Friday, May 28, 2010

Save the Date! Tickets.com Virtual Summit

Mark Your Calendar for June 17 & 18, 2010

Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about Tickets.com and our suite of products and services, including the latest ProVenue release features and a special reprise of Internet Ticketing Mechanics. We are also including a marketing best practices session that can potentially drive incremental revenue opportunities for your organization. Plan your attendance today!

Register Now >

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Client Spotlight: Kansas City Royals & Minnesota Twins

The Starting Line-Up: Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins

We are excited to announce that both the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins Baseball Clubs are operating on the ProVenue ticketing platform. Both the Twins and Royals started their 2010 season on-sales and single game ticket purchases in ProVenue.

"The decision to migrate to ProVenue was an easy one when you realize the technological potential the new Tickets.com platform possesses. As with any ticketing system change, we realized the process would have its challenges. However with the help and support of Tickets.com, we are working together and making positive strides every day. We now look forward to building off the core system so we can capitalize on the current ticketing trends that are in line with our business needs," said Larry Chu, Senior Director Ticket Operations, Kansas City Royals.

Congratulations to the Minnesota Twins in their new home at Target Field!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Tickets.com Client Spotlight: AT&T Park

SAN FRANCISCO’S AT&T PARK GOES LEED

Venues Today Pulse
Matt Gunn and Dave Brooks


The city of San Francisco is typically known as a bellwether to eco-consciousness.

But in becoming the first previously existing major league stadium to attain Silver Certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the San Francisco Giants had to address a number of environmental challenges. Existing facilities have to meet separate requirements from new buildings to achieve LEED certification.

“I think it’s infinitely harder for existing ballparks to effectively retrofit their facilities to incorporate current trends and technologies into their existing practices,” said Jorge Costa, Giants senior VP of Ballpark Operations. “And there’s also an awareness that has to be created with the vendors and the public in making them know of the changes.”

Since the first stages of planning LEED certification two years ago, Giants staff and AT&T Park vendors, including Centerplate, Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Linc Facility Services have made a concerted effort in evaluating everything from waste management, recycling programs, lighting, water usage and even products and packaging.

The systemic approach brought a new attitude to AT&T Park, even though it has won Major League Baseball’s Green Glove award for recycling the past two years. The seventh-inning stretch, for instance, now includes an announcement from Giants manager Bruce Bochy asking fans for help picking up recyclables. Ushers wearing “Green Team” vests go into the stands, collecting any recyclable items the fans have collected up to that point in the game.

“I think the public awareness and education is pretty key to succeeding, and getting the numbers,” Costa said.

The team also installed new compact fluorescent lights throughout the park, and built a solar energy system which it plans to soon deploy. Low flush toilets were installed throughout the park, along with a powerful new Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision HD Scoreboard, which is 78 percent more efficient than its predecessor.

The park also dramatically increased its waste diversion numbers, with 67 percent of the ballpark’s waste being diverted from going to the landfill through an aggressive recycling and composting program. At a couple points last year, AT&T Park reached as high as 70 percent waste diversion, Costa explained.

“It’s a difficult standard to achieve and you couldn’t get there without the awareness of the fans and staff and all of the vendors,” he added.

Costa noted a particularly strong relationship with Linc Facility Services, which handles the stadium’s HVAC and engineering, and Giants hospitality partner, Centerplate.

While he didn’t disclose the total expense for the project, Costa said it was costly. While ballparks like Target Field in Minnesota and Nationals Park in Washington were built with LEED certification in mind, Costa believes it was more difficult to achieve the high standard in a 10-year-old stadium.

Though the busy regular season schedule has kept Costa from speaking with many of his counterparts at other stadiums, he said sustainability has been a big initiative in Major League Baseball for several years.

“It’s about innovation and technology, good hard work, practices and awareness that are the key if you’re really going to try and accomplish this, and to maintain it long term,” Costa said.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF With Harvey Fierstein Hits Seattle's Paramount Theatre

Broadway World News

Launching a new "tradition" Harvey Fierstein replaces Topol in the North American tour of the TONY award winning musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Chaim Topol, regrettably informed the show's producers he would have to leave the production due to a shoulder injury requiring emergency long term treatment.

Mr. Fierstein starred as the iconic milkman Tevye in the recent critically acclaimed Broadway production. Audiences now have the rare opportunity to see the TONY award winner embrace one of his favorite roles in this Jerome Robbins inspired production. Mr. Fierstein has won four TONY awards including Best Book of a Play and Best Actor in a Play for Torch Song Trilogy. His most recent win was the 2003 TONY for Best Actor in a Musical for the Broadway production of Hairspray. In addition to his TONY Award winning role in the Torch Song Trilogy, Mr. Fierstein recreated the role in the film adaptation thus winning him an Independent Spirit Award nomination as Best Male Lead. Other film work includes, Mrs. Doubtfire, Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway and Independence Day.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has captured the hearts of people all over the world with its universal appeal and timeless message. The North American Tour continues the tradition of the 1964 Jerome Robbins TONY Award winning production. Mr. Robbins won twin TONY awards for his direction and choreography of Broadway's FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. In this National Tour, both are faithfully recreated by Director Sammy Dallas Bayes, choreographer of the Broadway Revival.

