Friday, May 29, 2009

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: Seattle Theatre Group

Seattle Theatre Group Presents KEANE At The Moore Theatre 9/10

Broadway World

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) & Mike Thrasher presents Keane on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 8:00pm at the Moore Theatre.

Keane are back. After over 8 million sales of Hopes And Fears (2004) and Under The Iron Sea (2006) combined, sold-out arena tours, awards spanning Ivor Novellos to BRITs, plus an undeniable collection of hits including Is It Any Wonder?, Everybody's Changing, Crystal Ball and Somewhere Only We Know, one of Britain's best-loved bands are about to surprise and thrill all over again.

Avowed believers in never retreading old ground, Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes return with Perfect Symmetry, a Technicolor explosion of stellar pop songs and pure, unashamed energy; the joy in which is audible in every finger-click and life-affirming chorus. As different as piano-helmed classic debut Hopes And Fears was from its darker cousin Under The Iron Sea, Perfect Symmetry finds Keane at the height of their powers. Confirming Rice-Oxley's position as one of the finest British songwriters to emerge this decade, the 11-song set sees Keane throwing any last vestiges of caution to the wind and simply letting the music take them where it will. The result is a thrillingly bold album that's as pleasurable to listen to as it was to make.

While millions of paid-up Keane fans will immediately recognise Perfect Symmetry as a body of work that could have come from no other group, others are likely to be knocked sideways by their various leaps into uncharted territory. Indeed, after hearing download-record-breaking first taste Spiralling, it's possible you might not have even recognised it the work of "the Somewhere Only We Know band". Certainly, Perfect Symmetry is the first Keane album to feature musical saw, saxophone, vocals recorded through a drum; studio sessions in Berlin, Paris and London; their first self produced album, with input from esteemed producers Jon Brion (Rufus Wainwright; Kanye West) and Stuart Price (Madonna; Les Rhythmes Digitales) and the sound of three men yelping a delighted 'Oooh!' as virtually the first thing you hear.

"We've always said we want to challenge ourselves," says Hughes. "Most bands, when they release an album, always say they've pushed themselves. But we're all music lovers and we sit there and read these things and think 'Great, can't wait to hear it!' and then you put it on and you think 'Oh. Hang on a minute...'"

"There's nothing that our record company would have loved more than for us to have delivered Hopes And Fears three times," he continues. "But we've already done one, and one's enough."

"I think by a million miles it's the best thing we've put together," says Chaplin. "I can't wait for people to hear it."

Tickets: $35.00 not including applicable fees. Tickets are on sale Friday, May 29 at 10am PST at Tickets.com, in person at the Paramount Theatre box offices, 24-hour kiosks located outside The Paramount & Moore Theatres, charge by phone at 877-STG-4TIX, or online at STGPresents.org.

Seattle Theatre Group is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Report: Mobile Music Revenue To Hit $5.5 Billion In 2013

By Mark Walsh
Mediapost


Revenue from streamed music and full-track downloads on mobile phones will grow from $2.5 billion to $5.5 billion worldwide in the next five years as increased applications, all-you-can-eat data plans and more user-friendly services combine to drive up sales, according to a new forecast by Juniper Research.

Read more >

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants hired a company called Qcue to implement a system that allows the Giants to change some ticket prices on the day of the game, reports CNBC's Darren Rovell. He discusses this pricing model with Qcue CEO Barry Kahn.











Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tickets.com Launches B2B Site in Brazil

Tickets.com launches new business-to-business website for Brazil to enable clients, media, partners, and potential clients in Brazil to find the information they need about Tickets.com ticketing solutions.

Tickets.com is a growing global company with thousands of entertainment, sports, and arts clients worldwide. The new Brazil B2B website features a user-friendly interface that provides convenient access to information about Tickets.com products and services.

Visit the Tickets.com Brazil B2B site >

Monday, May 25, 2009

Happy Memorial Day!

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day from Tickets.com

Friday, May 22, 2009

Tickets@Phone: Your Tickets are Calling

Watch the Guided Tour of Tickets@Phone Mobile Ticketing Tickets@Phone is an innovative ticket delivery method that expands your options of how your customers receive their tickets. With Tickets@Phone, your customers’ tickets are delivered to their mobile phones via Multimedia Message Service (MMS), a Short Message Service (SMS), or a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) message allowing your customers to use their mobile phone as their ticket.

