#TAS26 Q&A: PLVR’s Marco Zhu on connecting ticketing, payments and audience value

Marco Zhu:

At PLVR, we are building the data and financial infrastructure that connects ticketing with the wider live entertainment journey. A ticket purchase is one of the strongest signals of audience intent, but its value should not end when someone enters the venue.

We connect event discovery, ticketing, payments and ongoing engagement so organisers and venues can build more direct and valuable audience relationships. Ticketing is a critical entry point, but the bigger opportunity is turning verified participation into long-term audience and commercial value.

Marco Zhu:

One project we are particularly focused on is connecting ticketing with cashless payments at live events. Ticketing shows who intended to attend; onsite spending reveals how people actually participate once they arrive. Bringing those signals together gives organisers a far more useful picture of their audience.

We are developing cashless payment infrastructure that connects ticketing with onsite transactions across food and beverage, merchandise and bars, supporting essential operations such as top-ups, refunds, reconciliation and settlement. We are also designing this around the local payment preferences and operational realities of different Asian markets.

Marco Zhu:

For a long time, the industry has treated the ticket purchase as the main transaction. Over the next five years, I think the focus will shift towards understanding what happens around it: how fans discover an event, how they enter, what they spend onsite and how the relationship continues afterwards.

Cashless payments will be an important part of that shift because they connect purchase intent with actual participation. When ticketing, access and spending data work together, organisers can improve operations and understand their audiences in much greater depth.

In Asia, however, this infrastructure must also reflect local payment habits and market conditions. There is no single model that can simply be applied everywhere.

Marco Zhu:

TheTicketingBusiness ASIA brings together the promoters, venues, ticketing operators and technology partners shaping live entertainment across the region. It is a valuable opportunity to exchange perspectives on how ticketing, payments and audience engagement are evolving in different Asian markets.

We are attending to learn directly from industry operators, share what PLVR is building and explore partnerships that can create more connected experiences for organisers and fans. We are especially interested in how better-connected data and financial infrastructure can support stronger event businesses and longer-term audience relationships.