Venues Today: Tickets.com Adds to Canadian Hockey League Portfolio

Having already accomplished the hockey hat trick in Canada by partnering with the Sudbury Wolves, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Erie Otters, Tickets.com added to its portfolio with the latest agreement with the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The long-term ticketing agreement starts with the 2014-15 season and just in time for the IceDogs’ move to the new 5,300-seat Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario, where Tickets.com’s ProVenue platform will be utilized for all ticket sales.

The OHL, along with the Western Hockey League (WHL) and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), are operated under the auspices of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

“Over the past five years, we studied the relationship between the CHL franchises and their host communities,” said Dan Archabal, VP of business development for Tickets.com. Although the actual size of the typical franchise may be small in terms of employee headcount and annual revenues, the most successful CHL organizations wield significant influence in the business decisions of their cities.

“Entertainment tax policies, multimillion-dollar renovation projects, city traffic patterns and even new facility development are all matters where the franchise has more than just a seat at the table,” he said. “We are seeing very savvy entrepreneurs in leadership roles with these franchises. It’s starting to show in vendor discussions, where franchises increasingly will not just settle to use the facility’s vendor contracts as a component of their tenant agreement. They want to shop themselves.”

Bill Burke, IceDogs owner and governor, is excited about what Tickets.com will be bringing to that table.

“They have such a strong base of operations in the Niagara region,” he said. “They have proven themselves in the OHL and we are excited to move forward with them in our new home at the Meridian Centre.”

Indeed, both parties cite the move to the new venue, which will include 25 suites, as the perfect time for the new deal to take effect.

“First and foremost, I am a big fan of the atmosphere that the IceDogs create at The Jack (Garden City Gatorade Complex),” Archabal said. “It is a complete professional fan experience that the Burke family and the City of St. Catharines have invested in for many years. They pack the place, it’s loud, and the fans have had some fantastic talent like Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Strome to watch.

“Fans in St. Catharines are just like everyone else, though – they demand more from their facilities if they are going to break away from their couch and TV. They need upgraded seating, concourse amenities, concessions, digital display boards, lighting and sound.

“They also needed an upgrade in their ticketing technology, particularly their season ticket base that needs more self-service options.”

Season ticket holders will be renewing online next year for the first time and will be able to manage their season tickets with the MyTickets solution that enables transferring tickets, reprinting tickets and making ticket donations. Fans will also have access to an automated kiosk for purchase and will call pick-up.

Burke is ready for the new technology to kick in next year. “There will certainly be more technology than we have right now because we are in such an old facility,” he said.

Source: Baugus, R.V., www.VenuesToday.com, January 1, 2014

Tickets.com and Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts Announce Ticketing Extension

Tickets.com and  Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, have extended their ticketing and marketing services partnership to include an upgrade of the Foundation’s ticketing solution to the ProVenue^® platform.

The independent, nonprofit Wolf Trap Foundation, which operates three performance venues: the Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods within Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, selected ProVenue after an exhaustive RFP process.

“Given the broad range of program offerings across our stages, our ticketing needs are complex,” stated Beth Brummel, Wolf Trap’s Vice President for External Affairs.  “We value the Tickets.com partnership and look forward to utilizing the enhanced integration services and reporting capabilities being offered with ProVenue to provide a first-rate buying experience for our patrons.”

For more information about Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, visit http://www.wolftrap.org/

Tickets.com and Buffalo Sabres Continue Ticketing Partnership

Tickets.com and the National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres announced a long-term extension of their partnership centered on the ProVenue® platform. The Sabres will continue to utilize the ProVenue ticketing platform to manage inventory for both the Buffalo Sabres and all live events and concerts at First Niagara Center.

The Sabres adopted the ProVenue platform in 2010. Starting in 2014, the Sabres and Tickets.com will integrate the ProVenue platform into StoneTimberRiver’sMicrosoft DynamicsCRM solution, giving the Sabres a deeper understanding of their fan base.

“Tickets.com remains an important partner of the Sabres,” noted John Sinclair, Vice President of Ticket Sales and Services for the Sabres and First Niagara Center. “We’ve had an opportunity to help shape the features and reports available in ProVenue and the high level of support we receive allows us to focus on better servicing our fans. We need to be nimble when evaluating new services for our fans and ProVenue affords us that flexibility.”