When FIDDLER ON THE ROOF opened in the United States in 1964, it was a time of change and crumbling traditions in our own country. Perhaps the explanation for its world-wide success in the ‘60's and ‘70's was because the play illustrated the universality of such problems as the "generation gap," youthful dissent, revolutionary doctrine, and the oppression of minorities. Students of the time identified with the rebellious student, Perchik, and strongly related to the breaking of hallowed traditions. Tevye and others of his time struggled with these problems in 1905, and emerged triumphant, offering the hope and promise of reconciliation to a turbulent society. Today, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is as relevant as ever.

Now, in the midst of a new millennia, in a world fraught with anxiety and fear, the one constant humanity can rely on is the strength of family and of its traditions that will ultimately sustain it through its own trials and tribulations. Forty five years and a generation later, new audiences can identify and take heart as they experience the tradition in great musical theatre that is FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will be at Seattle's Paramount Theatre for eight performances. The schedule for the Seattle engagement is:

Tuesday, May 25 7:30 pm
Wednesday, May 26 7:30pm
Thursday, May 27 7:30pm
Friday, May 28 8:00pm
Saturday, May 29 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday, May 30 1:00pm and 6:30pm

Tickets for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF are available now as part of the Spring 2010 Broadway at The Paramount season package. Single tickets will be available in April on-line at tickets.com, stgpresents.org or BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. Tickets will also available by calling 877-STG-4TIX (4849) or in person at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm).

Monday, May 24, 2010

Tickets.com Partner Spotlight: Qcue

Qcue The Austin Technology Incubator Graduates Member Company, Qcue

The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), a not-for-profit arm of The University of Texas at Austin, announced today that its member company, Qcue, Inc., will graduate later this month.

The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), a not-for-profit arm of The University of Texas at Austin, announced today that its member company, Qcue, Inc., will graduate later this month.

Qcue, the dynamic pricing engine for live entertainment events, joined the ATI in May 2008. Sports teams, concert promoters and venues use Qcue's software to set the right ticket price at the right time based on shifting market conditions. By enabling fans to purchase fair-priced, face-value tickets directly from a team’s box office, Qcue’s dynamic pricing solutions ensure a more consistent, high-value experience coupled with greater price transparency and choice-of-seat flexibility.

During its tenure at ATI, Qcue landed its first professional sports client, raised in excess of $1M in funding and expanded its client roster to include teams across the major sports leagues. Qcue also added senior-level business and technology executives to the company’s leadership team.

“The professional staff at ATI has been invaluable in helping us address the unforeseen challenges that come with scaling a fast-growing business,” said Barry Kahn, CEO of Qcue. “Their deep experience and breadth of resources are things you just can’t put a price tag on, and have played an integral role in the early advantage we’ve established in the market.”

Qcue’s plans include expanding its existing client base in professional sports and exploring new market opportunities in live music and the performing arts.

“Barry and the Qcue team have done a phenomenal job engaging customers, proving out the value proposition of dynamic pricing, and positioning the company for explosive growth,” said Bart Bohn, Director of ATI’s IT Incubator. “I look forward to watching them capitalize on this success as they continue to outpace potential competitors in the space.”

Qcue is the fifth company to graduate from the Incubator this year. A formal ceremony is planned for early 2011.

About the Austin Technology Incubator
The Austin Technology Incubator is a nonprofit unit of The University of Texas at Austin that harnesses business, government and academic resources to provide strategic counsel, operational guidance and infrastructure support to its member companies to help them transition from early stage ventures to successful technology businesses. Since its founding in 1989, ATI has worked with over 200 companies, helping them raise close to $750 million in investor capital. ATI is a key program of the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. For more information, visit www.ati.utexas.edu

About Qcue, Inc.
Qcue is reinventing the primary ticket marketplace with the world’s only dynamic pricing engine for live entertainment events. Sports teams, concert promoters and venues use Qcue’s patent-pending technology to set the right price at the right time and provide the best value for fans, from the date of on-sale to the date of the event. Customers and partners include the San Francisco Giants, the Dallas Stars, Major League Baseball Advanced Media and Tickets.com. Founded in 2007, Qcue is based in Austin, Texas. For more information on Qcue, visit www.qcue.com.

