INTIX2025 NYC v040825 - Flipbook - Page 30
INTIX 2025
Voorhees then introduced Ebony Hattix, IDEA
Committee member and Director of Guest Services for
the Memphis Grizzlies, to give remarks and introduce
the roundtable general session speaker.
HIGHLIGHTS
Day Three
Thursday, January 30, 2025
An inspiring roundtable,
a powerful closing
keynote... and a fond
farewell to NYC!
The 昀椀nal day of the INTIX 46th Annual Conference
& Exhibition began with a networking coffee break
sponsored by AXS. It was an impressive early morning
gathering where ideas percolated, conversations 昀氀owed
and connections brewed.
Attendees then moved to the main room for a dynamic
roundtable general session on cultural intelligence, a
workshop inspired by the ongoing efforts of the INTIX
IDEA Committee. This group of ticketing professionals
plays a key role in advancing the goals outlined in the
INTIX Strategic Long-Range Plan (SLRP), reinforcing
the association’s commitment to fostering a more
inclusive and culturally aware industry.
Ashley Voorhees, the incoming INTIX Board Chair and
Vice President of Administrative Services at Omaha
Performing Arts, expanded on the goals of the SLRP.
“[We aim] to foster a culture of anti-racist and equitable
practices, ensuring a fully accessible association with
resources for our members, partners and community.
One of the strategies … is to enhance the measurable
diversity of conference presenters, new attendees,
vendors and INTIX membership,” she said. “I am
pleased to share the results of these efforts. We were
able to allocate scholarships to underserved individuals
amounting to 52% of the available [PD&E] funds [for
conference travel and admission]. This is up from 49%
last year, which is wonderful to see.”
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“I would like to begin by saying it is not just the
disenfranchised or the people who are fully affected
by the work of the IDEA Committee [who need to
participate]. It also requires allyship,” Hattix said as
she encouraged members to join the group. “It is the
ideas of many that reach the goal for all of us.”
On Tuesday at 2:45 p.m., attendees can learn more
about the INTIX Mentor Program in the session
“Motivation Station: Next Stop INTIX Mentorship
Program!” No matter where you are in your ticketing
and career journey, everyone is an expert at something,
and you have more to offer than you think. Gain insights
from multiple verticals within the ticketing industry
and discover ways to enrich your own mentor/mentee
experience.
Roundtable General Session:
An Introduction to
Cultural Intelligence
Dr. Kristal Walker, Vice President of Employee Wellbeing at Sweetwater, began her session by emphasizing
that very in昀氀uential organizations have spent years on
important diversity, equity, and inclusion work.
Walker emphasizes that culture extends far beyond
race, ethnicity and identity. Though she has trained with
renowned cultural intelligence (CQ) expert Dr. David
Livermore, she credits her greatest lessons in CQ to
her own home, where she and her husband are raising
a blended family of 10 children and navigating diverse
perspectives is a daily experience.
“I am a strong believer that anything I want to do
outside on the front line and the public platform has to
start at home,” shared Walker. “I have some of my most
pleasurable and memorable moments when I have to
work with my children, who all have different personalities and desires, and they all want to be dealt with in
a certain way. So, I have the opportunity to learn 昀椀rst
when I’m going to be sharing with you.”
Walker offered a practical de昀椀nition of culture for the
purposes of the conversation, describing it as a way of
life used to describe a group of people who share similar
interests. This perspective set the
foundation for the discussion, emphasizing that culture
is shaped by more than just identity; it is re昀氀ected in
everyday interactions, values, and traditions.
