Groundbreaking for CTS Eventim’s new Milan venue
A groundbreaking ceremony has been held for CTS Eventim’s 16,000-cap multi-purpose arena in Milan, Italy, which remains on track to be completed by the end of 2025.
Eventim CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, Milan’s Mayor Giuseppe Sala, and architect Sir David Chipperfield launched the above-ground construction phase on the €180 million Arena for Milan yesterday (28 November).
The project, designed by Sir David Chipperfield and the international design firm Arup, is being positioned to “strengthen Milan’s standing as a global centre of culture, entertainment, and sporting excellence”, while raising “the bar for live entertainment venues”.
“This groundbreaking ceremony marks the next step of an extraordinary journey for Italy’s live entertainment scene,” says Schulenberg. “We extend our sincere thanks to Mayor Sala for his support and dedication to this project. Together with David Chipperfield and Arup, we envision this new landmark as a cultural and sporting hub that will showcase Milan to the world.
“The new arena also aligns perfectly with our venue strategy. Our extensive expertise in managing venues of this caliber will ensure it integrates seamlessly into Milan’s cultural landscape and Eventim’s global live entertainment and ticketing network.”
The venue also promises to reflect Milan’s commitment to sustainability and a greener future via an “innovative design, energy-efficient systems, and responsible resource management”.
“We have worked closely with CTS Eventim and David Chipperfield to design a spectacular venue which has been conceived with ambitious energy efficiency and sustainability targets”
“We are really excited to celebrate this important milestone to launch the project toward its completion,” adds Arup project director Giammichele Melis. “We have worked closely with CTS Eventim and David Chipperfield to design a spectacular venue which has been conceived with ambitious energy efficiency and sustainability targets. Our current statutory site
supervision role gives us the opportunity to keep supporting CTS Eventim and the whole team to see this project through.”
Initially, the arena – part of the Milano Santa Giulia urban development project – will be used for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games after which CTS will continue to operate it.
The venue will compete with the existing 12,700-seat Mediolanum Forum in Assago, near Milan, which has served the city since 1990 and is one of two Italian members of the European Arena Association (EAA). An older open-air venue, the 10,000-capacity Arena Civica, which opened in 1807, is also capable of hosting concerts, as is the 80,000-cap. San Siro stadium.
Eventim’s venue portfolio also includes the Lanxess Arena (cap. 18,000) in Cologne, the KB Hallen (4,500) in Copenhagen, the Waldbühne (22,290) in Berlin and the Eventim Apollo (2,500) in London.
Tours by superstars including Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney and Coldplay helped drive Eventim to strong growth in the first nine months of 2023. Last week, the firm announced it had acquired Punto Ticket in Chile and Teleticket in Peru via its JV with Sony Music Latin Iberia.
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CTS Eventim expands South American ticketing biz
CTS Eventim has acquired Punto Ticket in Chile and Teleticket in Peru via its joint venture with Sony Music Latin Iberia.
The JV was formed in 2016 to provide ticketing services in Brazil, leveraging both CTS Eventim’s technology platform and Sony Music Latin Iberia’s broad range of Latin American business.
These new acquisitions will provide ticketing systems and related services to concert promoters and venues across Chile and Peru, thus signalling the JV’s expansion into South America. Corporate leadership for the acquired companies will remain in place.
“South America is a real growth market for ticketing and live entertainment,” says Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, CEO, CTS Eventim. “We’re delighted to be partnering with Sony Music in two more extremely dynamic territories, and to have Punto Ticket Chile and Teleticket Peru joining our global network.”
“Chile and Peru are exciting, growing markets and a vital stop for both Latin and international touring superstars alike”
Afo Verde, chairman and CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia: “The expansion of our operations to Chile and Peru showcases our continued commitment to fans, artists, promoters, venues, and the live music business. Chile and Peru are exciting, growing markets and a vital stop for both Latin and international touring superstars alike. We look forward to our continued partnership with Eventim to provide top-of-class service and solutions to both consumers and our clients in these markets.”
Danton Vinales, Founder and CTO, Punto Ticket: “This partnership propels us into a new growth trajectory within the impressive CTS Eventim and Sony Music network. The collaborative essence of this venture not only enriches our technological skills but also amplifies the service quality for promoters, artists, and fans as well. As we complement our local expertise with global capabilities, the future is ripe with promises of superior live entertainment experiences. I, alongside the Punto Ticket & Teleticket teams, eagerly anticipate the remarkable journey and achievements ahead with our new partners.”
