Venues Today Q&A with Steve DeMots

Venues Today Q&A
STEVE DEMOTS, TICKETS.COM
Dave Brooks

Tickets.com is continuing to expand the capabilities of its new ProVenue software suite and has signed a deal with gift card maker Givex to create Uptix, a stored value system for event tickets. The San Francisco Giants will premier the system this season.

Has the dream of combining concessions and tickets into a single purchasing experience finally come to the Big Leagues? Venues Today caught up with Tickets.com’s Sr. V.P. of Business Development Steve DeMots to learn more.

Venues Today: We’ve heard about this concept for a few years now. What is Tickets.com doing with stored value?
Steve DeMots: Our overall strategy right now is to focus on the core ticketing technology. All our additional functionality is being developed through strategic partnerships, so instead of building stored value ourselves, we partnered with one of the largest gift card companies in the world — Givex out of Toronto. We created a product with them called Uptix; our stored value offering.

VT: How does it work?
SD: In a nutshell, it means having a separate database that keeps track of value tied into the barcode on the ticket. What the Phillies have done with their own stored value system is take one of their $60 seats and make it into a $90 seat with $30 worth of stored value. Through the barcode, you can go to any POS station and redeem the remaining value on the ticket. The other way it is used is to add stored value on an existing ticket. A corporate season ticket holder can use the system to load concessions money onto the barcode of the ticket. This allows the corporate ticket holder to give his client four tickets and $40 each (or whatever amount they choose) to spend on concessions.

VT: How does the season ticket-holder manage his stored value account?
SD: The system has a customer portal for online management of stored value accounts. Imagine that a season ticket holder has a $1,000 of stored value that floats over their season package. This system allows them to assign different dollar amounts to different tickets.

VT: What kind of promotional opportunities can the teams build into the stored value system?
SD: Tons. Let’s use a hypothetical example. Imagine you’re an Angels fan and Coke sponsors a promotion that if Vladimir Guerrero hits a homerun in the 7th inning, everyone in section 330 gets $15 worth of Coke products, valid for that day. If he did hit a homerun, you could do a mass upload onto everyone’s ticket in that particular section, and that value could only be used to purchase Coke products. The promotional opportunities are endless.

VT: What happens with any left over money on the ticket?
SD: It can be used anywhere else in the park. It’s almost the same as a gift card, but instead of a magnetic strip you’re using the barcode on the ticket.

VT: Can you get a refund of your remaining balance?
SD: It’s all business rules of the individual client. Some clients have a “use-it-or-lose-it” mentality.

VT: Aren’t there federal laws mandating that vendors can’t take left over gift card balances?
SD: Yes there are. But, many teams are calling stored value a “coupon” because it's no longer a $60 seat with a $30 gift certificate. It’s now a $90 seat with a $30 coupon. If, however, someone buys additional value on their ticket through a customer portal, then the teams are subject to federal gift card laws.

VT: Which teams are implementing stored value?
SD: The Phillies are using Paciolan software and they’ve developed their own system. The Giants will be using Uptix this season with ProVenue. The competitor is a company called STADIS, which has launched stored value with the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

VT: What is your projected growth for Uptix?
SD: Within the next few years, a majority of the sports and entertainment organizations that have a lot of season tickets will have some type of stored value product. It intrigues everyone. The key is getting your arms around it on a venue-by-venue basis and deciding what you want to accomplish.

Learn more about Tickets.com ticketing technologies >

MLB’s Tickets.com to launch ProVenueMobile

Mobile Marketer
By Dan Butcher
January 30, 2009

MLB's Tickets.com on a BlackBerry

MLB’s Tickets.com, a global provider of integrated ticketing services, is introducing ProVenueMobile, a client product offering that will let patrons buy tickets from their mobilized Web site.

The offering will launch during the International Ticketing Association’s 30th-annual INTIX Conference & Exhibition in Salt Lake City, UT, taking place Feb. 3-6. The ProVenueMobile platform works in synergy with Tickets@Phone, a feature launched by Tickets.com in 2006 that delivers bar-coded tickets directly to mobile phones.

