#TAS26 Preview: The Flow and Flux of Buyer Confidence Copy
Few regions offer more opportunity for live entertainment than Asia, but reaching those audiences is anything but straightforward.
Growth is spread across distinct markets, each shaped by its own culture, buying behaviour, payment habits, event norms, and expectations around flexibility. For promoters, venues, and ticketing platforms, the challenge is reaching buyers in a way that reflects how they actually make decisions.
“I’ve learned that Asia is where generic ticketing assumptions go to get humbled,” says #TAS26 guest speaker Jason Mastrine, Global Head of Ticketing Strategy at Protect Group. “You cannot drop in a generic purchase flow and assume it will work everywhere. Customer expectations, payment behaviours, refund norms, and trust signals change from one country to the next. Increasingly, we are helping partners answer a simple question: what does it take for a customer to feel comfortable buying now?”
Confidence at Checkout
“When someone reaches checkout, they are not just asking, ‘Do I want to go?’” says Mastrine. “They are asking, ‘Can I commit to this right now?’ Maybe they still need to book travel. Maybe work or family plans are uncertain. Maybe it is monsoon season and they are wondering what happens if the event is cancelled. Protection helps take some of that uncertainty out of the decision.”
Intelligence Behind the Offer
Through Refund Protect, Protect Group helps ticketing businesses offer fans the option to make tickets refundable if unexpected circumstances prevent them from attending.
What makes Protect Group different is the intelligence behind the offer: AI, real-time content optimisation, and platform data that help customers see the right protection message at the right moment. That confidence helps fans complete the purchase – and helps partners generate significant ancillary revenue. In 2025, Refund Protect was offered on more than $8bn in transactions worldwide.
“Buyer confidence belongs in the commercial conversation,” says Mastrine. “It affects conversion, revenue, and customer experience – and helps partners capture more value from demand that is already there.”
Learn more about buyer confidence with Jason Mastrine – and network with hundreds of ticketing, eCommerce and live entertainment leaders from across the region – only at TheTicketingBusiness ASIA 2026 in Hong Kong, 13–15 October 2026.
NB: The Earlybird discount, saving you up to £290 on your registration, ends Friday 4 September.
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