By: Patrick Young | VP/Head of Travel Partnerships, The Americas, at Cover Genius 

Patrick Young

Much to Coachella fans’ dismay, their beloved, seven-stage music fest has been rescheduled amid growing threats spurned by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), along with big-ticket events like Stagecoach and SXSW. Some good news? We’re seeing a multitude of advancements in the ticketing arena that are poised to raise the bar for future events. These include tailored insurance packages and seamless refunds, fraud prevention and secure payments, as well as a slew of customer-focused add-ons geared toward improving the broader customer experience as a whole. Here are four need-to-know developments that are changing the landscape for customers and ticketing agencies.

FRAUD PREVENTION

We’ve all been there. Hovering over the “purchase” button, nervously debating if an online seller is going to dupe us with bogus Bon Jovi tickets. So, how are ticketing companies protecting their customers, ensuring they feel safe, secure and confident that their ticket will work once they arrive at the arena? Back in the early days of StubHub, the original purchaser simply put their paper ticket in the mail. These days, the advent of electronic tickets has created the ability to move tickets quickly and securely from person to person. Which brings me to my next point…

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SECURE TRANSACTIONS

Lucky for us, the industry has ushered in the ability to safely transfer electronic tickets from one concertgoer or sports fan to another, risk-free. Payments have also been simplified, providing ticketing companies new functionalities that allow customers to resell tickets via secondary resale marketplaces like StubHub, Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Customers can visit any major primary ticketing company’s website and find a marketplace for people who are re-selling tickets.

TAILORED INSURANCE PACKAGES + SEAMLESS REFUNDS

But what if you can’t make the event? In the past, obtaining a refund involved a web of complicated policies and processes that were riddled with lengthy claims and delays. These days, we’re seeing tailored insurance packages integrated into checkout, designed to provide ticket holders full refunds if they can’t attend an event due to unforeseen circumstances, like the recent Coronavirus outbreak.  So, if you’ve purchased Neil Diamond tickets only to have your wife end up in the hospital with appendicitis (true story), your ticketing insurance is able to provide an instant refund in the payment method of your choice, in over 90 currencies.

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC APPROACH

Looking forward, it’s paramount that ticketing companies engage with customers to become part of a larger, cohesive experience beyond ticket sales. I’d recommend leveraging add-ons to entice customers to reengage for future events. Consider giving your customers the ability to pre-purchase event parking, use their phone as their ticket, or participate in real time via social media while at the show. Ticketing companies should own the entire transaction process, from the time tickets are purchased pre-show, to customers’ arrival at the arena, and even after the show by offering travel and transportation options like hotels and limos within the purchasing path.

While seas of concertgoers will be waiting patiently until October to attend the hotly anticipated Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals, new developments in the ticketing space continue to reshape the landscape for both ticketing companies and customers. Lana Del Rey and Lil Nas X fans can rest assured that they’ll receive more secure, streamlined transactions and be offered tailored insurance packages with fast, fully digital claims. On the flip side, ticket companies will be able to move beyond traditional ticket sales to build customer loyalty, garnering happier customers and repeat business for future events.

Photo credit: Blast PR

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