Friday, May 21, 2010

What a Girl Wants: More Mobile Shopping

Mashable.com
by Jolie O'Dell


Mobile shopping company miBuys conducted a survey of 1,600 women on mobile phones and discovered that the majority is indeed interested in mobile commerce.

94% responded that they use their phones to browse the mobile Web, sometimes even if at home or nearby a computer, and 70% expect their mobile Internet usage to increase in the future.

Most of these engaged mobile users acknowledged that they sometimes splurge on items and would be open to learning about discounts, deals, and even promotions on their phones.

Read more >

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Giants, Sharks Experiment with Ticket Pricing

SFGate
Benny Evangelista


Buying a ticket to a game is becoming more like watching the stock market.

For example, San Jose Sharks fans can buy "options" on future Stanley Cup playoff tickets.

Meanwhile, the price of a San Francisco Giants ticket might rise 25 cents on any given day based on market variables like supply and demand - or whether Tim Lincecum is pitching.

Technology is transforming the way tickets are sold, and these two Bay Area sports franchises are on the cutting edge.

"Within five years, I think everyone will be doing something like this," said Russ Stanley, vice president for ticket sales and services for the Giants.

Years ago, tickets to sporting events and other forms of live entertainment were simply priced by location - the closer to the field, ice or ring, the higher the price. But in the past decade, the Giants and other teams helped usher in an era of "variable pricing," which valued tickets using other factors such as the drawing power of the opposing team and whether the game was on a weekend or weekday.

Now, the Giants and Sharks are experimenting with pricing methods that other teams and event promoters are watching closely.

For this season, the Sharks teamed up with OptionIt, a Portland, Ore., startup, that sells options to buy tickets for future games at face value. The buyer can later exercise that option or sell it to another buyer.

The Sharks, which receive a cut of the option price, offered 20 tickets per game during the regular season and playoffs, a sliver of the HP Pavilion's seating capacity of 17,562 for hockey.

Sharks fan Jessica Welker of San Jose paid $114 in November for the option on a pair of tickets to what would be the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup Finals home game. She figured those tickets would be nearly impossible to find at face value if the Sharks made it to the NHL's championship round.

"All my friends were skeptical," said Welker, who exercised that option on Monday. "They thought it was crazy that I paid $114 because they thought there was no way the Sharks would make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. To me, it was worth it. Obviously, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

However, it's also a gamble. If the Sharks lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals, she loses the $114.

The alternative would be to pay more to brokers on secondary markets like eBay or StubHub. This week, tickets to G1 of the conference finals were offered on StubHub for $1,212 each, according to SeatGeek.com, a new site that tracks and forecasts the prices of tickets on secondary markets.

Contingency plan
OptionIt could be valuable, for example, for a fan planning in November to go to a regular season game in February, but not absolutely certain he or she can attend, said Mark Mastalir, chief executive officer.

OptionIt has similar deals with the NHL's Washington Capitals, the NBA's Boston Celtics and the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.

Some of the options come with extras, such as a ride on the Zamboni machine or the chance to meet a player.

Malcolm Bordelon, Sharks executive vice president of operations, said the team will evaluate OptionIt after the season, but is generally pleased with the results.

The team might consider option plans for other arena events, such as the SAP Open tennis tournament or mixed martial arts matches.

"We typically don't do things first, but this was actually easy to do," Bordelon said. "There's no cost to us and it's another avenue for people who want to purchase tickets."

Joris Drayer, a professor of sports management at the University of Memphis, said OptionIt could catch on only if fans "understand what they're getting and what they're not getting."

"The model isn't there to be a great benefit to fans, it's there to be a revenue generator for the team," Drayer said. "But I don't think it's a disservice to fans. It's got a chance, but the education process with that model is a little more difficult."

Drayer, a former marketing and promotions employee for the Oakland A's, said the "dynamic pricing" formula the Giants are using this season could spread quickly.

"Everyone's watching what the Giants are doing," Drayer said. "They're the guinea pigs not only for baseball, but for all sports."

The Giants and most major league teams already employ a variable pricing plan, setting prices months in advance to reflect factors such as the drawing power of the opponent and whether it's a weekend game.

In 2009, the Giants went a step further, becoming the first to use technology from Austin, Texas, startup Qcue Inc. to adjust prices on about 2,000 outfield seats at AT&T Park.

The system adds other factors, including whether the opposing team is on a hot or cold streak, whether a marquee player is closing in on a record or on the disabled list, or whether the forecast is for rain or sun.

Expanded experiment
Stanley said the experiment generated about $500,000 in incremental revenue, so the Giants expanded dynamic pricing this season to all 41,500 seats.

Stanley and his crew spend about an hour a day looking over Qcue's recommendations, which are based on algorithms that automatically crunch the data.