For more information about the Buffalo Sabres and the First Niagara Center visit sabres.com and firstniagaracenter.com.

Tickets.com and the Niagara IceDogs Form Ticketing Partnership

The Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Tickets.com have recently announced a long-term ticketing services partnership. Starting with the 2014-15 season, the IceDogs will utilize the ProVenue platform for all ticket sales at the new 5,300 seat Meridian Centre, in St. Catharines, Ontario.

The agreement expands upon Tickets.com’s presence and support of the Canadian Major Junior market, where it already serves the Sudbury Wolves (OHL), Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) and Erie Otters (OHL) as well as their host facilities. ProVenue’s roots in professional sports provide these franchises with a best-in-class feature set to manage complex inventory and fan relationships.

IceDogs Owner and Governor Bill Burke emphasized the importance of the services and marketing relationships that Tickets.com will bring to the partnership. “Tickets.com has such a strong base of operations just like ours in the Niagara Region and we hope to take advantage of the facilities and franchises in this network. They have proven themselves in the OHL and we are excited to move forward with them in our new home at the Meridian Centre.”

For more information about The IceDogs visit http://www.niagaraicedogs.net.

Tickets.com and Los Angeles Dodgers Sign New Ticketing Partnership Agreement

Tickets.com,Inc. and the Los Angeles Dodgers today announced a new long-term ticketing agreement for use of the ProVenue^® ticketing platform at Dodger Stadium, beginning with the 2014 Major League Baseball season.

“We’re excited about leveraging the ProVenue platform and continuing to improve the ticketing experience for Dodger fans – especially around digital ticketing,” said Lon Rosen, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Dodgers.

Los Angeles will become the 17^th MLB Club to utilize Tickets.com’s ProVenue platform, a technology solution built on a hosted, open architecture. In 2014, MyTickets Mobile, a new feature launched in September within the award-winning MLB.com At The Ballpark app for iPhone and Android smartphones, also will debut for the Dodgers, giving fans mobile access to any ticket purchased for Dodger Stadium.

“The Dodgers have made a huge commitment to using new technology to improve every facet of the experience for their fans – both inside and outside of Dodger Stadium.  We’re thrilled they’ve chosen Tickets.com to lead that effort around ticket purchasing, digital/mobile delivery and managing season tickets,” said John Walker, President and CEO of Tickets.com.  “We’re very proud to be partners with such an iconic professional sports franchise.”

MyTickets Mobile - At The Ballpark App

First providers in professional sports to give mobile app access to any ticket purchased

Major League Baseball Advanced Media, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Tickets.com, launch MyTickets Mobile, a new feature within the award-winning MLB.com At The Ballpark app. This digital ticketing initiative provides mobile access for both season and single-game ticket purchases and marks the first time season-ticket holders can retrieve their tickets in a mobile application.

MyTickets Mobile will include standard ticketing information, such as game date, opponent, time, section, row and seat, and a secure barcode for each ticket purchased. It will be accessible via At The Ballpark, a free download customizable by ballpark, for iPhone and Android smartphones.

At launch, MyTickets Mobile will be available for the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets,Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. 

The MyTickets Mobile functionality is the latest in a series of digital ticketing initiatives that MLBAM and Tickets.com have made available to fans. Mobile seat upgrades, through a partnership with Experience, debuted earlier this season, and last September MLBAM became the first professional sports property to support Passbook.  In 2007, MLBAM introduced technology to facilitate delivery of tickets via text message.

Read the complete release here. 

SOURCE MLB Advanced Media, L.P.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/16/5740641/at-the-ballpark-app-launches-mytickets.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/16/5740641/at-the-ballpark-app-launches-mytickets.html#storylink=cpy

Introducing The ProVenue Registered Developer Program

Launched in April at the ProVenue Exchange conference, the Registered Developer Program marks the first time an established enterprise ticketing platform provider has enabled 3^rd party API access against the core ticketing system and live event inventory to foster real-time application development.

Real-time access to live inventory and other data is made available to authenticated API calls. They also grant access to the full ticket life cycle - requests for event details and seat availability; locking and purchasing seats; delivering barcodes; reassigning tickets to other customers; and collecting and updating customer information.  Adding a formal environment and process for developers to access and innovate using these APIs puts Tickets.com in a true leadership position in the industry.

