Stay Connected Year-Round with Ticket Summit® Plus!

Ticket Summit® may be over, but you can stay connected year-round with Ticket Summit® Plus. Ticket Summit® Plus is a series of educational webinars hosted by industry experts. These  experts will provide you with an inside look into the ticketing and live entertainment industry. They will also discuss development strategies to help you grow your business. The Fall 2013 webinar series features these webinars:

·         Social Media Marketing Demystified: Tuesday, August 20 at 1 PM ET—Ron Cates of Constant will pull back the veil on social media marketing, and provide practical tips and tricks for promoting your business across a variety of platforms.

·         Publicity: Boost Your Profile!: Wednesday, September 18 at 1 PM ET—Join publicist and media strategist Carrol Van Stone for this informative session on using publicity and media coverage to boost your company’s profile.

·         Inside Sports: In October 2013, Tickets.com’s Doug Lyons will provide an insider’s look at sports team and venue management and how markets have evolved.

·         How to Prevent Online Fraud: In November 2013, Cresta Pillsbury of Trust Guard will discuss tactics for decreasing fraud and ensuring customer confidence.

Register now for Ticket Summit® Plus for just $99 per webinar, and stay up-to-date on the ticketing and live entertainment industry all year long!

Get Ready for Ticket Summit®!

Ticket Summit® is just a week away, July 17-19, 2013 at Bellagio! Before you get to Las Vegas, be sure to take some time to review everything the conference has to offer. The Ticket Summit® schedule is jam-packed with networking opportunities, the concurrent trade show, industry seminars, and the Keynote session.  

There are plenty of networking opportunities during the conference, including the Networking Cocktail Party on Wednesday, July 17. The party is a great chance to meet and network with everyone at the conference. Thursday night is Game Night! Stop by the conference space from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM to enjoy games, an open bar, and more with your fellow attendees! Finally, as always, the conference wraps up on Friday, July 19 with the Closing Gala at The Bank.

Don’t forget to earn your Ticket Summit® Tokens while at the conference! Earn tokens by attending a Speaker Q&A Roundtable, visiting each of the exhibitors, giving a testimonial, or playing games at the Ticket Summit® Swag Shop. Redeem your tokens at the Swag Shop for some great prizes! You could even win a free pass to Ticket Summit® 2014!

Be sure to download the Ticket Summit® Mobile App before you arrive at the conference. The app is full of information about the schedule, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and much more! Access all of the details about Ticket Summit® on-the-go. See you in Vegas! Don’t forget your business cards!

Get Connected at Ticket Summit®!

Ticket Summit® is in a little less than three weeks, and the conference offers countless ways to connect with the ticketing industry. Forge business relationships that will help you to achieve your business goals throughout the year.  You’ll also get a chance to meet industry leaders and influencers, and reach out to them year-round.

Of course, the best way to make connections at Ticket Summit® is to attend one of the many networking events. The Networking Cocktail Party will be held on Wednesday, July 17 from 5-7 PM, and is a great chance to meet everyone at the conference. Game Night, scheduled for Thursday, July 18 from 9 PM to 12 AM, is a more informal networking event, packed with arcade games and an open bar. As always, the conference wraps up with the Closing Gala at the Bank on Friday, July 19 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Breakfast and lunch are also great times to meet someone new.

Visiting the Ticket Summit® trade show is also a fool-proof way to network and make connections. Numerous exhibitors, representing various aspects of the industry, will be offering information about their products and services at the trade show. Take some time to visit them; you never know who you might meet!

Network with Ticket Summit® speakers at Speaker Q&A Roundtables, which give you the chance to ask speakers questions about their sessions. During these roundtable sessions, discuss issues facing the industry with speakers and other attendees.

Stay connected to exhibitors and conference speakers year-round through the Ticket Summit® Mobile App. The app includes information about speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, the schedule, and much more. It also includes contact information for exhibitors and speakers’ Twitter handles, so that you can connect with them after the conference is over.

So, be sure to get connected with the industry at Ticket Summit®, July 17-19, 2013 at Bellagio in Las Vegas! Don’t forget to bring your business cards!

Explore Bellagio!

The world-class Bellagio is home to Ticket Summit® 2013 and much more! Be sure to take some time to explore the hotel and all it has to offer while you’re there attending Ticket Summit®. Here are some attractions you definitely do not want to miss:

·         Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art: Through October 2013, the BGFA is hosting Warhol Out West, the most extensive collection of the legendary Andy Warhol’s works ever exhibited in Las Vegas. The BGFA is open daily, but tickets are necessary for admission.

·         Conservatory & Botanical Gardens: Enjoy nature in the heart of the Strip at Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, which is always open to the public. This summer’s theme is Summer Garden Party.