Sometimes the team is aggressive and tries to boost sales for a low-demand game by dropping prices to as low as $5.

Other times, bumping prices up 25 or 50 cents per ticket also spurs sales.

"It's like the stock market," Stanley said.

Drayer said that extra 50 cents can really add up over the course of the long home season, in addition to the added income from parking and concessions that wouldn't come in if the seat remained empty.

But ticket prices vary widely. A lower box seat for a Tuesday night in June against the Colorado Rockies, not usually a big draw, was priced at $30 (down $1 from last week), while that same seat for a Sunday afternoon matchup with the popular Boston Red Sox was priced at $89.50. In the middle was a Saturday match against the cross-bay rival A's costing $65.75.

Still, Stanley said, the Giants aren't trying to match prices on the secondary market. Similar lower box tickets for that Sunday Giants-Red Sox game were going for $355 each on StubHub.

"We're not gouging," Stanley said. "We're not sticking it to people. While we increase prices, we're not getting greedy."

Barry Kahn, Qcue's co-founder and chief executive officer, said the NHL's Dallas Stars also used dynamic pricing and the company could have 10 teams on board by September when the basketball and hockey seasons start again.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Metropolis Kicks of 10th Anniversary Season

The 2010-2011 Season will be the biggest, most star-studded line up in the history of the venerable Northwest Suburban theatre. Metropolis has established itself as a major arts entertainment and education center in the region.

Metropolis’ 10th Anniversary Season includes music legends Joan Baez, Robert Cray, Paula Cole, Shawn Mullins, and Liz Callaway. This year’s Comedy performances are from WGN’s Steve Cochran and Mike Toomey, the smash hit comedy from The Second City, Rod Blagojevich Superstar, and a World Premiere comedy in the subscription series, The Butler Didn’t! as well as a late night comedy parody of the popular Twilight series. Included in the diverse and fun Family series is the interactive scientist/entertainer Doktor Kaboom!, Bubble Wonders, Illusionist Bill Blagg III and the explosive drum and dance group Be the Groove. Continuing the incredibly popular music tribute series, Metropolis is bringing amazing tribute bands that perform the music of Billy Joel/Elton John, the Bee Gees, Steely Dan, Judy Garland and Julie Andrews. Best of all, Metropolis will be announcing one of its biggest shows ever on July 20th. It took two years to obtain the licensing rights to this Tony Award-winning musical, and part of the agreement stipulates a July 20th announcement date. This fun, amazing show will open the 2010-2011 subscription season in September.

"I know this sounds like a canned statement, but I truly believe this is best and most exciting season Metropolis has ever had,” said Metropolis Executive Director Jim Jarvis.

“We've got amazing artists and shows in every category from our subscription series to our family programming, concerts and comedy. And what a way to kick off our 10th Anniversary with two true musical legends: Joan Baez and Robert Cray. It took us 9 months of scouting shows, negotiating and scheduling. But when we finally finished putting the season together, I just looked and went 'wow, it's going to be a fun year at Metropolis!' "

The season launches in June with the return of the wildly popular The Vagina Monologues. Tickets go on sale to subscribers on May 17 and to the general public on June 1. Tickets to The Vagina Monologues, Rod Blagojevich Superstar, the Steve Cochran Comedy Show and the Bee Gees Tribute Stayin’ Alive are on sale now.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Tickets.com In the News: Tickets.com, Txtstation team up for event text-based promotions

DMNews
Dianna Dilworth


E-commerce ticket vendor Tickets.com has partnered with mobile marketing firm Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing to allow client venues and sports franchises to run mobile campaigns at live events.

Tickets.com has offered mobile purchasing and mobile barcoded tickets for four years to clients, including the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs baseball clubs. The partnership will extend Txtstation's mobile marketing tools to these clients, who will be able to use text-based campaigns during events to drive consumer engagement.

“This is a natural extension in the mobile marketing space,” said Sheri Fink, e-commerce and strategic alliances director at Tickets.com. “We think it would be very useful in the sporting industry and in concert arenas for marketing at events.”

Fink added that venues can use live text campaigns to build their marketing lists.

“Right now, mobile tickets are not as significant as our sales online or through the call center, but we expect that mobile tickets will grow dramatically in the next couple of years,” said Fink.

Using the service, venues could allow consumers to text to vote on which song an artist should play or to get a discount at a vendor's booth, for example.

The marketer's goal at an event is usually to drive engagement, increase food and merchandise sales and create a social environment, said Julie Ask, VP and principal analyst at Forrester Research. “Venues are fun because there is an opportunity for a direct response and a direct interaction with the audience.”

Forrester estimates that only 2% to 3% of attendants participate in text campaigns at events, but Ask said that number is growing.

