Tickets Go On Sale July 17 For September Concerts
CBS Chicago
The Dave Matthews Band has confirmed two dates in September for concerts at Wrigley Field.
Concert promoter Live Nation announced Tuesday that the Dave Matthews Band will appear on Friday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Sept. 18, at the ballpark, with Jason Mraz joining them as a special guest.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 17. They will be available through Tickets.com or by calling (800) THE-CUBS.
The Dave Matthews Band was supposed to play at the ballpark in 2007, but the date was called off. The band gained a dose of infamy in Chicago in 2004, when one of its tour bus drivers dumped 800 pounds of human waste onto a sightseeing boat in 2004. The band later agreed to pay $200,000 dollars to an environmental fund to settle a lawsuit in the incident.
Officials say they need council approval by next month to secure a place in the band's schedule. The concert precedent began in 2005 with a pair of Labor Day concerts by Jimmy Buffett.
The band agreed to pay $200,000 dollars to an environmental fund to settle a lawsuit filed after one of its tour bus drivers dumped 800 pounds of human waste onto a sightseeing boat in 2004.
The first time Wrigley was used for summer concerts was in 2005, when Jimmy Buffett played. The Police also played the ballpark in 2007, and Elton John and Billy Joel sat down at dueling pianos last year.
John and Joel were supposed to return to Wrigley Field this summer, but their concert was canceled.
Showing posts with label ticketsdotcom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ticketsdotcom. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
MLB teams step up to the mobile ticketing plate
13 major league baseball teams let fans purchase seats using mobile devices.
Internet Retailer
Brian Rogal
With m-commerce picking up steam, concert halls and sports teams want in on the action (and sales). Thirteen major league baseball teams including the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland A’s, recently began allowing fans to purchase seats using such hand-held devices as the BlackBerry or iPhone.
The teams, which all operate mobile sites on technology provided by Tickets.com Inc., decided to begin offering ticket purchasing on their sites within the past year to take advantage of strong growth in traffic, says Sheri Fink, head of e-commerce and strategic alliances at Tickets.com.
Steve Fanelli, executive director of ticket sales for the Oakland A’s, says his team sends about 1,000 bar-coded tickets for each game to fans’ mobile phones, though so far only a few hundred of those tickets are also purchased on a phone, with most of the rest bought through a PC. When a fan arrives at the ballpark with a mobile phone ticket, a gate keeper scans the bar code on his mobile phone screen.
Fanelli adds that, even though he expects mobile commerce ticket sales to grow slowly, it holds a lot of long-term promise. “It’s not huge right now, and it’s certainly not taking over as the dominant channel to purchase tickets,” he says. “Most people still prefer to go to a regular PC or use cash.”
However, he believes it’s important to offer the option, pointing out that when baseball clubs first began selling tickets over the web it took several years before customers got comfortable with that method.
Before the A’s and the other teams began offering mobile ticket sales, Tickets.com had already been providing each team with its own mobile web site through the company’s branded mobile web site technology, ProVenueMobile, developed in partnership with Usablenet Inc., an m-commerce technology vendor. Usablenet translates the information sent to and from the mobile devices.
Several years ago, the teams began offering game schedules, player statistics and other bits of information on their mobile sites, and many eventually added the more advanced features offered by Tickets.com, such as streaming video. But in the past year, traffic on the teams’ mobile sites doubled. That’s when the teams decided to let fans purchase tickets via the mobile sites, Fink says.
Baseball fans do not need to download an app onto their mobile device to buy tickets, Fink adds. They just get on their team’s mobile site, even if it’s a few minutes before game time, register an account, select the seats they want and pay with a credit card. They then receive a ticket on the mobile device in the form of a bar code.
All major league teams already used bar code scanners for traditional paper tickets, and making them usable for mobile devices required only minor upgrades, Fanelli says. He declined to provide costs related to developing the mobile sites, noting that each team has different contractual terms with Tickets.com to provide a variety of services, with the mobile option being just a small part.
Fanelli says the A’s have pushed mobile technology harder than most teams, and began experimenting with sending bar-coded tickets to mobile devices as early as 2006, although it was not until this April that customers could complete a purchase.
He adds that he believes as mobile devices like Apple Inc.’s iPhones and those that run on Google Inc.’s Android operating system get less cumbersome and more powerful, purchasing tickets via a mobile device will eventually become as standard as web-ticketing is now.
Internet Retailer
Brian Rogal
With m-commerce picking up steam, concert halls and sports teams want in on the action (and sales). Thirteen major league baseball teams including the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland A’s, recently began allowing fans to purchase seats using such hand-held devices as the BlackBerry or iPhone.
The teams, which all operate mobile sites on technology provided by Tickets.com Inc., decided to begin offering ticket purchasing on their sites within the past year to take advantage of strong growth in traffic, says Sheri Fink, head of e-commerce and strategic alliances at Tickets.com.
Steve Fanelli, executive director of ticket sales for the Oakland A’s, says his team sends about 1,000 bar-coded tickets for each game to fans’ mobile phones, though so far only a few hundred of those tickets are also purchased on a phone, with most of the rest bought through a PC. When a fan arrives at the ballpark with a mobile phone ticket, a gate keeper scans the bar code on his mobile phone screen.
Fanelli adds that, even though he expects mobile commerce ticket sales to grow slowly, it holds a lot of long-term promise. “It’s not huge right now, and it’s certainly not taking over as the dominant channel to purchase tickets,” he says. “Most people still prefer to go to a regular PC or use cash.”
However, he believes it’s important to offer the option, pointing out that when baseball clubs first began selling tickets over the web it took several years before customers got comfortable with that method.
Before the A’s and the other teams began offering mobile ticket sales, Tickets.com had already been providing each team with its own mobile web site through the company’s branded mobile web site technology, ProVenueMobile, developed in partnership with Usablenet Inc., an m-commerce technology vendor. Usablenet translates the information sent to and from the mobile devices.
Several years ago, the teams began offering game schedules, player statistics and other bits of information on their mobile sites, and many eventually added the more advanced features offered by Tickets.com, such as streaming video. But in the past year, traffic on the teams’ mobile sites doubled. That’s when the teams decided to let fans purchase tickets via the mobile sites, Fink says.
Baseball fans do not need to download an app onto their mobile device to buy tickets, Fink adds. They just get on their team’s mobile site, even if it’s a few minutes before game time, register an account, select the seats they want and pay with a credit card. They then receive a ticket on the mobile device in the form of a bar code.
All major league teams already used bar code scanners for traditional paper tickets, and making them usable for mobile devices required only minor upgrades, Fanelli says. He declined to provide costs related to developing the mobile sites, noting that each team has different contractual terms with Tickets.com to provide a variety of services, with the mobile option being just a small part.
Fanelli says the A’s have pushed mobile technology harder than most teams, and began experimenting with sending bar-coded tickets to mobile devices as early as 2006, although it was not until this April that customers could complete a purchase.
He adds that he believes as mobile devices like Apple Inc.’s iPhones and those that run on Google Inc.’s Android operating system get less cumbersome and more powerful, purchasing tickets via a mobile device will eventually become as standard as web-ticketing is now.
Fenway Park to host soccer game July 21
Boston Globe Soccer Blog – Corner Kicks – Boston.com
The Boston Red Sox have announced that Fenway Park will host an exhibition soccer game between Celtic FC of the Scottish Premier League and Sporting Clube de Portugal, commonly called “Sporting,” on July 21.
The Fenway Football Challenge will be the 19th soccer game at Fenway, but the first since 1968. It will be broadcast live on NESN, with kickoff at 8 p.m.
