Talk about being able to do almost anything on Facebook…chatting with friends, posting pictures, checking into places, even buying tickets with Ticketforce’s Facebook Ticketing! But now…there’s music-streaming!
Archive | May, 2011
Talk about being able to do almost anything on Facebook…chatting with friends, posting pictures, checking into places, even buying tickets with Ticketforce’s Facebook Ticketing! But now…there’s music-streaming!
It’s coming to the end of the week, thankfully not the end of the world, and everyone within the music industry is still very much alive and kicking. From public accusations made by Jon Bon Jovi to a new perfume fragrance by pop sensation Justin Bieber, we’re here to tell you all about it in this edition of the Friday #musicwrap.
Bust a move on Facebook
31 MayTalk about being able to do almost anything on Facebook…chatting with friends, posting pictures, checking into places, even buying tickets with Ticketforce’s Facebook Ticketing! But now…there’s music-streaming!Ready, Set, Go!
28 May
Start your engines ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the Indy 500.
Since 1911, the legendary Indianapolis 500 has raced it’s way to the top, becoming the most popular race in America. 500 miles, 200 laps and fast cars…what’s not to love about this adrenaline thrilled sport? Holding the record for the largest spectator sporting event, tickets are selling fast!
Looking for the hottest party of the summer? Check out the Snake Pitt for the ultimate tailgating experience. Celebrate from 7am to the checkered flag waves, with live music and die-hard Indy 500 fans.
Bring the family! Keep the tradition alive, the Indy 500 offers good ol’ Midwestern family fun. The little ones can take part in fun-filled activities, don’t forget to bring a pen and paper for autographs!
The Indy 500 is set to take place on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Whether you are watching it from the stands or your living room—grab your friends and some ice cold drinks for a day of fast cars and checkered flags!
Friday #musicwrap: The World Didn’t End and Neither Did the Music!
27 MayIt’s coming to the end of the week, thankfully not the end of the world, and everyone within the music industry is still very much alive and kicking. From public accusations made by Jon Bon Jovi to a new perfume fragrance by pop sensation Justin Bieber, we’re here to tell you all about it in this edition of the Friday #musicwrap.Is the Music Business Dead?
According to singer/songwriter Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Jobs is “personally responsible for killing the music business.” To our surprise, Bon Jovi’s argument was not in defense of the music industry, but rather a nostalgic remembrance of the days of vinyl records. Music has become, much like many other aspects of our lives, a viral component that can be accessed and shared instantly, thanks to popular music outlets such as Job’s iTunes. It does bring up a good question: has all this online availability of music, and even piracy of music, affected the industry and its integrity? While there will always be parties on both sides of the argument, one thing is for sure: the music business is a business and it will always be changing its structure at the hands of the consumer.
Inside TicketForce: Brad Smith
27 May
We know that it’s important to not only believe in the products or services of a company, but also the people behind the company. So here is your opportunity to get to meet a few of the faces behind TicketForce. First up: Brad Smith, Chief Business Development Officer.
1. Full Name: Bradley Jon Smith
2. Title: Smithers
3. How many years with TicketForce? Was there ever a before TicketForce
4. What attracted you to the ticketing industry? To provide a service to the community where everyone benefited Continue reading
Saddle Up… Using Social Media
25 May
Introducing America’s fastest growing sport, bull riding. Surprised? Across the nation, Americans are breaking out their cowboy boots to attend rodeos. It’s a family event that is attracting all age groups. While bull riding is still more popular in the South and West than in other parts of the U.S., it’s growing fast…in fact, ticket sales for rodeo events has tripled in just two years. But that’s not the focus of this blog – we want to share the success of one organization using social media to essentially help grow the entire bull-riding industry.
Recently, Chad Ochocinco, wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, tweeted a joke on May 5th that he was going to ride a bull to help pass time with the lockout. What better way for a 192 pound man to spend his free time, right?
Well, @teampbr (Professional Bull Riders, not the beer!), was listening and after a few days of back and forths between @teampbr (specifically COO Sean Gleason and founder Ty Murray) and @ochocinco, Ochocinco agreed to take on the challenge: he would actually ride a 1,500 pound bull at a PBR event in Atlanta.
