Ticket aggregator and daily deals site Thrillcall is taking its mobile app to New York City this week, and the company plans a never-before-seen marketing move to commemorate the event.
Prone to marking its city launches with hosted performance/parties, Thrillcall will celebrate the move into New York with the first show ever ticketed solely through a mobile app. Local fans can download the Thrillcall app for free and then will be able to purchase tickets for the June 28 launch party at The Box featuring Ra Ra Riot and Lissy Trullie. The company is offering this mobile-only ticketed show to highlight how easy in-app purchasing can be.
According to a press release announcing the news, tickets for the party are five dollars each and proceeds benefit Oxfam International, which works to eradicate global poverty.
Those downloading the app also will have access to Thrillcall’s daily “flash” deals on concerts happening that evening throughout the New York metropolitan area. In addition, as part of its NYC rollout, Thrillcall is partnering with both the SummerStage and CBGB Festivals this summer to offer its app users VIP access and other exclusive deals.
The app is currently available to iPhone users, with another version for Androids to be released soon. According to a recent article on ArtistDirect.com, features of the app include comprehensive event listings, maps indicating the location of a show, and social media tools which allow a user to share an offer with friends.
Founded in 2008, Thrillcall is a live event ticket aggregator which also provides users with daily local entertainment deals via its mobile app, à la Groupon.com. Fans who are looking for a fun night out can take advantage of the site’s “flash” deals to see a show at a discount. The Thrillcall app debuted in San Francisco in March of this year and was introduced the next month to fans in Los Angeles. Following the New York launch, the company will set its sights on Austin, TX, for a launch in the near future.
TicketNews recently spoke with Thrillcall co-founder Matthew Tomaszewicz about the move and what it means for the company.
“Following our recent success with exclusive live offers via our mobile app in Los Angeles and San Francisco,” said Tomaszewicz, “naturally we wanted to hit the growing music scene in New York City.
“We have partnered with some of New York’s most renowned venues, artists and event companies to bring exclusive mobile live offers, such as VIP access, backstage passes, etc. By doing so, we are creating a new way for artists, venues and promoters to use mobile and social technology to create buzz, while bringing something unique to music fans, who get to discover and access a great show.”
And the reaction from New York fans? “The response from NYC, both pre-launch and now in the early stages, has been tremendous…NYC has been our strongest launch to date.”
In the meantime, the company is seeing continued solid performance from its first two markets: “Sales in both San Francisco and Los Angeles have been very encouraging,” said Tomaszewicz. “First, the ratio of those visiting the app to those who purchase is at a much higher rate than a traditional ‘Web’ experience. Second, and perhaps most importantly, those who have installed the app return on a much more frequent basis — orders of magnitude larger — than that same traditional Web experience.”
The Thrillcall site itself lists live music events occurring in nearly 40 cities nationwide, and fans can use the site as a ticket aggregator to compare tickets from different vendors. But the company’s founders are particularly proud of the mobile app and what it can do for the future of ticket purchasing.
“We are committed to making our mobile app live music offers available nationwide and then eventually worldwide,” said Tomaszewicz, “so people around the world can use our app as their ‘go to’ source for all local show listings and great last-minute offers.”