Tickets ($20-$120) will go on sale at noon on June 22 at tickets.com.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Mobile commerce stats round up
Graham Charlton
eConsultancy
Mobile purchasing habits in the US (Compete)
Mobile purchasing habits in the US (ATG)
Mobile payments (Juniper)
Mobile commerce market size (ABI Research)
Mobile internet usage (Essential Research)
Smartphone usage (comScore)
eConsultancy
Mobile purchasing habits in the US (Compete)
- 37% of US Smartphone users have made a (non-mobile) purchase on their handsets in the last six months.
- 19% have purchased music on their phones, 14% have bought books, DVDs or games, while 12% have purchased movie tickets.
- The amount that mobile users are willing to spend varies between handsets, with 32% of Android and 29% of iPhone users willing to spend $100 or more from their handsets, compared with 14% of Blackberry users.
Mobile purchasing habits in the US (ATG)
- 27% of all consumers used their mobiles to browse and research products at least four times over a 12 month period. For the 18-34 age group, this figure is 41%.
- 20% of all consumers and 32% 0F 18-34 year olds are researching purchases via mobile at least monthly.
- 13% of all consumers and 23% of the 18-34 age group make purchases via their mobile four times a year.
Mobile payments (Juniper)
- The market for mobile payments market is expected to quadruple by 2014, reaching $630bn in value, which equates to 5% of total e-commerce sales.
- The mobile payments market is worth $170bn so far this year.
Mobile commerce market size (ABI Research)
- The research firm predicts that in 2015, $119bn worth of goods and services will be purchased via a mobile phone.
- By ABI Research's count, mobile commerce tripled in the United States in 2009, but still only constituted a $1.2bn market.
- In Japan, which has one of the most vibrant mobile markets, mobile commerce exceeded $10bn in 2009.
Mobile internet usage (Essential Research)
- 47% of daily mobile internet users live in urban areas, while 42% of mobile internet users earn over £40,000 a year (household income) compared to 31% of non users.
- These daily mobile internet users are also more likely to spend more on their monthly mobile bills, 55% pay over £30 a month, compared to 10% of non users.
Smartphone usage (comScore)
- In the three month period ending in February 2010, 45.4m people in the U.S. owned smartphones, a 21% jump over November 2009.
- The fastest gainer in that segment is Google, whose Android platform rose by an impressive 5.2% in only three months.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wolf Trap Voted 'Best Outdoor Concert Venue'
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuff Trucks plus Monster Trucks
Zvents
Friday, July 16 7:30 p.m.
at Stanislaus County Fairgrounds: FoodMaxx Arena, Turlock, CA
It's a race against time for more than 50 "stump jumpers" on an obstacle course filled with bumps and jumps - with two rotations around the track! Three classes will compete for quickest time: (1) Local Tuff Trucks, (2) Pro-Arena Trucks and (3) Quads (four-wheel motorcycles).
Local Tuff Trucks often have the suspension system changed out to provide for longer travel, have bigger wheels and tires and have been stripped to lighten the weight of the vehicle. Pro-Arena Trucks have been highly modified for ultimate performance.
Special appearances by roaring monster trucks: Time Flys and Fired up.
Price: Reserved seats: $8, General admission - adult: $6, General admission - child (12 and under): $4 (+Fair admission)
Ticket info: Tickets may be purchased online at tickets.com, the fair's website www.stancofair.com, by phone at 1-800-225-2277 or at the Fair office at 900 N. Broadway, Turlock.
Friday, July 16 7:30 p.m.
at Stanislaus County Fairgrounds: FoodMaxx Arena, Turlock, CA
It's a race against time for more than 50 "stump jumpers" on an obstacle course filled with bumps and jumps - with two rotations around the track! Three classes will compete for quickest time: (1) Local Tuff Trucks, (2) Pro-Arena Trucks and (3) Quads (four-wheel motorcycles).
Local Tuff Trucks often have the suspension system changed out to provide for longer travel, have bigger wheels and tires and have been stripped to lighten the weight of the vehicle. Pro-Arena Trucks have been highly modified for ultimate performance.
Special appearances by roaring monster trucks: Time Flys and Fired up.
Price: Reserved seats: $8, General admission - adult: $6, General admission - child (12 and under): $4 (+Fair admission)
Ticket info: Tickets may be purchased online at tickets.com, the fair's website www.stancofair.com, by phone at 1-800-225-2277 or at the Fair office at 900 N. Broadway, Turlock.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Dwight Yoakam to perform in Salinas during Rodeo Week
The Californian
Ria Megnin
The California Rodeo Association and David Drew Productions will present The Centennial Rodeo Music Stampede with Dwight Yoakam on July 17.
Yoakam will perform at Salinas Municipal Stadium/Rodeo Fairgrounds, 175 Maryal Drive, Salinas. Gates open at 6 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m.
Cost is $22 plus box fees or $47 plus box fees for VIPs.
Tickets are available at the Salinas Sports Complex Box Office, 800-549-4989 or 831-722-6500 or www.tickets.com.
Ria Megnin
The California Rodeo Association and David Drew Productions will present The Centennial Rodeo Music Stampede with Dwight Yoakam on July 17.
Yoakam will perform at Salinas Municipal Stadium/Rodeo Fairgrounds, 175 Maryal Drive, Salinas. Gates open at 6 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m.
Cost is $22 plus box fees or $47 plus box fees for VIPs.
Tickets are available at the Salinas Sports Complex Box Office, 800-549-4989 or 831-722-6500 or www.tickets.com.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Zac Brown Band to play Oklahoma City’s Zoo Amphitheatre Sept. 16; tickets go on sale June 26
Brandy McDonnell
BAM's Blog
Country group Zac Brown Band will be bringing its increasingly acclaimed live show to Oklahoma City’s Zoo Amphitheatre on Sept. 16.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 26, the venue announced today.
Tickets will be available at www.zooamp.com and Tickets.com. For more information, call 364-3700.
The Atlanta-based band has developed a reputation for an electrifying live show, particularly after playing a scorching cover of “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” during last year’s Country Music Association Awards.
“I was so thrilled with that performance,” Oklahoma-born superstar Reba McEntire recently told the Associated Press. “I thought it was very gutsy of them, too, not to do their single, but to do a live performance. It was a showstopper. They do go against the grain a lot. They’re kind of renegade in a way, but they back it up.”
The band is coming off a series of three high-profile performances in the last week: Wednesday at the CMT Music Awards, Saturday at the CMA Music Festival and Sunday at the Bonnaroo Music Festival.
In addition, Brown & Co. have the momentum of three No. 1 singles, a recent Grammy win and two albums in Billboard’s country top 10 on their side. Their most-recent album, “The Foundation,” continues its slow burn at No. 3 with 2 million copies sold, and the new two CD, one DVD live set, “Pass The Jar: Live” is No. 9 on the charts.
The group takes a blue-collar approach, Brown told the AP before playing CMA Music Fest and Bonnaroo over the weekend, and feeds off the energy of the crowd. They always know in minutes if the show’s going to go to another level.
“You feed off the crowd,” he said. “Whatever they give you, as much as they’ll give you, it comes back to us and it makes this big turbine of energy in the room. We’ll know stepping out how much they want to give us. It gives us that extra. Literally when we get done playing we’re exhausted. We’re covered in sweat and we’re soaked and we feel like we’ve given them their money’s worth.”
BAM's Blog
Country group Zac Brown Band will be bringing its increasingly acclaimed live show to Oklahoma City’s Zoo Amphitheatre on Sept. 16.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 26, the venue announced today.
Tickets will be available at www.zooamp.com and Tickets.com. For more information, call 364-3700.