According to the International Ticketing Report 2023, Punto Ticket rakes in around 80% of the primary ticketing market for larger gigs in Chile, despite Tickemaster launching an operation in the country in 2021.
The decade-old local service is in its third year of a four-year deal in which it is the official ticketing partner for three theatres in Santiago and continues to handle ticketing operations for the Movistar Arena and various festivals, including Primavera.
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CTS Eventim revenues hit €1.75bn for year-to-date
Tours by superstars including Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney and Coldplay helped drive CTS Eventim to strong growth in the first nine months of 2023.
The Munich-headquartered pan-European giant’s latest financial results showed revenues of €729.3 million for Q3 2023 – up 5% year-on-year – and €1.75 billion for the year to date, which marks 23% increase on the same period last year.
The group’s normalised EBITDA advanced to €172.5m for the quarter (up 29%) and €343.3m for January to September 2023 (up 34%), with “prudent cost management and significant agility” also contributing to the “excellent results”.
“CTS Eventim offers extremely attractive content in almost all live entertainment segments and has unparalleled reach among fans of music, sport, edutainment and other live formats in Europe and beyond,” says CTS CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg. ‘Thanks to the global integration of our technologies and marketing platforms, we’re ideally positioned to monetise both our content and reach while offering fans a unique live experience that starts with their ticket purchase.”
Ticketing revenue for the nine-month period leapt 36% year-on-year to €459.3m, with the number of online tickets sold rising by 11.6 million compared with the previous year. The figures do not yet include the revenue of France Billet, which is due to be fully consolidated at the start of 2024. CTS increased its stake in the French market leader earlier this year.
“France Billet is a strong player and once it has been fully consolidated, we expect that it will provide another boost to our business”
“As part of our strategy of international expansion, we have already integrated the French market leader, France Billet, into our operations,” adds Schulenberg. “France Billet is a strong player and once it has been fully consolidated, we expect that it will provide another boost to our business. And once again, Christmas trade will also have a positive impact on our net profit for the year.”
Revenue for the live entertainment segment also jumped, increasing by 19% to €1.315bn in the first three quarters of 2023. CTS considers that result a “particular success” as the figures for the equivalent period of 2022 were boosted by government subsidies “running into the mid-double-digit millions”.
The executive board still expects the group’s overall revenue for 2023 to be “significantly higher” than €2bn, with normalised EBITDA at well above €400m.
“CTS Eventim has an excellent line-up of concerts and events for the fourth quarter, which will again generate a healthy level of revenue, especially in the context of Christmas trade,” concludes the firm.
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OVG ‘very disappointed’ at Vienna arena veto
Oak View Group (OVG) has expressed its disappointment after an Austrian court revoked the decision to award it the contract to build and run a new “world-class” arena in Vienna.
OVG was identified as the ‘best bidder’ in July this year, with construction on the 20,000-cap venue scheduled to begin in 2025, aiming for completion in late 2029.
The €384 million arena was to be largely financed by OVG, with the City of Vienna contributing an amount in the “double-digit million range” according to the final offer.
However, Kurier reports the tender process is now back to square one after the award was “declared void for formal reasons” by Vienna Regional Court, following an objection by rival bidder CTS Eventim.
“Of course we are very disappointed with the result,” says OVG CEO Tim Leiweke, as per Die Presse. “This beautiful city has always been the jewel in Europe’s cultural landscape, but it had no arena to match it.
“We are pleased that the court assessed our offer in such a way that we meet all the tender requirements and also require the least amount of effort for taxpayers.”
“Should we decide to go ahead and continue the procedure, we remain confident that we will be able to overcome the court’s objections”
Jessica Koravos, president of OVG International, adds the company is now considering its options.
“Together with our partners in Vienna , the Oak View Group will now analyse the procedure and decide on the next steps,” she says. “Should we decide to go ahead and continue the procedure, we remain confident that we will be able to overcome the court’s objections and our project of a bespoke, contemporary venue with the latest technology will ultimately prevail.”
The opening of the arena was originally planned for 2024, but the City of Vienna began looking for a partner due to the expected high costs.
The Vienna arena was to have marked OVG’s ninth arena project in the last two years. The developer oversees the operations of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center, UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, and Moody Center in Austin, TX as well as arena development projects for Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA and Co-op Live in Manchester, UK.
Its other projects include Arena São Paulo in São Paulo, BZ; CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD; FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a new arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; and a new arena in Cardiff, Wales.
Last week, it was announced that Climate Pledge Arena had become the first arena in the world to achieve International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification. The certification is awarded to buildings that are energy efficient, can demonstrate a significant reduction in carbon footprint and offset the remaining embodied carbon and energy use through high-impact offset programmes.