“The strategy behind Tickets.com’s launch of ProVenueMobile is to provide our clients a complete range of technology products, allowing them to sell from all channels, including mobile, with no restrictions,” said Larry Witherspoon, CEO of Tickets.com, Costa Mesa, CA.

“Being the first to market with not only mobile delivery, but the ability to provide our clients private label mobile sites is a continuation of our strategy to provide the best, most technologically advanced ticketing platform,” he said.

For the technology powering ProVenueMobile, Tickets.com partnered with Usablenet, which specializes in providing companies with the means to translate all existing Web site functionality to a full-featured mobile interface.

Mobile bar code ticketing

“Buying a ticket on a mobile device was previously a negative user experience, forcing consumers to click-to-call,” Mr. Witherspoon said. “Tickets.com partnered with Usablenet, a leader in bringing ecommerce technology to mobile devices, to fully mobilize the ticket purchasing experience."

Usablenet's other clients include US Airways, NWA, American Airlines, Pfizer, Amtrak, Marriott, 1-800-Flowers, Nissan, Travelocity, CTIA, McGraw-Hill, Campbell's Soup, conEdison, Virgin, Hilton, The Waldorf-Astoria, Four Seasons, New York's Metropolitan Transport Authority and Hertz.

MLB's Tickets.com on an iPhone

Tickets.com claims that ProVenueMobile’s combination of technologies allows for an entirely mobile, green and secure ticket transaction.

ProVenueMobile is compatible with all makes and models of Internet-enabled mobile devices.

Tickets.com can activate individual mobile Web sites that let ticket buyers search listings and make real-time purchases from a mobile phone without the need to click-to-call to complete the transaction.

Following a purchase, customers can then digitally receive unique bar-coded tickets using the proprietary Tickets@Phone technology from Tickets.com, enabling a full-circle mobile ticket-buying experience.

Tickets.com claims that clients mobilizing their Web sites through the ProVenueMobile suite of services will reap the benefits of the booming mobile sales channel, including expanded reach and increased revenue through the proliferation of mobile devices worldwide.

ProVenueMobile extends a client's existing ecommerce site into a mobile experience.

“Our new platform allows us to rapidly offer new, advanced ticketing solutions to the market and our clients,” Mr. Witherspoon said. “We have the ability to develop in-house solutions or to partner with best-of-breed companies.

“Tickets.com partners with other companies to bring additional value to our clients and consumers,” he said. “To mention a few: Thumbplay, Givex, Turnkey, Mondial Assistance (SM) and StubHub.”

On the consumer side, buyers can access a venue, organization or team's branded mobilized site and online ticket inventory using their handset, getting rid of the need to navigate box office lines.

Tickets.com is a provider of integrated event ticketing solutions for thousands of arts, entertainment and sports organizations worldwide.

Tickets.com has been a privately held subsidiary of MLB Advanced Media LP since 2005.

The company also sells tickets directly to consumers at http://www.tickets.com.

“Mobile ticketing is still relatively new to North America, so by launching the ProVenueMobile product, we continue to be innovators in the ticketing industry,” Mr. Witherspoon said.

“Consumer adoption is continuing to grow as advances in technology such as Tickets@Phone and ProVenueMobile become available and consumers become more comfortable conducting transactions on their mobile phones,” he said. “The market potential is huge as consumers demand the convenience and flexibility to buy tickets anytime, anywhere.

“Venues that offer these technologies will be able to expand their customer base and satisfy demand.”

Learn more about ProVenueMobile >

Join Tickets.com and Super Diamond at a Red Carpet Event - TONIGHT!

Tickets.com Presents...
Super Diamond

Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Join us at 9pm following the Opening Tradeshow Reception as we kick off INTIX 2009!

Special V.I.P. early access for all Tickets.com clients at 8:30pm

Transportation will be provided from the Hilton and Marriott Downtown.

Come to Tickets.com booth #505 at INTIX for your complimentary ticket!

See you tonight at The Depot!

Tickets.com at INTIX 2009

Tickets.com is at the 30th Annual International Ticketing Association Conference & Exhibition this week in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The INTIX annual conference is designed for anyone involved in ticketing in the arts, theatre, professional sports, college athletics, arenas, distribution, and entertainment management. Over 1,000 conference attendees represent the broadest range of those working in single ticket sales, subscription and group sales, marketing, ticketing operations and technology, finance and revenue management, development and patron services.

