More than 500 ticket brokers, ticketing executives, venue and sports team representatives will descend on the Waldorf=Astoria in Manhattan tomorrow, January 6, for Ticket Summit NYC, and the three-day conference and trade show could not come at a more important time for the ticket industry.
Against the backdrop of a serious recession, the landscape surrounding the ticket industry continues to shift. More people are embracing the secondary ticket market than ever before, but they are also looking for bargains. Broadway shows are closing; sports leagues are freezing ticket prices; and in the case of the National Football League, they are also laying off employees.
“We’re at a crucial time in the ticketing industry, which makes Ticket Summit NYC even more important,” said Crystal Astrachan, publisher of TicketNews and one of the event’s organizers. “This conference and trade show will not only give ticketing executives insight into how to keep their businesses thriving in these difficult times, but it will give them fresh perspectives on how to continue to grow their businesses in the future.”
The conference will feature 14 panel discussions and Best-Practices sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, covering such topics as the new paradigms affecting the ticket industry; navigating the burgeoning international markets; tips on improving Google rankings and implementing Web 2.0 elements into a business; and exploring legislative initiatives surrounding the ticket industry.
Maureen Anderson, interim President of the International Ticketing Association (INTIX) will give the Welcome Address Tuesday evening. Other speakers include Greg Bettinelli, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at Live Nation; Joe Cohen, founder and CEO of Seatwave; Joe Freeman, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Ticketmaster Entertainment; Don Vaccaro, founder and CEO of TicketNetwork, the creator and host of Ticket Summit NYC; and Chuck La Vallee, head of Music Business Development at StubHub.
“We have an incredible group of experts who be speaking at Ticket Summit NYC, who will offer unique perspectives on the state of the industry,” Astrachan said. “The employees of TicketNetwork have put together a great event, one in which we are all very proud.”
Ticket Summit NYC is one of two conferences Ticket Network is hosting this year, the second, Ticket Summit Las Vegas, is scheduled for July 15-17 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.
