A major music festival is selling tickets on the blockchain, Ticketmaster is teaming up with Vet Tix and various Tacoma venues are now using the Waze app to improve the fan experience.
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A Major EDM Festival Is Selling Tickets on the Blockchain
Blau, one of electronic dance music's (EDM's) best-known promoters, is teaming up with live events specialist Adam Lynn to bring the first “blockchain-powered” music festival to the world this October. The event, which has been dubbed OUR Music Festival (OMF), will sell concert tickets on the blockchain via an Etherum-powered OMF token, which will enable festivalgoers to bypass scalpers. Rather than waiting to buy tickets per usual, fans will purchase OMF tokens, which they can use to buy their tickets.
The OMF Overview proposes, “By utilizing smart contract technology, OMF plans to automate incentive mechanisms, enabling fans to earn tokens by providing early liquidity, promoting an event, or voicing their opinion. This reward system will boost the frequency of these behaviors to benefit everyone in a festival ecosystem.”
Blau has always been an advocate of cryptocurrency. On Crypto Disrupt, he described the process of selling concert tickets on the blockchain as "decentralizing the festival business." Indeed, the goal is for each OMF attendee to hold a degree of power over future events by investing in OMF's token system. The OMF website states, “Our long term vision is to involve fans in the decision making process that influences the festivals themselves.”
INTIX is always excited to see new technologies and innovations in the entertainment ticketing industry. The blockchain and ticketing ecosystem is yet to be proven or widely tested, and we will be following OMF excitedly for updates and new information as they roll their on sales.
Ticketmaster Teams With Vet Tix for Free, Discounted Veteran Tickets
Ticketmaster has partnered with the Veteran Tickets Foundation, also known as Vet Tix, to expand the number of events listed and tickets that veterans have access to. They will offer a real-time feed of live event tickets to their approximately 780,000 veterans of all eras, current military service members, immediate family of those killed in action and caretakers of so-called "VetTixers." In addition, the integration simplifies the ticket donation process for venues and artists.
The collaboration builds on Vet Tix's long-time partnership with Ticketmaster's parent company, Live Nation Entertainment. Live Nation has been a staunch supporter of Vet Tix and ranks as the organization's No. 1 donor, gifting more than $28 million in tickets since 2014.
Tacoma Venues to Use Waze Program to Improve Fan Experience
Earlier in June, Tacoma Venues & Events, which operates venues such as the Tacoma Dome, became the 100th venue operator to team up with Waze, the biggest crowdsourcing traffic app. The app depends on users to input real-time traffic information for drivers to find the best, most efficient route to their destinations.
Through the venue partnership, event organizers can upload near-venue conditions like closures to the Waze app to give fans the best travel information. In addition, event organizers can upload parking lot information, directing those who paid for parking in advance to the correct lot.
“This is another tool we can offer to encourage fans to share a ride and share their experience while helping to reduce the traffic that can be associated with large-scale events,” said Kim Bedier, Tacoma Venues & Events director, to Pollstar.
The Tacoma Dome, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and SunTrust Park are among the highest profile facilities to align themselves with Waze.
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