The Tale of Two Platforms: Humanitix vs Legacy Ticketing Platform

It was the best of bookings, it was the worst of bookings.

Jolon Cooke, Director at Activate Media Events, recently found himself at a digital crossroads. Preparing to tour international guest speaker Marianne Williamson across Australia, he made a choice. Having successfully used Humanitix since early 2025 to tour heavyweights like Dr Rangan Chatterjee, Gabby Bernstein, and Gabor Maté, Jolon knew the platform’s power.

However, the current tour is split between two worlds. In Brisbane, the tickets are hosted on Humanitix. Whilst in Sydney and Melbourne, the events are locked into a "Large Legacy Ticketing Platform" - you know the one - due to traditional venue contracts. What resulted was a social experiment in modern ticketing that Jolon hadn’t necessarily sought out, but one that has revealed a startling truth about the state of the industry.

The Friction of the Old World

In Sydney and Melbourne, the experience for many fans felt like stepping back in time - and not in a charming, nostalgic way. Attendees eager to secure their seats were met with 15 second loading buffers that felt like an eternity and high-pressure 3 minute timers that turned a moment of excitement into one of anxiety.

The friction was palpable. Between forced account creations and slow-moving interfaces, the "Legacy Ticketing Platform" experience began to take its toll. Jolon soon found his inbox filled with over 40 emails from frustrated fans who believed the system was simply broken.

"The page takes so long to load that attendees have emailed saying they ‘couldn’t be bothered waiting,’" Jolon shares.

In the world of events, there is no greater tragedy than an inspired guest being turned away by the spinning wheel of doom.

The Ease of the New World

Meanwhile, in Brisbane, the sun was shining on a very different story. Despite being a smaller market than the southern capitals, the Humanitix-powered event began to outpace them almost immediately. Free from the “Legacy Ticketing Platform" and its rigid systems, Jolon found himself with total control.

On Humanitix, changes to copy or pricing are instant, not subject to a 5 day wait for an administrator to click a button. The interface is intuitive, the social sharing is seamless, and perhaps most importantly, there is a real person on the other end of the phone in Australia if Jolon ever needs a hand.

The results speak for themselves: the Brisbane event has outsold the larger markets by over 100 tickets per show, despite being a smaller market.

The Heart of the Matter

For Jolon, the choice to use Humanitix wasn’t just about escaping the bottlenecks of legacy ticketing tech. It was about alignment.

Because Humanitix is a charity, every booking fee from the Brisbane show is transformed into funding for education projects. For a tour centred on the profound insights of Marianne Williamson, this feels only right. It is a partnership where the technology is excellent, but the impact is even better.

"I wish all venues used Humanitix," Jolon said, reflecting upon the stark contrast of his experiences.

The experiment is over, and the verdict is in. As Jolon looks toward 2026, he is preparing to bring this same ease and impact to his US events by moving them over to Humanitix. After all, when you’ve seen the future of ticketing and the impact it can have, it’s very hard to go back to the past. 😉

Tired of "Legacy Ticketing Platforms" holding back your sales?

Let’s chat about how Humanitix can help make your next tour a tale worth telling.

You can also check out the current events and speakers being toured by Activate Media here.