The Agreement Includes the Advanced ProVenue® Platform, ProVenueMobile, Tickets@Phone and Uptix Stored Value Technologies.
Tickets.com adds National League Major League Baseball team the Florida Marlins® to its client line-up with a long-term ticketing agreement anchored on ProVenue®, the industry’s most advanced ticketing platform. Among other technologies, the portfolio of features and services to be delivered to the Marlins includes ProVenueMobile, Tickets@Phone and Uptix stored value ticketing.
“When reviewing our options in choosing a ticketing partner, we saw that Tickets.com was by far the best technological fit,” says David Samson, Florida Marlins team president. “I know that our fans, as well as our organization, will benefit from the breakthrough technologies that Tickets.com is offering—and continuing to develop.”
The Florida Marlins’ adoption of the web-based ProVenue platform coincides with the kick-off of the team’s 2012 season in their new stadium. The 2012 season ticket-holder deposits are already being processed through the ProVenue system. The platform’s flexible open architecture allows for additional features, applications, and data management programs offered by Tickets.com or other third parties to be seamlessly integrated at any time.
“We’re confident that the ProVenue ticketing platform will meet all the consumer-facing and internal needs of the Florida Marlins organization,” says John Walker, president and CEO, Tickets.com. “The club shares our enthusiasm for technological innovation, so it is exciting to be their technology partner as they take up residence at the Marlins Ballpark.”
The Marlins will be extending their reach of ProVenue with the simultaneous deployment of ProVenueMobile, giving fans the capability to purchase their tickets with their mobile device. To give fans a 360 degree mobile – and green – ticket-buying experience, the Marlins are also incorporating Tickets.com’s Tickets@Phone feature, which allows purchasers to digitally receive their tickets, through the use of unique bar codes, directly on their mobile device.
The Marlins are also implementing a stored-value ticketing program using the versatile Uptix technology developed by Givex USA Corporation and offered through Tickets.com. The Uptix service—which can be customized and individually branded for each client—allows concessions and merchandise credits to be pre-loaded onto a ticket through the barcode. The value of credits is included into the ticket purchase price. The added value is scannable by vendors throughout the ballpark for the duration of the game.
The Uptix service can also be programmed to electronically award bonus dollars to ticket-holders at interactive, in-game promotions, enhancing the overall fan experience—another example of the industry-leading technology from Tickets.com that reeled in the Marlins.
Showing posts with label tickets at phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tickets at phone. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
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.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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.”
Friday, June 4, 2010
Ticketing Industry News: Smartphone use drives mobile ticketing
Sports Business Journal
By ERIC FISHER
Staff writer
Ticketing thus far has been slower than many other industries to adapt to today’s lightning-quick, “there’s an app for that” digital world. But full end-to-end mobile ticketing is now rapidly becoming a widespread reality.
Tickets.com, which late last summer introduced its ProVenueMobile product with the Oakland A’s, has since expanded the program to all 13 of its regular-season MLB clients. The program builds in part off its prior Tickets@Phone effort in which bar codes good for entry into a facility are e-mailed to a ticket purchaser’s smartphone. ProVenueMobile goes significantly further by also providing real-time mobile search, seat selection and payment.
Ticketmaster provides similar functionality for BlackBerry devices, as the industry giant holds an official partnership with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Inc. StubHub, the dominant player in secondary ticketing, is putting the finishing touches on its own iPhone application. And a fast-growing collection of smaller primary and secondary ticket sellers, such as Arizona-based eSeats, similarly are embracing mobile-based ticket purchasing.
Providers of mobile ticketing systems earn their revenue from a variety of sources, such as convenience charges on purchases or revenue sharing with client teams.
“We love mobile and we’re huge believers in it,” said Derek Palmer, Tickets.com chief commercial officer. “By allowing fans to complete an entire transaction anywhere, we think this is going to spur a lot more last-minute purchasing. What’s basically happened is that we’ve opened up a major new retail sales channel, and one that people have constantly with them.”
The spike in mobile ticketing owes in part to surging smartphone sales, as well as consumers’ increasing comfort with making purchases over the devices. Market research firm Gartner recently estimated that 54.3 million smartphones were sold worldwide during the first quarter of 2010, a 49 percent increase over the first quarter a year ago. And smartphones are assuming a greater percentage of all mobile phone sales, with the devices representing 17.3 percent of all mobile unit purchases, up from 13.6 percent a year ago.
Within those rising numbers are particularly meteoric sales for iPhone and Android devices, each of which are posting triple-digit percentage sales increases compared with a year ago.
The Mobile Marketing Association earlier this month released similar research estimating that one in five U.S. mobile phone owners have used their device for a mobile-based purchase in the last month, a percentage certain to rise. And those figures are much higher for smartphone owners, as more than half of iPhone owners and 34 percent of BlackBerry owners have bought content through their devices, also suggesting greater user comfort with mobile as a purchasing platform.
Utilization of mobile ticketing thus far predictably has been small. In early tests of Tickets.com’s ProVenueMobile system, purchasing over the mobile platform has represented less than 1 percent of available single-game tickets. But a quick escalation to at least mid-single-digit percentages is anticipated.
Mobile ticketing also is not just a consumer-facing application, either. Veritix for several years has used mobile authentication units that ticket agents wear over their shoulder to swipe electronic fan identification such as credit cards or driver’s licenses to help enable their digital ticket platform.
“We as a culture are still a little slow to let go of our physical tickets, but we’re anticipating a very quick ramp-up into more all-digital events and all-digital venues,” said Sam Gerace, Veritix chief executive.
By ERIC FISHER
Staff writer
Ticketing thus far has been slower than many other industries to adapt to today’s lightning-quick, “there’s an app for that” digital world. But full end-to-end mobile ticketing is now rapidly becoming a widespread reality.
Tickets.com, which late last summer introduced its ProVenueMobile product with the Oakland A’s, has since expanded the program to all 13 of its regular-season MLB clients. The program builds in part off its prior Tickets@Phone effort in which bar codes good for entry into a facility are e-mailed to a ticket purchaser’s smartphone. ProVenueMobile goes significantly further by also providing real-time mobile search, seat selection and payment.
Ticketmaster provides similar functionality for BlackBerry devices, as the industry giant holds an official partnership with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Inc. StubHub, the dominant player in secondary ticketing, is putting the finishing touches on its own iPhone application. And a fast-growing collection of smaller primary and secondary ticket sellers, such as Arizona-based eSeats, similarly are embracing mobile-based ticket purchasing.
Providers of mobile ticketing systems earn their revenue from a variety of sources, such as convenience charges on purchases or revenue sharing with client teams.
“We love mobile and we’re huge believers in it,” said Derek Palmer, Tickets.com chief commercial officer. “By allowing fans to complete an entire transaction anywhere, we think this is going to spur a lot more last-minute purchasing. What’s basically happened is that we’ve opened up a major new retail sales channel, and one that people have constantly with them.”
