Ticket Summit Las Vegas, the nation’s “leading ticket conference and trade show for live entertainment professionals,” was buzzing with activity early today, July 14, as the three-day convention kicked off at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.
The conference is in its fifth year at the Venetian, and organizers said more than 600 attendees have registered, the most pre-show registrants in the event’s history.
“This year is projected to be our largest in the five-year history,” said Molly Martinez, Ph.D., executive director of Ticket Summit. “We have sports teams and leagues, Las Vegas producers, box office managers, ticketing operators, ticketing agents and others here. And, we have a strong, diverse group of international attendees, with representatives from Singapore, Israel, Canada, Great Britain, Spain and Austria, among others.”
Ticket Summit, which has an East Coast edition in New York, scheduled to January 12-14, 2011, offers live entertainment and ticketing professional the opportunity to network with each other and learn about and discuss many of the pressing issues the industry currently faces. Among the panel discussions scheduled for the conference are “Ticketing & Entertainment Research Trends,” “Legal Issues & Ticketing Trends,” “Pro Sports & Package Deals,” “Dealing with Dead Tickets” and “Building Your Brand.”
In addition, the conference is featuring two keynote panels, one on the emerging global ticket market, and one on the effects of the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger.
Also among the show’s new attractions for 2010 is a Las Vegas producers panel, where theater and venue insiders will discuss the current state of the city’s entertainment industry. The panel will feature Dick Feeney, producer of “The Rat Pack is Back;” Anita Mann, producer of “Fantasy Live at the Luxor;” David Saxe, CEO of the V Theater Group; Adam Steck of SPI Entertainment; and John Stuart, producer of “Legends in Concert.”
Each year, Ticket Summit has a healthy mix of repeat attendees and newcomers, and with more than 600 industry professionals expected, 2010 is no different. According to Dan Pullium, one of the conference’s organizers, more than 50 representatives from sports teams and leagues are expected.
“Ticket Summit’s growth and success are attributed to the forward-thinking and open discussions that take place at the conference among all sectors of the ticketing industry,” Pullium said. “Not only do attendees learn more about the industry, but also how to improve their businesses and create bright futures.”
One new exhibitor at the conference this year is New Jersey-based Rocket Poster, which provides ticket brokers with a real-time software application that makes broadcasting ticket inventory on eBay an easy three-step process.
“Our company is eight-weeks old and we’ve already lined up more than 50 brokers who are using our product,” said Brian Hampel, founder of Rocket Poster. “And the number of them that kept telling us that we had to be at Ticket Summit was astounding. The word-of-mouth was very positive, so we’re excited to be here.”
