The Perspective Challenge: What Our INTIX Leadership Survey Reveals About Cost, AI, and the Future of Live Entertainment

Last week at INTIX in Las Vegas, we shared early findings from our 2026 Leadership Survey with a packed room of ticketing and live entertainment leaders from across the industry.

Onstage with me were Lisa Cecchini, Managing Partner at Situation, and Peter Yagecic of A Mind at Work Consulting. Together, we walked through what has become one of the most candid snapshots of leadership sentiment we’ve seen in live entertainment in years, across roles, levels, and functions.

What stood out wasn’t simply what leaders are worried about or optimistic about. It was how often the same data point meant different things to different people.

Below is a synthesis of what mattered most, and why it matters heading into 2026.

Early in the session, we showed a familiar image: the rabbit–duck optical illusion. Some people see a rabbit first. Others see a duck. The image is the same, but the interpretation varies. 

That image became a useful shorthand for what we saw throughout the survey results.

Leaders are reacting to the same realities—cost pressure, shifting audiences, AI acceleration—but interpreting them through lenses shaped by where they sit. Executives tend to see system-level challenges. Non-C-suite leaders feel those same challenges closer to the ground, in workflows, budgets, and patron interactions.

The data didn’t disagree with itself. It revealed where people are standing.

Why this matters: Leadership right now isn’t about picking a single “correct” read. It’s about holding multiple truths at once—and making decisions that account for them.

What leaders hear most often from audiences is that price is the barrier. And yes, our data confirms cost matters, but not in the way most narratives suggest.

When we segmented responses by role, a subtle divide appeared. Executives tend to feel that everything is expensive. Operational teams tend to feel that their slice of the work is expensive.

Why this matters: Cost conversations break down when teams talk past one another. Shared language—not just shared spreadsheets—is what moves those conversations forward.

“Expensive” might shut the door, but “worth it” opens it.

When Peter reframed the discussion around value rather than price, you could feel the room shift. People will never reject value when they see it, but it sometimes takes showing them what’s in it for them. 

Why this matters: How we frame the conversation shapes behavior almost as much as pricing itself.

It’s not that leaders and teams disagree about mission; it’s that they disagree about what keeps them up at night.

Operational leaders are worried about near-term constraints: staffing, tools, budgets, execution. Executives are worried about long-term forces: demand, sustainability, market shifts.

If we see these views as complimentary rather than opposing, we smooth over a lot of the hurdles we’d otherwise face. 

Why this matters: Strategy only moves when those perspectives meet in the middle.

Adaptability came up across roles and functions, but the real signal wasn’t whether leaders value it, but instead how fast everything feels like it’s changing. Consumer behavior, platforms, and competition are all moving faster at once.

Why this matters: The advantage isn’t just adapting well. It’s adapting quickly.

AI’s impact across every facet of the modern organization is undeniable, but teams are embracing its potential at different rates.

Some teams are experimenting, and others are hesitant. That gap inside organizations is more dangerous than any external competitor.

Why this matters: Teams need leadership to help them integrate it where it actually creates value for them.

Peter introduced the idea of yak shaving, a colorful term describing the energy-sapping work you do that isn’t really the work you want to be doing, to illustrate how starting with the problem to be solved, not the AI tool, can convince hesitant teams to adopt a ‘try it and see what happens’ mindset.

Why this matters: Better AI outcomes come from asking better questions upfront.

Despite pressure, change, and uncertainty, leaders reported solid confidence in their organizations’ ability to navigate what’s ahead.

High confidence doesn’t mean everything is easy, but it does mean people still believe they can lead through this.

Why this matters: Faith in direction is the first step toward execution.