The Tickets@Phone message contains a unique barcode as well as the usual ticket information e.g. event date, time, section, row, seat etc. Customers simply save their mobile ticket in their messages inbox and retrieve it when they arrive at the event.

Learn more >

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: Buffalo Sabres

94% OF SEASON TICKET HOLDERS RENEW FOR '09-10

Sabres will make additional season tickets available to Blue & Gold members

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres announced season ticket renewals for the 2009-10 year have reached 94%. In addition, once the renewal process is finalized later this month, the organization will make available between 500 and 700 additional season tickets this year for members of their Blue & Gold Club.

“Our season ticket holders are the lifeblood of this organization,” said Chief Operating Officer, Dan DiPofi. “Since the first day Tom Golisano purchased the team in 2003, we wanted to be sure our season ticket holders received the best price on their tickets. In return, our fans have been fiercely loyal to us and we take great pride in the partnership we have nurtured with them over the last several years.”

The Buffalo Sabres Blue & Gold Club was created to accommodate the continuing interest fans have in obtaining Buffalo Sabres season tickets by developing a priority “waiting list” for perspective buyers. As a Buffalo Sabres Blue & Gold Club Member, fans have the opportunity to reserve priority-seating status and receive exclusive membership benefits as they wait for suitable seating to become available.

The NHL will release the 2009-10 League schedule in early July and the Sabres will announce individual game ticket prices at that time. Like they have in previous years, the Sabres will utilize Variable Ticket Pricing for all home games next season.

For more information on Sabres ticket options, contact the account services office at1-888-GO-SABRES, or log on to www.sabres.com for complete details.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: Fresno Grizzlies

Saturday was Drag Kings Day at Chukchansi Park. The first 2,500 fans when the Fresno Grizzlies took on Albuquerque received a Drag Kings calendar. Check out this ABC30 feature on Minor League Baseball's premier in-field dragging dance crew.







Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: San Francisco Giants

Baseball Tickets Too Much? Check Back Tomorrow

The New York Times
By KEN BELSON


Setting ticket prices to sports events requires that one hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Teams want prices high enough to cash in if they play well, but need them to be low enough to draw fans if they falter.

But because teams set their prices months before opening day and resist changing them later, they have trouble reacting to the unexpected, like the weather, winning and losing teams or, this year, the ferocity of an economic downturn.

The San Francisco Giants are experimenting with a possible solution — software that weighs ticket sales data, weather forecasts, upcoming pitching matchups and other variables to help decide whether the team should raise or lower prices right up until game day.

The Giants are the first major league team to test the software, which some industry analysts say could transform the way teams adjust to the ebb and flow of the season, not unlike how airlines, hotels and rental car companies — which also use dynamic pricing — adjust to changes in the travel industry.

Many teams have various ticket prices for the same seats, altering the dollar amount based on the opponent, the day of the week and the time of the year, but those variations are set before the season and not altered. The Giants, by being more fluid, are taking the concept a step further.

The system has the potential to change how fans shop for tickets and to win back the bargain hunters and die-hard fans willing to pay top dollar at resellers like StubHub.

“Consumers are already paying a multitude of prices on the secondary market,” said Dan Migala, the director of the graduate program in sports administration at Northwestern University. “Gone are the days of teams having just three or four ticket prices.”

Teams have looked at tinkering with prices at midseason for some time, but they have been reluctant to do so for fear of alienating season-ticket holders, who pay upfront for their seats and may be offended if fans sitting nearby paid far less for their tickets.

Still, discounts were hardly an issue in San Francisco. In the first eight years after they moved into what is now AT&T Park in 2000, the Giants regularly drew capacity crowds. If anything, they often wished they could raise prices.

“All those years when Barry Bonds was here hitting those home runs, what were we thinking?” Russ Stanley, the Giants’ vice president for ticket services, said as he ruminated on what might have been had the Giants altered prices from week to week as Bonds’s various home run pursuits intensified. “The world is ready for this.”

With Bonds gone and the Giants finishing last season in fourth place in the five-team National League West, attendance fell 11 percent, to below three million for the first time since 1999. Ticket sales so far this year are up 1.7 percent, but at one April game, attendance fell below 30,000 for the first time in the park’s history.

