AusLeisure

Inflated and sometimes unnecessary ticket resale prices are impacting on Australian consumers’ discretionary entertainment spending, depriving other events and sector of vital patronage and income.

That was the view expressed by Harley Evans, Managing Director and owner of moshtix and The Ticket Group, during an animated debate on ticketing issues and reselling at the Asia-Pacific Venue Industry Congress in Sydney today. 

While the Congress’ ‘World of Ticketing’ panel addressed a range of ticketing issues, it was during the debate on ticket resales where debate became most heated.

Addressed by Evans along with Steven Baillie, Head of Ticketing Services, Sydney Opera House; Matt Davey, Chief Executive and Managing Director, TicketDirect International; Mark Heaton, General Manager of Sales and Business Development for Ticketmaster in Australia and New Zealand; Cameron Hoy, Managing Director, Ticketek and moderated by Matthew Lazarus-Hall, Managing Director and Founder of Uncommon Cord Pty Ltd, the panel expressed diverging views on the issue of ticket resales.

With industry and consumer concern over resale sites appropriating ticketing inventory and the online presence of unofficial ticket sellers often confusing ticket buyers, it was Harley Evans who highlighted “we are seeing that when people pay more for entertainment tickets than they should, that is impacting their other spending and reducing them going to other events, eating out or enjoying other entertainment.”

With Ticketmaster frequently under fire for its Ticketmaster Resale site, and its apparently selective use of the technology for certain events, Mark Heaton was acknowledged for being brave in attending the panel and defending Ticketmaster’s position.

In response to criticism, Heaton explained “we act to provide a service to the customer and there is a massive resale market out there and we have a bunch of tools in place to try and limit the instance of resale.

“And we do, we spend more than any other agency in trying to block bots (and) we block IPs that are not human.

“We have billions of bot attacks each year and try to limit the instance of resale.”

Heaton went on to revisit the issue of dynamic pricing, stating “technologies like out Platinum resale ... which provides the artist with an audit of the event is hugely popular around the world ... it is our resale buster (but) is not widely embraced in Australia as dynamic pricing as there is still some hesitation about selling tickets above face value.

“But it sets a price to the level the market demands and reduces the amount of secondary activity.”

He also explained how credit card linked ticket entry “reduces the instance of resale” in other markets.

Commenting on the recent arrivals of StubHub, Queen of Tickets and SeatGeek in the market, Heaton added “if a secondary ticket market exists, Ticketmaster is going to participate in it.”

In response, Cameron Hoy highlighted how Ticketmaster Resale “was a key driver of your (Ticketmaster’s) profits and you can’t pretend its something you are reluctant to be in.”

Members of the panel then went on to express their frustration at how internet search engines such as Google consistently place reseller sites about official agencies, driving consumers towards often inflated and sometimes fraudulent ticket sales.

The 2017 Asia-Pacific Venue Industry Congress, the annual conference of the Venue Management Association (Asia and Pacific) is being held at the Hyatt Regency Sydney until 23rd May.

Click here for details of the Venue Industry Congress in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

Image: The Asia-Pacific Venue Industry Congress World of Ticketing panel. From left: Matthew Lazarus-Hall, Steven Baillie, Mark Heaton, Matt Davey, Cameron Hoy and Harley Evans.

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