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ILMC’s 2024 mission to be ‘Out of This World!’
The 36th International Live Music Conference (ILMC) is welcoming a raft of industry supporters and launching a new dedicated satellite event for its 2024 edition, which takes place from 27 Feb-1 March 2024.
The three-day conference will welcome over 1,400 of the world’s top live music professionals from over 50 countries when it returns to the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. The 2024 event sees live music professionals invited on a mission to explore new frontiers, topics and markets across the business.
Mission partners this year include Co-op Live, Manchester’s new arena which opens its doors in April 2024. Gary Roden, Executive Director and General Manager, Co-op Live said: “We’re over the moon to be supporting this year’s ILMC. We are putting the finishing touches on Co-op Live as we speak, locking in a series of incredible shows including multi-night and exclusives, and invite you to join us for lift off in April 2024.”
Also platinum partners for ILMC 36 are Live Nation and Ticketmaster, and John Reid, president EMEA at Live Nation said: “Live Nation and Ticketmaster are delighted to once again sponsor ILMC where in-depth discussions and the evening socials bring us all together. We are proud to continue to promote the industry and it is always an important opportunity early in the year for the business. We look forward to seeing everyone.”
“With an expanded schedule of events and such fantastic support from our stellar industry partners, ILMC 2024 looks like it will be truly out of this world!”
Other principal supporters on the 2024 conference include gold partners ASM Global and CTS Eventim, and silver partners AXS, DEAG and Showsec. ASM Global will also support ILMC’s Alia Dann Swift Bursary Scheme, which offers a complimentary conference pass and mentoring opportunities to 30 young professionals.
In addition to ILMC’s schedule of debates, workshops, keynotes and events, the conference also sees a new one-day satellite event, Touring Entertainment LIVE, dedicated to the global business of big brand live entertainment, exhibitions and touring family shows on Friday 1 March. Meanwhile, ILMC’s Central London showcase event, London Calling, takes place in additional venues across Soho for its sophomore edition on Weds 28 Feb.
On Thursday 29 Feb, The Arthur Awards – the international live music industry’s Oscar-equivalents – will be presented in front of 450 guests during a ceremony compered by CAA’s London co-head Emma Banks. And the following day sees Futures Forum take place, the one-day event for young live music professionals with all ILMC delegates encouraged to attend.
“We are proud to continue to promote the industry and it is always an important opportunity early in the year for the business.”
“Over 2,000 professionals now attend an ILMC event during the conference week,” says ILMC head Greg Parmley, “And with more meeting space that ever, an expanded schedule of events, and such fantastic support from our stellar industry partners, ILMC 2024 looks like it will be truly out of this world!”
The 2023 edition of ILMC welcomed speakers including Marty Diamond (Wasserman Music), Doc McGhee (McGhee Ent.), Maria May (CAA), Phil Bowdery (Live Nation), Jessica Koravos (Oak View Group), Obi Asika (UTA), Marie Lindqvist (ASM Global Europe) & Detlef Kornett (DEAG).
Full information about ILMC 2024, The Arthur Awards, Futures Forum, London Calling and the new Touring Entertainment LIVE day is at 36.ilmc.com.
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Nova Rock adds fourth day for 2024 edition
Austria’s Nova Rock festival has added a fourth day for the 2024 edition, after originally announcing the event would run for three days.
All tickets already purchased are automatically valid for the additional day without any surcharge. The current ticket price, which ranges from €219.99–339.99 for three days, will remain unchanged until 3 November when the first wave of acts are revealed.
The 55,000-capacity festival will take place between 13 and 16 June 2024 at its longstanding home of Pannonia Fields in Nickelsdorf, Burgenland.
The current ticket price for three days will remain unchanged until 3 November
Launched in 2005, the festival – promoted by Nova Music Entertainment, a part of CTS Eventim’s Barracuda Music – has varied between three and four days long.
The 2023 edition took place across four days and was headlined by Slipknot, The Prodigy, Tenacious D, Bidlerbuch and Die Ärzte. Ahead of last year’s event, organisers invested hundreds of thousands of euros in site improvements after the 2022 offering was marred by adverse weather.
Around €300,000 was spent on renewed lawns and drainage, a new network of paths for arrival and departure and a new shuttle service.
In other news, Barracuda Music was recently sued by the Austrian government over several clauses in its general terms and conditions, primarily regarding the cancellation of events.
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CTS Eventim projects €2bn+ revenue for 2023
Pan-European live entertainment giant CTS Eventim is projecting group revenue in excess of €2 billion for 2023 after delivering a strong quarter led by its ticketing division.