This four-day event includes a comprehensive program of issue-driven workshops, professional presentations by industry leaders, and the INTIX Exhibition -- the industry's source for ticketing products and services.

Tickets.com will debut the latest advanced ticketing solution, ProVenueMobile, at INTIX today. Learn more about Tickets.com ticketing solutions >

Tickets.com, StubHub and Ballena Technologies score a Triple Play for the San Francisco Giants

COSTA MESA, CA – February 2, 2009 – Tickets.com, a leading worldwide provider of integrated ticketing solutions, StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace and Ballena Technologies, the premier producer of high-resolution 3-D maps of sports and entertainment venues, announce the formation of a strategic partnership to deliver enhanced seat map functionality. For the first time, venues will be able to combine real-time ticket inventory from both the primary and secondary ticket markets into one seat map view. As part of the online ticket purchase, patrons will easily be able to determine if seats are available in their desired section. Additional functionality will allow fans to buy tickets directly from the panoramic Ballena map view.

The San Francisco Giants will be the first to implement Tickets.com’s Ballena-enabled ProVenue ticketing system. “The Giants organization prides itself on being a leader in the adoption of technology to improve the fan experience. The combination of primary and secondary ticket inventory on a Ballena map continues that tradition,” said Russ Stanley, managing vice president of ticket services and client relations for the Giants. “Fans love to see what the view will be from different sections in the ballpark; when they find seats they like, we want them to be able to buy.”

Tickets.com chose to partner with Ballena because of their market-leading position in the sports and entertainment industries. Brett Michalak, chief information officer, Tickets.com, said, “The Ballena integration is another example of our strategy to leverage best-in-class partners to help us release innovative products into the ticketing marketplace.”

For StubHub, this partnership acts as yet another avenue to give fans as many choices as possible. “Giving Giants fans the ability to view both primary and secondary ticket availability from the same map will enhance the fan experience and provide an additional customer acquisition channel for us”, says Jeff Spaulding, director of business development, StubHub. The Ballena integration is one of several collaborative efforts between StubHub and Tickets.com. The two companies have joined forces through the MLB secondary ticketing platform integration and, in September, extended the integration to the HSBC Arena in Buffalo and the Buffalo Sabres NHL franchise.

Richard Sherratt, Ballena’s chief executive officer, added, “We are excited to be part of such a major announcement in the ticketing industry and to showcase our integration with Tickets.com and StubHub.”

Tickets.com, StubHub and Ballena Technologies will demonstrate a proof of concept of their seat map functionality at INTIX’s upcoming 30th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 3-6, 2009.

Learn more about Tickets.com's innovative ticketing technologies >

Turnkey Intelligence Strikes a Deal with Tickets.com

Surveyor Research Platform and Prospector Ticket Sales Automation Platform To Seamlessly Integrate with Tickets.com’s ProVenue®

Haddonfield, NJ February 2, 2009 – Turnkey Intelligence, LLC and Tickets.com have finalized a long-term agreement to exchange data for the benefit of their roster of shared clients. This new deal, effective immediately, enables sports and entertainment companies to be better informed faster about the attitudes, opinions and preferences of their ticket buyers.

“Tickets.com has a great, open systems environment,” says Haynes Hendrickson, Senior Vice President of Turnkey Intelligence. “Tickets.com accounts will get Turnkey’s nightly data feed with consumers’ survey responses, creating a more holistic view of each customer,” said Hendrickson. “Survey data is critical on the micro level in renewing each customer and equally vital on the macro level in seeing ticket buying patterns and emerging trends,” said Hendrickson.

The deal also includes a nightly ticket transaction data feed the opposite way - from Tickets.com to Turnkey. Turnkey’s Prospector system uses ticket transaction history along with 140 other factors in a sophisticated algorithm to score and rank leads for season tickets, premium seats, suite sales and other inventory. “The problem in the digital age isn’t finding leads, everybody’s drowning in them - it’s identifying the good ones.” said Hendrickson. “Nobody can afford enough staff to call every lead. Selling is expensive. Prospector separates and prioritizes the best leads from the waste-of-time leads,” said Hendrickson.