The Giants are not alone in trying to adjust to the recession. The Toronto Blue Jays have hosted “Messin’ with Recession” nights, when fans get tickets for as little as $5, hot dogs for $1 and discounted merchandise. The San Diego Padres are selling two-for-one tickets to some games. The Los Angeles Dodgers gave away “Mannywood” T-shirts to fans who bought seats in left field.

Like many teams, the Giants have tiers of ticket prices. The highest-priced “premium” games include opening day and the games against Oakland and the Los Angeles Dodgers during the summer. The next tier includes “feature” games against the Dodgers in April and weekend games during the summer. The lowest price level includes all other games.

The Giants’ dynamic pricing experiment affects 2,000 of the 41,000 seats at the stadium. The team chose four sections in the upper deck in left field with 1,200 seats and three sections in the left-field bleachers that typically are among the last to sell. No season tickets were sold there.

Because the seats often went empty, the team felt that cutting prices to as low as $5 could entice more fans to sit there. They in turn might buy hot dogs, beers and other concessions. Fans at AT&T Park spend on average $22 a game on food and merchandise.

Conversely, the team charges more for the seats — which are regularly $10 in the upper deck and $17 in the bleachers — when demand is high, like last weekend, when the Mets were in San Francisco.

For the game against the Mets on Thursday, a blustery night, the Giants shaved $1 off their upper-deck seats and $2 off their bleacher seats. But for the Friday night game, when the Giants’ ace, Tim Lincecum, was on the mound, the upper-deck seats went for $19 and the bleacher seats jumped to $27, including a $2 increase on the day of the game.

On Saturday, with Johan Santana paired against Randy Johnson, the Giants raised the price of bleacher seats to $33, including a $2 increase on game day; seats in the upper deck were again $19. On Sunday, bleacher seats went for $23 and sold out in a few days because Lincecum bobblehead dolls were given away.

Through the first 17 home games, sales of dynamically priced tickets rose 20 percent, compared with sales in those sections during the same period last year. That works out to about 500 extra tickets a game.

But it is unclear whether cheaper tickets alone helped boost sales, or whether the team’s improved performance and the mix of competitors, including the rival Dodgers, were responsible. The Giants also hosted a Filipino heritage night that drew a big crowd.

The team is also tinkering with the algorithm that it uses to determine the best time to lower or raise prices. Opposing pitchers and hitters are assigned values on a five-point scale. But if the highly regarded Cole Hamels of the Phillies does not pitch in San Francisco, the Giants may not raise prices when the team is in town.

A single group sale of 100 tickets may misrepresent fan interest. The Cubs draw well even when they are doing poorly. Each day, the calculation changes as starting pitchers are announced, team records change and tickets are sold, prompting the team to recalibrate prices.

Thus far, much of this is lost on the fans. Karla Marroquin, who lives in Petaluma, north of San Francisco, did not know the four upper-deck seats she bought last month had prices that were adjusted.

She originally wanted to attend the game on April 28, but when she saw the same seats the next night were a few dollars cheaper, she chose those.

“The pricing makes it worthwhile when you look at the overall cost of the game, the parking, the tolls, the food,” Marroquin said. “We used to go to the A’s games because of the cheaper prices, but now with the variable pricing, I might go to the Giants more often.”

Megan Romero, who lives in San Francisco, said she was also unaware of the new pricing system.

She bought her bleacher seats because they were the cheapest available. Now that she knows that other seats may be discounted, she said she would start hunting for bargains.

“It’s not the way I shop for things,” Romero said. “But if the ticket is all of a sudden $6 on a Wednesday night, I might decide to go.”

Monday, May 18, 2009

Tickets.com Case Study: Tickets@Phone Mobile Ticket Delivery

Tickets@Phone Ticket Delivery on Mobile Phones
Washington Nationals

In its efforts to provide an exceptional customer experience, the Washington Nationals wanted to enhance fans' ability to purchase and receive tickets, as well as gain faster entry into the ballpark. The team also wanted to take advantage of the latest in ticketing technology. Using Tickets@Phone from Tickets.com, the Nationals became the first organization in the United States to deliver tickets to mobile phones.

Learn more >

Friday, May 15, 2009

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: BOK Center

Jamie Foxx to perform at BOK Center in Tulsa this summer

NewsOK.com
By Brandy McDonnell


Comedian/actor/hip-hop singer Jamie Foxx will showcase his musical talents at another Oklahoma arena this summer.