The spike in mobile ticketing owes in part to surging smartphone sales, as well as consumers’ increasing comfort with making purchases over the devices. Market research firm Gartner recently estimated that 54.3 million smartphones were sold worldwide during the first quarter of 2010, a 49 percent increase over the first quarter a year ago. And smartphones are assuming a greater percentage of all mobile phone sales, with the devices representing 17.3 percent of all mobile unit purchases, up from 13.6 percent a year ago.
Within those rising numbers are particularly meteoric sales for iPhone and Android devices, each of which are posting triple-digit percentage sales increases compared with a year ago.
The Mobile Marketing Association earlier this month released similar research estimating that one in five U.S. mobile phone owners have used their device for a mobile-based purchase in the last month, a percentage certain to rise. And those figures are much higher for smartphone owners, as more than half of iPhone owners and 34 percent of BlackBerry owners have bought content through their devices, also suggesting greater user comfort with mobile as a purchasing platform.
Utilization of mobile ticketing thus far predictably has been small. In early tests of Tickets.com’s ProVenueMobile system, purchasing over the mobile platform has represented less than 1 percent of available single-game tickets. But a quick escalation to at least mid-single-digit percentages is anticipated.
Mobile ticketing also is not just a consumer-facing application, either. Veritix for several years has used mobile authentication units that ticket agents wear over their shoulder to swipe electronic fan identification such as credit cards or driver’s licenses to help enable their digital ticket platform.
“We as a culture are still a little slow to let go of our physical tickets, but we’re anticipating a very quick ramp-up into more all-digital events and all-digital venues,” said Sam Gerace, Veritix chief executive.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tickets.com® Partners with Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing to Offer Clients Real-Time Mobile Interactivity with Fans
Tickets.com—a leading global provider of integrated, high-performance ticketing solutions—has announced a partnership with Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing, the recognized leader in mobile interactivity. The new alliance allows Tickets.com—the first and only ticketing company in the United States to offer both mobile ticket transactions and mobile barcode delivery—to expand and enhance the products and services it offers its clients in the explosively growing mobile realm.
By harnessing the power of mobile marketing from Txtstation, Tickets.com makes it possible for clients to dynamically interact with fans at games, concerts, events, and broadcasts in real-time. In addition to heightening the overall experience for consumers with interactive promotions and marketing, Txtstation capabilities will help Tickets.com clients strategically build brand identity with target markets with an engaged and captive audience in place. Custom programs and graphics will differentiate campaigns for each individual brand and client’s needs.
Additionally, real-time one-to-one dialogue with event attendees will allow Tickets.com clients to identify and capture data on potentially all audience members—not just ticket buyers—that can be used for opt-in, ongoing mobile marketing, cross promotions, and other revenue-building initiatives. Mobile marketing solutions from Txtstation also deliver incremental revenues from premium text messages (SMS), multi-media messages (MMS), and content downloads.
“Our alliance with Txtstation is in alignment with our strategy to partner with industry-leading companies who can provide exceptional technologies at competitive pricing,” said Sheri Fink, eCommerce and Strategic Alliances, Tickets.com. “We look forward to offering our clients real-time mobile interactivity with their fans.”
Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing (www.txtstation.com) has been providing mobile interactivity products and services to events, sports teams, music/entertainment properties, broadcasters, brands, and agencies since 2004. “We are excited about collaborating with Tickets.com to boost mobile interactivity for their clients,” said Michael Falato, Vice President of Sales & Business Development, Txtstation. “I think our companies are well matched in terms of commitment to technological innovation and customer service, and I see many opportunities for synergy in supporting Tickets.com and its broad range of clients.”
Tickets.com is at the vanguard of mobile technologies and website mobilization in the ticketing and admissions service industry. Its proprietary ProVenueMobile™ product is the first mobile ticketing technology allowing fans to browse listings and make real-time purchases from their mobile phones without the need to “click to call” to finalize the transaction. Its Tickets@Phone® technology is another pioneering product, offering consumers the option to digitally receive unique barcoded tickets directly and securely to their mobile phones for a 100% mobile—and green—ticket-buying experience.
By harnessing the power of mobile marketing from Txtstation, Tickets.com makes it possible for clients to dynamically interact with fans at games, concerts, events, and broadcasts in real-time. In addition to heightening the overall experience for consumers with interactive promotions and marketing, Txtstation capabilities will help Tickets.com clients strategically build brand identity with target markets with an engaged and captive audience in place. Custom programs and graphics will differentiate campaigns for each individual brand and client’s needs.
Additionally, real-time one-to-one dialogue with event attendees will allow Tickets.com clients to identify and capture data on potentially all audience members—not just ticket buyers—that can be used for opt-in, ongoing mobile marketing, cross promotions, and other revenue-building initiatives. Mobile marketing solutions from Txtstation also deliver incremental revenues from premium text messages (SMS), multi-media messages (MMS), and content downloads.
“Our alliance with Txtstation is in alignment with our strategy to partner with industry-leading companies who can provide exceptional technologies at competitive pricing,” said Sheri Fink, eCommerce and Strategic Alliances, Tickets.com. “We look forward to offering our clients real-time mobile interactivity with their fans.”
Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing (www.txtstation.com) has been providing mobile interactivity products and services to events, sports teams, music/entertainment properties, broadcasters, brands, and agencies since 2004. “We are excited about collaborating with Tickets.com to boost mobile interactivity for their clients,” said Michael Falato, Vice President of Sales & Business Development, Txtstation. “I think our companies are well matched in terms of commitment to technological innovation and customer service, and I see many opportunities for synergy in supporting Tickets.com and its broad range of clients.”
Tickets.com is at the vanguard of mobile technologies and website mobilization in the ticketing and admissions service industry. Its proprietary ProVenueMobile™ product is the first mobile ticketing technology allowing fans to browse listings and make real-time purchases from their mobile phones without the need to “click to call” to finalize the transaction. Its Tickets@Phone® technology is another pioneering product, offering consumers the option to digitally receive unique barcoded tickets directly and securely to their mobile phones for a 100% mobile—and green—ticket-buying experience.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
More than 1 in 10 mobile subscribers to use mobile ticketing in 2014 globally, says new Juniper report
Travellers, cinema goers and sport fans to embrace the convenience of tickets on their mobiles according to new Juniper report
A new study by Juniper Research has forecast that more than 1 in 10 mobile subscribers will either have a ticket delivered to their mobile phone or buy a ticket with their phone by 2014. This represents a five-fold growth over the next five years.
The Mobile Ticketing report found that services are developing fastest in the transport sector, with SMS, bar code and, increasingly, app driven services being offered by rail & metro companies and airlines.
The potential for rail, metro & bus mobile ticketing is shown by early adopter market hotspots such as Japan, Scandinavia and Austria. Global impetus is being added by the rapidly growing number of airlines offering not only mobile boarding passes but ticket booking and payment as well. Beyond transport, mobile ticketing is already seeing traction across a wide range of sporting and entertainment venues including baseball, concerts and movies.
