Ticketmaster has acquired the assets of SLO Limited, Inc., a leading provider of VIP ticketing services to major touring artists and special events. The company was founded in 2002 by industry veteran Shelley Lazar, who is also its CEO. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
SLO has provided ticketing services for acts for years and in the past five years has been providing VIP package services to fans. Various membership packages are available through its Executive Ticket Club, with prices ranging from $5,000-$20,000. SLO’s clients are the acts, who provide the tickets. Regular ticket prices, facility fees, taxes, service charges and delivery charges are extra.
The acquisition comes as Ticketmaster continues to assert itself as the dominant ticket company in the world. Later in the year, parent company IAC/InterActiveCorp plans to spin off Ticketmaster and other assets, and Ticketmaster has been on a buying spree to continue to strengthen its position as it prepares for its largest client, Live Nation, to start its own ticketing operation in 2009.
Lazar told TicketNews that she will become president of SLO VIP Ticketing Services, a division of Ticketmaster LLC. The company hopes to utilize its “deep ties and long history in the concert industry” to deliver unique concert-going experiences. Several of SLO’s clients are also represented by Live Nation.
SLO’s services include concierge delivery of premium seats on behalf of its touring and event clients, creation and fulfillment of unique consumer ticket packages, production and hosting of on-site fan experiences and concert travel packaging for fans. Ticketmaster will integrate its advanced ticketing products into SLO’s operations to enable SLO to provide even greater service to its clients. In addition, Ticketmaster will expand SLO’s fan- focused offerings, which will provide Ticketmaster consumers greater choice when buying tickets.
Lazar has worked in the music and concert industries for more than 30 years, heading backstage management, ticketing and credentials for several artists including the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, The Police, Barbra Streisand, The Who, Bob Dylan, Josh Groban and Coldplay. SLO is currently providing VIP ticketing services for artists and events including The Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium, Celine Dion, Billy Joel, George Michael, Dolly Parton, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Linkin Park, Rod Stewart, the MTV Video Music Awards and the Summer X- Games.