“With the rapid move in technology towards open development access via APIs – led by Apple, Google and others – our platform was perfectly suited to leverage this trend” remarks Joe Choti, CTO of Tickets.com.  

As part of the launch, a new ProVenue Partner Portal has been created, facilitating a web-based community where technology partners have access to the latest API documentation, videos and training materials about ProVenue functionality, best practices and frequently asked questions. Partners can also access the portal on-the-go via Mobile Web or a native iOS application.

Read the complete release here. 

Cristine Hurley Joins Tickets.com as CFO

Tickets.com is pleased to announce the addition of Cristine Hurley in the role of Chief Financial Officer.  She will immediately take on responsibility for all aspects of Tickets.com’s financial strategy and management.

“Cristine has the perfect professional pedigree for our company,” explains John Walker, President and CEO of Tickets.com.  “Her experience in the sports and entertainment industry will help us immediately.  She’s extremely talented and will be a strategic partner within all areas of our business, as well as a rock-solid resource for our clients."

Hurley’s CV includes the role of Vice President, Team Finance for the National Basketball Association, where she was a primary league office liaison with all NBA, WNBA and D-League teams.  Prior to the NBA, she was the Chief Financial Officer for the Los Angeles Dodgers Major League Baseball franchise.  Most recently Hurley was a Partner at Pro Forma Advisors, where she consulted on financial feasibility and economic/fiscal impact studies, primarily relating to sports. 

Hurley is a Certified Public Accountant, holds a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University and completed the Executive Program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.  

Read the complete release here. 

Congratulations INTIX 2013 Award Recipients

The INTIX Awards Program was created to honor and showcase those who have demonstrated professionalism, leadership, service and special achievements through creative, informative and innovative management. 

This year two Tickets.com clients were honored during the Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida.  A HUGE congratulations to Aren Murray, Texas A & M University, on winning the Spirit Award and Tulsa Performing Arts Center, accepted by Terri McGilbra, Ticket Office Manager, for Outstanding Box Office.  The recognition is well-deserved in both cases and we're proud to call you family! 

Congratulations to all of this year's winners!  

Terri McGilbra of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center 2013 Outstanding Box Office, Jack Lucas 2013 Patricia G. Spira Lifetime Achievement Award, Tammy Enright 2013 Young Ticketing Professional, Aren Murray 2013 Spirit Award recipient, Laura Zehe 2013 Outstanding Ticketing Professional.

INTIX is currently accepting nominations for the 2014 Awards.   

Gene Simmons to Give Keynote Address at ProVenue® Exchange

Rock icon and entrepreneur Gene Simmons will be the keynote speaker at ProVenue Exchange on April 30, 2013. 

The Singer and bassist of the famed rock group KISS and star of the 7-season-running Reality TV show “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” has agreed to be a Keynote speaker at the Tickets.com ProVenue Exchange conference being held April 29-May 2 at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego.

The conference is an annual gathering of Tickets.com clients and industry professionals. Focused on education, it also explores key topics and business opportunities for executives of sports teams and live entertainment venues around the world.  Simmons’ extensive experience as a performer as well as his insightful perspectives on how to control a brand and leverage it for profit will be invaluable material for attendees and be the highlight of the conference.

“Gene is an absolute ideal fit for our event,” said Doug Lyons, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Tickets.com.  “ProVenue Exchange is all about the business of live entertainment, and nobody – and I mean NOBODY – can talk to this topic better than Gene.  We are so excited to have him join us.”

In addition to being co-founder of one of the most successful and unique performing acts of all time, Simmons has built a reputation for excellence in a wide array of ventures including movies, television shows, publishing, merchandising, live event promotion - even smartphone applications and financial services.  His reputation for directness, superb business judgment and making money is legendary, and his presentation skills and style are unparalleled.

“The fact that we are using a Rock and Roll theme for this year’s event – and holding it at the ultimate Rock and Roll property, The Hard Rock Hotel - was the clincher,” continued Lyons. “Gene was by far our top choice and we know he will inspire our attendees and raise the overall conference experience tremendously.”

Tickets.com, provider of both the www.tickets.com online “ticket exploration engine” and ProVenue, the leading in-house ticketing platform for sports and live entertainment, has been a pioneer in technology since entering the Internet ticketing space in the late-1990s. 