Report author Howard Wilcox stated: “Our research established that ticketing providers are exploiting apps to deliver innovative offerings - not just on smart phones either. One of the keys to widespread acceptance is going to be the ease for users of “silent” equipping via pre-installation. Telecom Italia’s new SIM cards for 2010 are a good example.”
Juniper Research gained unique market insight on top trends, issues and likely future developments directly from the heart of the market through its primary research interviews with leading mobile ticketing operators, application developers, consultants and vendors. The report includes a detailed five market forecasting suite covering key market parameters.
Further key findings from the report include:
Read more >
A new study by Juniper Research has forecast that more than 1 in 10 mobile subscribers will either have a ticket delivered to their mobile phone or buy a ticket with their phone by 2014. This represents a five-fold growth over the next five years.
The Mobile Ticketing report found that services are developing fastest in the transport sector, with SMS, bar code and, increasingly, app driven services being offered by rail & metro companies and airlines.
The potential for rail, metro & bus mobile ticketing is shown by early adopter market hotspots such as Japan, Scandinavia and Austria. Global impetus is being added by the rapidly growing number of airlines offering not only mobile boarding passes but ticket booking and payment as well. Beyond transport, mobile ticketing is already seeing traction across a wide range of sporting and entertainment venues including baseball, concerts and movies.
Report author Howard Wilcox stated: “Our research established that ticketing providers are exploiting apps to deliver innovative offerings - not just on smart phones either. One of the keys to widespread acceptance is going to be the ease for users of “silent” equipping via pre-installation. Telecom Italia’s new SIM cards for 2010 are a good example.”
Juniper Research gained unique market insight on top trends, issues and likely future developments directly from the heart of the market through its primary research interviews with leading mobile ticketing operators, application developers, consultants and vendors. The report includes a detailed five market forecasting suite covering key market parameters.
Further key findings from the report include:
- Europe, Far East & China & North America regions are all forecast to see double digit penetration by 2014
- Growth constraints include multiple ticket scheme environments such as certain transport markets, with their potential resulting user issues such as support and help
Read more >
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tickets.com Launches ProVenueMobile Mobile Ticketing for Oakland Athletics Tickets
Oakland Athletics Become First Major League Baseball Club to Fully Leverage the Potential of ProVenueMobile™ from Tickets.com
Tickets.com, a leading global provider of integrated ticketing solutions, announced that the Oakland A’s recently became the first Major League Baseball Club to implement the full functionality of ProVenueMobile™. Tickets.com is the only ticketing provider in North America to offer client-branded web site mobilization. Using this technology, Athletics fans can complete full-circle, real-time ticket transactions from select Internet-enabled mobile devices without downloading an application. Search, selection, payment and ticket delivery (using Tickets@Phone®) can be done directly through the Athletics mobile web site at wap.oaklandathletics.com without the need to “click to call” or access a computer.
“We are excited to be making this unrivaled mobile technology available to our fans,” said Steve Fanelli, Executive Director of Tickets Sales and Operations, Oakland Athletics. “Staying ahead of advances in the mobile web market is critical in pleasing our fans and growing our organization. With Tickets.com leading the way, we are confident we have the industry’s best technologies and customer service in our toolkit.”
“ProVenueMobile provides a complete end-to-end ticket buying experience by allowing fans to purchase tickets from their mobile devices and have them electronically delivered via a 2D bar-coded ticket to that device,” said Steve DeMots, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Tickets.com.
The Athletics’ adoption of ProVenueMobile continues their tradition of innovation in serving their fans; the Athletics were also the first Tickets.com client to offer Tickets@Phone when this convenient and groundbreaking delivery channel was originally introduced in 2007. (Today, Tickets.com remains the only ticket provider in the United States to enable ticket delivery to a mobile device.)
Tickets.com expects it will launch the ProVenueMobile service for other MLB clubs on its client roster before the start of the 2010 baseball season.
Tickets.com, a leading global provider of integrated ticketing solutions, announced that the Oakland A’s recently became the first Major League Baseball Club to implement the full functionality of ProVenueMobile™. Tickets.com is the only ticketing provider in North America to offer client-branded web site mobilization. Using this technology, Athletics fans can complete full-circle, real-time ticket transactions from select Internet-enabled mobile devices without downloading an application. Search, selection, payment and ticket delivery (using Tickets@Phone®) can be done directly through the Athletics mobile web site at wap.oaklandathletics.com without the need to “click to call” or access a computer.
“We are excited to be making this unrivaled mobile technology available to our fans,” said Steve Fanelli, Executive Director of Tickets Sales and Operations, Oakland Athletics. “Staying ahead of advances in the mobile web market is critical in pleasing our fans and growing our organization. With Tickets.com leading the way, we are confident we have the industry’s best technologies and customer service in our toolkit.”
“ProVenueMobile provides a complete end-to-end ticket buying experience by allowing fans to purchase tickets from their mobile devices and have them electronically delivered via a 2D bar-coded ticket to that device,” said Steve DeMots, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Tickets.com.
The Athletics’ adoption of ProVenueMobile continues their tradition of innovation in serving their fans; the Athletics were also the first Tickets.com client to offer Tickets@Phone when this convenient and groundbreaking delivery channel was originally introduced in 2007. (Today, Tickets.com remains the only ticket provider in the United States to enable ticket delivery to a mobile device.)
Tickets.com expects it will launch the ProVenueMobile service for other MLB clubs on its client roster before the start of the 2010 baseball season.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Tulsa Performing Arts Center site has tickets going mobile
Tulsa World
By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
For about a year now, patrons to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center have been able to have their tickets sent to their cell phones. They just haven't been able to order those tickets by using those cell phones.
Until now. The Tulsa PAC is one of the first performing arts center in the country to have a mobile-device access site, from which patrons can order tickets to any show available through the center's ticketing Web site.
"It was one of the odd instances where you would think one technology — the ability to buy the ticket — preceded the other — being able to receive the ticket," said John Scott, PAC director. "In fact, we were the first to approach our partner, Tickets.com, about creating the technology so people could order tickets from their cell phones."
The PAC's mobile access site (TulsaPAC.mobi) reformats the PAC's Web site so that it will be readable on a cell phone screen. Patrons can now order and pay for their tickets via the cell phone.
Tickets purchased through the .mobi site may be picked up at the theater, be mailed to the receipt, printed at home or received as a text message containing a bar code.
This bar code is scanned by a PAC usher, who carries a microprinter that produces a paper ticket. This service, called Tickets@Phone, costs $2 per ticket.
"We know there are people who more or less live through their cell phones," Scott said, "and we've been pleasantly surprised at how quickly some of our patrons have taken to the new technology."
He added that the convenience fees for all these various ways of obtaining tickets for PAC events are "are quite reasonable, especially when compared to some other venues."
