your brand and confidence in the event itself.

Our Data-Driven Approach to Tech Innovation

Leap’s approach to checkout design is grounded in one core belief: assumptions don’t bring consistent results, data does. Rather than relying on best guesses or general beliefs in the events industry, we commit to rigorous testing and continuous improvement. The enhancements to our event technology are evaluated based on real buyer behavior and measurable outcomes.

A/B testing plays a central role in this philosophy. By presenting different versions of the checkout experience to different segments of buyers, we can determine which refinements actually drive higher completion rates. At the same time, we understand the stakes of large-scale live events. Leap balances experimentation with stability, ensuring that optimizations are rolled out thoughtfully and only after they’ve proven their value.

Optimizing the Ticket Purchase Flow Through Checkout Testing

To show this data-driven philosophy in action, Leap enforced rigorous testing standards to determine the ideal ticket purchase experience. Through controlled experiments, we’ve identified specific changes that meaningfully improve conversion and buyer confidence to our professional ticketing solution. Through the work of our team and plenty of testing, we’ve implemented three optimizations on the newest version of Leap’s ticketing pages.

1. Simplifying Delivery Method Selection

Delivery method selection is a deceptively small step that can present optimization opportunities. Through testing, we found that displaying multiple free delivery options with “$0” labels actually slowed buyers down in the buying process. To address this, we removed the $0 labels entirely and introduced a default delivery option, with a dropdown for alternatives such as text, print-at-home, or email. Such a minor change has streamlined the path to purchase completion, resulting in measurable increases in completed ticket purchases driven by clarity and fewer steps.

The Result: Leap drove a 3% increase in ticket purchases on our new listing format by simplifying delivery method selection.

2. Removing Non-Essential Friction Points

By de-emphasizing or removing secondary steps, we’ve been able to provide a more fluid purchase experience. Elements like prominently placed promo code fields, redundant cart summaries, and additional navigation links can pull attention away from the primary goal: finishing the purchase. At scale, this enhancement drove additional ticket purchases consistently, especially during high-demand on-sales where speed is critical.

The Result: By removing certain questions from the checkout flow altogether, clients experienced up to a 2% increase in ticket conversion rates.

3. Strengthening Payment Processing

Even the most thoughtfully designed checkout experience can fail if payments don’t go through. Leap maximizes payment success rates by leveraging Stripe’s Authorization Boost, which helps reduce false declines from issuing banks. False declines can quietly chip away at sales, particularly for large events with high transaction volumes and diverse buyer locations.

Leap continuously fine-tunes the fraud rules for its transactions to strike the right balance that blocks fraudulent transactions and approves legitimate purchases. After all, overly aggressive fraud prevention may reduce chargebacks, but it also may unnecessarily block valid ticket buyers. Our approach protects revenue without sacrificing trust or conversion.

The Result: By maximizing payment success while preventing chargebacks, clients have experienced an additional 1-2% increase in revenue with Leap.

Real-World Impact: What Checkout Optimization Delivers for Large Events

Leap’s checkout process optimization reinforces a simple but powerful truth: data-driven improvements to our technology (even small ones) lead to more conversions. Incremental conversion lifts scale quickly across multi-day festivals, national tours, and high-volume venues. After all, those incremental gains really add up, and a few percentage points gained at checkout can make a significant difference towards a company’s bottom line!

Beyond revenue, these improvements directly influence fan satisfaction and brand perception. Buyers associate a smooth, professional checkout with a well-run event. That confidence carries through to attendance, positive word-of-mouth, and repeat purchases.

Checkout Optimization as a Competitive Advantage

Ongoing testing of Leap’s ticketing pages translates directly into more revenue and, more importantly, a better first impression for every single attendee. This is why Leap’s ticketing system stands out as one of the best tools to optimize online checkout conversion rates for large-scale events. Our ticketing platform is built to deliver a polished, professional, high-converting ticket purchase experience – one that protects revenue, strengthens brand trust, and supports events at the highest level.

Understanding Gen Z’s Mindset & Preferences

To successfully market events to Gen Z, organizers first need to understand what motivates them. After all, this generation approaches brands, experiences, and spending decisions differently than those before them.

Values First

Gen Z is one of the most values-driven generations. Research consistently shows that authenticity, social impact, and purpose lead their decision-making. Sources like The ODM Group, The Castle Group, and Event Espresso highlight that Gen Z expects brands to “walk the walk,” not just promote polished marketing messages. More specifically, this generation:

• Avoids overly salesy content and looks for genuine communication 
• Pays attention to sustainability efforts, inclusion, and community contributions
• Wants transparency pertaining to topics like what your event stands for, how it’s run, and how it impacts the community

Clearly communicating your purpose and the value your event brings isn’t optional for Gen Z – it’s expected.

Trust & Brand Engagement

Trust is a key driver of engagement for Gen Z, and when a brand earns their trust, they are highly loyal.

