TEG, Asia Pacific’s largest integrated live entertainment company, announced the launch of Ticketek Singapore on 21 January this year. With over 40 years’ experience ticketing the biggest live events and venues in Australia, Ticketek is the leading ticketing partner to the sports and live entertainment industry and operates Australia’s most advanced multi-channel ticket sales and distribution network.
Ticketek Singapore is an exciting new ticketing portal equipped with innovative technology for live entertainment fans in South-East Asia. In fact, TEG CEO Geoff Jones stated that the launch of Ticketek Singapore is a major development for the region’s live entertainment sector and a crucial pillar in TEG’s Asian expansion plans.
DANAMIC spoke to Managing Director Brendon Bainbridge to find out more about the technological innovations of Ticketek, the challenges of managing large crowds, what makes promoting live entertainment in Singapore different, and more.
1. You have both seen through the technological innovations in the Ticketek service. What are some of the specific changes made in recent years, and how have they influenced consumer behaviour?
Brendon: Ticketek has embarked on a strategy to provide real-time data streams to venues, sports codes, teams, and travel package bookers, opening new avenues to connect with customers. This can be described as “innovation through integration”. The initiative is underpinned by a 2-year technology strategy to reinvigorate and open Ticketek’s “core system of record” up to external partners as well as for internal uses like data analytics.
This enables events, such as the Australian Open, to integrate the ticketing function provided by Ticketek seamlessly into the tournament website and apps. This means fans can be immersed in a full event experience – booking tickets, restaurants, and car parking – in one digital ecosystem.
2. What are your projections for future technological advancements in your industry?
Brendon:The main innovation emerging in event ticketing is facial recognition technology embedded in ticketing systems. This has many applications in quicker venue loading, security, ticket integrity in addressing ticket fraud and stronger protection against resale scalping.
3. What are the main differences between promoting live entertainment in Singapore and in Australia? Are there any modifications made to the Ticketek portal in Singapore as a result?
Brendon: Ticketek is the only major ticketing operation in South-East Asia that has its own local, dedicated and highly sophisticated technology development team. The system deployed in Australia and New Zealand will be deployed in Singapore. That is why we are first-to-market with so many innovations that enhance the customer experience. We are developers of our innovations, not followers of others.
4. For large-scale sports events such as the Commonwealth Games, what are some challenges you have faced in managing the crowd?
Brendon: The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games reinforced Australia’s global reputation for staging international major events and Ticketek’s role as the undisputed leader in major event ticketing. The Games fulfilled 1.217 million tickets or 98% of available inventory for the 274 individual sessions available over 18 sports and seven para-sports across 17 newly configured venues. The Games pre-sale was a unique challenge, from the opening ticket requests window, through the balloting process and on to general public sales program. It was a remarkable performance by the Ticketek platform and all the people who made it happen.
5. How does dealing with large crowds in concerts differ from those in sports?
Brendon:As a rule, music fans arrive earlier and in more manageable flows, whereas sports fans tend to arrive later in bigger groups. This puts pressure on sports event promoters and venue managers, with an impact on the ticketing system as well. However, Ticketek’s system allows the promoter and venue to see live data on the minute-by-minute entry of fans and this gives the organisers a great insight to the event ahead.
6. What is the most exciting event you have promoted?
Brendon: TEG, Ticketek’s parent company, has promoted many unforgettable events. Having a 100,000 sell-out to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid play Manchester City at the MCG in Melbourne was exceptional. This August, TEG will promote two basketball games between the USA and Australia with an array of NBA stars. In the concert scene, we have Eminem touring Australia and New Zealand this year and in the recent past, we’ve had Bon Jovi, Phil Collins, Katy Perry, and WWE.
For more information, visit the platform at www.ticketek.com.sg and begin your Ticketek journey today.
Cover photo courtesy of Yvette de Wit. Visuals courtesy of Ticketek
