Started as a virtual queuing tool and rebuilt as a ticketing platform, Showpass now handles events across North America while remaining independently owned from Calgary.
A Pivot That Became the Business
Showpass began in Calgary as a virtual queuing service, solving the problem of people standing in line. By 2016 it had become a ticketing company, and the queuing origin turns out to explain a good deal about the product that followed.
A business that starts by studying queues learns where events actually break down: entry throughput, scanning speed, the moment when a thousand people arrive at once. Ticketing companies that start from the transaction tend to treat the door as somebody else’s problem.
The company built integrations allowing tickets to be bought directly from search and social platforms, and in January 2018 became a native ticketing option for Facebook events in Canada. In 2019 it reported substantial revenue growth, took mezzanine financing from BDC and acquired a mobile solutions company to extend its product. In April 2024 it opened a new Calgary head office of roughly 30,000 square feet.
Independence as the Strategy
The company is independently owned, and in this industry that is a positioning statement rather than a technicality.
Global ticketing is dominated by a small number of very large companies, and the resulting complaints, fees, resale practices, control of customer data, are well documented and currently the subject of regulatory attention in several countries. Founder and chief executive Lucas McCarthy has said publicly that Canadian organizers and fans have always deserved better, and has framed the company’s response as doubling down on independent organizers and investing in communities.
That investment is stated in concrete terms. The company reported putting more than $3 million into Canadian events in a single recent month, and stepped in to help secure the future of a long-running Calgary cultural festival, describing the aim as bringing together partners, resources and infrastructure so the festival could continue.
It has also extended beyond software into event production, artist support and policy engagement, including work with government on ticket resale regulation.
Scale Without Losing the Small Organizer
The platform serves both ends of the market, which is harder than it sounds. It recently secured a partnership with a major convention franchise spanning thirteen cities, covering ticketing, fan engagement and operations including high-demand ticket launches, radio frequency identification and single-transaction purchasing of admission, photo opportunities, autographs and merchandise.
At the other end, its self-service tools are used by community organizers, venues and small festivals, with published pricing and an organizer registration process that does not require a sales conversation.
Serving both is a genuine achievement. Platforms built for large clients usually price small organizers out; platforms built for small organizers usually cannot handle a high-demand on-sale. The company has been recognised on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 and named to a national list of top growing companies for three consecutive years, and won a resilient business award at the Calgary Small Business Awards in 2023.
What Owners Should Take From It
Two lessons carry beyond ticketing.
The first concerns pivots. Showpass did not abandon its original problem; it followed it. Queuing led to admissions, admissions led to ticketing, ticketing led to event operations. Each step was adjacent to the last and used what had already been built. That is a considerably more reliable route than the dramatic reinvention that gets written about more often.
The second concerns positioning against dominant competitors. A smaller Canadian company cannot outspend a global incumbent, but it can be the alternative that the incumbent’s unhappy customers are looking for, and it can make its independence and its local commitment part of what it sells. That works in any industry where a few large players have made customers feel taken for granted, which is a longer list than most owners assume.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information intended only for informational purposes. CanadianSME Small Business Magazine does not endorse or guarantee any products or services mentioned. Readers are advised to conduct their research and due diligence before making business decisions.