The company credits impressive presales for tours by acts such as Taylor Swift and Peter Maffay, along with the volume and variety of events on offer, for driving a 35% rise in year-on-year ticket sales for the first nine months of this year.
The German ticketing segment witnessed growth of 43%, with the firm’s global network also up 31% in the same period.
Following the release of its preliminary Q3 figures, CTS now expects “the group’s revenue for 2023 as a whole to be significantly higher than €2 billion”, with normalised EBITDA of “well above €400 million”.
“This means that operating profit for 2023 will be up sharply compared with the prior-year figure, which itself had been at a high level thanks to catch-up effects resulting from the pandemic,” adds a company statement. “The forecast is based on the assumption that there will be no substantial negative effects on current or future business performance during the remainder of 2023.”
CTS announced it had surpassed €1bn revenue within the first six months of a financial year for the first time
The group’s full quarterly statement for the period ending 30 September 2023 will be published on 21 November. Its share price was down slightly to €55.35 this morning.
In its previous set of financial results covering H1 2023, released in August, CTS announced it had surpassed €1bn revenue within the first six months of a financial year for the first time. The German-headquartered business reported growth across all segments for January to June 2023, with revenue in its ticketing division climbing 41% year-on-year to €284.6 million.
Earlier this week, CTS appointed experienced manager, architect and project developer Arne Fritz to the newly created role of VP venues & real estate. Fritz, who will report to Eventim CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, will take over some tasks from EVP Rainer Appel, who is planning to gradually move into a consulting role next year.
Fritz’s responsibilities will include strategically developing CTS’ real estate portfolio to “sustainably strengthen its value chain” as well as overseeing the construction of the firm’s €180 million multi-purpose Arena for Milan in Italy.
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Ticketing: Demand for change
The latest edition of the International Ticketing Report (formerly the International Ticketing Yearbook) is now available in print, digitally, and on the dedicated year-round mini-site. Check out a key chapter below…
From the US president’s call for reform to frustrated fans being increasingly vocal about not getting tickets for high-demand shows, there’s never been so much scrutiny on the ticketing industry. With significant change on the horizon in the USA, what’s the broader impact worldwide?
Ticketing has long been a dynamic and fast-moving sector of the live entertainment industry. But it’s been quite some time since things were as heated as they have been in the last 18 months.
Media reports have been rife with topics such as the dynamic pricing of Bruce Springsteen’s tour and frustrated people unable to see one of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour dates.
Then, there’s been the involvement of the US president, Joe Biden, who’s been determinedly campaigning against hidden fees.
The largest ticketing company in the world, Ticketmaster, has long been campaigning for legislation on this issue.
The company’s global president Mark Yovich tells us: “Ticketmaster has shown all-in pricing for many years in a number of territories outside the US, as required by consumer law. Today we operate in over 30 countries and more than two- thirds of those display all-in pricing. We know it’s a better experience for fans and have long advocated for this in countries where it is not mandated. We also give fans in those markets a toggle to see prices including fees upfront.
“In the US, the industry noise is getting louder, and we are hopeful federal legislation is finally in sight, which would be great news for fans. Enforcement will be key to its success, as we have seen unscrupulous sites appearing in search results with misleading pricing even in the US states where all-in pricing is now law.”
“It’s a competitive industry, and we see other ticketing companies trying to win purchases by advertising the lowest ticket price possible – prices that exclude the fees”
Clarity on fees is also supported by Germany-headquartered global giant CTS Eventim. CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg says: “We fully support the goal of giving consumers maximum transparency, particularly on ticketing fees.”
“The president’s commitment to scrap junk fees is a huge step forward for a more enjoyable, more equitable live experience,” DICE CEO Phil Hutcheon told IQ in June. “DICE has always had upfront pricing, and it leads to more fans going out more often and ensures everyone can access the artists they love.”
The stumbling block to a wider roll-out of all-in pricing is that without legislation, the competitive nature of the industry will mean companies who are using fully transparent pricing could lose out to those that don’t. This would leave consumers confused and mean the firms that enact all-in costs could lose traffic to those that aren’t.
“It’s a competitive industry, and we see other ticketing companies trying to win purchases by advertising the lowest ticket price possible – prices that exclude the fees,” says Yovich. “This even happens in states in the US that currently mandate all-in pricing. Where Ticketmaster uses all-in pricing, we show the total price upfront. The discrepancy across platforms makes it impossible for fans to gain the full benefits of comparison shopping.”
He says Ticketmaster wants to see the law changed around the world, to create a level playing field.
