James McClure, international general manager at SeatGeek, discusses the company’s European expansion plans, what makes the business so unique and his plans for the future.
What is SeatGeek?
Founded in 2009, SeatGeek is an innovative mobile-focussed ticketing platform, providing the most modern ticketing technology on the market. Using cutting-edge technology that makes creating, managing and optimising events easier and more intuitive, SeatGeek helps big name clients in the live entertainment and sports industries grow their business, secure maximum sales revenue and put their customers first. SeatGeek acquired ticketing software company TopTix and its market-leading SRO technology in 2017.
What does your role entail?
As international general manager, my role focusses on leading and growing SeatGeek’s existing business across Europe, as well as spearheading all our expansion and development opportunities outside of the USA. SeatGeek recognises the huge potential that the UK and Europe offer and has invested significantly in the region and it is my job to guide and harness that investment, as well as seeking out new areas to invest in.
How many users does SeatGeek have per annum on average?
Now one of the biggest ticketing platforms in the world, SeatGeek powers the live event experience for more than 44 million fans every year. We have hundreds of big name entertainment and sports clients around the world, with UK clients including Premier League football clubs such as Manchester City, Leicester City, Wolves and Newcastle United; Leicester Tigers RFC; the English National Opera; Cork Opera House; and West End theatres including the London Palladium and the Adelphi to name just a few.
How is it unique to other ticketing platforms?
Whilst other major ticketing platforms use technology based on legacy systems that were developed several decades ago, SeatGeek uses its own world-class ‘SRO’ technology, which was built for the digital age. The software allows box office staff, promoters and directors to manage inventory, maximise sales, create events and serve season ticket holders. It also provides ongoing analysis of data, which enables clients to be more strategic in their ticketing.
SeatGeek’s technology allows venues to pre-set automatic pricing rules around almost any element including availability, discounts, packages, access and commissions, using ‘if-then’ logic. For example, if only a certain percentage of tickets remain, clients can set the price to automatically rise. If a particular customer has made a certain number of purchases before, their next purchase could automatically receive a set discount for venues keen to build loyalty sales.
The system also incorporates a clever CRM system that assesses trends and opportunities, a flexible reporting system that works on mobile for on-the-go information, and a single-basket approach, meaning that all purchasable items – whether tickets, packages, vouchers or even advance-purchase popcorn – can be processed in a single transaction.
What are SeatGeek’s expansion plans for both the UK and Europe?
At the beginning of 2017, SeatGeek was a domestic US brand with no real awareness outside of North America. Since then, it has quickly transitioned to becoming an international brand, using its world-class SRO technology to secure high profile clients across the UK and Europe, and with international offices in the UK, Italy, Netherlands and Israel.
Our goal is that SeatGeek becomes the go-to ticket provider across Europe. We want to be the leading ticket provider for all top theatres, performing arts and music venues, and sports clubs. Unlike in the USA, where mobile tickets are prevalent, most European countries are only recently adopting or even considering a new kind of ticketing technology, so there’s a huge market opportunity for us. Our primary goal is to introduce mobile-first, service-led ticketing to Europe.
What project are you most excited about as part of the expansion and why?
SeatGeek just last month introduced open distribution ticketing to the UK, which allows clients to sell their tickets in more places than ever before, without the need for additional software. This will, in time, be launched to other areas of continental Europe and I’m really passionate about it.
Already a success in the USA, where we have launched partnerships with Facebook, Snapchat and Airbnb amongst others, this new product allows SeatGeek clients to open up events to new users and even more fans, with the end result of selling more tickets and providing a better fan experience. For me, it’s a statement of intent that we are here to redefine the ticketing space. SeatGeek is the future of ticketing.