“More and more venues are doing this, but engagement depends on how well the promotion is marketed within the stadium and what the incentive is,” she said. “Coupon-based incentives work well if they are good. If you are giving me 10 cents off a $4 hotdog, that's not as good as buy-one-get-one-free.”

Friday, May 14, 2010

Natalie Merchant Plays The Wellmont Theatre July 12

Tickets on Sale Today, May 14 at 12PM ET

This summer Natalie Merchant will embark on a nationwide tour in support of her new album Leave Your Sleep. Beginning July 12 in Montclair, NJ, the tour will be Merchant’s first major outing in seven years. Merchant and her eight-piece band will perform new material as well as favorites from throughout her career.

Leave Your Sleep, out now on Nonesuch Records, has received critical acclaim with Entertainment Weekly praising its “gorgeous arrangements of dreamy chamber folk,” The Daily Beast calling it “soothing and electric,” and the BBC citing it’s “sheer ravishing beauty.” The dates follow a series of high profile appearances, including “Good Morning America,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and NPR’s “Morning Edition,” as well as a performance at the annual TED Conference in February.

Her first studio album since 2003’s The House Carpenter’s Daughter, Leave Your Sleep is the culmination of six years of research and collaboration and is, in Merchant’s words “The most elaborate project I have ever completed or even imagined.” A two-disc set, Leave Your Sleep is a collection of songs adapted from poems selected by Merchant including pieces by both well-known and obscure writers. Featured are works by British Victorians, early- and mid-20th century Americans, and contemporary writers, as well as anonymous nursery rhymes and lullabies. Among the authors included are Ogden Nash, E.E. Cummings, Robert Louis Stevenson, Christina Rossetti, Edward Lear, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Robert Graves.

Merchant—who has sold millions of records worldwide over the course of her recording career—has remained busy in the time since her last studio album by curating compilations for both 10,000 Maniacs’ Campfire Songs and her own Retrospective. Additionally, Merchant performed live to the accompaniment of Philip Glass, Dr. John, Pete Seeger, and Wynton Marsalis, and collaborated with British composer Gavin Bryars as part of The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Complete Works series.

Ticket Prices: $65.00 & $45.00

Tickets on sale via tickets.com, wellmonttheatre.com, charge by phone 877-WELLMNT, or at The Wellmont Theatre Box Office.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Black Keys, Broken Social Scene coming to Town Ballroom

The Buffalo News

The Black Keys will be playing a Sept. 2 concert at the Town Ballroom. Tickets for the all-ages show are on sale now at Tickets.com for $29 apiece. The Black Keys' Web site indicates the Athens, Ga.-based Whigs are the opening act.

Tickets.com is also listing a Sept. 25 date with Broken Social Scene at the Town Ballroom, with tickets going on sale at noon ET Friday.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Celtic Woman Adds Tulsa Stop To Tour

NewsOn6.com

Celtic Woman has expanded their North American tour to include a stop at Tulsa's BOK Center. The Irish group is touring in support of their latest CD/DVD, Songs from the Heart.

They will perform in Tulsa on August 6.

Celtic Woman's winter-spring tour has been called an "uplifting" and "beyond captivating" concert experience. Following the 60-city journey that winds down May 22 in Salt Lake City, the group will launch the new leg July 12 in Saint John, Canada and make over 40 stops including 12 Canadian cities, culminating with a September 12 performance at Red Rocks in Colorado.

Tickets for the concert go on sale at 19 a.m. May 10 and can be purchased at the BOK Center Box Office, all Tickets.com outlets, charge by phone at 1-866-7-BOK-CTR or online at www.bokcenter.com.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Artpark announces summer lineup

The Buffalo News
By Aaron Besecker
NEWS NIAGARA REPORTER


Some familiar faces will perform as part of two popular, free concert series this summer.

Organizers this morning unveiled Artpark's complete summer lineup, which also includes performances by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and an Elvis musical starring Sally Struthers.

The picturesque venue on the Lower Niagara River became the first entertainment spot in Western New York to release full details on its free summer concert series, which are held on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The announcement was made at the Barton Hill Hotel & Spa on Center Street.

