Published: January 19, 2010
Ticketmaster and Minnesota Sports & Entertainment Extend Multi-Year Ticketing Agreement for Xcel Energy Center and The Minnesota Wild
SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. & WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Ticketmaster,
a Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:TKTM) operating business, and
Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE), today announced a
multi-year ticketing and technology agreement that will extend their
more than 10-year relationship, and make MSE's venues among the first in
the nation equipped to offer Ticketmaster's Paperless
Ticket technology. MSE is the parent company of the Minnesota Wild
National Hockey League team and Saint Paul Arena Company, which manages
and operates Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul RiverCentre and The
Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium.
For select future events, the new technology will enable MSE to offer
fans purchasing event tickets a paperless
ticketing option. Ticketmaster's Paperless Ticket technology was
originally developed in response to fan and client requests for a
non-transferable ticketing option that provides enhanced convenience and
security in one simple transaction. Already more than one
million fans have successfully used the Paperless Ticket system
for enabled music and sports events since its launch in 2008.
The renewed agreement is also set to include the installation of a
multi-purpose Ticketmaster kiosk at Xcel Energy Center. The touch-screen
kiosk will enable users to make safe and secure purchases 24 hours a
day, and also pick up tickets already purchased without waiting in a
Will Call line.
"Ticketmaster offers us the best distribution platform and marketing
support, which enables us to maximize our ticket sales and attendance,"
said Xcel Energy Center Vice President and General Manager Jack Larson.
"The local Ticketmaster staff work closely with our team providing
support and consultation to ensure that we utilize their products and
services to our full benefit. They continually provide us with effective
new technology, such as paperless ticketing, that allows us to better
serve our patrons, promoters, artists and teams."
More often, artists are offering paperless options. Upcoming tours for John
Mayer and Michael
Buble, stopping at Xcel Energy Center March 2 and March 28,
respectively, are providing paperless tickets for select seats at each
venue. For John Mayer's tour, if a fan with a paperless ticket cannot
attend the show they can use Paperless
TicketExchange, allowing fans to exchange tickets at a price
designated by the artist or promoter in a safe and secure place for
buying and selling tickets online.
Ticketmaster also provides MSE this platform for Minnesota Wild season
ticket holders, dubbed Wild
TicketExchange. It allows Wild season ticket holders the ability to
resell their tickets to the general public in a convenient,
fan-friendly, league-endorsed marketplace.
"We are proud to extend our relationship with Minnesota Sports &
Entertainment, operators of the Xcel Energy Center, and the Minnesota
Wild," said Jane Wehrley, Vice President and Senior General Manager,
Ticketmaster. "The organizations, venues and teams have all proven
themselves as premier entertainment providers in the Twin Cities, and
Xcel Energy Center has been recognized as one of the best venues
worldwide for sporting events, concerts and family shows. We are
thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to work with this amazing
staff and management team to provide their patrons with convenient and
easy access to tickets to their events."
About Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE)
Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE) is a regional sports and
entertainment leader that has grown into several different business
operations, which includes the National Hockey League's Minnesota
Wild, its minor affiliate the Houston
Aeros, Wildside
Caterers, 317 on Rice Park, and Saint Paul Arena Company, LLC, which
manages and operates Xcel
Energy Center, Saint
Paul RiverCentre and The
Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium.
About Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc.
Ticketmaster Entertainment consists of Ticketmaster and Front Line
Management Group. As the world's leading live entertainment ticketing
and marketing company based on the number of tickets sold, Ticketmaster
connects the world to live entertainment. Ticketmaster operates in 20
global markets, providing ticket sales, ticket resale services,
marketing and distribution through www.ticketmaster.com,
one of the largest e-commerce sites on the Internet; approximately 7,100
retail outlets; and 17 worldwide call centers. Established in 1976,
Ticketmaster serves more than 10,000 clients worldwide across multiple
event categories, providing exclusive ticketing services for leading
arenas, stadiums, professional sports franchises and leagues, college
sports teams, performing arts venues, museums, and theaters. In 2008,
the Company sold more than 141 million tickets valued at over $8.9
billion on behalf of its clients. Ticketmaster Entertainment acquired a
controlling interest in Front Line Management Group in October 2008.
Founded by Irving Azoff and Howard Kaufman in 2004, Front Line
Management Group is the world's leading artist management company.
Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is headquartered in West Hollywood,
California (NASDAQ:TKTM).
Minnesota Sports & Entertainment
Bill Robertson,
+1-651-602-6022
billyrob@wild.com
or
Xcel
Energy Center/Saint Paul RiverCentre
Kathy O'Connor,
+1-651-265-4819
koconnor@xcelenergycenter.com
or
Ticketmaster
Hannah
Kampf, +1-310-360-2434
media@ticketmaster.com
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