According to the Freeman + Edelman Gen Z Report, 71% of Gen Z say their trust in a brand increases after attending a live event. This reinforces that experiences, not just messaging, shape their perception.

To build credibility with this group:

• Be transparent about your operations and event logistics.
• Share your sustainability commitments and social good initiatives. 
• Show how attendee dollars contribute to real-world impact.

Live events are where trust is built, so use them to strengthen your event’s long-term brand connection with Gen Z.

Blending the Physical & Digital Worlds

Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has grown up with advanced digital technology. They expect events to incorporate digital aspects – not just as add-ons, but as elements woven into the live experience. 

That doesn’t mean you should host everything virtually. On the contrary, in-person experiences remain the most powerful. However, wherever possible, incorporate digital elements into your physical event, such as QR codes, event apps, interactive digital activations, or seamless mobile engagement. 

At the same time, Gen Z tends to be cost-conscious. A well-designed ticketing or price structure, paired with clear value, can encourage attendance without eroding perceived value.

Where Gen Z Discovers Events (Channels + Content)

Understanding where Gen Z finds events is just as important as how you promote them. Their discovery journey is heavily social, peer-driven, and rooted in digital-first platforms.

Social Media as Discovery Hubs

For most of Gen Z, events aren’t discovered through flyers or ads; they’re discovered first in their social media feeds. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are central to how Gen Z finds events. According to Ticmint, these platforms double as entertainment sources and research tools.

Content that performs well includes:

• Short-form video teasers (Reels, TikToks)
• Behind-the-scenes content and attendee stories
• UGC reposts and creator collaborations 
• Interactive content like polls, quizzes, and countdowns

If you want to reach Gen Z early and often, social media is where you need to be.

Messaging Apps & Peer Recommendations

Word-of-mouth is a primary way this generation decides to attend an event as well. According to Ticmint, about 21% of Gen Z discover events through messaging apps like WhatsApp or Snapchat. In addition, about 60% rely on peer recommendations when buying tickets. This generation listens to their friends more than brands, meaning shareability and easy “send this to a friend” moments are essential in your marketing.

Live-Streaming & Community Platforms

Even if your event is rooted in an in-person experience, consider live-streaming parts of it, especially for friends who can’t attend or for fans across the globe. Live video content keeps the excitement going, extends reach beyond your physical venue, and can create a sense of inclusion among those watching from afar. Using live streams to announce performers, drop exclusive updates, reveal event setups, or offer sneak peeks can help build excitement in real time.

Creating pre- or post-event community spaces (on platforms like Discord, community forums, chat apps, or event apps) helps sustain connection and builds your loyal following beyond a single event.

Designing Event Experiences Gen  Z Will Love

For Gen Z, the event experience itself is the brand. The most successful events are intentionally designed to be participatory, shareable, and aligned with their values.

Interactive & Experiential Design

Gen Z wants to actively participate in your event, not just attend. For example, if you’re hosting a conference, swap lecture-style or “stand-and-watch” formats for hands-on activities. Sources like National Event Connection and The Castle Group emphasize giving Gen Z ownership of their experience so they feel like they’re playing a more active part.

Looking for ways to better engage this demographic? Some Gen Z event ideas for participation include:

• Sticker walls and co-creation spaces
• Live collaboration boards
• DIY activations
• Gamified experiences like scavenger hunts or QR missions

Hybrid & Digital-Native Experiences

True engagement often comes from blending physical and digital elements of your experience together. Based on insights from The Concierge Club and PurplePass, you can elevate your experience by offering:

• Hybrid-friendly participation options (e.g., livestreamed components or virtual add-ons)
• Mobile apps, RFID wristbands, or smart badges to unlock personalized moments
• AR filters or VR previews to help market the event

When it comes to AR specifically, marketing thought leaders note that this interactive technology makes experiences more memorable and shareable, which is exactly what Gen Z gravitates toward. 

Social-Media-Ready Moments

Gen Z increasingly documents their lives and events to share with others. Therefore, you should design your event with shareable moments in mind to turn these attendees into advocates for your brand. Examples that perform well:

• Branded backdrops
• Neon or LED installations
• Themed photo stations
• Short, visually striking activations designed to be filmed

The key here is to have well-designed moments that make them excited to snap some photos or make a quick video. After all, it’s easily shareable, Gen Z will help promote it for you!

Purpose-Built In

Gen Z expects more than entertainment. They care about social responsibility, sustainability, inclusivity, and genuine impact. Therefore, the kinds of events that resonate with them most are ones that incorporate eco-friendly practices, social causes, charitable activism, or community-building. Here are some ideas:

• Recycling and composting stations
• Low-waste materials
• Donation booths or charity partnerships
• Cause-aligned partners

Important note: This generation appreciates genuine purpose-driven actions over superficial claims. That means your commitments must be real and integrated authentically into your experience. 