The Atlanta-based band has developed a reputation for an electrifying live show, particularly after playing a scorching cover of “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” during last year’s Country Music Association Awards.
“I was so thrilled with that performance,” Oklahoma-born superstar Reba McEntire recently told the Associated Press. “I thought it was very gutsy of them, too, not to do their single, but to do a live performance. It was a showstopper. They do go against the grain a lot. They’re kind of renegade in a way, but they back it up.”
The band is coming off a series of three high-profile performances in the last week: Wednesday at the CMT Music Awards, Saturday at the CMA Music Festival and Sunday at the Bonnaroo Music Festival.
In addition, Brown & Co. have the momentum of three No. 1 singles, a recent Grammy win and two albums in Billboard’s country top 10 on their side. Their most-recent album, “The Foundation,” continues its slow burn at No. 3 with 2 million copies sold, and the new two CD, one DVD live set, “Pass The Jar: Live” is No. 9 on the charts.
The group takes a blue-collar approach, Brown told the AP before playing CMA Music Fest and Bonnaroo over the weekend, and feeds off the energy of the crowd. They always know in minutes if the show’s going to go to another level.
“You feed off the crowd,” he said. “Whatever they give you, as much as they’ll give you, it comes back to us and it makes this big turbine of energy in the room. We’ll know stepping out how much they want to give us. It gives us that extra. Literally when we get done playing we’re exhausted. We’re covered in sweat and we’re soaked and we feel like we’ve given them their money’s worth.”
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tickets.com to Present at Internet Retailer's Mobile Commerce Conference
The American consumer's mindset is changing. Consumers are increasingly relying on mobile phones not only as phones but also as devices for obtaining information and conducting transactions—be that buying movie tickets, purchasing merchandise or checking flight times.
Internet Retailer's first annual Mobile Commerce Forum: Mobile Commerce Enters the Mainstream, will present a cross-industry view of how marketers are driving business results using the mobile channel. The conference agenda will bring together different industries so they can learn from each other and travel this fast-rising growth curve together. Featuring ticket sellers, travel and hospitality companies, retailers, and entertainment and digital service providers, it will present speakers who will share their experience in developing and executing successful mobile commerce initiatives.
Sheri Fink, eCommerce & Strategic Alliances, will be speaking on behalf of Tickets.com to share the experience of developing the Tickets.com mobile site and the unique challenges the team faced throughout the mobilization process. The conference will present a cross-industry view of how marketers are driving business results using the mobile channel.
Designing for mobile
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Two schools exist when it comes to web page presentation on mobile—design a mobile site separate from the e-commerce site or let the mobile device reflect the e-commerce design. Whichever approach a marketer adopts, the m-commerce and e-commerce teams need to know the pluses and minuses of each. This session will explore the strategies of two mobile players who will explain why they made the choices they did, and help attendees know which approach is right for their own products and services. It also will feature a usability expert who will look at how to test to make sure the site is displaying properly and how to test navigability and usability of a mobile design and of e-commerce designs adapted for mobile.
Learn more >
Internet Retailer's first annual Mobile Commerce Forum: Mobile Commerce Enters the Mainstream, will present a cross-industry view of how marketers are driving business results using the mobile channel. The conference agenda will bring together different industries so they can learn from each other and travel this fast-rising growth curve together. Featuring ticket sellers, travel and hospitality companies, retailers, and entertainment and digital service providers, it will present speakers who will share their experience in developing and executing successful mobile commerce initiatives.
Sheri Fink, eCommerce & Strategic Alliances, will be speaking on behalf of Tickets.com to share the experience of developing the Tickets.com mobile site and the unique challenges the team faced throughout the mobilization process. The conference will present a cross-industry view of how marketers are driving business results using the mobile channel.
Designing for mobile
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Two schools exist when it comes to web page presentation on mobile—design a mobile site separate from the e-commerce site or let the mobile device reflect the e-commerce design. Whichever approach a marketer adopts, the m-commerce and e-commerce teams need to know the pluses and minuses of each. This session will explore the strategies of two mobile players who will explain why they made the choices they did, and help attendees know which approach is right for their own products and services. It also will feature a usability expert who will look at how to test to make sure the site is displaying properly and how to test navigability and usability of a mobile design and of e-commerce designs adapted for mobile.
Learn more >
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Mobile Commerce Daily: Thirteen MLB teams launch mobile ticketing initiatives
Dan Butcher
Mobile Marketer
Major League Baseball Advanced Media’s Tickets.com has incorporated the ProVenueMobile ticketing service for all 13 of its Major League Baseball clients.
The 13 MLB clubs on the Tickets.com client roster using ProVenueMobile include the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals.
ProVenueMobile powers client-branded ticket transactions to be made 24/7 from select Internet-enabled mobile phones through each club’s mobile Web site, offering fans the option to digitally receive unique bar-coded tickets directly to their mobile phones.
Mobile Commerce Daily’s Dan Butcher interviewed Sheri Fink, head of ecommerce and strategic alliances at Tickets.com, Costa Mesa, CA. Here is what she had to say:
What is the strategy behind the partnership between Tickets.com and the 13 MLB clubs?
Tickets.com is at the vanguard of mobile technologies and Web site mobilization in the ticketing and admissions service industry.
The MLB clubs are very sophisticated and have games that appeal to a mobile-savvy audience.
We are excited to offer these innovative services to 13 MLB clubs as well as a wide variety of other clients.
What challenges does ProVenueMobile address for these teams?
ProVenueMobile enables the teams to sell tickets up to the last minute. Fans want convenience when they are purchasing tickets and arriving at events.
ProVenueMobile provides the ultimate convenience—the ability to purchase tickets anytime, anywhere. It enables fans to buy tickets on the way to the ballpark using their mobile phones.
With Tickets@Phone mobile ticket delivery, fans can also have the tickets delivered directly to their mobile phones without ever having to wait in line at the box office or will call.
ProVenueMobile is open to all mobile phones without requiring fans to download an application.
This allows anyone with an Internet-enabled mobile phone to purchase the teams’ tickets quickly and conveniently just by going to their Web sites.
What demographic is this targeting?
Mobile ticketing appeals to a broad audience. We are currently working with the baseball teams to build a strong mobile fan base.
We have clients in the concert and performing arts industries who are using ProVenueMobile as well.
We are seeing mobile ticketing become especially popular with smartphone users.
How do baseball fans complete a ticket purchase via their mobile device?
Baseball fans simply go to their favorite team’s Web site using their mobile device and select the game for which they would like to buy tickets.
Then, they log into their MLB.com account where their customer information is stored or enter their payment information if they’re a first-time customer.
Fans select their preferred delivery option, make their purchase and then receive a confirmation of their transaction.
If Tickets@Phone mobile ticket delivery is chosen, the ticket bar codes are sent directly to their mobile phone via SMS or MMS.
The ProVenueMobile product contains all of the security features and added functionality available on the teams’ private-label Web sites.
This seamless compatibility with mobile phones enables fans to purchase tickets using promo codes, if applicable, on the teams’ mobile sites.
Mobile transactions are conducted in real time via the ticketing system, so reporting and ticket inventory display up-to-date numbers.
Why is mobile bar code ticketing better for fans and the teams?
Mobile bar code ticketing offers an improved fan experience by providing the ultimate convenience for ticket purchase and delivery. It saves fans time by enabling them to enter the ballpark without waiting in box office or will call lines.
And, because most people carry their mobile phones all the time, the potential for lost or misplaced tickets is greatly reduced.
From the teams’ perspective, mobile bar code ticketing improves the fan experience, enables the teams to sell tickets up to the last minute, reduces operational costs—due to having fewer people in will call and box office lines—and increases revenue by enabling fans to enter the ballpark earlier where they can begin purchasing food, beverages, and merchandise instead of waiting in line outside.
