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Rugby League Commercial appoints Tickets.com as Ticketing Provider

Rugby League Commercial has continued its reimagining of Rugby League, in partnership with IMG, with the appointment of Tickets.com as the sport’s new Ticketing Provider for all major events.

The partnership will improve the experience for ticket buyers, which has been a major priority since the formation of Rugby League Commercial in early 2023 under the realignment of Rugby League.

The new ticketing site is now live at rugby-league.com/tickets and has been designed to provide a better experience for fans purchasing events tickets, with tickets for the 2024 Betfred Challenge Cup Finals, Magic Weekend and Betfred Super League Grand Final available to buy now.

Rhodri Jones, Managing Director of Rugby League Commercial, said:

“We have been reviewing all areas of the sport’s commercial operation over the last year, in partnership with IMG, and we are excited by the possibilities of our new partnership with Tickets.com. As a company owned by Major League Baseball and also supplying NASCAR and the United Soccer League, they have an impressive track record of delivering league-wide ticketing.

“We want to make it as easy as possible to buy tickets for Rugby League matches, and this is an important step in that journey. As an organisation which stages major events in different venues – this year Wembley Stadium, Elland Road and Old Trafford are already on sale – flexibility is key, and while we will continue to offer paper tickets for those fans who prefer that method of delivery, we believe that many of our customers will appreciate the additional digital and mobile ticketing options that we will be able to offer through Tickets.com.”

Joe Choti, President and CEO of Tickets.com said:

“We are thrilled to partner with Rugby League Commercial, and we welcome them to the Tickets.com family. Our goal is to be more than just a ticketing provider to our clients and our new collaboration with Rugby League Commercial will help us to develop the future of ticketing technology for sports and entertainment. We look forward to bringing Rugby League fans across the UK to our powerful, reliable, and secure ticketing platform to deliver a paramount digital experience. Tickets.com is keen to grow our partnership and looks forward to playing a key role in the reimagining of Rugby League.”

Tickets.com’s T.Cares Program Helps Raise Funds for the Princess Poppy Rainbow Appeal for Lifesaving Treatment

The parents of a six-year-old girl with stage 4 cancer have thanked Tickets.com and their T.Cares initiative after being left in a desperate race to raise funds for lifesaving treatment. Three weeks ago, through its work with MK Dons Football Club, Tickets.com donated four VIP matchday tickets to the home game against Shrewsbury Town in Sky Bet League One to the Princess Poppy Rainbow Appeal. 

The Princess Poppy Rainbow Appeal was set up by Poppy’s parents, Claire and Ross, to raise funds for potentially lifesaving treatment. Poppy Bailey was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma at just four years old. Her family have been tirelessly fundraising so that she can access treatment options abroad, which could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Tickets.com contacted Claire and Ross – whose local football team is the MK Dons – to offer a hospitality package which they could auction off to raise funds. “We were blown away by Tickets.com‘s generosity, which came completely out of the blue,” says Claire. “Despite everything we’re watching Poppy go through, we’ve also seen the best of human kindness.”

The lucky highest bidder – a local grandfather – was able to take his grandson to see the game at the state-of-the-art MK Dons stadium, where they were treated to premier hospitality, reserved seats on Directors’ Balcony, a stadium tour and visit to the Dons’ dressing room, and were presented with a commemorative gift.

“The prize Tickets.com donated was just amazing,” says Claire. “Our spirits were really lifted watching the auction total rise, knowing local people were supporting Poppy, all thanks to Tickets.com‘s kindness. The money raised really could help save Poppy’s life.”

Natalie Jones – Internal Sales Manager at Tickets.com said the following:

“Poppy is a local girl and I have been overwhelmed watching the whole community pull together to raise funds for her much-needed treatment. All at Tickets.com were delighted to be able to contribute by providing tickets for a fantastic day at MK Dons Football Club. We were so pleased they then were able to raffle these off and all monies raised added to their fantastic fundraising efforts. This shows the important of being active in the local community through the T.Cares program.”

Through the global T.Cares initiative, Tickets.com employees seek to support the communities where they work and live – from charity fundraising and community service, to creating unforgettable experiences for those in need.

For more information about T.Cares and to find out how your charity or project could get involved, visit https://provenue.tickets.com/t-cares/ .

