The creation of two new broker-owned ticket exchanges appears to be picking up some momentum in the secondary ticket market, as one launches a Web site and the other prepares to hold its inaugural organizational meeting today, July 16, in Las Vegas.
First out of the gate is the World Ticket Board Organization (WTBO), which was created by broker Steve Rogers. The sparse Web site touts that the group will provide members with free Web sites and free point-of-sale software, in addition to free uploading of ticket inventory, among other things.
“The World Ticket Brokers Organization is unlike any ticket broker organization in the world,” the site states on the About Us page. “We are a group of ticket brokers who are tired of giving power to exchange boards and have brokers lower their prices to compete against each other. We are here to help brokers work together as a group so we can once again gain control of our industry that has been hijacked. Our group has a minimum experience of 10 years and the most experienced is 25 plus Years in the business. We know the business. We are Ticket Brokers just like you. We know tickets. We just never thought the internet would destroy Ticket Brokers.”
TicketNews has also heard speculation of the possibility that a third broker-owned ticket exchange also could be created this year, run by a group of long-standing industry insiders. However, no specific information has been made available.
WTBO plans to launch the first individual broker Web sites sometime in the near future, according to Rogers, who emailed several brokers this week to announce the debut of the organization’s site. Exact dates for the launch of the individual sites were not disclosed.
The second broker-owned exchange, the unnamed venture by the principals of Golden Tickets, is holding its first organizational meeting Friday at the Monte Carlo Las Vegas Resort and Casino.
The Monte Carlo is the third location for the meeting, which was initially bounced from the Palazzo because of its proximity to the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino where Ticket Summit currently is being held. Ticket Summit is hosted by TicketNetwork, which feuded with the principals of Golden Tickets and forced the group to relocate.
The Golden Tickets venture is hoping to raise $2 million in financial backing from more than 100 brokers, and initially expected to launch sometime within the next 12 to 18 months. Organizers, however, are believed to be preparing to display a mock up of the exchange to the attendees of Friday’s meeting, which could help to speed up its launch.