Foxx will perform July 9 at Tulsa’s BOK Center, the venue announced this week.

The Oscar-winning actor and platinum-selling hip-hop performer also will bring his "Intuition Tour" to the Cox Convention Center July 12, the Oklahoma City arena announced last week.

Tickets for both shows go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.

Ticket prices for the Tulsa show are $69.75 and $59.75. Tickets will be available at www.bokcenter.com, Reasor’s stores, Arby’s Box Office at the BOK Center, at Tickets.com, or by phone at (866) 726-5287.

Although he started his Hollywood career as a comedian, Foxx is best known as an actor. He won an Oscar in 2005 for playing Ray Charles in the biopic “Ray”; he currently can be seen in the film “The Soloist” opposite Robert Downey Jr.

But Foxx also has forged a successful music career. He released his third album, “Intuition,” in December 2008 and it debuted at No. 3 on the multi-genre Billboard 200 chart.

It has spun off two hit singles: “She Got Her Own” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “Blame It” went to No. 1 on the hip-hop chart and is climbing the Billboard Hot 100. His all-star video for “Blame It” features Oklahoma native Ron Howard, Forest Whitaker and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and John Mellencamp unite for summer concert tour

Entertainment Weekly
by Christine Spines


Reuters reports that Bob Dylan will team up with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp to play at minor league baseball parks across the country this summer, beginning July 2 in Sauget, Illinois and ending in Stockton, California on August 15. The announcement was timed to coincide with next Tuesday's release of Dylan's new album, Together Through Life.

Find tickets >

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Tickets.com Product Highlight: Access Control

Access Control from Tickets.com Access Control

Faster entry, better security, complete data capture. Scan barcoded tickets in real time using handheld scanners for rapid entry, improved security, and detailed customer data management.

Learn more about Access Control from Tickets.com >

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

ALICE IN CHAINS To Support KID ROCK In Detroit

Blabbermouth.net

ALICE IN CHAINS will support KID ROCK at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday, July 18. Also scheduled to appear is CYPRESS HILL. Tickets are on sale via Tickets.com and at the Comerica Park box office.

ALICE IN CHAINS has signed with Virgin Records, a division of EMI Music, for the release of the group's first new album in 14 years. According to a feature in the Los Angeles Times, the yet-to-be-titled disc will be out in mid-September. Production on the project was completed last month after more than a year of writing and recording. The Times writer, who got a preview of some of the material, called the album "recognizably thundering and gloomy," with an acoustic track called "Your Decision" followed by what the reporter described as "a seven-minute epic built on heavy slabs of guitar, drums and bass, something like BLACK SABBATH but far quicker."

The disc will mark the recording debut of vocalist William DuVall, who joined the group in 2006. Original singer Layne Staley died of a drug overdose in 2002 after nearly seven years in which the band was all but inactive.

Guitarist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez regrouped in 2005 for a charity show before embarking on several tours in 2006 and 2007 with DuVall on the mic.

When asked about stepping into the shoes of Staley, DuVall told the Times, "It's a big thing. I've joined a group that has a strong identity and a strong legacy. Nobody's sitting here who wants to, in any way, disrespect or sully that legacy. You want to add to it."

All of ALICE IN CHAINS' previous albums and EPs were on Columbia Records.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: Peoria Sports Complex

Peoria second in Cactus League 2009 attendance

Peoria Times
By Jennifer Hernandez

The Peoria Sports Complex hosted baseball games every day during the month of March as part of the 2009 spring training season, along with the other teams participating in the Cactus League.

The 2009 Cactus League spring training season met expectations with overall attendance reaching 1.57 million baseball fans, representing a nearly 20-percent increase over the previous season's attendance.

Peoria Sports Complex held four of the 10 single-game record games. Topping the list was when the Seattle Mariners hosted the Chicago Cubs March 12 and drew 13,366 fans. March 28, when the Mariners hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks, they set the fifth-highest record of 13,311. March 23, the Mariners hosted the Cubs again and drew 13,060 and again when they played the Diamondbacks March 22, with 13,048 fans.

Camelback Ranch held the third-highest single-game record with 13,311 March 21, when the Cubs traveled to Glendale to take on the White Sox. They also grabbed the 10th spot March 17, when the Dodgers hosted the Cubs and drew 13,046 fans.