It is also better for the environment because it saves paper and reduces printing.
How are Tickets.com and the 13 teams getting the word out about this mobile ticketing platform?
Several of the teams are already advertising this new technology via in-stadium announcements, signage, Yearbook ads and programs.
MLBAM is working closely with the teams on messaging the mobile ticket purchase capabilities within the teams’ mobile Web sites.
Tickets.com is promoting it via PR and social media marketing on our company blog, Facebook, and Twitter.
Mobile Marketer
Major League Baseball Advanced Media’s Tickets.com has incorporated the ProVenueMobile ticketing service for all 13 of its Major League Baseball clients.
The 13 MLB clubs on the Tickets.com client roster using ProVenueMobile include the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals.
ProVenueMobile powers client-branded ticket transactions to be made 24/7 from select Internet-enabled mobile phones through each club’s mobile Web site, offering fans the option to digitally receive unique bar-coded tickets directly to their mobile phones.
Mobile Commerce Daily’s Dan Butcher interviewed Sheri Fink, head of ecommerce and strategic alliances at Tickets.com, Costa Mesa, CA. Here is what she had to say:
What is the strategy behind the partnership between Tickets.com and the 13 MLB clubs?
Tickets.com is at the vanguard of mobile technologies and Web site mobilization in the ticketing and admissions service industry.
The MLB clubs are very sophisticated and have games that appeal to a mobile-savvy audience.
We are excited to offer these innovative services to 13 MLB clubs as well as a wide variety of other clients.
What challenges does ProVenueMobile address for these teams?
ProVenueMobile enables the teams to sell tickets up to the last minute. Fans want convenience when they are purchasing tickets and arriving at events.
ProVenueMobile provides the ultimate convenience—the ability to purchase tickets anytime, anywhere. It enables fans to buy tickets on the way to the ballpark using their mobile phones.
With Tickets@Phone mobile ticket delivery, fans can also have the tickets delivered directly to their mobile phones without ever having to wait in line at the box office or will call.
ProVenueMobile is open to all mobile phones without requiring fans to download an application.
This allows anyone with an Internet-enabled mobile phone to purchase the teams’ tickets quickly and conveniently just by going to their Web sites.
What demographic is this targeting?
Mobile ticketing appeals to a broad audience. We are currently working with the baseball teams to build a strong mobile fan base.
We have clients in the concert and performing arts industries who are using ProVenueMobile as well.
We are seeing mobile ticketing become especially popular with smartphone users.
How do baseball fans complete a ticket purchase via their mobile device?
Baseball fans simply go to their favorite team’s Web site using their mobile device and select the game for which they would like to buy tickets.
Then, they log into their MLB.com account where their customer information is stored or enter their payment information if they’re a first-time customer.
Fans select their preferred delivery option, make their purchase and then receive a confirmation of their transaction.
If Tickets@Phone mobile ticket delivery is chosen, the ticket bar codes are sent directly to their mobile phone via SMS or MMS.
The ProVenueMobile product contains all of the security features and added functionality available on the teams’ private-label Web sites.
This seamless compatibility with mobile phones enables fans to purchase tickets using promo codes, if applicable, on the teams’ mobile sites.
Mobile transactions are conducted in real time via the ticketing system, so reporting and ticket inventory display up-to-date numbers.
Why is mobile bar code ticketing better for fans and the teams?
Mobile bar code ticketing offers an improved fan experience by providing the ultimate convenience for ticket purchase and delivery. It saves fans time by enabling them to enter the ballpark without waiting in box office or will call lines.
And, because most people carry their mobile phones all the time, the potential for lost or misplaced tickets is greatly reduced.
From the teams’ perspective, mobile bar code ticketing improves the fan experience, enables the teams to sell tickets up to the last minute, reduces operational costs—due to having fewer people in will call and box office lines—and increases revenue by enabling fans to enter the ballpark earlier where they can begin purchasing food, beverages, and merchandise instead of waiting in line outside.
It is also better for the environment because it saves paper and reduces printing.
How are Tickets.com and the 13 teams getting the word out about this mobile ticketing platform?
Several of the teams are already advertising this new technology via in-stadium announcements, signage, Yearbook ads and programs.
MLBAM is working closely with the teams on messaging the mobile ticket purchase capabilities within the teams’ mobile Web sites.
Tickets.com is promoting it via PR and social media marketing on our company blog, Facebook, and Twitter.
“Yo Gabba Gabba!” bringing first live tour to Tulsa Nov. 5
Brandy McDonnell
BAM's Blog
Children’s show “Yo Gabba Gabba!” is bringing its first live tour to Tulsa’s BOK Center, the venue has announced.
“Yo Gabba Gabba! Live: There’s a Party In My City” will sing and dance into the BOK Center Nov. 5.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 26. Prices are set at $30.50 and $40.50.
Tickets will be available online at www.bokcenter.com, at Arby’s Box Office, at all Tickets.com outlets, or by calling (866) 7BOKCTR.
The “Yo Gabba Gabba!” tour is hitting cities across America just after the release of the show’s first CD, “Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome!,” which will be on shelves Oct. 20. W!ldbrain and S2BN Entertainment have collaborated to present “Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There’s A Party In My City.” The show’s first live U.S. tour kicks off Nov. 14. The tour features music, animation, games, singing, dancing, and special musical guests.
The live touring show “Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!: There’s a Party in My City!” features DJ Lance Rock, and everyone’s favorite cast of characters: Muno (the red Cyclops), Foofa (the pink flower bubble), Brobee (the little green one), Plex (the magic robot), and Toodee (the blue cat-dragon). The one-of-a-kind live event offers audience members of all ages the opportunity to witness their favorite characters come to life with the magic words, “Yo Gabba Gabba!” Special guests will rock their favorite “Dancey Dance” moves and join the party on stage for the Super Music Friends Show. Legendary rapper Biz Markie will teach kids how to beat box with Biz’s Beat of the Day and surprise Super Music Friends and Dancey Dancers at every stop.
BAM's Blog
Children’s show “Yo Gabba Gabba!” is bringing its first live tour to Tulsa’s BOK Center, the venue has announced.
“Yo Gabba Gabba! Live: There’s a Party In My City” will sing and dance into the BOK Center Nov. 5.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 26. Prices are set at $30.50 and $40.50.
Tickets will be available online at www.bokcenter.com, at Arby’s Box Office, at all Tickets.com outlets, or by calling (866) 7BOKCTR.
The “Yo Gabba Gabba!” tour is hitting cities across America just after the release of the show’s first CD, “Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome!,” which will be on shelves Oct. 20. W!ldbrain and S2BN Entertainment have collaborated to present “Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There’s A Party In My City.” The show’s first live U.S. tour kicks off Nov. 14. The tour features music, animation, games, singing, dancing, and special musical guests.
The live touring show “Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!: There’s a Party in My City!” features DJ Lance Rock, and everyone’s favorite cast of characters: Muno (the red Cyclops), Foofa (the pink flower bubble), Brobee (the little green one), Plex (the magic robot), and Toodee (the blue cat-dragon). The one-of-a-kind live event offers audience members of all ages the opportunity to witness their favorite characters come to life with the magic words, “Yo Gabba Gabba!” Special guests will rock their favorite “Dancey Dance” moves and join the party on stage for the Super Music Friends Show. Legendary rapper Biz Markie will teach kids how to beat box with Biz’s Beat of the Day and surprise Super Music Friends and Dancey Dancers at every stop.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tickets for Eminem, Jay-Z Concert at Comerica Park go on sale June 25
Detroit News
Adam Graham
Tickets for Eminem and Jay-Z's Sept. 2 mega-concert at Comerica Park go on sale at 10 a.m. June 25.