“Our partnership with Turnkey is another example of how we will continue to deploy proven technologies into the ticketing industry,” said John Rizzi, director of product strategy. “We’re pleased that our data feed functionality enables clients to leverage details about their fans through Prospector.”

Turnkey has also just completed two (2) separate, additional data enhancement agreements, one with Acxiom Corporation for consumer data and a separate agreement with InfoUSA, for business data. Turnkey has built a seamless, nightly data exchange module with each company to further feed and inform the Prospector algorithm described above.

Turnkey Intelligence is the sports and entertainment industry’s leader in consumer research. Turnkey's clients span major brands like Chrysler, Clorox, Honda, MasterCard, Greyhound and properties like the NBA, NFL, NHL, IRL and more than two-thirds of all major league teams in North America. Clients utilize Turnkey’s software and services to make better-informed business moves involving sponsorship and ticket sales. Turnkey Intelligence is a subsidiary of Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, the holding company that also owns and operates Turnkey Search, the industry's leading executive search firm. For more information visit www.TurnkeySE.com

Tickets.com is a leading provider of fully integrated event ticketing solutions and services for thousands of top arts, entertainment, and sports organizations worldwide. Delivering the latest in ticketing technology, Tickets.com offers the advanced ProVenue® ticketing platform, which serves the core of a comprehensive suite of integrated features, products, and services that help clients enhance ticket sales, marketing efforts, and overall customer experience. A privately held subsidiary of MLB Advanced Media, LP, since 2005, Tickets.com is headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA, and has regional offices across the U.S. and around the world. The company also sells tickets directly to consumers at www.tickets.com.

Tickets.com In the News: Pick Best Site to Buy Tickets Online

By GREG HAYMES, Staff writer
TimesUnion.com
First published in print: Thursday, January 29, 2009

ALBANY — What's the difference between Ticketmaster, TicketsNow and Tickets.com? Only one of them sells tickets at face value for events at Times Union Center.

Christine Krauss of Greenville went online Saturday morning to buy a pair of tickets for the April 17 rock concert by the Dead at Times Union Center as a birthday present for her daughter. Not a regular ticket buyer, she assumed that tickets would be sold by Ticketmaster and, sure enough, the Ticketmaster Web site listed the show.

She clicked on it and was redirected to another site, TicketsNow.com, where tickets were $134 each. She bought them, and with the add-on charges — service and handling fees, as well as shipping charges — the cost was $325.

What she didn't realize until a couple of days later is that online tickets for events at Times Union Center are sold on Tickets.com, not Ticketmaster. And the actual sale prices for the Dead tickets are $56 and $96.

Her confusion was fueled, in part, by the market for secondary ticket sales that blossomed after New York state rolled back restrictions on ticket resales in June 2007. The practice is commonly referred to as "ticket scalping," which Krauss assumed was still illegal.

TicketsNow — a Ticketmaster company — is a secondary ticket seller, which means there are no limits on the asking price of tickets. And that's perfectly legal.

A small sentence posted on the TicketsNow site just above the list of prices states: "Note: Tickets may be sold for more than the price listed on the ticket."

And before Ticketmaster redirects buyers to the TicketsNow site, another note briefly pops up that says, "For this event, we are not selling tickets directly to the public on behalf of the event provider. We are redirecting you to our resale partner site, TicketsNow, where you can purchase tickets from resellers safely and conveniently."

On Monday, Krauss logged onto Tickets.com and bought another pair of tickets. She paid $113 less and got better seats. "I don't understand how Ticketmaster can list an event that they don't sell tickets for," she said. "I feel like I got scammed."

Now she's trying to get a refund for the $325 she forked over to TicketsNow. But, she says, a service representative for TicketsNow told her to resell her tickets on the TicketsNow Web site. Her husband then called, but they're still waiting for a resolution to the refund issue.

Meanwhile, the world of rock rolls on. And to avoid confusion in the future — especially with tickets for the May 14 concert by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Times Union Center going on sale Monday — remember that tickets for all Times Union Center events are sold online at http://tickets.com/.