PBR successfully caught the attention of a world-class athlete and had the world listening to their public conversation, and of course, tickets sold pretty easily for the event! While Ochocinco didn’t last for long on the bull, he did manage to raise $10,000 for charity and he definitely helped propel one of the oldest sports in history to a new level.
Does your venue or organization listen through Twitter and other social media outlets for opportunities just like this? Tell us your success stories or ask questions here!
EventBrite vs. Agency: Why Self-Service Ticketing is Not For Everyone
23 May
Every day, new technology and applications are released to automate some process that previously had some level of person-to-person interaction, and importantly, some kind of quality control. Much of the time, those applications make our lives easier – but its important to consider what you’re sacrificing for the sake of convenience.
This notion can be applied to ticketing. Unless you’ve been hiding backstage (sorry, bad joke!), you know that EventBrite has become quite a self-service event ticketing giant, mostly because of the massive amounts of funding they have raised through IPOs (the most recent round got them a cool $50 million!).
EventBrite’s model is this: the user signs up for a free account and can then create “events” that they allow people to buy tickets to attend. In the case that the event is free, no transaction is made, but if it costs money, EventBrite takes a base fee plus a percentage, along with a credit card processing fee. The customer who bought the ticket gets put on a list and gets a ticket confirmation e-mailed to them, and the event host gets their money….before the event takes place. Continue reading
Friday #musicwrap: The End of the World Edition
20 May
Whether you believe today is the end of the world or just another Y2K conspiracy theory one thing is certain, some great things have been happening in the music industry and we are here to tell you about it!
Ninth Week at No. 1
While Katy Perry may hold the record for longest time spent on the Billboard Top 100 list, she’s not the only one with success to celebrate. With the lackluster response to the most recent musical releases, Adele’s “21”is projected to spend a ninth week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list. What do you think? Can she outshine Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way” when it hits stores on May 23 and continue the reign to a 10th week?
The Paperless Ticketing Debate: helping or hurting?
19 May
For years, tickets to events have been purchased and re-sold in what is commonly referred to as the secondary market in the ticketing world. Even before the days of Craigslist and StubHub, websites that make it easy to unload extra tickets that the original purchaser cannot use, or wants to make a few bucks from, people have been scalping tickets on the streets and outside of venues for decades.
Of course, the primary market (the artist, the venue and the ticketing company) sometimes feel squeezed by the secondary market because it not only cuts them out of potential revenues (both from the ticket being resold and from more people purchasing tickets directly from them), but it also doesn’t allow them to control ticket prices, so fans may not be able to reasonably afford to attend that event.
That’s where paperless ticketing comes in. Some primary market ticketing companies like Ticketmaster, have started using restrictive paperless ticketing more and more to take the secondary market out of the equation, in some cases. Continue reading
Lessons Learned at #IAVM Regions 2-3 Meeting
19 MayThis week, the IAVM Regions 2-3 meeting took place in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Brad Smith, Chief Business Development Operator at TicketForce, was there representing TicketForce and we couldn’t resist sharing some of his notes.
Here’s what we’ve learned:
Ticketing is the #2 revenue generator for venues. Importantly, the success of ticket sales weighs heavily on the ticketing solution. Now is the time to find the best possible solution that fits the needs of your venue. It is vital to know and understand what your specific ticketing needs are, and what solutions are “must haves.”
IAVM Action in Arizona
16 May
TicketForce enjoys working with a wide variety of venues. One of the biggest supporters of venue rights is the International Association of Venue Managers, or the IAVM.
The IAVM is an association made up of professional individuals who advocate issues relating to the management of public venues. There are currently more than 3,000 members of the IAVM in Arizona’s region.
A recent issue facing IAVM Arizona has been the Omnibus Firearms Bill, SB1201. SB1201 would have allowed firearms into public venues that lack airport-style security, adding huge costs to those facilities not currently practicing this type of security enforcement. In the end, the IAVM was able to get their multipurpose facilities exempt from the bill. Stadiums, theaters and cultural buildings are all considered multipurpose facilities. This exemption allows venues to continue to forbid firearms, but does not require them to obtain high-end security monitors to do so. Governmental purpose firearms were not defined in the bill. Continue reading