The Princess Poppy Rainbow Appeal are still desperate to raise the funds needed to continue Poppy’s treatment. You can support Poppy’s campaign by donating through her fundraising page https://justgiving.com/campaign/princesspoppy or by texting ‘POPPYB’ followed by any whole amount (up to £20) to 70085. Find them on Facebook or Instagram @princesspoppyrainbowappeal.

CrowdConnect Email Opens on Mobile Devices

Email Marketing: Opens by Device

Did you know that roughly 85% of email subscribers use smart phones to access email?  And roughly 70% of mobile users delete badly formatted messages in under three seconds?

Time is short.  Consider simple ways you can learn about your subscribers to improve your ticket sales on mobile.

Opens by Device

Opens by device is a quick report to understand whether your subscribers are opening emails on a mobile device or on a desktop.   If you host a variety of events at your venue, this can also be a helpful tool to identifying which events are more likely to be opened on a mobile or desktop.  

5 Quick Creative Considerations for Marketing Events on Mobile

  1. Short subject lines. Longer subject lines may not display on a mobile device.
  2. Keep images to under 600-pixel width. Some mobile devices can’t handle responsive designs.
  3. Use a large font. A small screen makes fonts smaller, consider using a 14-pixel font to make it easier on the eyes.
  4. Create a simple call to action. A button is an easy way to identify where a patron should click where as an image does not have that same effect.
  5. Use a single-column templates. Multiple columns may condense and be hard to navigate on a small device.

CrowdConnect the Tickets.com official email marketing platform makes it easy to look at Open by device metrics.

If you are a current client interested in learning more about the Open by device reports within CrowdConnect, read on from our Knowledge Base.

Interested in CrowdConnect the Tickets.com official email marketing platform powered by WhatCounts? Learn More.

CrowdConnect Email Marketing: Stop Sending to SPAM and Junk

Email Marketing: SPAM-less

Are your emails falling into SPAM traps? Event messages getting missed by potential patrons? Consider these tips to improve your message deliverability.

What is a SPAM Trap?

A SPAM trap is how an Internet Service Provider (ISP) protects subscribers from getting unwanted and unsolicited mail from ever reaching an inbox.  If caught in the trap, your IP address and your ‘from domain’ will be blocked.

How does it affect my event marketing?

When your domain and IP address get blocked, your marketing messages don’t reach your subscribers’ inboxes, your deliverability rates sink, and restoring your venue’s reputation can becoming a large undertaking.

Here are some tips to keep your messages out of SPAM and junk mail:

Who Gets Your Messages…?

Make sure you create a permission-based subscriber list and continue to focus on those who engage with your messages.  The Open Rate and Click Rates are key indicators in this area.

Content is King!

  1. Create content that is relevant, engaging to your subscribers and keep testing to optimize your performance.  Read more about A/B testing.
  2. Using a wide array of styles, colors, and font sizes (especially larger then 12pt) can be a formatting no-no and easily make your subscribers think your email is SPAM.  So, stick to a simple palate.

Subject Lines Matter! 

Besides creating an incentive to read an email, subject lines can encourage subscribers to mark your messages as SPAM.  Consider the following when creating your subject lines:

  1. Using ALL CAPS can appear as if you are shouting.  Make sure whatever you capitalize actually needs it – when in doubt – skip the CAPS.
  2. Multiple exclamation points don’t necessarily create a sense of drama, they can come across as false enthusiasm.  Instead consider focusing your subject line on relevant, thought-provoking copy.
  3. Just like multiple exclamation points, using too many Emojis can affect your deliverability.  Consider what Emoji is relevant, and how many, if any, are necessary for your target audience.  Read more about using Emojis.
  4. Special characters like “$” and “#” can also trigger your subscribers to think your email is SPAM.  So, if you don’t need them, leave them out.
  5. There are a lot of words that SCREAM SPAM and can quickly get you blacklisted.  Make sure to avoid using words/phrases like: “Free”, “Best Price”, “No Obligation”, “Discount”, “Will not Believe Your Eyes”, “Why Pay More”, “This isn’t Spam”, “This Won’t Last”.  Instead try focusing on subjects with personalization, such as “Hi [Name], do you want to go to a concert?”  Check out this list of SPAM trigger words.

Interested in CrowdConnect the Tickets.com official email marketing platform powered by WhatCounts? Learn More.

Cincinnati Reds & Tickets.com

Cincinnati Reds Renew Tickets.com Through 2026

Costa Mesa, CA – Tickets.com and the Cincinnati Reds announced today that they are renewing their long-standing partnership through 2026.   Tickets.com is proud to continue bringing the latest in ticketing technology to the Reds fans.