The average revenue over the past five years at the Peoria Sports Complex was $5.8 million and this past season. the revenue was $5.684 million. This number includes revenue from tickets, concessions, programs, parking, novelties and advertising.

In the past six years, Peoria has had more than 200,000 people in attendance at spring training. In 2008, Peoria led in attendance with 230,434. This season, the sports complex drew 211,241 fans, including World Baseball Classic games.

Camelback Ranch led in Cactus League attendance with 136,944 fans for the Dodgers and 91,782 for the White Sox for a total of 228,726, and an average 7,624 fans per game. Peoria averaged 5,868 fans per game.

Peoria implemented a new recycling program this season, placing 30 receptacles around the complex to collect plastic, cardboard, paper, plastics, paper, aluminum/steel cans and glass. The larger receptacles were utilized by operations, maintenance and concessions for large and bulk boxes and paper. At the completion of spring training, 14 compacted tons (clean) were recycled.

A unique advertising campaign took way as well with e-mail blasts sent to local subscribers through Tickets.com, local CLASS registrants and AZFamily.com, as well as the Luke e-newsletter and Air Force Base weekly.

Radio and television promotions took place as well as strategic advertising at gas station pumps in three West Valley locations. A promotion was set up with Arrowhead Towne Center and two new grocery store promotions with Fry's throughout the first pitch and Bashas' two-for-one lawn or bleacher seats for the final weekend, with the purchase of selected items.

Coupons were sent out in various information booklets sent to local residents. The coupons redeemed in 2009 reached 6,085, which was a 1,039-percent increase from the 2008 season.

“I feel both facilities did really well this year,” Cactus League President J.P. de la Montaigne said.. “Peoria is a fan-friendly, customer-service orientated stadium, (led by the excellent service of our Diamond Club volunteers) with some reasonable ticket and concession prices and discounts and coupons for our local residents. With Ichiro, Junior and Peavy as some of the stars playing every day, it was great baseball and fun for the fans. Camelback Ranch was the shining new star. They had many challenges getting their facility opened this year and welcomed our local fans and out-of-town guests to some great experiences.”

New sponsors were also brought on board, including Grimaldi's Pizzeria, Hooters, Value Place, Ksushi, Abuelo's, Alliance, Crown Imports, AZ Ortho Sports, Buca di Beppo, Lis Doon Varna, Margaritaville, Oakley, Pita Jungle, The Moon Saloon, Tilted Kilt, Lennar Homes, FuNuGyz, Gray Residential, Mercedes Benz of Arrowhead, Welk Resort Group, Jason's Deli, Hurricane Bay, Coleman Golf, Alvus Company, Sweet Tomatoes, MOJO and Johnsonville.

The Peoria Diamond Club raised more than $180,000 through the “Welcome Back Charity Game” and other regular spring training efforts, including the Red Hook Deck.

“It's clear that baseball is big business no matter what economic cycle the country is in,” said Tom Moulton, co-vice president of the Cactus League and director of economic development and tourism for Pima County. “Fans follow their teams and it's our hope that records set this year will be challenged next year as the league continues on its growth pattern.”

In 2010, the Cactus League will once again grow as the Cincinnati Reds join the Cleveland Indians next year in Goodyear, leveling the playing field between Florida's Grapefruit League and Arizona's Cactus League with 15 teams each.

“Our goal is to do 200,000 fans or more a year,” de la Montaigne said. “We passed that mark for the sixth year in a row. We are happy with that. Camelback Ranch is a beautiful facility and I'm sure the newness attracted some first-time visitors. The current economy, the World Baseball Classic, the longer spring training season and our teams' past year's record all played into the overall attendance. The overall Cactus League had another record attendance season that we all are proud of.”

de la Montaigne said he is looking forward to upcoming seasons.

“There are always changes, upgrades and additions to our facilities to meet the changing needs of our teams and to make experiences for our fans better,” he said. “We look forward to next year, of course, but we are also proud of the many, many activities going on weekly at the Peoria Sports Complex on a year-round basis.”

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Win tickets to see Wilco in Royal Oak, MI

Wilco, one of the most critically heralded rock bands of the past decade, is earning props for its tight and tuneful live performances.

With tickets for the group's upcoming metro Detroit performance going on sale at 5 p.m. Friday, the Free Press is offering a chance to win two free admissions.

