Collaboration project: Gigantic worked on Ed Sheeran’s 2019 UK outdoor summer spectaculars
encourage fans to go out more. The global trend continues to grow for live experiences and with more people listening to more music, it’s obvious that fans want to see that live.” Skiddle’s Casson, who has worked in ticketing for more than six years, reveals one of the most important lessons he has learned during that time.
“Dice will continue to pursue ways to encourage fans to go out more”
PHIL HUTCHEON DICE
forward-thinking venues, festivals and promoters adopting it to tackle the secondary market, increase customer convenience and also reduce our waste, as no physical tickets means less paper,” agrees Gigantic’s Gasson. “Our work on Ed Sheeran’s recent outdoor shows stands out, having developed a contactless paperless system which meant that no physical tickets were issued in advance. To gain entry, the attendee had to simply present the card used to purchase the tickets, photo ID and email confirmation.” He continues: “Customers are increasingly choosing digital tickets as opposed to traditional paper tickets and larger arena/stadium level venues are soon to introduce multi-platform e-ticketing allowing us, as an agent, to fulfil via these means. “However, the decision on ticket type/delivery ultimately lies with the venue. Some venues still insist on agents fulfilling orders with physical tickets while customers booking with them directly are offered e-tickets, which is a big challenge for us. All venues should open technology to allow agents to process e-tickets, as it would prevent any inconvenience for the customer and put the gig-goers’ experience first.”
Dice’s Hutcheon suggests that some parties have been slower to adopt new technology than others.
“Despite some major players saying they’re paperless, we still get forced to send paper tickets to fans for some shows,” he laments. “This is terrible for fans. Not only do they have to pay more because of postage, it’s bad for the environment, it’s stressful if they’re not home and it creates unnecessary workload. “Luckily, some artist managers have pushed through Dice mobile tickets when we’ve been faced with this and it has worked great for everyone involved. So I’d say that the industry is getting better but should always make sure it is on the side of the fans.”
D
ice’s New Shows Thursday feature – which launched in February and targets users with the most relevant new gig – has become its most used product. Housed in the ‘Discover’ section of the mobile ticketing app, it uses algorithms to find gigs that will appeal most to individual users. “We initially launched New Shows Thursday in London at the start of the year and have been tweaking it every day since,” says Hutcheon. “You can’t just go live with a product, you need to continuously improve it and continuously market it to consumers. We’re at a point now that our traffic on Thursdays is insane. “Last week we launched New Shows Thursday in Paris and it exceeded all expectations. Our event views increased 106% that day which obviously has a big impact on sales for promoters. New Shows Thursday is just the start, we have a lot of new products coming in the new year.”
Hutcheon adds: “Dice will continue to pursue ways to 34 | Music Week 25.11.19
“It’s not always about the money, it’s about believing in your product and giving your clients that personal touch,” he says. “Over the years I’ve seen competition come and go and silly deals put on the table. If a company is offering deals which seem too good to be true, they usually are. Equally, if a company is buying its way into the marketplace, it’s unlikely that they’re going to possess the experience necessary to build trust and keep your customers happy. “On a more positive note, companies like Skiddle, which have built that experience and trust over nearly two decades, will always shine through, because we’re doing it for the right reasons.” He adds: “Fake tickets, especially for sold-out shows, have always been a problem. We’ve developed a number of features to stop this happening, such as making tickets available via the app just an hour before shows - this makes it very hard to duplicate tickets. We also have two incredible features called Re:sell and Waiting List, which allow fans who genuinely can’t attend a show to sell their tickets back to us. We can then pass these tickets on to real fans on the Waiting List. It’s about making the process as easy and as stress-free as possible.”
Last month, Ticketmaster launched online ticket sales for disabled fans in the UK following a survey compiled by charity Attitude Is Everything, which found that 83% of disabled gig-goers had been put off buying tickets because of inaccessible booking systems.
“Getting accessible tickets online is the culmination of a massive project here at Ticketmaster,” says Parsons. “We’re really pleased to have got to where we are, ensuring that disabled fans can purchase tickets online just like everyone else. Equal access to live entertainment is essential and we’re proud to be playing our part in that.”
“Glastonbury is a
huge undertaking but one we are equal to”
ROB WILMSHURST SEE TICKETS
Parsons believes that various misconceptions still exist around the complexity of running a ticketing operation. “It’s not a bank of computers – we have a large, highly-skilled, passionate team that work very hard to make sure fans can get tickets to the events they love,” he says.
“Showing the value you bring to the table as a ticket agent, which is, now more than ever, how you are able to reach fans and sell shows. That, of course, is our No.1 priority. We have a variety of ways to achieve this, whether it’s our content marketing strategy, sophisticated CRM, programmatic campaigns, social or our global distribution partners. Being able to turn the dial when our clients need us most is vital.”
As 2020 rolls into view, Gasson declares the future of ticketing will see a wholesale shift to digital.
“Digital tickets are a game-changer. Their adoption will only increase”
ANDREW PARSONS
TICKETMASTER
“It makes ticketing safer for consumers and increases their confidence in buying tickets,” he notes. “Greenfield sites will see a shift towards RFID technology that allows greater data collection, security and user experience. As society as a whole shifts towards cashless, ticketing is not far behind.” “We’ve found that promoters and managers want more control over the tickets they sell, and we always strive to be one step ahead of the curve and a pioneer of new features,” adds Skiddle’s Casson. “That’s why we’ve been working hard to develop a brand new promotion centre over the past six months, one we’re hoping will be a game-changer for our clients and the industry. Like we said, 2020 is going to be a big year for Skiddle…” And what of the ongoing challenges?
“Challenges are mainly in competition,” concludes See’s Wilmshurst. “But that is also an opportunity for us – to pick up ideas from the smaller players, acquire talent and business. Competition keeps us keen and this can only present better opportunities for promoters and customers in innovation and pricing.” A little less fight and a little more spark then? That would be just the ticket...
musicweek.com
PHOTO: Rockstar Photographers
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