Tickets cost $49.50, $79.50 and $99.50 and will go on sale through Tickets.com, Livenation.com, the Comerica Park box office and select Meijer stores. Tickets will be available for purchase by phone at (866) 668-4437, and additional information is available at (313) 471-6611.
The Eminem and Jay-Z concert is part of a two-city tour in which the superstar rappers are playing each other's hometown baseball stadiums. The duo will perform at Yankee Stadium in New York on Sept. 13.
Adam Graham
Tickets for Eminem and Jay-Z's Sept. 2 mega-concert at Comerica Park go on sale at 10 a.m. June 25.
Tickets cost $49.50, $79.50 and $99.50 and will go on sale through Tickets.com, Livenation.com, the Comerica Park box office and select Meijer stores. Tickets will be available for purchase by phone at (866) 668-4437, and additional information is available at (313) 471-6611.
The Eminem and Jay-Z concert is part of a two-city tour in which the superstar rappers are playing each other's hometown baseball stadiums. The duo will perform at Yankee Stadium in New York on Sept. 13.
Tickets.com Integrates its ProVenueMobile™ Product with all 13 of its Major League Baseball Clients
Tickets.com, a leading global provider of integrated ticketing solutions, announced that it has incorporated the ProVenueMobile™ ticketing service for all 13 of its Major League Baseball clients. ProVenueMobile enables full-circle, client-branded ticket transactions to be made 24/7 from select Internet-enabled mobile phones through the club’s mobilized web site.
ProVenueMobile marks a milestone in the admission services industry as 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. To maximize the potential of ProVenueMobile, the MLB clubs that utilize the proprietary Tickets@Phone® technology will offer fans the option to digitally receive unique barcoded tickets directly and securely to their mobile phones for a 100% mobile—and green—ticket-buying experience.
"We are proud to be at the vanguard of website mobilization for Major League Baseball clubs,” said Derek Palmer, Chief Commercial Officer, Tickets.com. "Being able to offer our sports clients a product that enables brand differentiation and secure mobile ticketing from start to finish is essential in today’s increasingly digital marketplace. We understand that our MLB partners want to be at the forefront of this exciting new era in ticketing.”
The 13 MLB clubs on the Tickets.com client roster using ProVenueMobile include: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, and Washington Nationals.
“It was really important for our organization, and the other teams that I’ve talked with, to offer a mobile ticketing platform to fans,” said Carl Rice, Senior Director, Facility Management & Information Technology, Chicago Cubs. “In addition to purchasing tickets from their mobile phones, fans can opt-in for team updates and other features. Sports enthusiasts are early adopters of new technologies, and they’ll find that ProVenueMobile offers a valuable way to stay connected to the team.”
ProVenueMobile marks a milestone in the admission services industry as 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. To maximize the potential of ProVenueMobile, the MLB clubs that utilize the proprietary Tickets@Phone® technology will offer fans the option to digitally receive unique barcoded tickets directly and securely to their mobile phones for a 100% mobile—and green—ticket-buying experience.
"We are proud to be at the vanguard of website mobilization for Major League Baseball clubs,” said Derek Palmer, Chief Commercial Officer, Tickets.com. "Being able to offer our sports clients a product that enables brand differentiation and secure mobile ticketing from start to finish is essential in today’s increasingly digital marketplace. We understand that our MLB partners want to be at the forefront of this exciting new era in ticketing.”
The 13 MLB clubs on the Tickets.com client roster using ProVenueMobile include: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, and Washington Nationals.
“It was really important for our organization, and the other teams that I’ve talked with, to offer a mobile ticketing platform to fans,” said Carl Rice, Senior Director, Facility Management & Information Technology, Chicago Cubs. “In addition to purchasing tickets from their mobile phones, fans can opt-in for team updates and other features. Sports enthusiasts are early adopters of new technologies, and they’ll find that ProVenueMobile offers a valuable way to stay connected to the team.”
Monday, June 21, 2010
STG Announces Snoop Dogg & Ice Cube and Mark Kozelek
BroadwayWorld.com
Seattle Theatre Group (STG) announces the following concerts going on sale this week.
Snoop Dogg & Ice Cube
How The West Was One Tour
Date: July 14, 2010 @ 7:30pm
Venue: Paramount Theatre (All Ages)
Price: $45.00 not including applicable fees
Seating: General Admission (flat floor) & Reserved Seating (balcony)
Ticketing information: Online at Tickets.com, in person at the Paramount Theatre box office (M-F 10am-6pm), 24-hour kiosks located outside the Paramount & Moore Theatres, charge by phone at (877) 784-4849, or online at STGPresents.org.
Iconic in stature and in essence, Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. has carved out a permanent place in musical history. Undeniably, the rapper, producer, actor, entrepreneur, coach, husband and father affectionately called Snoop Dogg, has performed the most unique balancing act that hip hop has ever witnessed. Never short on vision, drive or ambition, the sharp talking wordsworth has managed to redefine and reinvent himself over the course of his fifteen year career, each time revealing a distinctive cache from the depths within. His rhythmic cadences are classic in nature and his demeanor is as laid back and effortless as the brand extensions he has created for himself.
Known to be one of the Most Important figures in rap history, Ice Cube began his career with the Notorious West Coast Gangsta Rap Group N.W.A two decades ago. At the height of the group's success, Ice Cube broke away to start his own solo career. His initial release, "Amerikkka's Most Wanted" (Priority, 1990) sold over a million copies. His sophomore solo effort, "Death Certificate"(Priority, 1991), a concept album about the fall and rise of the black man, debuted at #1 on the R&B Album chart, #2 on the Top 200 album chart and went on to sell over two million copies. His impressive musical career also includes the multi-platinum success of both his double album "War and Peace," and hit albums "Lethal Injection," "Bootlegs & B-Sides," "The Predator," and the gold certified, independently released "Laugh Now, Cry Later." Ice Cube has sold over 10 million albums to date.
Mark Kozelek
of Sun Kil Moon & Red House Painters
Special Guest: Tiny Vipers
Date: September 7, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Venue: Town Hall (All Ages)
Price: $18.00 in advance, $20.00 day of show, not including applicable fees
Seating: General Admission
Ticketing information: Online at Tickets.com, in person at the Paramount Theatre box office (M-F 10am-6pm), 24-hour kiosks located outside the Paramount & Moore Theatres, charge by phone at (877) 784-4849, or online at STGPresents.org.
With a two-year-old Red House Painters record sitting on the shelf, unable to find release due to legal ramifications, Mark Kozelek broke four years of recorded silence with the Rock 'n' Roll Singer EP. Released in 2000 under his own name, the half-hour disc featured interpretations of three Bon Scott-era AC/DC covers, a John Denver cover, and a couple new songs of his own. The EP seemed to divide longtime fans and critics into two camps. Some felt that the long period of no new material shouldn't have resulted in a batch of covers, while others were impressed with Kozelek's straight-faced reinterpretations that revealed a surprising amount of depth at the heart of AC/DC's songs. Kozelek also spent a fair amount of time during 1999 and 2000 arranging Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver and two benefit compilations for the Shanti Project, a San Francisco-based AIDS relief organization. He was also cast in the role of a bass player with a predilection for high-school females in Cameron Crowe's critically acclaimed Almost Famous, which hit theaters in 2000.
ABOUT STG:
STG 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 variety of shows from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and Jazz or comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and at venues throughout Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.
Seattle Theatre Group (STG) announces the following concerts going on sale this week.