The band plays the Royal Oak Music Theatre on July 21, and tickets are available through romtlive.com, tickets.com and 800-919-6272.

To win the pair of Free Press tickets, e-mail your name, postal address and daytime phone to dfp-featurescontest@freepress.com by noon Monday. You must type "Wilco" in the subject line.

The Free Press will select the winner at random from all entries received and notify the lucky dog in time for the show.

Good luck!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Smartphones driving mobile shopping

Mobile Marketer
By Giselle Tsirulnik


Mobile technology has finally reached an inflection point where the mobile Internet could be another viable consumer resource for online shopping and purchasing, according to PriceGrabber.com.

According to PriceGrabber.com’s Mobile Shopping Behavior Survey, 58 percent of U.S. online consumers already own a Web-enabled mobile phone. Furthermore, of those consumers that own a Web-enabled mobile phone, one in 10 has bought products or services with their device.

“The mobile phone is yet another lucrative business to consumer channel linking on-the-go consumers and online retailers,” said Sara Rodriguez, market research analyst at PriceGrabber.com

“Using a mobile phone to compare prices while browsing in a store could be the next big trend,” she said. “Fifty-six percent of Apple iPhone owners and 28 percent of smartphone owners are already comparing prices online with their mobile phones.”

An additional 27 percent of iPhone owners and 35 percent of smartphone owners anticipate that they will be comparing prices within two years, according to the study.

In the past year, advancements in network technology and improved platforms have contributed to the widespread consumer adoption of feature-rich Web-enabled mobile phones that provide a more appealing mobile Internet user experience.

As a result, online consumers with Web-enabled phones are slowly adopting the mobile Internet. According to PriceGrabber.com’s Mobile Shopping Behavior Survey, online consumers seem to be closing the mobile Internet usage gap as 48 percent have used mobile GPS and 17 percent have shopped online.

Furthermore, one in 10 online consumers with a Web-enabled mobile phone has purchased online and 16 percent have compared prices from their mobile phones.

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. online consumers own a mobile phone capable of connecting with the Internet.

Online consumers said the lengthy purchase process (38 percent) and challenges they face with completing a purchase transaction (28 percent) are preventing them from buying online from their mobile phone.

As Web-enabled phone adoption continues to grow, with improvements in smartphone hardware and advances in mobile network service, more and more online consumers will interact with and buy from the Web via their device.

Mobile Internet consumer adoption is more widespread in Britain compared to that of the U.S.

More than two-thirds of British online consumers own a mobile phone capable of connecting with the Internet and 64 percent own a 3G compatible Web-enabled mobile phone enabling them to make more secure and substantial purchases with their credit cards from their mobile phones.

“Smartphone purchases amongst online consumers have risen dramatically since 2006,” Ms. Rodriguez said. “The iPhone jump-started mainstream smartphone adoption.”

Learn about Tickets.com's mobile ticketing solutions >

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: Kentucky Speedway

ARCA RE/MAX SERIES AMPED TO OPEN 2009 KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY SEASON

Twenty-six drivers turn laps during "Drive Smart. Buckle-Up! Kentucky 150" open test

SPARTA, Ky. -- ARCA RE/MAX Series championship leader Parker Kligerman and nine-time series champion Frank Kimmel were among 26 competitors preparing for Kentucky Speedway's May 9 "Drive Smart. Buckle-Up! Kentucky 150" during an open test at the facility today.

Kligerman, 18, of Westport, Conn., is a former Formula TR and USAC Midget Series competitor who converted to stock car racing with Cunningham Motorsports, a long-running ARCA RE/MAX Series team which produced a fourth-place Kentucky Speedway finish in 2007.

The high school senior had originally eyed a future in Formula One competition, but placed those plans on hold to pursue his current stock venture with a development contract from Penske Racing.

"It takes a lot of money to get overseas. With the growing number of opportunities in NASCAR and the chance to race with support from Penske, this made a lot of sense. It's been great to race in this series with veterans like Frank (Kimmel) because I've been able to learn so much," Kligerman said.

The driver signed for eight races to be spread throughout 22-race ARCA RE/MAX Series campaign saw his early-season run extended after he scored two top-five and four top-10 finishes in his first four career series starts. He snared his season-best third place finish at Salem, Ind., April 5 and took sole possession of the top spot in the championship standings with a seventh-place performance at Talladega Superspeedway April 24.

