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Is the ticket industry broken?

Is the ticket industry broken?

2023 was a record year of live music, with an all-time high in worldwide ticket sales.

Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s world tours broke records, however fans trying to get tickets faced big problems.

We hear from musicians, fans and global ticket selling giant Live Nation (of which Ticketmaster is a part) to find out what’s happening, and if it is broken, what is being done to fix it?

Produced and presented by Sam Gruet

(Image: Beyoncé performs onstage during the Renaissance World Tour in October 2023, Kansas City, Missouri. Credit: Getty Images)

US Election: Spending on TV advertising

US Election: Spending on TV advertising

The campaign teams supporting Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in the race to the White House are expected to spend a total of more than $10 billion.

A journalist with the CBS network, Larry Magid, explains why most of the money will be spent on political advertising on television.

Professor Natasha Lindstaedt, from the University of Essex explains analyses why spending on American political campaigns continues to escalate.

The marketing expert, Allyson Stewart Allen, explains how the creative teams behind the political messages have learned lessons from advertising products like a new brand of drink.

We also hear from Robin Porter, the Head of Political at Loop Me on how the company’s artificial intelligence is helping to target voters, notably in swing states.

Produced and presented by Russell Padmore

(Image: Voters in Santa Monica. Credit: Getty Images)

Business Daily meets: Whoop founder Will Ahmed

Business Daily meets: Whoop founder Will Ahmed

They’re the 300 dollar subscription fitness bands being worn by a host of celebrity-backers in 2024. But who is the business leader behind the billion-dollar Whoop brand?

The son of an Egyptian migrant to the US, Will Ahmed was always interested in sports. During his college years he started to notice the dangers of doing too much sports training. He describes this as a ‘rabbit hole’ as he began researching sleep and recovery patterns in professional athletes.

This led him to create a fitness tracker company that is a 3.4 billion dollar venture today, attracting famous athlete-investors like Michael Phelps and Cristiano Ronaldo and taking on established names in fitness tech like Apple, Google, Garmin and Fitbit.

We hear how he did it, and what challenges he’s faced along the way.

(Picture: Will Ahmed in his office, wearing a Whoop device. Credit: Whoop)

Presented and produced by Devina Gupta

What's next for Bangladesh's economy?

What's next for Bangladesh's economy?

After protests and political turmoil, we look at the challenges facing the new interim government.

We'll hear from the biggest suppliers to global fast fashion brands and talk to students about their hopes and anxieties.

Plus we have an exclusive interview with the country’s new central bank governor.

Presenter: Nikhil Inamdar Producer: Jaltson Akkanath Chummar

(Image: A garment worker at a sewing machine in Bangladesh)

How manifesting became big business

How manifesting became big business

Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande and even Donald Trump have signed up to the manifesting philosophy - the trend in believing that dreams can come true if you envision a positive outcome.

But does it hold the secret to financial and professional success or is it a pseudoscientific fad? And what's behind the meteoric rise of this new-age practice?

From books and podcasts to thousands of creators and videos on social media, Megan Lawton traces the history, investigates the methods and explores the latest wave of this 'positive mindset phenomenon'.

Presented and produced by Megan Lawton

(Picture: Alicia Tghlian runs manifesting platform, Growth for Girlies, from her condo in Toronto, Canada.)

Europe's fastest-growing tourist destination

Europe's fastest-growing tourist destination

As many countries and cities around the world rally against over tourism, we're in Albania which is investing huge sums in growing its infrastructure to welcome visitors in.

The UN ranks Albania 4th globally for tourism growth and it places top spot in the European list of countries. Around 14 million visitors are expected in 2024 but with a tourism boom comes huge investment, construction and a changing economy, but at what cost to the environment? We hear about plans to build a luxury resort - funded by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner - and travel to a construction site for a new airport serving the coastal resorts.

Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney

(Image: Aerial view of a crowded sand beach with umbrellas and lots of people at sunset in Ksamil, southern Albania. Credit: Getty Images)

US Election: The view from the fields

US Election: The view from the fields

We hear from farmers in Montana, Iowa and Georgia.

What do they want to hear from the presidential candidates ahead of the US election?

Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: David Cann

(Image: A farmer using a combine in the US. Credit: Getty Images)

Business Daily meets: Football agent Kees Vos

Business Daily meets: Football agent Kees Vos

It is transfer deadline day for football's most competitive league - the Premier League - when clubs can add players to their squad who were previously under contract with another club.

In the cut and thrust of football's transfer market are the agents. Among them, Kees Vos - who has been described as one of the most influential figures in world football. As agent to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, he is said to control the ins and outs of the club.

Matt Lines talks to him about the stories behind the headline transfer sagas and how the industry has changed during his 20 years in the business.

(Photo: Kees Vos. Credit: SEG Entertainment)

Presented/produced by Matt Lines

Is it getting too hot to work?

Is it getting too hot to work?

As temperatures rise, productivity falls.

Extreme global temperatures are draining tens of billions of dollars in economic productivity every year from some of the world’s biggest cities. It’s not just outdoor jobs that are impacted, but office work too.

In this episode, we ask work leaders, economists and employees what can be done to work around hot weather. From changing working hours to introducing heatwave insurance.

(Picture: Labourer drinking from a water bottle, in the sunshine. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Megan Lawton

The short-term rental clamp down

The short-term rental clamp down

Cities and countries across the world are bringing in measures to restrict the type of lets popularised by companies like Airbnb and Vrbo.

The regulations are to address concerns that homes in tourist areas are being used by visitors rather than being available for local people to rent on a long-term basis.

We hear from Barcelona where its hoped thousands of flats will now be available for local people, and we're also in Halifax in Canada, where restrictions been in place for nearly a year.

Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey

(Image: A couple pressing a doorbell on a street in Spain. Credit: Getty Images)

Have Swiss scientists made a chocolate breakthrough?

Have Swiss scientists made a chocolate breakthrough?

Chocolate is very important to Switzerland’s economy: with more than 200,000 metric tonnes produced each year, sales are worth almost $2 billion.

But there are challenges – not just over sustainability, but over exploitation. And the volatile price of cacao.

We meet the researchers who are coming up with solutions – including new, and potentially healthier, types of a favourite indulgence.

And ask: Is this enough to secure the future of chocolate?

Produced and presented by Imogen Foulkes

(Image: A scientist developing a new chocolate product)

Business Daily meets: Brent Wisner

Business Daily meets: Brent Wisner

The US-based lawyer and managing partner at litigation firm Wisner Baum, in Los Angeles, has made his name taking on large pharmaceutical companies in high-stakes legal battles. He is the youngest attorney in US history to win a multi-billion dollar jury verdict.

We hear how Brent transitioned from child actor, to successful lawyer, and how one ground-breaking case has now caught the attention of film-makers.

(Picture: Brent Wisner delivers opening remarks in the Monsanto trial in San Francisco, California on July, 09, 2018. Credit: Getty Images)

Presenter: Rahul Tandon Producer: Amber Mehmood

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