For example, the convenience fees for two tickets purchased online for the play "August: Osage County," playing Jan. 26-31 at the PAC, are $9.50. Fees for two tickets to events at the BOK Center can range for $16.75 for a Tulsa Oilers hockey game, $19.05 for the Monster Jam, and $32.35 for the March concert by Eric Clapton.
"Our ticketing fees are true convenience fees," Scott said. "So if someone takes the trouble of coming downtown to our ticket office to buy their tickets, then the only fee they have to pay is the $1 facility fee that was recently instituted. All the other fees are waived."
By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
For about a year now, patrons to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center have been able to have their tickets sent to their cell phones. They just haven't been able to order those tickets by using those cell phones.
Until now. The Tulsa PAC is one of the first performing arts center in the country to have a mobile-device access site, from which patrons can order tickets to any show available through the center's ticketing Web site.
"It was one of the odd instances where you would think one technology — the ability to buy the ticket — preceded the other — being able to receive the ticket," said John Scott, PAC director. "In fact, we were the first to approach our partner, Tickets.com, about creating the technology so people could order tickets from their cell phones."
The PAC's mobile access site (TulsaPAC.mobi) reformats the PAC's Web site so that it will be readable on a cell phone screen. Patrons can now order and pay for their tickets via the cell phone.
Tickets purchased through the .mobi site may be picked up at the theater, be mailed to the receipt, printed at home or received as a text message containing a bar code.
This bar code is scanned by a PAC usher, who carries a microprinter that produces a paper ticket. This service, called Tickets@Phone, costs $2 per ticket.
"We know there are people who more or less live through their cell phones," Scott said, "and we've been pleasantly surprised at how quickly some of our patrons have taken to the new technology."
He added that the convenience fees for all these various ways of obtaining tickets for PAC events are "are quite reasonable, especially when compared to some other venues."
For example, the convenience fees for two tickets purchased online for the play "August: Osage County," playing Jan. 26-31 at the PAC, are $9.50. Fees for two tickets to events at the BOK Center can range for $16.75 for a Tulsa Oilers hockey game, $19.05 for the Monster Jam, and $32.35 for the March concert by Eric Clapton.
"Our ticketing fees are true convenience fees," Scott said. "So if someone takes the trouble of coming downtown to our ticket office to buy their tickets, then the only fee they have to pay is the $1 facility fee that was recently instituted. All the other fees are waived."
Monday, December 7, 2009
Hello, Technology Calling
Tulsa Performing Arts Center Newsletter - Dec 2009
Nancy Hermann
Life used to be much simpler, in some ways, before we were all a-Twitter — Facebooking our every move, getting Google alerts galore, texting votes, or timing to the second a strategic buy on eBay. While technology might, on the surface, seem to complicate things, it can make life easier overall, and has certainly revolutionized marketing and customer service.
On the Cutting Edge Then and Now
The Performing Arts Center has been at the forefront of advancing technology for years. Did you know that TulsaPAC.com was among the first 20 performing arts center websites in the country? And when some people suggested that no one would divulge their credit card number to purchase via computer, the PAC was using the magic of the “Ticket Wizard” to sell tix in “real-time.” We are still the only performing arts center in the country running a regional ticketing operation (MyTicketOffice.com), launched in 2006.
Print Your Own — Tickets@Home
Two years ago the PAC added Tickets@Home to its ticketing options. You’ll see it listed when you’re buying tickets online. For an additional $2 per order charge, you can opt to have a link that contains a printout with a barcode e-mailed to your computer. Our ushers scan this printout in the same way they scan traditional tickets.
Website Wherever — TulsaPAC.mobi
Last year we became one of the first performing arts centers to have what is known as .mobi. This means that we have formatted our website so when it is viewed on a cell phone, the information we provide fits the phone’s space parameters. Recently, our ticketing partner, Tickets.com, has given our .mobi visitors the ability to buy tickets on that site. With this enhancement, the PAC will once again be ticketing technology pioneers.
Your Phone is Your Ticket — Tickets@Phone
We hope you’ll try purchasing tickets through your cell phone, especially now that we have Tickets@Phone. If you choose this option during the final phase of buying an online ticket, you will receive a text message that contains ticket information. When the text message is scanned by one of our ushers, a printer on the usher’s belt then creates your ticket. This option also costs $2 per order.
What’s Next? — Text!
Coming right up is our ability to send text messages to your cell phone. In the future, we’ll let you know about special deals, insider news and advance ticket on-sale dates —all through your cell phone. If you are not currently receiving our half-price offers and monthly news bulletin through an e-mail broadcast, please sign up on our homepage at TulsaPAC.com. And if you’d like to provide your cell phone number to receive text messages, please share that with us too. We will safeguard your information and we won’t bombard you either.
If you need anything from the PAC, please e-mail us at tulsapac@cityoftulsa.org. We’ll answer you by the next business day. In addition, sign up to follow the PAC on Facebook and Twitter. We’re here to help you enjoy the many events at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. We want you to have the best possible experience, from obtaining information, to buying a ticket, to your comfort and enjoyment in our theaters. Just make sure to turn off everything but your enthusiasm once you’re inside!
Nancy Hermann is Director of Marketing for the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
Nancy Hermann
Life used to be much simpler, in some ways, before we were all a-Twitter — Facebooking our every move, getting Google alerts galore, texting votes, or timing to the second a strategic buy on eBay. While technology might, on the surface, seem to complicate things, it can make life easier overall, and has certainly revolutionized marketing and customer service.
On the Cutting Edge Then and Now
The Performing Arts Center has been at the forefront of advancing technology for years. Did you know that TulsaPAC.com was among the first 20 performing arts center websites in the country? And when some people suggested that no one would divulge their credit card number to purchase via computer, the PAC was using the magic of the “Ticket Wizard” to sell tix in “real-time.” We are still the only performing arts center in the country running a regional ticketing operation (MyTicketOffice.com), launched in 2006.
Print Your Own — Tickets@Home
Two years ago the PAC added Tickets@Home to its ticketing options. You’ll see it listed when you’re buying tickets online. For an additional $2 per order charge, you can opt to have a link that contains a printout with a barcode e-mailed to your computer. Our ushers scan this printout in the same way they scan traditional tickets.
Website Wherever — TulsaPAC.mobi
Last year we became one of the first performing arts centers to have what is known as .mobi. This means that we have formatted our website so when it is viewed on a cell phone, the information we provide fits the phone’s space parameters. Recently, our ticketing partner, Tickets.com, has given our .mobi visitors the ability to buy tickets on that site. With this enhancement, the PAC will once again be ticketing technology pioneers.
Your Phone is Your Ticket — Tickets@Phone
We hope you’ll try purchasing tickets through your cell phone, especially now that we have Tickets@Phone. If you choose this option during the final phase of buying an online ticket, you will receive a text message that contains ticket information. When the text message is scanned by one of our ushers, a printer on the usher’s belt then creates your ticket. This option also costs $2 per order.