Here's the lineup:

Tuesday in the Park
Series' concerts are free and start at 6:30 p.m.
June 15: War
June 22: Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-A-Whirl Band (featuring Lou Ann Barton)
June 29: America
July 6: The Guess Who
July 13: Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band
July 20: Creedence Clearwater Revisited
July 27: George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Aug. 3: Little Feat
Aug. 10: Doobie Brothers
Aug. 17: Foreigner
Aug. 24: Sara Evans
Aug. 31: The Machine performs Pink Floyd


Wednesdays at Artpark
Series' concerts are free and start at 6:30 p.m.
July 14: Katherine McPhee
July 21: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
July 28: John Brown's Body
Aug. 4: The Sadies
Aug. 11: Willie Nile Band
Aug. 18: Sloan
Aug. 25: The Trews


Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Summerfest
8 p.m. July 24: Peter Shaffer's Amadeus
8 p.m. July 31: Beethoven, Coriolan Overture and Symphony No. 5
3 p.m. Aug. 1: Brahms, Academic Festival Overture; Beethoven, Symphony No. 7


Big Band Series
2 and 8 p.m. June 21: Glenn Miller Orchestra
2 and 8 p.m. July 26: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Big Band Show


All Shook Up
Starring Sally Struthers
8 p.m. Aug. 12
8 p.m. Aug. 13
2 and 8 p.m. Aug. 14
2 p.m. Aug. 15
2 and 8 p.m. Aug. 19


Other performances
8 p.m. May 22: Alice Cooper & Rob Zombie
7 p.m. June 2: Les Claypool & The Avett Brothers
7 p.m. July 8: Furthur
8 p.m. July 17: Great Big Sea
8 p.m. July 22: The Flaming Lips
8 p.m. July 23: Celtic Woman
8 p.m. Aug. 27: Bachman & Turner


For ticket information, call the Artpark box office at 754-4375 or go online to www.artpark.net. Tickets are also available through tickets.com outlets or by phone at (800) 223-6000.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Mobile Driving Evolution of Airline Business

By Rimma Kats
Mobile Marketer


Many airlines are going mobile to accommodate the growing trend of tech-savvy consumers and are expanding their mobile marketing strategy to retain customer loyalty.

Companies such as Continental Airlines, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines have all integrated mobile. The airlines have used mobile applications and paperless boarding passes to not only sell tickets and give travelers an expedited check-in process, but to also make sure they have all the tools they need while on the go.

“Our customers have shown us that they want to take more control of their travel experience,” said Jared Miller, senior director of customer self-service at Continental Airlines, Houston. “Self check-in, which began at Continental in 1995, now accounts for over 95 percent of all domestic customer check-ins.

“With the growth of smartphone usage and mobile Web adoption, customers are now able to self-serve many aspects of their Continental travel experience, freeing up their time and getting access to real-time information,” he said.

Mobile boarding passes
In March, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air rolled out three mobile applications for Apple’s iPhone, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile.

Consumers can check their flight status information, flight schedules, flight alerts and check-in one to 24 hours prior to their scheduled departure.

“Mobile is important to us more to retain customer loyalty and give our travel-warrior customers the tools they want most,” said Steve Jarvis, vice president of customer innovation at Alaska Airlines, Seattle.

“Specifically for Alaska, we differentiate ourselves with superior customer service and making travel easier for customers,” he said. “Mobile applications allow us to improve on both of these measures.”

The airline has launched mobile technology at 16 of the airports it serves that lets travelers check-in from a mobile device and use an electronic boarding pass at security to board the plane.

By July, Alaska Airlines plans to have about 50 percent of its airports outfitted with electronic check-in technology including three of its Hawaiian destinations – Maui, Kina and Lihu’e.

“Mobile presents another channel for Alaska Airlines to reach our customers and meet their needs,” Mr. Jarvis said. “Customers can opt-in to receive relevant offers through our mobile club or receive updates on flight changes for the convenience of planning.

“With so many customers traveling without access to a printer, the mobile channel gives customers the ability to stay connected and take advantage of marketing offers and other announcements,” he said.

Mobile expansion
This past year Continental Airlines claimed to be the first carrier to offer mobile boarding passes on nonstop flights from Britain to the United States.

The company provides mobile passes that display a two-dimensional bar code with passenger and flight information.

The mobile boarding passes not only save the airline paper and money, but also help prevent manipulation or duplication of tickets.

Continental currently offers mobile boarding passes at 42 of it airports and plans on expanding to other locations.

“Mobile has transformed the customer experience in that the customer is able to access self-service options while on the go, remote from the office or home, or at the airport,” Mr. Miller said. “In many ways, the customer’s smartphone is like their own personal kiosk.

“Mobile is not only about the mobile Web though,” he said. “We recognize that while smartphone adoption is growing, not all customers carry a smartphone or use it in the same way.

“With mobile devices, customers are also able to contact us by calling our contact centers and we utilize IVR technologies to allow feature rich self-service options there as well.”

Read more >

Friday, May 7, 2010

Tickets.com In the News: MLB’s Tickets.com expands mobile services for clients

Mobile Commerce Daily
By Rimma Kats


Tickets.com has partnered with Txtstation to provide clients with the ability to interact with consumers in-venue via mobile.

Tickets.com clients can now interact with fans at games, concerts, events and broadcasts in real-time via SMS. Txtstation will help the company’s clients build brand identity via interactive promotions and mobile marketing.