Snoop Dogg & Ice Cube
How The West Was One Tour
Date: July 14, 2010 @ 7:30pm
Venue: Paramount Theatre (All Ages)
Price: $45.00 not including applicable fees
Seating: General Admission (flat floor) & Reserved Seating (balcony)
Ticketing information: Online at Tickets.com, in person at the Paramount Theatre box office (M-F 10am-6pm), 24-hour kiosks located outside the Paramount & Moore Theatres, charge by phone at (877) 784-4849, or online at STGPresents.org.
Iconic in stature and in essence, Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. has carved out a permanent place in musical history. Undeniably, the rapper, producer, actor, entrepreneur, coach, husband and father affectionately called Snoop Dogg, has performed the most unique balancing act that hip hop has ever witnessed. Never short on vision, drive or ambition, the sharp talking wordsworth has managed to redefine and reinvent himself over the course of his fifteen year career, each time revealing a distinctive cache from the depths within. His rhythmic cadences are classic in nature and his demeanor is as laid back and effortless as the brand extensions he has created for himself.
Known to be one of the Most Important figures in rap history, Ice Cube began his career with the Notorious West Coast Gangsta Rap Group N.W.A two decades ago. At the height of the group's success, Ice Cube broke away to start his own solo career. His initial release, "Amerikkka's Most Wanted" (Priority, 1990) sold over a million copies. His sophomore solo effort, "Death Certificate"(Priority, 1991), a concept album about the fall and rise of the black man, debuted at #1 on the R&B Album chart, #2 on the Top 200 album chart and went on to sell over two million copies. His impressive musical career also includes the multi-platinum success of both his double album "War and Peace," and hit albums "Lethal Injection," "Bootlegs & B-Sides," "The Predator," and the gold certified, independently released "Laugh Now, Cry Later." Ice Cube has sold over 10 million albums to date.
Mark Kozelek
of Sun Kil Moon & Red House Painters
Special Guest: Tiny Vipers
Date: September 7, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Venue: Town Hall (All Ages)
Price: $18.00 in advance, $20.00 day of show, not including applicable fees
Seating: General Admission
Ticketing information: Online at Tickets.com, in person at the Paramount Theatre box office (M-F 10am-6pm), 24-hour kiosks located outside the Paramount & Moore Theatres, charge by phone at (877) 784-4849, or online at STGPresents.org.
With a two-year-old Red House Painters record sitting on the shelf, unable to find release due to legal ramifications, Mark Kozelek broke four years of recorded silence with the Rock 'n' Roll Singer EP. Released in 2000 under his own name, the half-hour disc featured interpretations of three Bon Scott-era AC/DC covers, a John Denver cover, and a couple new songs of his own. The EP seemed to divide longtime fans and critics into two camps. Some felt that the long period of no new material shouldn't have resulted in a batch of covers, while others were impressed with Kozelek's straight-faced reinterpretations that revealed a surprising amount of depth at the heart of AC/DC's songs. Kozelek also spent a fair amount of time during 1999 and 2000 arranging Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver and two benefit compilations for the Shanti Project, a San Francisco-based AIDS relief organization. He was also cast in the role of a bass player with a predilection for high-school females in Cameron Crowe's critically acclaimed Almost Famous, which hit theaters in 2000.
ABOUT STG:
STG 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 variety of shows from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and Jazz or comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and at venues throughout Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Ticket prices announced for Tom Petty’s Tulsa show; tickets go on sale Saturday morning
BAM's Blog
Brandy McDonnell
Prices for the BOK Center’s second anniversary concert featuring Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have been confirmed by the Tulsa venue. Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The second anniversary show, featuring special guest ZZ Top, is set for Sept. 23.
Ticket prices are set at $39.75, $59.75, $79.75 and $119.75.
Tickets will be available online at www.tickets.com, www.livenation.com and www.bokcenter.com, at Arby’s Box Office, at all Tickets.com outlets, or by calling (866) 7BOKCTR.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are touring to support the band’s first album in eight years, “Mojo,” which was released this week.
Brandy McDonnell
Prices for the BOK Center’s second anniversary concert featuring Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have been confirmed by the Tulsa venue. Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The second anniversary show, featuring special guest ZZ Top, is set for Sept. 23.
Ticket prices are set at $39.75, $59.75, $79.75 and $119.75.
Tickets will be available online at www.tickets.com, www.livenation.com and www.bokcenter.com, at Arby’s Box Office, at all Tickets.com outlets, or by calling (866) 7BOKCTR.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are touring to support the band’s first album in eight years, “Mojo,” which was released this week.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Dynamic Ticket Pricing: Coming Soon to a Stadium Near You
Authority Tickets: Secondary Ticket News
Kelly
San Francisco is always a little bit ahead of the curve, in everything from haute cuisine to public policy. Now, according to Tickets.com, the hometown Giants are setting a trend when it comes to ticket pricing by employing a dynamic system that moves up and down depending on a variety of criteria such as dates, times, and opponents.
It’s a practice commonly found in the secondary ticket market that is making headway in the primary arena thanks to the Giants and other early adopters. And it’s only going to gain more traction in the coming years as consumers get more accustomed to a model that is also standard fare for hotels and airlines.
As Russ Stanley, managing vice president of ticketing sales and services for the Giants, sees it, “This is coming on very, very quickly. Within five years, I think everybody’s going to be doing this. Everybody in the industry is looking at it closely and evaluating it. I’m getting at least a call a week about this [from other teams], probably two.”
The Giants teamed up with Texas-based startup Qcue Inc. to begin testing the dynamic model last season and chalked up an additional $500,000 in revenues earned on a limited number of games. This season, they are looking to bring in seven figures worth as they expand the program to every game at AT&T Park.
The Houston Astros, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, and Cleveland Cavaliers are all testing the waters for themselves either this year or next.
What remains to be seen is how fans will react. For many, their hometown teams are their lifeblood and have been for generations. Getting a calendar and buying tickets ahead of time is part of the annual ritual. If prices can’t be determined in advance or fluctuate too much, some fans may push back against their favorite franchises.
The highest risk demographic is that of season ticket holders. If a dynamic system drives the face value of tickets to a price point below what they paid, then the incentive for buying a package up front is eliminated. So far, that problem has been avoided by keep a watchful eye not to let prices drift that low and by offering additional value to the packages such as access to the team.
“I simply wouldn’t be doing this if it meant putting our season-ticket holders at risk,” Stanley said. “At least half of what we’ll sell all year will be through season tickets, so we absolutely have to protect that.”
Chris Hutson, co-chief executive for Turnstyles Ticketing, has his doubts: “I don’t begrudge anybody trying this, but not at the expense of traditional, blood-and-guts ticket selling. I’ve seen every gimmick in this business and we, as an industry, tend to rely on things like this too much instead of good old-fashioned elbow grease. There are so many variables in [dynamic pricing], and I’m not sure we’ve thought through them all. What happens, for example, if [Tim] Lincecum doesn’t pitch in a particular game after somebody’s paid an accelerated price to see that game?”
Filling the stadium and filling the coffers are two goals that can sometimes be at odds. Teams are now looking to dynamic pricing as an answer to both.
As technology – particularly computer modeling – has advanced over the years, some teams have used it to determine audience analysis by inputting factors like when the game will be played, who will be playing, and what the weather will likely be. A true dynamic system takes that another step further by implementing the system season-wide, year-on-year.
The Qcue algorithm uses similar criteria, while also taking the secondary ticket market’s prices into account, to recommend price shifts. The client team can go with that recommendation or consider other factors and set their own price. The Qcue system feeds into the team’s existing ticketing system, as it does for the Stars and Giants through Tickets.com.