What’s Next? — Text!
Coming right up is our ability to send text messages to your cell phone. In the future, we’ll let you know about special deals, insider news and advance ticket on-sale dates —all through your cell phone. If you are not currently receiving our half-price offers and monthly news bulletin through an e-mail broadcast, please sign up on our homepage at TulsaPAC.com. And if you’d like to provide your cell phone number to receive text messages, please share that with us too. We will safeguard your information and we won’t bombard you either.
If you need anything from the PAC, please e-mail us at tulsapac@cityoftulsa.org. We’ll answer you by the next business day. In addition, sign up to follow the PAC on Facebook and Twitter. We’re here to help you enjoy the many events at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. We want you to have the best possible experience, from obtaining information, to buying a ticket, to your comfort and enjoyment in our theaters. Just make sure to turn off everything but your enthusiasm once you’re inside!
Nancy Hermann is Director of Marketing for the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Tulsa Performing Arts Center Goes Live With ProVenueMobile™ from Tickets.com
ProVenueMobile Now Available for December 7 On-Sale Date for January 2010 Run of Legally Blonde–The Musical.
Tickets.com—a leading global provider of integrated, high-performance ticketing solutions—has added its proprietary mobile platform ProVenueMobile™ to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center (TPAC). TPAC’s decision to offer ProVenueMobile differentiates them by allowing patrons to complete a ticket transaction on any Internet enabled mobile phone with the option of Tickets@Phone® delivery. TPAC patrons can utilize ProVenueMobile to purchase tickets for Legally Blonde—The Musical; on-sale December 7, 2009.
ProVenueMobile™ allows full-circle ticket purchases to be made 24/7 from any Internet-enabled mobile phone, directly through a client’s branded, mobilized website. The mobile platform set a new standard in the ticketing industry in early 2009 by being the first technology to allow real-time ticket transactions from a mobile phone that also offers Tickets@Phone; the delivery of a digital, bar-coded ticket via MMS or picture message.
“Mobile ticketing has arrived and we are delighted to be one of the first organizations to offer the user-friendly ProVenueMobile to our customers,” said John Scott, director, TPAC.
TPAC presents outstanding cultural events and performances spotlighting artists—ranging from international stars to local favorites—touring shows, arts organizations, and community-based programming. In addition to Legally Blonde, other shows on sale include The Nutcracker, performed by the Tulsa Ballet, David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries and Tony Award winner August: Osage County.
“We’re thrilled that TPAC has embraced ProVenueMobile,” said Larry Witherspoon, chief executive officer, Tickets.com. “It’s so gratifying to work with clients that integrate new technologies into their ticketing services portfolio.”
Tickets can also be purchased through the venue’s website (http://www.tulsapac.com) or box office.
The national U.S. touring company of Legally Blonde runs January 5 – 10, 2010 at TPAC’s Chapman Music Hall, the largest of the Tulsa, OK-based Center’s four theaters.
Tickets.com—a leading global provider of integrated, high-performance ticketing solutions—has added its proprietary mobile platform ProVenueMobile™ to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center (TPAC). TPAC’s decision to offer ProVenueMobile differentiates them by allowing patrons to complete a ticket transaction on any Internet enabled mobile phone with the option of Tickets@Phone® delivery. TPAC patrons can utilize ProVenueMobile to purchase tickets for Legally Blonde—The Musical; on-sale December 7, 2009.
ProVenueMobile™ allows full-circle ticket purchases to be made 24/7 from any Internet-enabled mobile phone, directly through a client’s branded, mobilized website. The mobile platform set a new standard in the ticketing industry in early 2009 by being the first technology to allow real-time ticket transactions from a mobile phone that also offers Tickets@Phone; the delivery of a digital, bar-coded ticket via MMS or picture message.
“Mobile ticketing has arrived and we are delighted to be one of the first organizations to offer the user-friendly ProVenueMobile to our customers,” said John Scott, director, TPAC.
TPAC presents outstanding cultural events and performances spotlighting artists—ranging from international stars to local favorites—touring shows, arts organizations, and community-based programming. In addition to Legally Blonde, other shows on sale include The Nutcracker, performed by the Tulsa Ballet, David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries and Tony Award winner August: Osage County.
“We’re thrilled that TPAC has embraced ProVenueMobile,” said Larry Witherspoon, chief executive officer, Tickets.com. “It’s so gratifying to work with clients that integrate new technologies into their ticketing services portfolio.”
Tickets can also be purchased through the venue’s website (http://www.tulsapac.com) or box office.
The national U.S. touring company of Legally Blonde runs January 5 – 10, 2010 at TPAC’s Chapman Music Hall, the largest of the Tulsa, OK-based Center’s four theaters.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Facebook, Mobile Phones and the Future of Shopping
Forget the mall. Retailers are tapping Facebook and mobile phones to get closer to customers wherever they are.
CIO Magazine
At least 22 retailers have been driven into bankruptcy protection during this recession, including RedEnvelope and Eddie Bauer, or gone out of business altogether, like Circuit City. Blockbuster, Virgin Megastores and many more have closed stores. Survivors, suffering deflated profits and slow sales, warn of bleak holidays: The National Retail Federation predicts a 1 percent sales decline for the season compared to last year. Even Wal-Mart feels the slump, with same-store sales down 1 percent in its second quarter—its first such drop in years.
Baby, it's cold outside.
But smart retailers are going where it's warm: the hot little hands of cellphone—and laptop—toting consumers who want to shop right now, wherever they happen to be sipping their lattes or watching their kids' soccer games. Technology-backed projects to increase revenue include mobile e-commerce, coupons by text message, even storefronts on social networks. As enablers of these projects, CIOs are moving ever closer to the customer.
Social Shopping
E-mail marketing is in full swing now; the number of messages expected to be sent this holiday shopping season will far surpass last year's four billion, according to Experian Marketing Services, a consultancy. Of course, just a fraction of these will be opened. Even fewer messages will coax recipients to visit a website and buy something.
"Websites and e-mail—that's just too many steps now," says Brett Michalak, CIO with Tickets.com, which sells tickets to games, concerts and other events as well as its own ticketing technology.
______________________________________________________________________
Royal Oak Music Theatre, a Michigan music and comedy venue where acts such as Train and Bob Saget have played, started mobile ticketing three years ago and has adjusted its marketing to cover for finicky technology.
Anyone who's done self-check out at the supermarket knows that scanning takes a special, knowing touch. Still, scanning barcodes on the screens of mobile devices often requires extra wiggling of the phone and slanting it at different angles. It's slower than scanning paper tickets. To avoid ticking off patrons lined up to run in and grab general-admission floor spots, Royal Oak created a separate VIP entrance for the mobile customers. There, staff use the newer model scanners required for reading mobile barcodes, and it's not so apparent that the scanning takes longer, says Diana Williams, box office manager.
