As the US Open returns to New York, we revisit our conversation with Nicole Kankam, Managing Director of Pro Tennis Marketing & Entertainment at the USTA. Nicole shares how the US Open's Fan Week has become a more accessible and diverse entry point to tennis, and how that experience is helping to build the next generation of players, attendees, and fans.

Hear the full conversation with Nicole in Season 1, Episode 14 of Fandom Unpacked:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17559771-serving-the-future-how-the-us-open-became-a-culture-first-sports-brand

With D23 2026 just days away, we revisit our conversation with Michael Vargo, Senior Vice President of D23, Corporate Events, and the Walt Disney Archives. Michael reflects on Mousequerade, D23’s fan costume competition, and what makes it such a powerful example of fans becoming active participants in the experience rather than just spectators.

Hear the full conversation with Michael Vargo in Season 1, Episode 12 of Fandom Unpacked:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17321112-from-club-to-kingdom-the-power-of-the-disney-fanbase-with-d23

A period-instrument orchestra relocates to a working-class public school, teams up with student street dancers, and suddenly Bach becomes a sold-out, standing-ovation collaboration. That real story, “Breaking Bach,” is our jumping-off point for a bigger question: how do arts and culture organizations grow by shrinking the distance between the stage and the street?

We’re recording live at the 2026 Tessitura Learning and Community Conference near Washington, DC, with returning guest Andrew Recinos, President and CEO of Tessitura. We talk about what arts leaders are feeling right now: ongoing uncertainty, higher costs, and more careful consumer spending, plus the surprising optimism that shows up when creative teams commit to new ways of working. Andrew lays out why “community” can’t just be a department or a calendar of one-off events. When it becomes the mission, it changes fundraising, relevance, and the story people tell about who the arts are for.

We also revisit technology for live experiences: ticketing, customer service, and the temptation to automate away the very human moments that build loyalty. We get honest about AI ethics, bias, environmental impact, and what it means to innovate with integrity. We wrap up with a lightning round of 2027 growth opportunities, from immersive and interactive experiences to finding “shadow audiences,” measuring wellness benefits, and having the discipline to say no.

Subscribe for more conversations on fandom, audience engagement, and the future of live events, then share this with a colleague and leave a review. What’s one way your organization could reduce distance and build real belonging?

Recorded Tuesday, August 5th, 2026
Host: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting
Guest: Andrew Recinos, President and CEO, Tessitura
Lightning Round Guests: 
Fernando Masterson, Director of Marketing, New York City Center
Toni Garcia, Marketing Coordinator, The San Francisco Symphony
Brad Dunn, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Matt Zarracina, CEO & Co-Founder, True Tickets
Parker Krug, Director of Partner Development - Broadway, EBG
Jill Robinson, CEO & Owner, TRG Arts
Producer: Heather Gault, Event Operations Manager, Situation

https://situationinteractive.com
https://amindatworkconsulting.com
https://www.tessitura.com

The arts don’t have a marketing problem. They have a mission translation problem, and it’s hiding in plain sight. From the floor of the Tessitura Learning and Community Conference in Washington, D.C., we talk about what happens when financial pressure pushes nonprofit arts organizations toward short-term tactics, while the very thing that makes them special is long-term community impact.

We unpack a striking insight from our TLCC survey: almost everyone inside an organization understands its mission, but they believe only about 35% of patrons do. That gap is more than a branding issue. It affects loyalty, repeat attendance, donations, subscriptions, and whether audiences feel proud to advocate for you. We explore how “save $30” urgency can coexist with meaning, and why mission-forward brand marketing often makes performance marketing work better, not worse.

We also get honest about measurement. Boards love charts, but not everything important shows up in attribution. Damian shares a gut-check analogy about relationships and ROI, while Meghan and Jackie push for clearer, braver messaging that explains why arts institutions matter without apology. We end with practical ideas for communicating impact, inviting new audiences into your ecosystem, and challenging the “this is how we’ve always done it” story.

Subscribe to Fandom Unpacked, share this with someone who markets live experiences, and leave a rating and review so more listeners can find the show. What’s one sentence you wish every patron knew about your mission?

Recorded Monday, August 3rd, 2026
Guests: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation; Meghan Goria, Account Group Director, Situation; Jackie Lau, Managing Partner, Situation
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting

With TLCC 2026 just around the corner, we revisit a conversation with Tessitura President and CEO Andrew Recinos about what makes a professional community meaningful. Andrew reflects on the forums, affinity groups, and relationships that help arts and culture professionals support one another, not just during a conference, but long after everyone heads home.