The rookie turned his strongest his test lap at 171.238-mph. While the effort ranked eighth on speed chart, he felt he had ample room for improvement.

"We're really tight and can't figure out why. We're struggling big time off the corner and giving away too much speed. We have a lot to work on," Kligerman said.

Kimmel, a nine-time series champion, will make his eighth attempt at claiming his fifth all-time Kentucky Speedway ARCA RE/MAX Series win in the "Drive Smart. Buckle-Up! Kentucky 150." He will enter his 18th series start in the Bluegrass State third in the series standings and 65 points off the championship lead.

The veteran nailed down his season-best fifth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway and will ride a strong wave of momentum to a track where he's scored a total of 10 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes.

The Clarksville, Ind., driver is in the second year of owning the team for which he competes and is racing with the benefit of new sponsorship that helped him build a strong fleet of Ford Fusions alongside his crew chief and brother, Bill.

"We might be bringing the fastest car we we've ever had here to next Saturday's race. The problem is we'll be racing the fastest cars the ARCA RE/MAX Series has ever had here," Kimmel said.

Second-place championship driver Justin Lofton also honed his intermediate-track skills during today's test and plans to improve on the 10th-place finish he registered last July during his second career start at the track.

Lofton is driving with annual championship competitor Eddie Sharp Racing and is only five points off the championship pace after earning his first win and third top-three finish of the season at Talladega Superspeedway.

The 25-year-old from Westmorland, Calif., tore off his best lap of today's session at 174.836 mph and is building confidence for the "Drive Smart. Buckle-Up! Kentucky 150."

"I sat down with Eddie Sharp at the beginning of the season and we looked at the cars he was going to provide. I had a couple of favorites. He gave me those and brought on a great team to support me so my confidence is through the roof.

"We've had a phenomenal day today. My first lap, the car really stuck to the track and I was able to hold the throttle about three-quarters of the way down all the way around the track. I'm really looking forward to next week's race," Lofton said.

Tickets for next week's event, new infield camping and special offers for all 2009 Kentucky Speedway races can be reserved online at www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by phone at 888-652-RACE (7223), or by visiting Meijer stores and the speedway ticket offices at 400 Buttermilk Pike, Suite 100, near the Montgomery Inn Restaurant in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., or in the Sparta, Ky., Fan Center located off of Interstate 71 Exit 57 and Ky. Hwy. 35 N. Tickets also can be reserved at Meijer stores and Tickets.com outlets.

Speedway gates will open at 3:00 p.m., country music artist Chuck Wicks will be in concert at 6:00 p.m. and the green flag will fall for the "Drive Smart. Buckle-Up! Kentucky 150" at 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds

Child's Play: Cole Bros. Circus coming to fairgrounds

The Optimist Club of Annapolis will host The Cole Brothers Circus of the Stars at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. May 6 and May 7 at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, 1450 Generals Highway in Crownsville.

Tickets for this 125th anniversary edition of the circus cost $17 for adults and $12 for children ages 2 to 12 years. Reserved seats cost $3 more and VIP seats cost an additional $5. For tickets and information, call 888-332-5200 or visit www.gotothecircus.com or www.tickets.com.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Kid Rock set to offer 2nd show at Comerica Park

By BRIAN McCOLLUM
Free Press Pop Music Writer


Detroit will get a double dose of Kid Rock this summer.

The homegrown rocker is rolling out a second show at Comerica Park, this one on July 18 with openers Alice in Chains and Cypress Hill.

The announcement follows last month’s half-hour sellout of tickets to his July 17 Comerica Park date, his first-ever local stadium concert.

Tickets for the July 18 concert are $69.50, $46.50 and $30, and will go on sale at 10 a.m. May 9 via Tickets.com (not Ticketmaster) and at the Comerica Park box office. A phone-charge option is also available: 866-668-4437.

As with the first show, Rock will offer a six-ticket package of upper deck seats for $99.

Embracing his role as Detroit’s chief party host, Rock is expanding the festivities to include street activities outside Comerica Park both days, with chili cook-offs, auto exhibitions and a local-band stage.

Fans have been clamoring for a second Kid Rock show since tickets for the first time sold out in 27 minutes. At the Web site of rock station WRIF-FM, more than 500 fans signed a petition this week asking for another Kid Rock concert.