Mobile customers are also allowed to get into the theater a few minutes before traditional customers, which encourages more people to buy their tickets by cell phone, she says. That's cheaper for the theater than handling paper tickets—saving money and hassle time is Williams' goal. But it also positions the theater well for collecting future revenue.
Mobile ticketing skews young, Williams observes. The theater does shows for all ages, and for a typical adult event, 16 percent of tickets sold are through the mobile channel. But for a recent show by the boy-band Hansen, popular with tween girls, mobile accounted for nearly 40 percent of tickets.
"There's an age—around 22 or younger—where it would never occur to patrons that you couldn't buy a ticket from your phone," Williams says.
Impulse Buys
Mobile and social commerce projects will change the business of any company that invests in it, says Russ Stanley, managing vice president of ticket services and client relations for the San Francisco Giants.
For example, instead of being a long-planned activity, a Major League Baseball game can become an impulse buy, Stanley says, bringing in more sales for the organization.
Every game day, the Giants have 40,000 seats to sell. If they've sold only 30,000, 10,000 spoil every bit as badly as old pears. Last year, the team changed prices daily on about 2,000 seats. Stanley imagines the day when he'll have a database of fans who, say, live within a mile of the ballpark to whom he can text last-minute offers. "Hey, the Giants have $5 tickets left for tonight. For $5, I'll walk down there," he says. "As they're walking up to the entrance, they're buying on the mobile."
The Giants started to offer mobile tickets midway through the 2008 season, when they sold about 100 tickets that way per game. In 2009, it was about 200 and Stanley expects to do about 400 per game in the coming year. "Fans who use it love it. It's getting the people to use it," he says.
Like hot dogs and cold beer, holding a ticket is part of the rite of baseball, he says. Plus, there's the souvenir value. When pitcher Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in July, about 50 mobile fans, as well as people who had bought tickets online and printed them on plain paper at home, later requested the team print "real" tickets for them to commemorate the event. "We did that for them. It's good relations," says Stanley. And, he adds, it could turn into a money-making service in the future.
Start small and expand gradually, Stanley advises. He could outfit all 42 entryways at AT&T Park with scanners to read mobile tickets, but the Giants just don't sell enough of them yet to make that cost worthwhile. Not until about 1,000 mobile tickets are sold per game—81,000 in a season—does he expect to see real labor savings compared to handling paper tickets. Ramp-up may be slow, but commerce in these new outlets is a commitment these early adopters say they will keep.
"Eventually there will be far more things that are accessible via your phone," Williams says. "I would rather have our box office be on the forefront of that than scrambling to catch up years down the line."
Today the payoff comes in other ways, she says. The novel technology makes retailers who use it more memorable among consumers and no paper—or less, anyway—makes it a greener way to do business.
Read more >
CIO Magazine
At least 22 retailers have been driven into bankruptcy protection during this recession, including RedEnvelope and Eddie Bauer, or gone out of business altogether, like Circuit City. Blockbuster, Virgin Megastores and many more have closed stores. Survivors, suffering deflated profits and slow sales, warn of bleak holidays: The National Retail Federation predicts a 1 percent sales decline for the season compared to last year. Even Wal-Mart feels the slump, with same-store sales down 1 percent in its second quarter—its first such drop in years.
Baby, it's cold outside.
But smart retailers are going where it's warm: the hot little hands of cellphone—and laptop—toting consumers who want to shop right now, wherever they happen to be sipping their lattes or watching their kids' soccer games. Technology-backed projects to increase revenue include mobile e-commerce, coupons by text message, even storefronts on social networks. As enablers of these projects, CIOs are moving ever closer to the customer.
Social Shopping
E-mail marketing is in full swing now; the number of messages expected to be sent this holiday shopping season will far surpass last year's four billion, according to Experian Marketing Services, a consultancy. Of course, just a fraction of these will be opened. Even fewer messages will coax recipients to visit a website and buy something.
"Websites and e-mail—that's just too many steps now," says Brett Michalak, CIO with Tickets.com, which sells tickets to games, concerts and other events as well as its own ticketing technology.
______________________________________________________________________
Royal Oak Music Theatre, a Michigan music and comedy venue where acts such as Train and Bob Saget have played, started mobile ticketing three years ago and has adjusted its marketing to cover for finicky technology.
Anyone who's done self-check out at the supermarket knows that scanning takes a special, knowing touch. Still, scanning barcodes on the screens of mobile devices often requires extra wiggling of the phone and slanting it at different angles. It's slower than scanning paper tickets. To avoid ticking off patrons lined up to run in and grab general-admission floor spots, Royal Oak created a separate VIP entrance for the mobile customers. There, staff use the newer model scanners required for reading mobile barcodes, and it's not so apparent that the scanning takes longer, says Diana Williams, box office manager.
Mobile customers are also allowed to get into the theater a few minutes before traditional customers, which encourages more people to buy their tickets by cell phone, she says. That's cheaper for the theater than handling paper tickets—saving money and hassle time is Williams' goal. But it also positions the theater well for collecting future revenue.
Mobile ticketing skews young, Williams observes. The theater does shows for all ages, and for a typical adult event, 16 percent of tickets sold are through the mobile channel. But for a recent show by the boy-band Hansen, popular with tween girls, mobile accounted for nearly 40 percent of tickets.
"There's an age—around 22 or younger—where it would never occur to patrons that you couldn't buy a ticket from your phone," Williams says.
Impulse Buys
Mobile and social commerce projects will change the business of any company that invests in it, says Russ Stanley, managing vice president of ticket services and client relations for the San Francisco Giants.
For example, instead of being a long-planned activity, a Major League Baseball game can become an impulse buy, Stanley says, bringing in more sales for the organization.
Every game day, the Giants have 40,000 seats to sell. If they've sold only 30,000, 10,000 spoil every bit as badly as old pears. Last year, the team changed prices daily on about 2,000 seats. Stanley imagines the day when he'll have a database of fans who, say, live within a mile of the ballpark to whom he can text last-minute offers. "Hey, the Giants have $5 tickets left for tonight. For $5, I'll walk down there," he says. "As they're walking up to the entrance, they're buying on the mobile."
The Giants started to offer mobile tickets midway through the 2008 season, when they sold about 100 tickets that way per game. In 2009, it was about 200 and Stanley expects to do about 400 per game in the coming year. "Fans who use it love it. It's getting the people to use it," he says.
Like hot dogs and cold beer, holding a ticket is part of the rite of baseball, he says. Plus, there's the souvenir value. When pitcher Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in July, about 50 mobile fans, as well as people who had bought tickets online and printed them on plain paper at home, later requested the team print "real" tickets for them to commemorate the event. "We did that for them. It's good relations," says Stanley. And, he adds, it could turn into a money-making service in the future.