For more information about the conference, visit www.provenueexchange.com. For more about Gene Simmons, visit www.genesimmons.com.

ProVenue® Is Off to the Races!

Unique New Orleans Racetrack and Casino Chooses to Take Control of Revenue

Tickets.com and the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, a member of the prestigious Churchill Downs family of properties, have announced an agreement to use the ProVenue platform for ticketing operations at the New Orleans, LA venue.

This is the first time the Fair Grounds organization has ventured into the online ticketing arena, having predominately been an onsite admission venue. By entrusting Tickets.com to handle their ticketing needs and services, they will now be able to leverage data and control revenue -- including the ability to keep fees exceptionally low -- to aid their drive to increase advance ticket sales. They will further use their flexibility with the system to aggressively compete for non-racing events and grow their business. 

Mark Connor, who leads the facility's marketing efforts, commented, "We made the decision to use ProVenue for several reasons; affordability, ease of use and access, and ability to tailor fit the platform to the needs of our facility. We look forward to offering online ticket sales to our customers as well as an enhanced customer service experience with expanded ticket purchase and delivery options."

Read the complete release here.   

MLB’s Baltimore Orioles Choose ProVenue® From Tickets.com®

Club desires more flexibility and tighter integration of systems for better fan experience

Tickets.com and Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles have signed a long term contract for the use of the ProVenue ticketing platform for all events at the team’s iconic Oriole Park at Camden Yards ballpark.

The Orioles are eager to be part of the leading-edge technologies that Tickets.com has developed with the ProVenue platform. Tickets.com were pioneers in Mobile Ticketing, being the first ticketing company to allow fans to search for, purchase and have tickets delivered to a mobile device. Recently, Major League Baseball Advanced Media and Tickets.com took mobile options a step further by being first adopters of Apple’s Passbook application for iPhones.

“It is important that the Orioles utilize new and emerging technologies to benefit our customers,” says Greg Bader, Orioles Vice President of Communications and Marketing. “We have very sophisticated fans in our region, and they request that we deliver content to them in the latest manner. This includes access to their game tickets and will extend to other programs we will be launching in the future such as loyalty and stored value programs. ProVenue and Tickets.com are positioned to help us get there quickly.”

Tickets.com now provides ticketing solutions for 16 teams in Major League Baseball, as well as prominent sports and live entertainment organizations around the world.

Read the complete release here.

Tickets.com® Proves Success and Staying Power in the Collegiate Market

We are pleased to share that we are renewing clients in the college space at a brisk pace thanks to new innovations and dedication to long-term client needs.

Artermus Ham Hall at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Yale University, as well as the Universities of Toledo, Cincinnati, and Northern Colorado are just a few of the numerous clients who signed renewal agreements so far in 2012.

Jesse Bridges from the University of Vermont credits two new developments in particular - online Interactive Seat Maps (ISMs) and Social Media integration - as keys to the decision.

Colleagues at other schools agree.

“Students and their families are highly social and technologically savvy in this day and age,” points out Randy Blackwood, Executive Director of Athletic and Entertainment Facilities, Missouri State University seconding Bridges’ assessment. “Having integration to Facebook and Twitter and better tools to purchase tickets – including the new online seat-maps - are necessities in today’s world, not options. Tickets.com has come through for us in both areas, and we’re excited about our continued relationship.”

Social media integration and online system upgrades also weighed heavily in the renewal decisions for Northwest Florida State College as it did for the University of San Diego.

Patrick Serrano of Dominican University just outside Chicago, IL shares the excitement about the new social aspects of the Tickets.com offering, and thinks the Interactive Seat Maps will allow them to offer a “dramatically better experience” for their customers. His thoughts are echoed by Karen Pealer of Eastern Kentucky University who adds, “People today want self-service, and the online seat selection tool and ability to inform friends through social channels directly from the ticketing website will give people the feeling of control they desire to have a positive experience with us.”

Other schools renewing recently include Minnesota’s Bethel University, the College of Southern Nevada, and Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Tickets.com® Renews Hult Center to Long Term Contract

Today we announced a long-term extension with the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. The 5 year deal - with options for an additional 6 years - includes the Center’s move to the industry leading ProVenue® ticketing platform.