Hear the full conversation with Andrew:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17200606

Summer travel season is here, but the trips we remember most are often less about where we go than who we experience them with.

In this ICYMI episode, Sixthman CEO Jeff Cuellar explains why passionate fans will rearrange their calendars, cross traditional demographic lines, and travel wherever it takes when an experience is built around something they love and a community that loves it with them.

Hear the full conversation with Jeff: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/16876082

Oncologists prescribing beaches, Broadway, and ballgames sounds unbelievable until you hear the why. We sit down with Jon Albert, founder of the Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation, to talk about what families actually need when late-stage cancer enters the picture: time, relief, and a chance to feel like a family again.

Jon shares the story behind the foundation, rooted in the loss of his wife Jill to breast cancer when their kids were still young. He puts words to the emotions so many families quietly carry: fear that children will forget a parent, dread of missing every milestone ahead, and guilt about leaving a spouse and kids behind. From that pain came a clear mission and a powerful framework he calls family-centric care: treating the families, not the cancer, and using joy as real support for children’s long-term coping and grief.

We get specific about what the “power of wow” looks like in practice: curated travel, live entertainment, sports, museums, and simple moments like sunsets, all delivered with a concierge-level approach that handles logistics driveway to driveway. We also unpack how the program works through partnerships with leading cancer centers, with families being prescribed to the foundation as part of care. If you work in hospitality, travel, sports, or live events, this conversation will change how you think about the experiences business and the lasting impact of a well-timed memory.

If this moved you, subscribe, share the episode with someone in the experiences world, and leave a review to help more listeners find it.

Recorded Tuesday, June 9th, 2026
Host: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation
Guest: Jon Albert, Founder, Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting

https://www.jajf.org
https://situationinteractive.com
https://amindatworkconsulting.com

As soccer supporters from around the world transform cities across North America with songs, traditions, and unforgettable displays of fandom, we're revisiting a conversation that helps explain how many of those lifelong passions begin.

In this ICYMI episode, Mike Lorenc (Clinical Assistant Professor of Sport Management at the University of Michigan and co-owner of AFC Ann Arbor) shares why the next generation of sports fans often discovers the game in unexpected places—from video games to entertainment partnerships and digital experiences that build fandom long before a first match. As global supporters bring their cultures to life far from home, it's a timely reminder that the path to fandom is changing and that technology can turn a screen into a lifelong connection.

Hear the full conversation with Mike: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17985477-fandom-on-the-field-how-sports-move-the-masses

Monopoly has a reputation for turning friendly game nights into grudge matches, and Saw has a reputation for making people squirm. So what does it look like to build live, immersive experiences from those worlds and still leave guests feeling satisfied, included, and eager to come back?

We sit down with David Hutchinson, CEO of The Path Entertainment Group, to unpack how modern fandom changes when the audience gets real agency. We talk through the creative and operational decisions behind location-based entertainment and interactive theater, from Monopoly Life-Sized to The Paddington Bear™ Experience. David explains why “value added” is the north star, how a “game inside the game” keeps familiar IP fresh, and why clarity matters more than mystery when you’re asking people to participate.

We also get practical about what outsiders underestimate: the sheer complexity of running a building-scale show, the lack of shared infrastructure across the immersive space, and the need for better language so audiences know what they’re signing up for. If you’ve ever wondered how to honor the iconic moments fans came for while still pushing an IP onto a new canvas, this conversation lays out a clear playbook.

Subscribe to Fandom Unpacked, share this episode with someone building live experiences, and leave a rating and review so more creators can find the show.

Recorded Monday, June 8th, 2026
Host: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation
Guest: David Hutchinson, CEO, The Path Entertainment Group
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting

https://situationinteractive.com
https://amindatworkconsulting.com

Game 4 of the NBA Finals is tonight. If you live even remotely close to New York, you're feeling the fandom.

It sent us back to a conversation with Bronwen O'Keefe, Head of Brand Marketing and Content at the Harlem Globetrotters — an organization that's been filling basketball arenas in this city for 100 years — on what it actually means to give every person in a room something to feel. This episode covers:

• what it looks like when 20,000 people are all feeling the same thing at the same time
• why the Harlem Globetrotters have been filling arenas for 100 years
• what fandom looks like when it has something for everyone in the room

Listen to the full conversation with Bronwen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/19275852

And GO KNICKS!