·         O by Cirque Du Soleil: Cirque weaves an aquatic tapestry of artistry and surrealism in O. Each night, the cast performs in, on, and above water to create a breathtaking experience.

·         Nightlife: Bellagio offers a Vegas entertainment experience for everyone, from the Pool Bar and Lily Bar and Lounge to The Bank, home of the Ticket Summit® Closing Gala!

·         Casino: Bellagio’s unparalleled casino features countless table games, a variety of slots, race and sports book wagering, and the World Poker Tour. Earn benefits by joining the M Life program.

Bellagio is home to some of the most sophisticated and luxurious amenities on the Strip—you can even order your own linens and toiletries to enjoy the luxury of Bellagio when you return home. Don’t miss out on the experience—be sure to book your room today!  

Conference Networking…Where to Start?

Conferences are a fantastic opportunity for networking within your industry and making connections that will help you reach your business goals. But, networking at conferences can be daunting, especially if you don’t know where to start.

Just like exhibiting at a trade show, it is important to have a goal in mind when networking at a conference. Ask yourself: what do I hope to achieve in attending this conference? What sort of connections am I trying to make? Having a goal in mind will focus your networking and enable you to make the connections that will help you.

The questions you ask yourself are important, but those you ask while networking at the conference are even more essential. Steer away from yes or no questions, as those questions shut down rather than foster conversation. Instead, ask perceptive or in-depth questions, such as “What made you chose this business?” and “What challenges did you face early on?” Questions that show a genuine interest in the other attendee and their work will help you to stand out from the “What do you do?” crowd.

Researching potential connections in advance can also help you stand out from the crowd. Many conferences include lists of exhibitors and attending companies on their website. Researching these companies can help prepare you for conversation with their representatives and allow you to form some questions in advance. Before the conference, you can even reach out to exhibitors you are interested in visiting at the conference to ease the introduction.

Following up after the conference is equally as important as making connections onsite. Be sure to follow up via email or social media promptly to maintain your connections. Show people that they made an impression on you and that you are interested in continuing the conversation and they will reciprocate.

Networking can be intimidating, especially at a large event. But with a little planning, you’re sure to make the connections you need to expand your business!

What To Do in Vegas…Off the Strip!

There are lots of things to do in Las Vegas on the Strip, but what about off the Strip? Well, by trekking just a little ways off the Strip, there is still plenty to do and see, from some great places to commune with nature to museums and shopping!

·        Nature: The area around Las Vegas offers some great hiking and spectacular views. Located about 20 minutes off the Strip, Red Rock Canyon has a wide selection of hikes and trails of varying difficulty. For something a bit easier on the knees, be sure to visit the Springs Preserve and explore the nature exhibits, botanical gardens, live animal shows, and more.

·        Museums: The Pinball Hall of Fame is a must for anyone who likes vintage video games and pinball machines. Learn about Vegas’ history from pre-historic to modern times at the Clark County Museum.

·        Sports: Las Vegas doesn’t have any major league sports teams, but it is home to the Las Vegas 51s, a minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays! The 51s play at Cashman Field north of the Fremont Street Experience.

·        Shopping: There is some great shopping on the Strip, but for the more budget conscious, the Primm Outlets are a great option. Located on the California/Nevada border, the Outlets operate a daily shuttle to-and-from the Strip.

For more suggestions on what to do and see in the area around Las Vegas, be sure to visit TripAdvisor.  See you in Vegas!

Improve Your Inventory Management! Wrap-up

 

The Ticket Summit® Plus 2013 Spring webinar series wrapped up this week with Improve Your Inventory Management!, a free webinar led by Scott Barrows, CEO of Symbioticks and Epic Inventory Management. Barrows provided tips on how to boost inventory efficiency and discussed the obstacles that brokers face in their daily operations.

Barrows stressed the importance of using numbers and analytics in managing inventory. “Don’t steer a rudderless ship,” he said. Analytics allow brokers to determine essential elements of their business, like how much it costs to sell a ticket, and to increase their ROI.

He also discussed how automation technology, provided by companies like Ticket Utils, Cloakify, and more, can streamline a broker’s business. Likewise, utilizing e-tickets can increase efficiency, though e-tickets should be protected to the same degree as hard stock.

Effective pricing can also increase a broker’s ROI. Barrows finds it useful to keep a set pricing schedule, so that his staff is constantly pricing tickets.  He also advocates rewarding staff for pricing well.

For Barrows, people are just as important as inventory. When you identify and use the strengths of your staff efficiently and well, you streamline the process and increase your ROI, he said. He added that you shouldn’t let your inventory manage your life, and stressed the importance of continuing to educate both yourself and your staff.

Barrows will be among the speakers at Ticket Summit® this summer, and Symbioticks will be exhibiting at booth 116 at the Ticket Summit® trade show. Be sure to visit them there!