Qcue’s chief executive Barry Kahn boasts,“What we’ve done is create a software platform that performs very high-end demand and sales forecasting. Obviously, we’re huge believers in dynamic pricing, but with or without that, that information is still very valuable. That’s the foundation, and from there, we’re proving value and revenue upside.”
Their main rival, Digonex Technologies Inc., is working with the Cavaliers and will soon announce another NBA partnership. The company sees a bright future for the dynamic model.
“Consumer acceptance of dynamic pricing has definitely changed,” said Rex Fisher, Digonex vice president of business development. “We all have greater access to information, and we’ve simply been conditioned that many products are priced subject to change.”
The Cavaliers added six figures to their revenue line last season, too.
Mike Tomon, the Cavs’ vice president of sales, believes that there’s more to it than just money: “Even more than the additional revenue, dynamic pricing has helped us engage the fan and be relevant by offering them the right product at the right price at the right time. That helps with building fan engagement and loyalty.”
Consumer education is one part of the two-pronged approach to respectability for the new model. Surveys and explanations are being offered, along with the tried-and-true ideal of locking in your price now so you save money.
As more fans latch on to the idea, so will more teams. Tomon continued, “It simply makes all the sense in the world to have a true value-based offering that’s derived from fan behavior. This is coming to a head in sports, and with good reason.”
Kelly
San Francisco is always a little bit ahead of the curve, in everything from haute cuisine to public policy. Now, according to Tickets.com, the hometown Giants are setting a trend when it comes to ticket pricing by employing a dynamic system that moves up and down depending on a variety of criteria such as dates, times, and opponents.
It’s a practice commonly found in the secondary ticket market that is making headway in the primary arena thanks to the Giants and other early adopters. And it’s only going to gain more traction in the coming years as consumers get more accustomed to a model that is also standard fare for hotels and airlines.
As Russ Stanley, managing vice president of ticketing sales and services for the Giants, sees it, “This is coming on very, very quickly. Within five years, I think everybody’s going to be doing this. Everybody in the industry is looking at it closely and evaluating it. I’m getting at least a call a week about this [from other teams], probably two.”
The Giants teamed up with Texas-based startup Qcue Inc. to begin testing the dynamic model last season and chalked up an additional $500,000 in revenues earned on a limited number of games. This season, they are looking to bring in seven figures worth as they expand the program to every game at AT&T Park.
The Houston Astros, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, and Cleveland Cavaliers are all testing the waters for themselves either this year or next.
What remains to be seen is how fans will react. For many, their hometown teams are their lifeblood and have been for generations. Getting a calendar and buying tickets ahead of time is part of the annual ritual. If prices can’t be determined in advance or fluctuate too much, some fans may push back against their favorite franchises.
The highest risk demographic is that of season ticket holders. If a dynamic system drives the face value of tickets to a price point below what they paid, then the incentive for buying a package up front is eliminated. So far, that problem has been avoided by keep a watchful eye not to let prices drift that low and by offering additional value to the packages such as access to the team.
“I simply wouldn’t be doing this if it meant putting our season-ticket holders at risk,” Stanley said. “At least half of what we’ll sell all year will be through season tickets, so we absolutely have to protect that.”
Chris Hutson, co-chief executive for Turnstyles Ticketing, has his doubts: “I don’t begrudge anybody trying this, but not at the expense of traditional, blood-and-guts ticket selling. I’ve seen every gimmick in this business and we, as an industry, tend to rely on things like this too much instead of good old-fashioned elbow grease. There are so many variables in [dynamic pricing], and I’m not sure we’ve thought through them all. What happens, for example, if [Tim] Lincecum doesn’t pitch in a particular game after somebody’s paid an accelerated price to see that game?”
Filling the stadium and filling the coffers are two goals that can sometimes be at odds. Teams are now looking to dynamic pricing as an answer to both.
As technology – particularly computer modeling – has advanced over the years, some teams have used it to determine audience analysis by inputting factors like when the game will be played, who will be playing, and what the weather will likely be. A true dynamic system takes that another step further by implementing the system season-wide, year-on-year.
The Qcue algorithm uses similar criteria, while also taking the secondary ticket market’s prices into account, to recommend price shifts. The client team can go with that recommendation or consider other factors and set their own price. The Qcue system feeds into the team’s existing ticketing system, as it does for the Stars and Giants through Tickets.com.
Qcue’s chief executive Barry Kahn boasts,“What we’ve done is create a software platform that performs very high-end demand and sales forecasting. Obviously, we’re huge believers in dynamic pricing, but with or without that, that information is still very valuable. That’s the foundation, and from there, we’re proving value and revenue upside.”
Their main rival, Digonex Technologies Inc., is working with the Cavaliers and will soon announce another NBA partnership. The company sees a bright future for the dynamic model.
“Consumer acceptance of dynamic pricing has definitely changed,” said Rex Fisher, Digonex vice president of business development. “We all have greater access to information, and we’ve simply been conditioned that many products are priced subject to change.”
The Cavaliers added six figures to their revenue line last season, too.
Mike Tomon, the Cavs’ vice president of sales, believes that there’s more to it than just money: “Even more than the additional revenue, dynamic pricing has helped us engage the fan and be relevant by offering them the right product at the right price at the right time. That helps with building fan engagement and loyalty.”
Consumer education is one part of the two-pronged approach to respectability for the new model. Surveys and explanations are being offered, along with the tried-and-true ideal of locking in your price now so you save money.
As more fans latch on to the idea, so will more teams. Tomon continued, “It simply makes all the sense in the world to have a true value-based offering that’s derived from fan behavior. This is coming to a head in sports, and with good reason.”
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tickets.com attacking Ticketmaster dominance with open cloud systems
Companies believes that partnerships will lead to industry innovation
By Jon Brodkin, Network World
There are few monopolies as total as the one enjoyed by Ticketmaster. When's the last time you purchased a ticket online without paying Ticketmaster's $10-plus "convenience fees"?
Ticketmaster has beat back every competitor's attempt to displace it from the top of the online ticketing industry, but John Rizzi, vice president of product management and strategy at Tickets.com, is hopeful that a partner ecosystem based on new cloud computing technologies can eat away at Ticketmaster's dominant market share.
Tech arguments: Public vs. Private cloud
In a speech at the Cloud Leadership Forum, a conference hosted by IDC and IDG Enterprise, Rizzi took a few shots at Ticketmaster while acknowledging his own company's struggles to compete.
Tickets.com began with the idea of connecting to many different ticketing systems, like an aggregator site, but the approach failed because it lacked a critical mass of tickets to sell.
"The dominant player in the industry far and away is Ticketmaster and they had no intention of letting us sell tickets online for them," Rizzi said. "They wanted to do it themselves."
With Ticketmaster, "anybody who's bought tickets online knows how ridiculous the fees are. You pay a convenience fee. You pay an order fee, you pay a fee to print the tickets at home. This is a very hard model to compete with and we've tried to compete with it, other companies have tried to compete with it, and it's not working."
Tickets.com went on an acquisition spree in the early 2000s, buying four or five other ticketing companies. Tickets.com now sells tickets for half of the teams in Major League Baseball, and is a subsidiary of MLB.com.
Rather than focusing mostly on customer-facing technology, Tickets.com is now trying to make headway by selling ticketing systems to sports teams and other organizations. Ticketmaster still controls ticket sales of the other baseball teams Tickets.com doesn't sell for, as well as many other professional sports teams. But Rizzi believes his company's approach of partnering with a variety of cloud vendors, using APIs to connect one service to another, will drive innovation in the industry.
