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SeatGeek enters Italian market with SeatGeek Italia

The Italian market presents a "huge growth opportunity" for SeatGeek, according to the ticketing company's CEO, Jack Groetzinger

By Jon Chapple on 07 Dec 2018

Milan's Franco Parenti Theatre is a SeatGeek Italia client

Milan's Franco Parenti Theatre is a SeatGeek Italia client


image © Teatro Franco Parenti di Milano

New York-based ticket seller SeatGeek has grown its European presence by adding an Italian office to its existing operations in the US, Britain, Israel and the Netherlands.

A new live events-focused company, Ivrea-based SeatGeek Italia, will offer SeatGeek’s “best-in-class user experience” to venues and sports teams, according to the company, including tools for dynamic pricing and customer relationship management (CRM).

“Italy has one of the most vibrant arts scenes in the world, as well as some of the top sports leagues,” says Matteo Tradardi, SeatGeek Italia’s managing director of SeatGeek Italia. “With SeatGeek’s increased focus on the Italian market, we are excited to help more fans attend the live events they love.”

As part of the launch of SeatGeek Italia, SeatGeek has taken full ownership of TopTix Ribes, after acquiring parent company TopTix last year. TopTix Ribes’ client base includes the Franco Parenti Theatre in Milan and Comunale di Vicenza Theatre in Vicenza, and SeatGeek hopes to add more venues, as well as major Italian sports teams, in future.

SeatGeek, formerly a secondary ticketing platform, entered the primary market in summer 2016 via a strategic partnership with software company TopTix. Its first primary client was Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest-level football league in the US.

“By investing more in Italy we’ll be able to help venues across the country attract more fans”

The company later acquired TopTix and its SRO⁴ box-office solution outright, and now counts venues including the Concertgebouw (1,974-cap.) in Amsterdam, the Theatre Royal (847-cap.) in York and several West End theatres, including the English National Opera at London Coliseum (2,359-cap.) – and sporting organisations such as the Dallas Cowboys, Royal Dutch Football Association, Sporting Kansas City, Leicester City FC, Los Angeles FC and, most recently, Manchester City FC – among its primary market (SeatGeek Enterprise) clients.

It hired its first international GM, James McClure, in July.

Commenting on the launch of SeatGeek Italia, SeatGeek CEO and co-founder Jack Groetzinger says: “SeatGeek has the most powerful technology in live entertainment. By investing more in Italy we’ll be able to help venues across the country attract more fans.

“We see the Italian market as a huge growth opportunity, as we continue to see momentum in SeatGeek’s other markets.”

 


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