For the nearly 400 ticket professionals last week who attended the first annual Ticket Summit NYC at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, 2009 will be a year of change as they look to keep their businesses thriving during the current recession.
While some expressed a little nervousness about what the immediate future holds for the industry, attendees appeared to be pleased by the conference itself, stressing that the turnout was strong and the discussion panels were very helpful.
Jonathon McCurley, a senior sales representative with ClicknPrint Tickets, said he plans to attend the New York show again next year.
“I enjoyed the conference as it was very educational for me to get a better understanding, as a primary ticketing solution, what and how the secondary ticketing market works,” McCurley said. “Also, it was good to sit in on the panel talks to hear the issues as well as what is happening, good or bad, in the secondary industry.”
The conference, hosted by TicketNews parent company TicketNetwork, featured a wide range of panel discussions and Best-Practice sessions on important topics for the industry, such as legislative issues, Web 2.0 initiatives, selling Broadway tickets and the rise of international markets.
“I found the networking opportunities at the evening receptions extremely useful. As a consultant to the football (soccer) industry, and with the myriad competitions taking place around the world, ticketing is a vital sector of which I’d like to become more familiar,” said Alex Kotler, founder of Football Partnerships, a networking Web site for soccer industry executives and ticket companies.
“Having met, albeit briefly, with numerous delegates at Ticket Summit NYC, I now feel I have a better understanding of the people and technology shaping the industry, and I made terrific contacts of whom I hope to invite into my network, Football Partnerships. I’ll be sure to set aside ample time for next year’s event, so that I can attend discussions and immerse more fully in the Ticket Summit experience,” Kotler added.
“In its first year, four hundred attendees gathered to discuss the developments in the ticketing industry at Ticket Summit NYC,” said Crystal Astrachan, Assistant Executive Director of the event. “The conference was a success from every angle. We were particularly proud of the Broadway panel, which gave attendees a more thorough understanding of ticketing in this market.”
Josh Klein, senior account executive with TheaterMania, is a regular attendee of Ticket Summit and found the New York conference to be a valuable experience. “The secondary market is huge and growing; it speaks to both the large companies like StubHub and AdmitOne as well as the small operation working out of a garage. And, having the conference on both coasts probably makes it easier for members of this industry to attend at least one a year.”
The New York conference is one of two Ticket Summits TicketNetwork has planned for 2009. Ticket Summit Las Vegas is scheduled for July 15-17 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.