Monday, May 4, 2009

If a ticket could inspire your life, would you buy one?

Ticket sales for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games open this Wednesday, May 6 at www.vancouver2010.com; prices start at $10 for groups

VANCOUVER, May 1 /CNW/ - The best way to share in one of the world's most inspirational sporting events is to see all the action in person at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. Tickets to the Paralympic Winter Games, which are affordably priced for families and groups, go on sale to Canadian residents this Wednesday, May 6 at 10 am PT at www.vancouver2010.com.

Approximately a quarter of a million tickets to the 64 medal competitions and ceremony events at the Paralympic Winter Games will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at www.vancouver2010.com, in partnership with Tickets.com, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games' (VANOC) official supplier of ticketing services. The Paralympic Winter Games feature five sports including: ice sledge hockey, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, wheelchair curling and biathlon.

Individual ticket prices to sport events start at $15. Group ticket prices - available for most sport events for groups of 20 or more people - are just $10. More than 70 per cent per cent of all individual tickets are priced at $20 or less. Ticket prices for the spectacular Opening Ceremony at BC Place range from $30 to $175.

"Without question the Paralympic Winter Games are one of the most exceptional values in sports and entertainment," said Caley Denton, VANOC vice-president of ticketing and consumer marketing. "There's something indefinable about attending an event in person with friends and family that goes far beyond the memories of the results of the competition itself," continued Denton. "Spectators will leave having witnessed first-hand the determination and courage of some of the world's finest athletes - and that will stay with people forever."

One of the defining and most emotional moments of the international sporting event will be the Opening Ceremony on March 12, 2010. A cast of thousands, with a particular emphasis on performers with a disability, will delight a live audience and showcase the unique heritage and creativity of British Columbians and Canadians during the two-hour celebration produced by Canada's own Patrick Roberge Productions. The highlight of the night will be the lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron, signalling the official start of the Games.

About the Paralympic ticket purchasing process:
  • Tickets will go on sale at www.vancouver2010.com on May 6 at 10 am PT on a first-come, first-served basis.

    • In the event the site experiences a high volume of traffic, a 'virtual waiting room' system will be implemented.

  • Where applicable, Canadian residents should use their existing Olympic ticketing accounts to log on to purchase tickets.

  • In the event a customer has ordered Olympic tickets, their Paralympic and Olympic tickets will be delivered at the same time securely by Purolator Courier in late 2009. The delivery fee paid for the delivery of Olympic tickets will cover the delivery of Paralympic tickets.

  • Visa is the exclusive payment card.

  • On checkout, customers will have the option to add the following items to their order:

    • An exclusive collector-grade pin featuring Paralympic mascot Sumi with his 2010 Winter Games tickets along with a commemorative lanyard and ticket holder pouch to keep tickets secure and easily accessible

    • The Official Commemorative Book of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games at a 30% discount

    • A donation to support Canadian athletes via the Own The Podium program.

  • A full range of information on sport disciplines, events and ticket prices is available at www.vancouver2010.com.

  • International residents should contact their respective National Paralympic Committee for information on purchasing tickets.


A national print and online advertising campaign for ticket sales to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games will start this weekend. A special Paralympic-themed supplement, featuring stories, athlete bios, in-depth information on ticketing, and the entire sport schedule, will be issued in The Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers on May 9 and May 10.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Mobile Web 2009 = Desktop Web 1998

User testing organized by Jakob Nielsen, a leading web usability expert, shows significant issues for mobile phone users accessing regular websites on their mobile phones. Key issues with accessing regular websites from mobile devices today include download time, scrolling, bloated webpages and more.

To ensure the best end-user experience, Jakob Nielsen says you need a mobile site and it needs to be optimized for the specific capabilities of each handset. Read more >

Tickets.com's ProVenueMobile product extends your private label to be available on mobile phones including the purchase flow.

Learn more about ProVenueMobile >

Friday, May 1, 2009

Tickets.com Product Highlight: Campaign Creator

Campaign Creator from Tickets.com Campaign Creator™

Now, all the tools you need to send successful email marketing campaigns are built into an easy-to-use platform. Create targeted email marketing campaigns, manage your lists, create dynamic content, segment your market, and measure your results.

Learn more about Campaign Creator >