Ticketing - the big debate

Right, first session, "what's at stake with ticketing?".

Robert Richards of Glastonbury on panel, along with Nick Blackburn, CEO of See tickets (who I met at the airport earlier). Also lady from Hungarian sziget festival.

NB - most importantly, need to look at market operating in - Uk now 90% sold online, whereas Germany much less so.

RR - glasto success down to partnership with see tix. Concerns over data protection means glasto ditch all data unless people ask for it to be saved.

Michael eavis "glasto a girl guide camp with music!". Meant people buying re-sold tickets for up to 800 quid expect so much more than the festival could provide.

Now only expect c. 20 tix a year to be re-sold.

NB has a very weird way of pronouncing "glarstonbury"?

"public are stupid sometimes" need to bring in legislation to stop fake sellers as happened with Reading and Leeds last year. Touting illegal in Spain and in the uk for olympics, so why not live music?

NB - data - email 2.8m people per week.

RR - don't use glasto database or let see tix use it, more about fanbase and supporting campaigns. Interestingly he hilghlights that their current conversations are totally one way.

About to relaunch glasto website to allow them to gather feedback and generate real campaign and issue support.

NB - tickets now often sell out so quickly, how do you grow your fan base? Especially with presale mailouts to fan bases etc. Are ticket limits too high, should people be limited to 2 tix per person to stop them buying 6 then selling 4 on via sites like eBay?

NB - fees - starting to get too high. They work on 10 to 12.5% depending on event. People seem to prefer when booking fee includedin overall price - after all, there's a "booking fee" included in a the cost of a can of beans that's sold at tesco?

Its because promoters want people to know what the artist is taking and show how the greedy ticket agency are putting on top.

What would we prefer I wonder? I think psychologically I'd rather it was rolled in to the overall price?

NB - live nation ticketing - is it healthy for worlds biggest ticket promoter to be involved on both sides?

RR - public will walk with feet if don't want

NB - all about them as plc, have mandate to make cash for shareholders. Thinks service charges high though. Their scale means should work for them.

RR - first glasto was £1 plus free milk! Would they consider doing own ticketing? No. Need constant volume to justify putting infrastructure in place.

NB - need that constant demand as never have any idea speed at which they'll sell.

RR - need to trust your printers!!!

NB - selling tix with recorded music certainly a big opportunity, as well as "self service" models where artists look after a lot of the process themselves.

Doesn't help though in the age of free, when people can just steal music at the touch of the button?

NB - upselling - rolling everything into deal, whether booze, tshirts, food etc. Not yet done to great extent in music, much more in theatre and sport. Never really worked historically in music aparently, but I'd imagine live nation will have a different view point?

Summary:

Some interesting soundbites there, but I'd have liked to have seen someone there from the likes of live nation, someone with a 360degree proposition.

Nothing too surprising, although interesting to hear Robert Richards' comments on their need to establish a more two way dialogue with glasto fans.

Best thing was getting to say hello to Robert Richards before this years glasto, as he's been a huge supporter of Orange through the year.

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