“Tickets.com has been a great partner of the Reds since the 2017 season and we are excited to continue the partnership to provide our fans the best ticketing experience possible,” said Aaron Eisel, Reds Vice President of Ticketing and Business Development.

ProVenue® Ticketing Technology

ProVenue is the back-office ticketing solution that houses a comprehensive suite of integrated features, products, and services to help clients enhance ticket sales, marketing efforts, and overall patron experience. Joe Choti, President & CEO of Tickets.com, added,

“We’ve enjoyed a long and great history together with both MLB and the Reds. Continuing this partnership with the Reds allows us to keep building on that foundation and provide Reds fans with the best of what’s to come from our ProVenue platform.”

Interested in tickets to a Cincinnati Reds game?  Learn More

Learn more about the Cincinnati Reds

ABOUT Tickets.com

Tickets.com is a technology solutions provider focused on building premium live event experiences for clients and patrons. Established in 1995, Tickets.com has been the technology provider for over 1MM live events across the globe. Our team is dedicated to developing and delivering the most innovative and modern ticketing technology in the world. Through strategy, partnership, and innovation, Tickets.com is on a mission to disrupt the ticketing industry and provide the best live experiences.

Learn more about our software and services.

CrowdConnect Email Marketing Who Clicks Matters

Email Marketing: Who Clicks Matters

Who clicks matters.

Your email subscriber data can help you understand your patrons, their interest in your events, the content that they care about and more.

Planning to market your next event?

Consider looking back at your previous emails with an Event Report.

An Event Report can help you identify which of your contacts have taken specific actions such as opening your email, clicking on individual links, and even unsubscribing.   Plus, an Event Report can be run for specific email campaigns or for a given date range.

Once you know who is engaging, you can improve targeting for future marketing efforts.

Who matters?

The ones who clicked and the ones who did not.

If you promoted multiple concerts in the same email campaign, then you can use reports to identify which contacts clicked on each variation.  You can then decide who to follow up with on one concert, both concerts, or none based on that information.

For those who did not click, perhaps a new marketing message will be your plan.

The email readers and nonreaders.

Open rate can also tell you a lot about your marketing message.  For instance, if you are testing your subject lines with multiple email campaigns to sample audiences, email opens can provide you with insights on the strength & success of your subject line.

Read more about the value of the A/B test to improve your open rates.­­­

With CrowdConnect you can quickly run Event Reports that will help you better understand your subscribers as well as your patron marketing strategies.

Interested in CrowdConnect? Learn More

Already a CrowdConnect user?  Check out how to run an Event Report now.

CrowdConnect Email Reports

Email Marketing: What Did I Send?

Email marketing is one of the most measurable marketing tactics you can use to track your ticket sales. You can look at everything from who opened your emails to what they clicked on as well as learn about their behavior. It all starts with knowing your reports. Are you ready to dive into your data?

What kind of reports are most often used?

The most commonly used email reports are deployment reports.  These reports provide a detailed, in-depth overview of who receives, opens, and clicks on your emails. This information is essential in understanding the reach and impact of your sent emails, so you can go back and see what is effective and improve your email marketing and overall ticket sales.

Common metrics in Deployment Reports:

  • Total emails sent
  • Total emails delivered
  • Volume of unique subscribers that opened the email
  • Volume of unique subscribers that clicked in the email

Analyzing your email reports:

Consider what it is you actually want people to do after they read your emails before looking at the data.  Are you just looking to see who read the email?

Looking at who clicked on your event?  Hone in on that click-through rate.

In CrowdConnect you can quickly see and access your reports in a dashboard view for easy-to-read insights.

If you are a current client, learn more about Deployment Reports on our Knowledge Base.

Interested in CrowdConnect? Learn More

 

3D Digital Venue™, a Certified Registered Developer

3D View from Seat Expands with Tickets.com® & 3D Digital Venue™ Seat Management Portal

Costa Mesa, CA – Tickets.com, through its Registered Developer Program, expanded its partnership with 3D Digital Venue™ to improve the season ticket holder and overall patron experience.

3D Digital has been a certified Registered Developer solution since 2018 and worked with the Texas Rangers™ to optimize the fan experience at Globe Life Field, they helped enhance the design for Globe Life Field as well as the online sales experience for patrons.  This year 3D Digital and Tickets.com expanded those offerings by introducing the Seat Management Portal.