Start small and expand gradually, Stanley advises. He could outfit all 42 entryways at AT&T Park with scanners to read mobile tickets, but the Giants just don't sell enough of them yet to make that cost worthwhile. Not until about 1,000 mobile tickets are sold per game—81,000 in a season—does he expect to see real labor savings compared to handling paper tickets. Ramp-up may be slow, but commerce in these new outlets is a commitment these early adopters say they will keep.
"Eventually there will be far more things that are accessible via your phone," Williams says. "I would rather have our box office be on the forefront of that than scrambling to catch up years down the line."
Today the payoff comes in other ways, she says. The novel technology makes retailers who use it more memorable among consumers and no paper—or less, anyway—makes it a greener way to do business.
Read more >
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tickets@Phone® Mobile Ticketing Technology
Send paperless, barcoded tickets directly to your customers’ mobile phones. Tickets@Phone tickets are redeemed at your venue directly from their mobile phone display through the use of a barcode scanner.
Tickets@Phone is an innovative ticket delivery method that expands your options of how your customers receive their tickets. With Tickets@Phone, your customers’ tickets are delivered to their mobile phones.
If you would like to learn more about mobile ticketing technologies, please contact Tickets.com at sales@Tickets.com or 888-397-3400.
Tickets@Phone is an innovative ticket delivery method that expands your options of how your customers receive their tickets. With Tickets@Phone, your customers’ tickets are delivered to their mobile phones.
If you would like to learn more about mobile ticketing technologies, please contact Tickets.com at sales@Tickets.com or 888-397-3400.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Tickets.com Partner Usablenet in the News
Mobile Commerce Daily called on Usablenet's Nick Taylor to provide thought leadership on the m-commerce space. Taylor argues, "It's vital for retailers to provide a mobile Web presence for shoppers. Customers are already trying to make purchases through their phones, so why not let them have a successful experience?"
Read more >
Tickets.com offers two industry-leading mobile ticketing solutions:
ProVenueMobile, in partnership with Usablenet, for mobile ticket purchasing and Tickets@Phone, in partnership with Mobiqa, for mobile ticket delivery.
Read more >
Tickets.com offers two industry-leading mobile ticketing solutions:
ProVenueMobile, in partnership with Usablenet, for mobile ticket purchasing and Tickets@Phone, in partnership with Mobiqa, for mobile ticket delivery.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tickets.com's Mobile Ticketing System Allows For Real-Time Search, Selection And Payment
SportsBusiness Daily
Eric Fisher
Tickets.com will deploy its ProVenueMobile wireless ticket solution for all of its MLB team clients for the '10 season following a successful test run with the A's at the end of this year's regular season. The mobile ticketing system -- building upon prior Tickets.com efforts delivering tickets to wireless devices through Tickets@Phone -- allows for real-time mobile search, selection and payment in addition to the barcode delivery.
The system, built in partnership with mobile services outfit Usablenet Inc., is accessible via any Internet-enabled cell phone. The system was also installed earlier this year at Daytona Int'l Speedway. Rival ticketing outlet Ticketmaster also has been active in mobile ticketing, similarly emboldened by the increasing power of smartphone devices, but Tickets.com is also offering client branding on its mobile ticketing sites. "The initial usage in Oakland, quite honestly, was minimal, which we expected since this is brand new," said Tickets.com CIO Brett Michalak.
The A's were among the league's weaker drawing teams in '09, and the mobile test came at the end of a last-place season. Michalak: "But the workflows and timing [of the mobile purchasing] worked really well, and we're convinced that mobile ticketing is going to be a big part of the industry going forward." The A's were also the first club to use the original Tickets@Phone. Tickets.com currently works with 16 MLB teams.
Eric Fisher
Tickets.com will deploy its ProVenueMobile wireless ticket solution for all of its MLB team clients for the '10 season following a successful test run with the A's at the end of this year's regular season. The mobile ticketing system -- building upon prior Tickets.com efforts delivering tickets to wireless devices through Tickets@Phone -- allows for real-time mobile search, selection and payment in addition to the barcode delivery.
The system, built in partnership with mobile services outfit Usablenet Inc., is accessible via any Internet-enabled cell phone. The system was also installed earlier this year at Daytona Int'l Speedway. Rival ticketing outlet Ticketmaster also has been active in mobile ticketing, similarly emboldened by the increasing power of smartphone devices, but Tickets.com is also offering client branding on its mobile ticketing sites. "The initial usage in Oakland, quite honestly, was minimal, which we expected since this is brand new," said Tickets.com CIO Brett Michalak.
The A's were among the league's weaker drawing teams in '09, and the mobile test came at the end of a last-place season. Michalak: "But the workflows and timing [of the mobile purchasing] worked really well, and we're convinced that mobile ticketing is going to be a big part of the industry going forward." The A's were also the first club to use the original Tickets@Phone. Tickets.com currently works with 16 MLB teams.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Tickets.com Mobile Ticketing Solutions
Tickets.com Mobile Ticketing Solutions:
As mobile web adoption continues to surge, companies worldwide realize the importance of providing customers a successful experience when going to their sites from mobile phones – even if the mobile experience is limited or done in phases. The mobile site is now analogous to the web site as the hub of your interaction with customers’ mobile phones.
ProVenueMobile™
Expand your reach by making tickets available for purchase through mobile devices. Now you can offer customers the ability to complete a ticket transaction from a mobile phone. Customers are no longer limited by time or place. Mobilizing your website – including event listings, venue information, and purchase process – offers your customers the ultimate convenience: the ability to buy your tickets anytime, anywhere!
Learn more about selling mobile tickets >
Tickets@Phone®
Send paperless, barcoded tickets directly to your customers’ mobile phones. Tickets@Phone are redeemed at your venue directly from their mobile phone display through the use of a barcode scanner.
Learn more about mobile phone tickets >
As mobile web adoption continues to surge, companies worldwide realize the importance of providing customers a successful experience when going to their sites from mobile phones – even if the mobile experience is limited or done in phases. The mobile site is now analogous to the web site as the hub of your interaction with customers’ mobile phones.
ProVenueMobile™
Expand your reach by making tickets available for purchase through mobile devices. Now you can offer customers the ability to complete a ticket transaction from a mobile phone. Customers are no longer limited by time or place. Mobilizing your website – including event listings, venue information, and purchase process – offers your customers the ultimate convenience: the ability to buy your tickets anytime, anywhere!
Learn more about selling mobile tickets >
Tickets@Phone®
Send paperless, barcoded tickets directly to your customers’ mobile phones. Tickets@Phone are redeemed at your venue directly from their mobile phone display through the use of a barcode scanner.