“Tickets.com has been a valuable partner in providing technology services to the Hult Center and we are excited to take advantage of their latest innovations with the ProVenue system,” said Marcia James-Gluz, Ticket Services Manager at of the Center. “We look forward to expanding our capabilities and creating the best ticket purchase experience for our patrons with the use of this great tool.”

Like many other Tickets.com venues, the Hult Center is excited about upgrading to the system’s new fully-integrated, best-in-breed Interactive Seat Maps, that allow customers to select seats online from maps dynamically generated from the ticketing system. This is unlike other systems where such maps need to be built and maintained separately and updated manually when event configurations change – which is often.

The Hult Center opened to national acclaim in 1982 and is home to a number of important Resident Companies including the Eugene Ballet, Concert Choir, Opera and Symphony as well as the Oregon Bach Festival and Oregon Festival of American Music. It holds over 400 events a year in its numerous performance and entertainment spaces, including the popular outdoor Cuthbert Amphitheater. The Hult Center for the Performing Arts is owned by the people of Eugene and operated by the City of Eugene's Cultural Services Division.

Access the complete release here.

Tickets.com® Partners with Mad Mobile

Tickets.com® Partners with Mad Mobile to Power ProVenueMobile™ for MLB Clients

New mobilized web site solution improves experience and future potential

Today we announced our partnership with Mad Mobile to deploy an updated mobile-optimized sales tool for all of Tickets.com MLB Clubs.

Tickets.com has been an early leader in mobile ticketing and the first vendor to offer end-to-end search, purchase and ticket delivery all from the mobile device. Tickets.com continues to stay on the leading edge of innovation and partnering with Mad Mobile provides some immediate gains:

• Superior UI - Professional design without templates and a mobile UI framework that delivers a quick, app-like interaction with the consumer, creating a more pleasant search and transaction experience.

• Powerful Platform - Quickly mobilizes website content and functions with minimal impact to IT resources.

• Innovation – Mad Mobile brings a culture of innovation based on a solid understanding of emerging   technologies and standards.

John Rizzi, SVP of Client Services for Tickets.com, points out, “Ticketing transactional sites are surprisingly complex, and given the need to tailor the experience for our clients, having a partner who does not assume a ‘one size fits all’ attitude is key to success. Mad Mobile gives us that flexibility and positions us for further innovation going forward.”

Access the complete release here.

Tickets.com® Welcomes Jennifer Zick!

Tickets.com is excited to announce the appointment of Jennifer Zick as Vice President of Business Development. Jennifer’s first official function will be to join members of the Tickets.com team at the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) conference in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, July 21-24, 2012.

Zick spent the past 5 years with New Era Tickets helping to launch a digital marketing platform, and was responsible for securing high-profile clients in auto racing, the NBA, NHL, NFL and MLS.

“We’re thrilled to have Jen join us as we are radically changing the ticketing experience for venues, teams and fans with ProVenue,” states John Walker, President and CEO of Tickets.com. “Jen brings not only a wealth of industry knowledge and strategic relationships, but a solid grasp of technology and digital marketing that we can immediately put to work with our clients to help them reach more fans and sell more tickets."

Access the complete release here.

University at Buffalo Center for the Arts to Use ProVenue®

Western New York becoming a stronghold for the state-of-the-art platform

Tickets.com and the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts announced a new partnership agreement centralized on ProVenue.

“The Center for the Arts remains committed to keeping ticket prices affordable in Western New York, and the fight against rising ticketing service charges is central to that mission,” states Joel Thompson, Director of Ticket Operations for the Center. “This new partnership with Tickets.com allows us to move forward with no fee increases in the foreseeable future, allowing our patrons the best opportunity to see the great entertainment they’ve come to expect from our stages at reasonable prices.”

Tickets.com has served the collegiate and arts markets for many years, however the newer, industry-leading ProVenue platform has been primarily operating in regional ticketing as well as the sports (major and minor league) markets until now. This win celebrates the first foray for the platform in the University Arts segment. It is also one of many conversions to ProVenue in the upstate New York region in recent years, giving Tickets.com a strong presence in the area.

Access the complete release here.

Tickets.com® Proud Sponsor of the 2012 SEAT Conference

Exclusive Technology Summit to be held in Boston August 5-8

Tickets.com is partnering with the Sports and Entertainment Alliance in Technology (SEAT) at their 2012 conference at Boston’s historic Liberty Hotel in August.