For example, Tickets.com partners with Qcue to provide a dynamic pricing engine to teams such as the San Francisco Giants. With dynamic pricing, an algorithm takes into account pitching matchups, weather, the opponent, day of the week and market conditions to determine the optimal price for an event. While a team like the Boston Red Sox needs little help selling tickets, and can charge whatever it wants, this dynamic pricing model has helped the Giants increase sales, according to Rizzi.
In addition to Qcue, Tickets.com is embracing a variety of partners, including Salesforce.com, StubHub, Givex and FanSnap. Rizzi believes partnerships will help differentiate Tickets.com from Ticketmaster.
"We really believe the ecosystem is what's going to drive innovation and the adoption of our ticketing platform," Rizzi said. "We're not going to be able to out-Ticketmaster Ticketmaster [alone]. Ticketmaster's systems are closed. So are the other competitors in our marketplace."
Rizzi pledged to improve the ticket-buying experience for customers, which he said has evolved slowly. He acknowledged that Ticketmaster is starting to improve in certain areas, such as allowing limited ability to choose specific seats, but in general he claimed the Ticketmaster technology is antiquated.
"Ticketmaster has conditioned this market to ignore technology," Rizzi said. "Buying tickets online, the experience is awful. It's really antiquated, it's very old, it's not very flexible. We are coming at a time where the teams are starting to realize that they want to change, they don't want to be beholden to Ticketmaster anymore."
By Jon Brodkin, Network World
There are few monopolies as total as the one enjoyed by Ticketmaster. When's the last time you purchased a ticket online without paying Ticketmaster's $10-plus "convenience fees"?
Ticketmaster has beat back every competitor's attempt to displace it from the top of the online ticketing industry, but John Rizzi, vice president of product management and strategy at Tickets.com, is hopeful that a partner ecosystem based on new cloud computing technologies can eat away at Ticketmaster's dominant market share.
Tech arguments: Public vs. Private cloud
In a speech at the Cloud Leadership Forum, a conference hosted by IDC and IDG Enterprise, Rizzi took a few shots at Ticketmaster while acknowledging his own company's struggles to compete.
Tickets.com began with the idea of connecting to many different ticketing systems, like an aggregator site, but the approach failed because it lacked a critical mass of tickets to sell.
"The dominant player in the industry far and away is Ticketmaster and they had no intention of letting us sell tickets online for them," Rizzi said. "They wanted to do it themselves."
With Ticketmaster, "anybody who's bought tickets online knows how ridiculous the fees are. You pay a convenience fee. You pay an order fee, you pay a fee to print the tickets at home. This is a very hard model to compete with and we've tried to compete with it, other companies have tried to compete with it, and it's not working."
Tickets.com went on an acquisition spree in the early 2000s, buying four or five other ticketing companies. Tickets.com now sells tickets for half of the teams in Major League Baseball, and is a subsidiary of MLB.com.
Rather than focusing mostly on customer-facing technology, Tickets.com is now trying to make headway by selling ticketing systems to sports teams and other organizations. Ticketmaster still controls ticket sales of the other baseball teams Tickets.com doesn't sell for, as well as many other professional sports teams. But Rizzi believes his company's approach of partnering with a variety of cloud vendors, using APIs to connect one service to another, will drive innovation in the industry.
For example, Tickets.com partners with Qcue to provide a dynamic pricing engine to teams such as the San Francisco Giants. With dynamic pricing, an algorithm takes into account pitching matchups, weather, the opponent, day of the week and market conditions to determine the optimal price for an event. While a team like the Boston Red Sox needs little help selling tickets, and can charge whatever it wants, this dynamic pricing model has helped the Giants increase sales, according to Rizzi.
In addition to Qcue, Tickets.com is embracing a variety of partners, including Salesforce.com, StubHub, Givex and FanSnap. Rizzi believes partnerships will help differentiate Tickets.com from Ticketmaster.
"We really believe the ecosystem is what's going to drive innovation and the adoption of our ticketing platform," Rizzi said. "We're not going to be able to out-Ticketmaster Ticketmaster [alone]. Ticketmaster's systems are closed. So are the other competitors in our marketplace."
Rizzi pledged to improve the ticket-buying experience for customers, which he said has evolved slowly. He acknowledged that Ticketmaster is starting to improve in certain areas, such as allowing limited ability to choose specific seats, but in general he claimed the Ticketmaster technology is antiquated.
"Ticketmaster has conditioned this market to ignore technology," Rizzi said. "Buying tickets online, the experience is awful. It's really antiquated, it's very old, it's not very flexible. We are coming at a time where the teams are starting to realize that they want to change, they don't want to be beholden to Ticketmaster anymore."
Monday, June 14, 2010
IDC/IDG Enterprise Cloud Leadership Forum Finalizes Agenda With Cloud Industry's Most Influential Vendor Executives and Senior IT Executives
Extending Your Business Into the Cloud
John Rizzi, Vice President of Product Management and Strategy, Tickets.com
Tickets.com isn't just considering how the cloud can augment its infrastructure - the company is becoming a cloud provider itself! By extending its rich ticket service capabilities into the cloud and creating an ecosystem for enhancement by a world of developers, Tickets.com is not only enriching its services and deepening customer ties, but attempting to move its business faster than traditional competitors. This eye-opening case study shows that the cloud isn't just about a new style of computing, but a whole new way to do business.
John Rizzi will be speaking at the conference on June 15.
John Rizzi, Vice President of Product Management and Strategy, Tickets.com
Tickets.com isn't just considering how the cloud can augment its infrastructure - the company is becoming a cloud provider itself! By extending its rich ticket service capabilities into the cloud and creating an ecosystem for enhancement by a world of developers, Tickets.com is not only enriching its services and deepening customer ties, but attempting to move its business faster than traditional competitors. This eye-opening case study shows that the cloud isn't just about a new style of computing, but a whole new way to do business.
John Rizzi will be speaking at the conference on June 15.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
One in Five U.S. Adult Consumers Now Using Mobile Commerce
Fierce Mobile Content
By Jason Ankeny
One in five U.S. adult wireless subscribers utilized mobile commerce services in the past month according to a new consumer study conducted by non-profit industry trade group the Mobile Marketing Association in partnership with Luth Research. Among 1,000 adult subscribers surveyed in mid-April, 17 percent of respondents purchased mobile applications, ringtones and related digital content, 6 percent used their phones to receive coupons or discounts and another 6 percent bought physical goods or non-mobile content and services.
The MMA notes that more than half of iPhone owners and 34 percent of BlackBerry users have purchased content for their smartphones, more than subscribers across rival platforms. Fifty-six percent of mobile content purchases were made through the subscriber's carrier, and 43 percent paid for the transaction via bank or credit card account. Regardless of transaction type, adults between the ages of 25 and 34 used their phones more than other age groups--the MMA adds that most respondents consider m-commerce to be "secure and trustworthy."
Read more on the MMA m-commerce study >
By Jason Ankeny
One in five U.S. adult wireless subscribers utilized mobile commerce services in the past month according to a new consumer study conducted by non-profit industry trade group the Mobile Marketing Association in partnership with Luth Research. Among 1,000 adult subscribers surveyed in mid-April, 17 percent of respondents purchased mobile applications, ringtones and related digital content, 6 percent used their phones to receive coupons or discounts and another 6 percent bought physical goods or non-mobile content and services.
The MMA notes that more than half of iPhone owners and 34 percent of BlackBerry users have purchased content for their smartphones, more than subscribers across rival platforms. Fifty-six percent of mobile content purchases were made through the subscriber's carrier, and 43 percent paid for the transaction via bank or credit card account. Regardless of transaction type, adults between the ages of 25 and 34 used their phones more than other age groups--the MMA adds that most respondents consider m-commerce to be "secure and trustworthy."
Read more on the MMA m-commerce study >
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
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