Pollstar (12/11/19) Pittman, Sarah

Eventbrite's Senior Vice President of Music and Corporate Development Andy Donner says clients most frequently name selling out more of their shows the greatest challenge they face. "As a ticketing partner, we have a critical role in helping mitigate that issue, and we do that by ensuring that the tickets on Eventbrite are also discoverable on a huge range of other platforms like Facebook, Bandsintown, Spotify, YouTube and Songkick, and that the tickets are as easy to buy as possible for fans," he notes. Donner also points to consolidation as a challenge. "Our role, as a trusted partner to many of these venues and festivals, is helping them realize their passion to remain independent by providing superior product and service so they can run their business well and sell as many tickets as possible," he states. Donner says Eventbrite concentrates on providing solutions to rampant fraud and commercial reselling, and cites two cases that have benefited client partners. "The first is the use of sophisticated algorithms that identify bad actors both in the purchase process and post-onsale, and the second is providing access to fair and secure ticket exchange programs," he explains. Donner adds that Eventbrite has high hopes on smartphones serving as tickets in the future, while refund-associated reforms are necessary, especially for live shows. "It's important to note that the solution can't put all of the responsibility on the venue ... as they already burden so much of the risk in booking and promoting shows," he says.

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