Original article published on VenuesNow (09/12/18) by Brad Weissberg

Nearly three-quarters of concertgoers would attend more events if buying tickets online felt safer, according to a new study by Aventus, a blockchain-based software firm. The survey also found that 12 percent of respondents said they had purchased tickets on the secondary market that turned out to be fake. Of respondents who fell victim to a scam, 54 percent said it impacted their perception of the artist negatively. Blockchain may be a solution, according to Annika Monari, co-founder of Aventus. "Blockchain is a smart-contract platform that allows us to create digitally enforceable agreements," she said. "The agreements cannot be controlled by any one entity." That means that the ticketing industry can enable people to put their inventory on the blockchain and that the inventory is then secure and cannot be manipulated, she said. "Everyone can see the chain," Monari said. "It's a public record of every transaction." Aventus' other co-founder, Alan Vey, added, "Blockchain is tool that should alleviate ticket-buyers' fears that they are being scammed." With two-thirds of respondents worried about buying counterfeit tickets, it would be in the best interest of everybody—"ticketing agencies, venues, artists and consumers alike"—to address this issue as an industry, Vey said. "Everyone will sell more tickets if we can convince the consumer the issue of fraudulent tickets has been solved," he said.

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