“Our alliance strategy is to partner with best-in-class companies in order to make industry-leading technologies available to our clients,” said Sheri Fink, director of ecommerce and strategic alliances at Tickets.com, Orange County, CA.

“Txtstation is a leader in the mobile marketing industry and is the ideal partner for Tickets.com so we can provide our clients with cost-effective mobile marketing tools in order to support their business needs,” she said.

“Tickets.com already offers clients mobile ticket purchase and mobile bar code delivery services and partnering with Txtstation is the natural next step by allowing us to add mobile marketing to our mobile offerings.”

Tickets.com, a subsidiary of Major League Baseball Advanced Media, provides event ticketing technologies and services for arts, entertainment and sports organizations worldwide.

Txtstation is a mobile marketing company specializing in sports and entertainment that lets broadcasters, event owners, sponsors and general media communicate with viewers or fans directly via mobile devices.

Paperless tickets
Txtstation will provide custom programs and graphics that will differentiate campaigns for each individual brand and client’s needs.

The real-time one-to-one dialogue with event attendees will let Tickets.com clients identify and capture data on all audience members who respond to a mobile call-to-action.

The information can be used for opt-in, ongoing mobile marketing, cross-promotions and other revenue-building initiatives.

Additionally, Txtstation’s service will deliver revenues from SMS, MMS and content downloads.

"Fans want convenience when they’re purchasing tickets and arriving at events,” Ms. Fink said. “Mobile ticketing provides the ultimate convenience - the ability to purchase tickets anytime, anywhere and have them delivered directly to a mobile device.

“It enables venues/teams to sell tickets up to the last minute and enables the fan to enter the venue without having to wait in a Will Call line to get their tickets.

“With more and more airlines adding mobile boarding pass technologies to their offerings, we expect mobile ticketing to continue to dramatically grow in popularity over the next few years as fans become accustomed to the convenience that mobile offers.”

Other ventures
In August, Tickets.com launched a mobile version of its consumer ticketing Web site called ProVenueMobile.

Users who visit the mobile site at http://mobile.tickets.com can complete a ticket transaction from their handset.

“Using mobile for interactive promotions and marketing during live events engages fans and helps clients strategically build their mobile fan base,” Ms. Fink said. “Venues/teams can identify and capture data on audience members that can be used for sending relevant mobile offers.

“For clients who have ProVenueMobile, fans can click through the mobile offer and purchase their tickets on their mobile phones,” she said. “This enables fans to choose to have the ticket delivered to their mobile phone - the ultimate in convenience.”


Rimma Kats is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily and Mobile Marketer. Reach her at rimma@mobilemarketer.com.

Tickets.com Partner Spotlight: Mobiqa's Mobile Tickets Save Over 7,000 Miles of Paper for the Travel and Entertainment Industries

Mobiqa, a leading supplier of content optimised for mobile devices, celebrated Earth Day 2010 by helping its clients save over 7,000 miles of paper - 10 times the length of Britain - with paperless ticketing technology.

Mobiqa specialises in the worldwide delivery of barcoded tickets to mobile phones and also in building mobile websites. Mobiqa's clients include; the world's biggest airlines, entertainment ticketing providers, and cinema operators. Paper savings offered by the mobile channel are significant with Mobiqa alone set to save over 270,000 miles of paper in the next five years - the equivalent of 10 times the circumference of the earth.

Nick Rankin, CEO of Mobiqa, comments: "We are really proud to support the green credentials of our clients. Consumer adoption of mobile ticketing has helped many of our customers achieve considerable environmental savings."

Transport and entertainment organisations have chosen Mobiqa's paperless technology to offer a greener alternative to paper tickets while enhancing the consumer experience with a more convenient ticket delivery channel. Consumers purchasing tickets for a flight or event can opt for mobile delivery upon which, an SMS web-link or Email web-link is sent to their mobile. By accessing their ticket through this link, they are able to bypass check-in or box-office queues and head straight to their boarding gate or event where the barcode on their phone is scanned and validated.

Mobiqa continue to lead the way in mobile ticket technology and are a key enabler of mobile ticket delivery which is forecast by Juniper Research to reach 15 billion tickets by 2014. Mobiqa has experienced a 620% increase in mobile ticketing transactions over the past 12 months.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Counting Crows to Return to The Wellmont Theatre This August

See the Counting Crows with Augustana and other special guests on August 17 & 18, 2010 at The Wellmont Theatre.

Tickets go on sale Friday, May 7 at 12 PM ET.