The SEAT conference is in its 6th year of bringing together the very top leaders in Information Technology in the Sports and Entertainment field and provides education and the exchange of ideas to further the effective development and use of technology in venues across the country and around the world.

“Tickets.com has a long history of innovation with leading-edge ticketing technologies, particularly with the launch of their state-of-the-art ProVenue® platform, and has been a source of hope and excitement to technology leaders in our industry” said Christine Stoffel, Founder of SEAT. “They have been extremely helpful and supportive in the formation and growth of SEAT over the last several years, and we’re excited that they continue to be key participants in our conference.”

Tickets.com recently began publishing APIs for their Oracle and Java based ProVenue ticketing application, beginning the next generation of ticketing – integrating directly with other applications for real-time data and transaction sharing. One example using this approach, will allow tickets to be purchased directly from a team or venue’s website without the usual re-direct to a different set of web transaction pages.

“We have consulted extensively with technology leaders in the sports and entertainment space during our development of ProVenue, many of whom are now key participants and members of SEAT. It is a natural fit for us to embrace and support this organization of our colleagues to help foster communication and the evolution of ideas in this community” explained John Walker, President & CEO, Tickets.com.

The 2012 SEAT conference will feature speakers from illustrious organizations such as: TD Garden/Boston Bruins, FELD Entertainment, International Speedway Corporation (ISC), the NFL and Ohio State University. Doug Lyons, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Tickets.com, will be participating on a panel entitled “Driving Revenue through Ticketing Technologies”.

For more information on attending the 2012 SEAT conference-event, visit www.seatconsortium.com. Follow SEAT on Twitter: @seatconference; LinkedIn: search for SEAT Sports Group and FaceBook: facebook.com/SEATconsortium.

TICKETS.COM® 2013 PROVENUE® EXCHANGE DATES AND LOCATION ANNOUNCED

The 2013 ProVenue Exchange conference will be held in San Diego’s Gaslamp District at the iconic Hard Rock Hotel, April 29-May 2, 2013.

Based on attendee feedback, the new conference dates were moved later into the year to avoid conflicting with other events and to stay clear of key dates such as Major League Baseball’s opening day. The change in location also represents a shift in the company’s attitude and emerging image.

“We’ve had a recent reawakening of what this conference should be about. We are in the Entertainment industry – we should act like it!” states Doug Lyons, Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “Our conferences in the past, while highly rated by our clients, were lacking excitement and a sense of the tremendous fun and joy our industry represents. It’s time to embrace this and play as hard as we work!”

The content of the conference is also going through a radical overhaul. What is returning after many years absence is a strong focus on User Training that will help all Tickets.com clients gain valuable practical skills. It’s also geared to be far more interactive, a shift away from the “talking heads” that seem to dominate ticketing conferences in recent years.

A campaign is already under way for Tickets.com clients, ticketing professionals, industry insiders and service providers to “save the date”, and a highly tactical plan is under way to have a steady release of information over the next 10 months to build excitement and drive record attendance.

“As a company, we continually strive to be better. Just Better – that’s our philosophy” continued Lyons. “This conference will go even further. It will ROCK!”

Philadelphia Phillies Choose ProVenue® for Citizens Bank Park

The Philadelphia Phillies sign a new long-term agreement with Tickets.com to use the ProVenue platform starting with the 2013 Major League Baseball season.

“We believe that strong partnerships, particularly with our technology vendors, are a key ingredient to our success,” said John Weber, Vice President of Ticket Sales and Operations for the Phillies. “Tickets.com has proven they are focused on our business and on baseball. The Phillies support MLB Advanced Media as they continue to invest in the development of the best system possible for baseball.”

The team continues its commitment to self-operate all of their ticketing and revenue generating technologies, citing that ProVenue allows them to keep their phone and fulfillment operations in both Clearwater and Philadelphia open with reduced training costs due to ProVenue's ease of use.

“The Phillies are widely known in the sports industry as having a very high standard for their technology partners and for wanting to do things their own way,” said John Walker, President and CEO of Tickets.com. “The selection of ProVenue by the Phillies validates that our approach to technology is on point for any organization who wants to take ownership of this key portion of its business. This is the beginning of a powerful partnership for both of us.”

Access the complete release here.