Eventbrite to lay off 45% of global workforce in cost-cutting plan

April 9, 2020

Event management and ticketing platform Eventbrite has announced that it will lay off 45% of its global workforce as part of plans to save at least US$100 million in annualised expenditure.

Impacted by the cancellation of events due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the US-based company has outlined a series of cost-cutting measures, including a reduction in remuneration for Chief Executive Julia Hartz and other senior staff.

In releasing almost half its workforce - which is thought to number about 1,000 people - Eventbrite advised in a statement that it expects to incur restructuring charges of between US$10 and US$14 million. Of that amount, between US$7 and US$10 million is related to severance costs while the remainder is related to facilities and fixed assets.

Explaining the company’s predicament, Hartz explained “the Covid-19 pandemic has caused massive disruption to the live entertainment and experiences economy and we are taking significant action to navigate this unprecedented time.

“We are saddened to see many members of our team depart the company and we are supporting them in every way we possibly can during this tumultuous time. I want to personally thank our talented and dedicated teammates for contributing towards building the leading platform for independent creators.”

Earlier this week, the San Francisco-based company said it was withdrawing its first quarter and 2020 financial outlook in response to the Coronavirus crisis, which has decimated the live events industry due to global increasing cancellations.

In February, the firm reached what it called “a significant milestone” by completing the migration of former Ticketfly creators to the Eventbrite platform, and ended the year with US$190 million in available liquidity and no debt.

Eventbrite confirmed the layoffs to US publication Billboard and released the following statement advising “as a company whose mission is to bring the world together through live experiences, Eventbrite has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic, alongside the entire live events industry.

"This is a challenging time for communities all over the world and while we can’t predict when the pandemic will pass, we are committed to providing a strong platform to help creators rebuild their businesses and enable the return of live events when it’s once again safe to gather."

7th April 2020 - New Zealand Events Association highlights dramatic deterioration of the sector

4th April 2020 - LPA believes funding still not enough to prevent decimation of live performance industry

24th March 2020 - New Zealand events industry reports cancellation of more than 3,000 events

23rd March 2020 - Survey shows how event organisers can bounce back from the Coronavirus impact

17th March 2020 - HOTA and MONA close to prevent spread of Coronavirus

27th February 2020 - Eventbrite appoints new Managers to its Australian Business Development Team

29th January 2020 - Eventbrite Australia launches 2020 Event Trends Report

17th October 2019 - Eventbrite and YouTube partnership officially launches in Australia and New Zealand

21st August 2019 - Eventbrite research reveals Australia’s event trends

22nd July 2019 - Eventbrite survey shows fans like to keep the good times rolling after live concerts

20th March 2019 - Eventbrite announced as official Ticketing Partner of Vivid Sydney 2019

3rd March 2019 - Eventbrite expands into Asian ticketing market

28th February 2019 - Cancelled Mountain Sounds festival owes Eventbrite almost $900,000

5th August 2018 - Consumer exhibition organiser EEA announces Eventbrite partnership

14th December 2017 - Eventbrite and Twickets announce ‘fair’ ticket resale initiative

6th September 2017 - Eventbrite research shows Australians believe events inspire positive change

7th July 2017 - Eventbrite opens New Zealand office

28th June 2017 - Eventbrite teams with Facebook and Spotify to launch new ticket buying facilities

29th May 2017 - Eventbrite and Entegy team up to create a complete solution for corporate registration customers

27th April 2017 - Eventbrite and Bandsintown integration now available to Australian organisers and ticket buyers

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