Seat Relocation

The Seat Management Portal is a tool created by 3D Digital Venue that provides patrons the ability to manage their season ticket renewals, seat changes, upgrades, and plan changes.  The Seat Management Portal works with an API to ProVenue® (the comprehensive ticketing solution from Tickets.com), allowing season ticket holders to access their previous season seats, and decide whether they want to keep them, or relocate some and even all of them to another area of the stadium.  To make a better decision, the 360º view of the chosen locations visually displays what season ticket holders can expect this season.

3D Digital Venue

The 3D Digital Venue platform uses a 3D virtual reality representation of a venue, as well as a 360° view from each seat to improve the seat selection experience.   Starting with a bird’s eye view of the venue, the season ticket holders select the seating section and then the individual seat to examine the view to make an informed choice based on the view.

For more on 3D Digital Venue check out their website.

Read more on the Texas Rangers 3D Digital story.

About Tickets.com

Tickets.com is a technology solutions provider focused on building premium live event experiences for clients and patrons. Established in 1995, Tickets.com has been the technology provider for over 1MM live events across the globe. Our team is dedicated to developing and delivering the most innovative and modern ticketing technology in the world. Through strategy, partnership, and innovation, Tickets.com is on a mission to disrupt the ticketing industry and provide the best live experiences.

Interested in becoming a client?

Contact Us

Email Preferences

Email Marketing: What Do You Prefer?

Do you want to deliver carefully personalized, deeply engaging content to your patrons and subscribers?  All you have to do is ask them.

A preference site campaign is a great way to provide your subscribers options.  That way they can decide exactly what type of content to receive from you.

The more you know about a subscriber, the more targeted content you can create to increase their engagement.  Sell the right event to the right patron.

What is a preference site?

An email preference site (or center) allows your subscribers to choose from a variety of settings to help improve your communication with them.  Preference centers build trust and relevance into your marketing campaigns by giving your subscribers greater control over the communication flow. The more control you give recipients, the more likely they are to engage positively with your brand.

Consider what to ask.

  • Frequency of messages
  • Kinds of messages (newsletters vs. special offers)
  • Their personal interests: events / genres of events you offer (concerts, sports, etc.)

Did you know?

Personalization increases subscriber and patron loyalty. And as a result, subscribers are willing to  share more information with you.

In CrowdConnect you can quickly build a preference site campaign that will help you reach your communication goals.

Interested in CrowdConnect? Learn More

Email Sign Up Form

Email Marketing: Sign Me Up!

Big event coming up?  Without potential patrons to get the message, you are losing sales.

 Establishing a direct, personal communication with your patrons is vital to increasing your ticket sales.

 One of the easiest ways to increase patron acquisition is to create a sign-up form to capture email addresses, mobile numbers, and more.

What is an Email Sign-Up Form?

It’s a web-based form that helps you to collect email addresses of potential patrons.

Did You Know?

Even if you have a subscriber base – Marketing databases naturally degrade about 25-30% every year?   Sign-up forms can help you with an acquisition strategy and ultimately improve your ticket sales. 

Considerations.

The Look & Feel of the Form

Think about the patron experience you want to create. While pop-ups are very noticeable as they take over your webpage, some patrons may find them to be a nuisance.

Based on what you know about your patrons, you should choose the creative that works, for example: creating a lightbox or an iframe.

What is a Lightbox?

A lightbox is another word for pop-up.  It is a module that takes over a webpage browsing window and prompts a patron or prospective subscriber to take an action.

When you use a lightbox or a pop-up, consider limiting its presence to the homepage and/or using a promotion offer.

For Example: You can get X% off your first ticket purchase if you sign up for our email newsletter.

Depending on the sign-up form, you may want to limit this to new site potential patrons rather than everyone who lands on the page.

Another option is to embed your form onto your website as an iframe.

What is an IFrame?

An iframe also known as Inline Frame is code that allows you to embed content into your website.  With an iframe you can add your sign-up form onto your homepage or on a contact us page while keeping your full website branding(?).

Other options.

You can also create full page forms that you can customize and host in CrowdConnect.

CrowdConnect has an easy-to-use  options so you can quickly build pop-ups, full pages, and iframe forms that can be hosted either in the CrowdConnect cloud or installed directly on your web page.

If you are a current client learn more about setting up the form that works best for you.

Pop-up Forms

IFrame & Full-Page Forms

Interested in CrowdConnect? Learn More

 

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