Find tickets online at Tickets.com or WellmontTheatre.com, charge by phone at 877-WELLMNT, or buy in person at The Wellmont Theatre Box Office.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Tickets.com® Partners with Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing to Offer Clients Real-Time Mobile Interactivity with Fans

Tickets.com—a leading global provider of integrated, high-performance ticketing solutions—has announced a partnership with Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing, the recognized leader in mobile interactivity. The new alliance allows Tickets.com—the first and only ticketing company in the United States to offer both mobile ticket transactions and mobile barcode delivery—to expand and enhance the products and services it offers its clients in the explosively growing mobile realm.

By harnessing the power of mobile marketing from Txtstation, Tickets.com makes it possible for clients to dynamically interact with fans at games, concerts, events, and broadcasts in real-time. In addition to heightening the overall experience for consumers with interactive promotions and marketing, Txtstation capabilities will help Tickets.com clients strategically build brand identity with target markets with an engaged and captive audience in place. Custom programs and graphics will differentiate campaigns for each individual brand and client’s needs.

Additionally, real-time one-to-one dialogue with event attendees will allow Tickets.com clients to identify and capture data on potentially all audience members—not just ticket buyers—that can be used for opt-in, ongoing mobile marketing, cross promotions, and other revenue-building initiatives. Mobile marketing solutions from Txtstation also deliver incremental revenues from premium text messages (SMS), multi-media messages (MMS), and content downloads.

“Our alliance with Txtstation is in alignment with our strategy to partner with industry-leading companies who can provide exceptional technologies at competitive pricing,” said Sheri Fink, eCommerce and Strategic Alliances, Tickets.com. “We look forward to offering our clients real-time mobile interactivity with their fans.”

Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing (www.txtstation.com) has been providing mobile interactivity products and services to events, sports teams, music/entertainment properties, broadcasters, brands, and agencies since 2004. “We are excited about collaborating with Tickets.com to boost mobile interactivity for their clients,” said Michael Falato, Vice President of Sales & Business Development, Txtstation. “I think our companies are well matched in terms of commitment to technological innovation and customer service, and I see many opportunities for synergy in supporting Tickets.com and its broad range of clients.”

Tickets.com is at the vanguard of mobile technologies and website mobilization in the ticketing and admissions service industry. Its proprietary ProVenueMobile™ product is the first mobile ticketing technology allowing fans to browse listings and make real-time purchases from their mobile phones without the need to “click to call” to finalize the transaction. Its Tickets@Phone® technology is another pioneering product, offering consumers the option to digitally receive unique barcoded tickets directly and securely to their mobile phones for a 100% mobile—and green—ticket-buying experience.

Mountain Lions first home game set for September

Sacramento Business Journal
Kelly Johnson


The Sacramento Mountain Lions, the United Football League team that relocated to the capital from the Bay Area, will play their first home game at Hornet Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 25 against the Florida Tuskers.

The Mountain Lions kick off their season on the road Sept. 18 on the East Coast at the Hartford Colonials.

The football team plays four games at home at California State University Sacramento’s Hornet Stadium. The last three home dates are Oct. 15 against the Las Vegas Locos, Oct. 30 against the Hartford Colonials and Nov. 13 in a matchup with Omaha, a new franchise that doesn’t yet have a team name.

Four-game packages range from $60 to $140. Tickets are available from the league’s website at ufl-football.com and from Tickets.com.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Rush tickets on sale Saturday

Tulsa World

Tickets for Grammy-nominated rock act Rush's concert in Tulsa will start at $49.50 when they go on sale 10 a.m. Saturday.

Along with the $49.50 seats, tickets will cost $77 and $97, according to a news release.

Rush will perform its "Moving Pictures" album in its entirety, along with a collection of its biggest hits, Sept. 21 at the arena as part of "The Time Machine Tour."

Released in 1981, "Moving Pictures" was the band's most successful album, certified four times Platinum (more than 4 million albums sold) and features some of Rush’s most well-known songs and perennial radio favorites: "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight" and the Grammy-nominated instrumental "YYZ."

Tickets are available online at BOKCenter.com, the Arby's Box Office at the BOK Center, all Tickets.com outlets, or by calling (866) 7-BOK-CTR.

BOK Center officials also announced ticket prices for conservative political commentator Sean Hannity's "Freedom Concert," which will come to Tulsa on August 20.

Tickets are $51 for the show, which includes performances by Charlie Daniels Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Michael W. Smith.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Artpark Announces New Concerts

The Buffalo News

Rockin' at Artpark
Veteran rockers Bachman & Turner will bring their "Forged in Rock" tour to Artpark's mainstage theater for a show at 8 p.m. Aug. 27. Tickets are $59.50 for indoor reserved seating or $45 lawn seats and go sale at 10 a.m. on May 7 at the Artpark box office and through tickets.com. For tickets and information, call (888) 223-6000 or visit www.artpark.net.