Original article published in Forbes (12/23/17) by Andrew Arnold

Ticketbud CEO Kayhan Ahmadi cites three ways in which the Internet and social media are attracting millennial consumers to live events, including the ease of registration that they offer. "When it comes to buying tickets these days, it's as simple as a friend sending you a link to an event they're going to," Ahmadi says. "Or, someone sharing a Facebook event on their account, encouraging their friends to also go. Most event registration platforms these days follow e-commerce principles, meaning that you only need to go through a page or two of information to buy your tickets." A second factor Ahmadi notes is the social media-based publicity of events creating pressure on millennials to not miss out on potentially spectacular experiences, a pressure that has risen on account of constant advertising promotion on social media websites. Ahmadi also points to millennials' strong sense of social responsibility, and says if their peers are supporting and registering for an event partly because portions of proceeds will go to a cause, the attraction is amplified. As a third avenue for drawing millennials, Ahmadi stresses the generation's love of experiential sharing on social media, and says the expectation of attending a live event that they can recall through "instagrammable" photos is important. "Instagram photos are used to showcase the best moments, all with an accompanying description as well as hashtags," Ahmadi notes.

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