Wellness & Mental Health

This generation also values balance, mental health, and meaningful downtime. If it suits your event, consider including wellness zones, quiet spaces, chill-out areas, self-care sessions, and variety in programming so attendees can choose how they engage.

Marketing Tactics & Campaign Execution for Gen Z in 2026

Reaching Gen Z in 2026 requires flexibility, creativity, and authenticity. These tactics focus on building momentum, community, and long-term engagement rather than one-off promotion.

Influencer Partnerships

Gen Z tends to trust micro-influencers and creators with smaller, engaged followings more than public figures with large followings. These voices are perceived as peers rather than polished celebrities. Partner with these kinds of influencers at your events and give them creative control, such as letting them co-create content, host parts of the event, or run challenges. These authentic partnerships tend to outperform traditional paid-promo posts.

Limited-Time & FOMO-Based Strategies

Gen Z responds well to urgency and exclusivity, but the key is to be authentic about it. Early-bird ticket drops, limited VIP passes, “secret” activations, or exclusive content can drive more enthusiasm, especially when tied to real value or unique experiences. Countdowns, reveal campaigns, or staged teaser content on social media can help build anticipation while respecting Gen Z’s value for honesty.

Community Building

Think of your event as the start of an ongoing relationship, not just a single transaction. Build community. Create channels on social media, forums, or via your event app for attendees to connect, discuss, share ideas, and get hype for what’s coming. Use branded hashtags, user-generated content prompts, or interactive pre-event Q&As to boost engagement. After the event, keep the community alive by sharing highlights, encouraging feedback, and offering early access to future events. That kind of continuity builds loyalty that truly lasts. 

Using Leap to Reach Gen Z & Drive Attendance

Understanding what Gen Z responds to is one thing; bringing those strategies to life is where many event organizers get stuck. The good news is you don’t need custom tech stacks or complicated workflows to deliver the kind of interactive, purpose-driven, and digital-first experiences Gen Z expects. Leap is designed to help organizers turn these ideas into real, engaging moments before, during, and after the event. From gamification and personalization to community-building and digital activations, Leap gives you the tools to meet Gen Z where they are, without adding operational complexity. With Leap’s attendee engagement, you can:

• Gamify your event space — Use the app to run scavenger hunts, interactive missions, or leaderboards to keep attendees engaged and motivated.
• Incorporate digital experiences into your live event — Link physical moments (check-ins, QR codes, live interactions) with digital touchpoints (push notifications, content reveals, personalization).
• Build community — Offer in-app social features that link off to where attendees can chat, connect, and continue engagement post-event.
• Support personalization & flexibility — Let attendees build custom schedules, opt into sessions aligned with their interests, and receive tailored recommendations via the event mobile app.
• Facilitate purpose-driven activations — Use our activations platform to highlight sustainability efforts, cause-based initiatives, or charity components as well as make participation in those causes easy and inspiring.

In short, Leap helps you implement many of the “Gen Z-preferred” features described above, without overcomplicating setup or user experience.

A Compelling Case Study

ZCON is a youth-focused conference designed to blend serious conversations with entertainment, inclusivity, and modern culture. Their mix of influencer panels, art, music, and community-focused programming has been widely praised for striking the right balance between authenticity and fun. 

Attendees experience a wide range of interactive elements, from scheduled dance breaks and hula hooping to magician performances and DJ sets sponsored by Spotify, all designed to foster joy and participation. Beyond entertainment, ZCON emphasizes meaningful conversations around diversity, accessibility, mental health, and redefining online culture, ensuring the content resonates with Gen Z’s values and interests.

The conference also encourages direct interaction with creators and industry professionals, such as actresses Auli’i Cravalho and Chandler Kinney, as well as Paralympic champion Ezra Frech. Breakout sessions allow attendees to connect more intimately with organizations like Creator Camp, Altadena Girls, and Gen Z for Change, blending networking, mentorship, and collaborative learning.

Sponsors, including Coach, Cosmopolitan, E.L.F., and Amazon Prime, integrate purpose-driven activations subtly, supporting experiences rather than overshadowing them. ZCON’s approach demonstrates that blending entertainment, authentic discussion, and interactive participation can create a truly memorable event for Gen Z.

How to Market to Gen Z in 2026  

Gen Z is a force to be reckoned with, shaping a new kind of live event culture that’s rooted in authenticity, participation, purpose, and shareability. If you want to reach them in 2026, you’ll need to meet them where they are: digitally savvy, values-driven, socially conscious, and hungry for real connections.

By combining thoughtful event design, engaging marketing tactics, and tools like Leap’s suite of solutions, you can create experiences that don’t just get people in the door, but build community, loyalty, and meaning.

Ready to design your next event to better target Gen Z? Leap’s attendee engagement solution can help you turn that vision into reality!