The International Ticketing Association (INTIX) is preparing to join the many sponsors of this year’s Ticket Summit to be held on January 13-15, 2010, at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City.
INTIX is a nonprofit association of ticketing industry professionals. The organization’s website claims over 1,200 members from the U.S., Canada, and 25 other countries, representing various sectors of the industry including ticket sales, marketing, technology and finance. Knowledge and innovation are high priorities for this organization, as is the power of networking. INTIX is no stranger to the Summit, with interim President Maureen Anderson having given the welcome address for the 2009 Summit in New York City. Also during the 2009 conference, the organization joined a number of trade groups and ticketers in a panel discussion on how trade groups can assist ticketing companies in their work and goals.
In a recent conversation with TicketNews, current President and CEO Jena Hoffman focused on the challenges facing ticketers in the current environment. She say that she sees optimal customer service as a key in today’s marketplace, “the challenge in the ticketing industry is managing consumer expectations with regards to ticket sales, especially with the increase of reselling tickets.”
She views consumers as active and powerful participants in this venture: “Lawmakers are getting involved in the legislation of reselling tickets because there is an outcry from consumers. It is important for consumers to educate themselves and understand where and from whom they are buying tickets, especially when they purchase over the Internet.”
Hoffman places integrity high on her list of values to be maintained in the current market. “The issue is truth in advertising and a clear, honest representation of what’s being sold and who is selling it.” She believes strongly in INTIX’s Code of Ethics, to which all association members are bound. “INTIX members act with honesty, integrity, and accurately represent the product they’re selling, which is critical to this issue. Because regardless of whether you’re a primary ticket seller for a venue or organization, or a legitimate ticket broker in the secondary market, you’re managing the fall out of a negative consumer experience when they buy from sellers who don’t honor that Code of Ethics.”
This Code is first and foremost on her mind as she considers the organization’s goals for the upcoming Summit. “I guess my request for the Summit would be to establish and honor a code of ethics (if there isn’t one already) to ensure a positive customer experience.”
INTIX was conceived in Milwaukee, WI in 1980 under the name Box Office Management International, or BOMI. The organization grew through yearly conferences in the US and Canada, eventually adding summer educational programming for those unable to attend the annual conference. In response to membership interest, the organization developed additional overseas conferences held in Europe and in Australia. In 1997, in order to reflect changes in the ticketing industry, the group’s name was changed to the International Ticketing Association (INTIX), and it continued to grow, with the addition of one-day seminars and career networking services, and, in 2003, INTIXIntensive, providing the organization’s membership with ongoing educational services related to the ticketing industry.
