Blogger
LinkedIn
StumbleUpon
Tumblr
Wordpress
Bit.ly
Digg
More
Comment
E-mail
Save This
Print- Justin Bieber announces Believe tour dates
- 'Newsies' calls Broadway home indefinitely
- Brooklyn's Barclays Center sits atop venues rankings months before opening
- Indy 500 will be ultimate test of IndyCar changes
- Barbra Streisand set to perform in Brooklyn
- MLB enjoying early-season boost at gate
- Jam band String Cheese Incident fights Ticketmaster fees
- TicketForce gains new rodeo contract & renewal
- NY Mets to host 2013 MLB All-Star Game
- Beyonce adds a fourth performance at Revel Resorts
NATB makes push for more members and contributions to legal fund
Coming off a successful membership drive last fall, the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) is making a new push for more members, and a plea to replenish its depleted legal fund.
While the group's work on behalf of brokers who opposed the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger did not totally drain the legal budget, it put a huge dent in it, according to officials.
Ken Solky, owner of LasVegasTickets.com and president of the NATB, told TicketNews that the group spent "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in 2009 fighting the merger, fees that went to a team that included a lobbyist, an attorney and a public relations group.
During the Q&A segment in a panel on legal and government issues at the recent Ticket Summit in New York, NATB vice president Joel Schwartz, owner of Big Time Worldwide, placed the figure at about $25,000 per month.
"With our dues renewal for 2010, we've suggested members also give to the legal fund, though it's not mandatory," Solky said, adding that the broker advocacy group has a low attrition rate of less than 10 percent per year. "I think the membership understands and is grateful for these efforts."
In addition to the merger fight, the NATB found itself also advocating on behalf of brokers in several states last year that were considering changes to existing, or new, anti-scalping laws. And, the group also found itself in a dust-up with Wynn Resort and Hotel in Las Vegas, where it had held its annual meeting in past summers, after the hotel took a decidedly anti-broker stance with its Garth Brooks residency concerts.
Last fall, the NATB waived initiation fees for several months in an effort to attract more brokers, a move that helped push its membership well beyond 200, according to Solky, though he did not know the exact number.
Annual dues, which are collected after the first of the year, range from $950 to $1,600 depending on the size of the company, and Solky said that the group has already collected dues from more than 60 percent of the members, which is ahead of past years.
"Our renewals are coming in at the best pace ever," Solky said.
Subscribe to this feed
Comments
All comments are subject to TicketNews' community rules.Post new comment +
I heard that they are spending more money then they are taking in and that Gary Adler was making about $15,000 a month from the NATB. Does anyone know what they are doing? I put in money and now I want to know where it went.
Spending more than we take in, not true. I thank you for your contribution and would be happy to educate you regarding how and where the NATB's dues and donations are spent. Our association has grown from 20+ brokers to 200+ since 1994. Our members continue to support and appreciate the NATB's efforts not only on behalf of its members, but of the the entire ticketing industry. Gary Adler(NATB General Counsel) has been with the NATB since its inception, and is a tremendous asset to the NATB. Please contact me directly, I'll be happy to answer your questions. Thank you again for your financial support.