Learn more about mobile phone tickets >
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Get Your Washington Nationals Tickets Delivered to Your Mobile Phone
Now you can get Washington Nationals tickets delivered directly to your mobile phone! Choose Mobile Phone Tickets as your method of delivery during your online purchase. Your Nationals ticket will be delivered to your mobile phone via MMS or text message. Don't wait by your mailbox or in a will call line for your tickets. Choose Mobile Phone Tickets when you make your next baseball ticket purchase at www.nationals.com.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Tickets@Phone: Your Tickets are Calling
Tickets@Phone is an innovative ticket delivery method that expands your options of how your customers receive their tickets. With Tickets@Phone, your customers’ tickets are delivered to their mobile phones via Multimedia Message Service (MMS), a Short Message Service (SMS), or a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) message allowing your customers to use their mobile phone as their ticket.The Tickets@Phone message contains a unique barcode as well as the usual ticket information e.g. event date, time, section, row, seat etc. Customers simply save their mobile ticket in their messages inbox and retrieve it when they arrive at the event.
Learn more >
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tickets.com Case Study: Tickets@Phone Mobile Ticket Delivery
Tickets@Phone Ticket Delivery on Mobile Phones
Washington Nationals
In its efforts to provide an exceptional customer experience, the Washington Nationals wanted to enhance fans' ability to purchase and receive tickets, as well as gain faster entry into the ballpark. The team also wanted to take advantage of the latest in ticketing technology. Using Tickets@Phone from Tickets.com, the Nationals became the first organization in the United States to deliver tickets to mobile phones.
Learn more >
Washington Nationals
In its efforts to provide an exceptional customer experience, the Washington Nationals wanted to enhance fans' ability to purchase and receive tickets, as well as gain faster entry into the ballpark. The team also wanted to take advantage of the latest in ticketing technology. Using Tickets@Phone from Tickets.com, the Nationals became the first organization in the United States to deliver tickets to mobile phones.
Learn more >
Friday, May 8, 2009
Smartphones driving mobile shopping
Mobile Marketer
By Giselle Tsirulnik
Mobile technology has finally reached an inflection point where the mobile Internet could be another viable consumer resource for online shopping and purchasing, according to PriceGrabber.com.
According to PriceGrabber.com’s Mobile Shopping Behavior Survey, 58 percent of U.S. online consumers already own a Web-enabled mobile phone. Furthermore, of those consumers that own a Web-enabled mobile phone, one in 10 has bought products or services with their device.
“The mobile phone is yet another lucrative business to consumer channel linking on-the-go consumers and online retailers,” said Sara Rodriguez, market research analyst at PriceGrabber.com
“Using a mobile phone to compare prices while browsing in a store could be the next big trend,” she said. “Fifty-six percent of Apple iPhone owners and 28 percent of smartphone owners are already comparing prices online with their mobile phones.”
An additional 27 percent of iPhone owners and 35 percent of smartphone owners anticipate that they will be comparing prices within two years, according to the study.
In the past year, advancements in network technology and improved platforms have contributed to the widespread consumer adoption of feature-rich Web-enabled mobile phones that provide a more appealing mobile Internet user experience.
As a result, online consumers with Web-enabled phones are slowly adopting the mobile Internet. According to PriceGrabber.com’s Mobile Shopping Behavior Survey, online consumers seem to be closing the mobile Internet usage gap as 48 percent have used mobile GPS and 17 percent have shopped online.
Furthermore, one in 10 online consumers with a Web-enabled mobile phone has purchased online and 16 percent have compared prices from their mobile phones.
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. online consumers own a mobile phone capable of connecting with the Internet.
Online consumers said the lengthy purchase process (38 percent) and challenges they face with completing a purchase transaction (28 percent) are preventing them from buying online from their mobile phone.
As Web-enabled phone adoption continues to grow, with improvements in smartphone hardware and advances in mobile network service, more and more online consumers will interact with and buy from the Web via their device.
Mobile Internet consumer adoption is more widespread in Britain compared to that of the U.S.
More than two-thirds of British online consumers own a mobile phone capable of connecting with the Internet and 64 percent own a 3G compatible Web-enabled mobile phone enabling them to make more secure and substantial purchases with their credit cards from their mobile phones.
“Smartphone purchases amongst online consumers have risen dramatically since 2006,” Ms. Rodriguez said. “The iPhone jump-started mainstream smartphone adoption.”
Learn about Tickets.com's mobile ticketing solutions >
By Giselle Tsirulnik
Mobile technology has finally reached an inflection point where the mobile Internet could be another viable consumer resource for online shopping and purchasing, according to PriceGrabber.com.
According to PriceGrabber.com’s Mobile Shopping Behavior Survey, 58 percent of U.S. online consumers already own a Web-enabled mobile phone. Furthermore, of those consumers that own a Web-enabled mobile phone, one in 10 has bought products or services with their device.
“The mobile phone is yet another lucrative business to consumer channel linking on-the-go consumers and online retailers,” said Sara Rodriguez, market research analyst at PriceGrabber.com
“Using a mobile phone to compare prices while browsing in a store could be the next big trend,” she said. “Fifty-six percent of Apple iPhone owners and 28 percent of smartphone owners are already comparing prices online with their mobile phones.”
An additional 27 percent of iPhone owners and 35 percent of smartphone owners anticipate that they will be comparing prices within two years, according to the study.
In the past year, advancements in network technology and improved platforms have contributed to the widespread consumer adoption of feature-rich Web-enabled mobile phones that provide a more appealing mobile Internet user experience.
As a result, online consumers with Web-enabled phones are slowly adopting the mobile Internet. According to PriceGrabber.com’s Mobile Shopping Behavior Survey, online consumers seem to be closing the mobile Internet usage gap as 48 percent have used mobile GPS and 17 percent have shopped online.
Furthermore, one in 10 online consumers with a Web-enabled mobile phone has purchased online and 16 percent have compared prices from their mobile phones.
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. online consumers own a mobile phone capable of connecting with the Internet.
Online consumers said the lengthy purchase process (38 percent) and challenges they face with completing a purchase transaction (28 percent) are preventing them from buying online from their mobile phone.
As Web-enabled phone adoption continues to grow, with improvements in smartphone hardware and advances in mobile network service, more and more online consumers will interact with and buy from the Web via their device.
Mobile Internet consumer adoption is more widespread in Britain compared to that of the U.S.
More than two-thirds of British online consumers own a mobile phone capable of connecting with the Internet and 64 percent own a 3G compatible Web-enabled mobile phone enabling them to make more secure and substantial purchases with their credit cards from their mobile phones.
“Smartphone purchases amongst online consumers have risen dramatically since 2006,” Ms. Rodriguez said. “The iPhone jump-started mainstream smartphone adoption.”
Learn about Tickets.com's mobile ticketing solutions >
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Happy Earth Day from Tickets.com
In honor of Earth Day, check out Tickets.com's environmentally friendly mobile ticketing product: Tickets@Phone. Send paperless, barcoded tickets directly to your customers’ mobile phones. Tickets@Phone are redeemed at your venue directly from their mobile phone display through the use of a barcode scanner. Tickets@Phone “tickets” are far less expensive than printing, handling, and mailing a paper ticket.
Learn more about Tickets.com's mobile ticketing solutions >
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