“In the ticketing industry, what happens or what’s developed in North America is usually implemented internationally”
What happens in the US often reverberates across the rest of the world. If the US federal government legislates that ticket prices have to reflect the final cost upfront, then will those countries that don’t currently do that follow suit?
“In the ticketing industry, what happens or what’s developed in North America is usually implemented internationally,” says ticketing consultant Tim Chambers. “But will increased government regulation of ticketing or intervention by regulatory authorities follow suit? I’m not sure.
“Ultimately, governments are loath to regulate ticketing. They’ll provide guidelines, but they prefer self-regulation.”
Much of this debate played out in the media after two major on-sales: Bruce Springsteen’s 2023 tour, which drew ire from fans after some tickets reached more than $5,000 due to dynamic pricing, and Taylor Swift’s Eras outing. Presale chaos for her US dates was blamed on a cyberattack by ticket scalpers, who run bots. Although bots were banned in the USA in 2016 and the UK in 2018, they continue to be an issue on all hot tours around the world.
Yovich says the company continues to invest in its anti- bot tools, but adds it wants to see effective, enforceable legislation. “The financial incentives are incredibly high, and penalties are far too low to deter their use.”
“One of the most important factors is definitely how reliable our systems are, even when handling high or extremely high traffic”
Demand for Swift tickets in Australia was so high that at one point there were 4m people on Ticketek’s website at the on-sale – 20% of the country’s population.
“The bot attacks reached about 300m on the first day,” says Cameron Hoy, managing director, Ticketek, and chief digital officer at TEG, the Australia-based firm with ticketing brands across Australasia and the UK. “The resources that it takes to deal with those things are considerable.”
He says the number of attacks from bots is so high because the computer programs are openly being sold on major online sites, so they’re very easy for even novices to acquire and use.
Being able to handle such high levels of demand is crucial for the fan experience, and as such, reliable tech is a key focus for CTS Eventim, as Schulenberg says: “As a technology leader in our market, we strive to offer the best and most powerful solutions in every respect.
“One of the most important factors is definitely how reliable our systems are, even when handling high or extremely high traffic. And our commitment to effectively tackling abuse and fraud – such as using illegal bots. Our EVENTIM.Pass app provides digital-only tickets, which benefits promoters and fans by putting an end to unauthorised ticket resales.”
“We’re lucky to work in a space that’s filled with so much passion”
Ultimately, though, people’s post-Covid desperation to see the hottest concerts, fuelled by a strong sense of FOMO, means there will never be enough tickets for everyone. Social media amplifies their disappointment, with ticketing firms the target of their ire.
Yovich says: “We spend so much time at Ticketmaster pioneering new technologies and refining the fan experience to manage expectations, such as advanced smart queues that provide real-time position status and inventory updates; ticketing that avoids queues altogether through our Request system; and interactive seat maps and ‘view from seat’ options that help fans make informed decisions. There is so much more we are working on that will continue to remove friction.”
TEG’s Hoy says: “How do artists, ticketing companies, and the rest of the industry come together to manage super-high demand on-sales, when we know there is more demand than tickets? One answer could be to run a ballot. I know one of the reasons promoters might feel disinclined to do that is they’re unsure if it will be as hot as people think, but as an industry we can work together to solve this.”
And he says that while ticketing companies often need a thick skin to deal with fans’ disappointment, sometimes the amount of vitriol online can be difficult to handle. “We’re lucky to work in a space that’s filled with so much passion, and we
get to connect people with things that they love. And that’s a privilege in many respects. But there are some days when it can be pretty rough.”
Another reform Hoy would like to see around the world is making ticketing accessible for everyone. “As the world becomes more aware of the significant array of accessibility needs beyond that of mobility, we need a more equitable online purchasing process. The purchase experience should be the same for all members of the community, whether or not they have accessibility needs. That requires the whole industry working together to make sure that from the outset we’ve built the right technology and user interfaces to enable and cater for all needs but also that venues ensure there’s an appropriate amount of inventory available and communicated.”
“AI will revolutionise many of our processes – and it’s already doing so”
Looking to the future, Hoy says AI and machine learning (ML) will play an increasingly important role in the future. “We’ve been doing a lot of work with our data science team for ten years, meaning we can do much more in terms of predictive modelling to help promoters and venues understand demand curve; help inform their investments in particular acts and artists; and to help inform operational delivery, service delivery, and other things.
“I’m really proud of the work that we’ve been doing in building out a data science team that sits in the very centre of our ticketing company. Ticketing businesses are in a uniquely advantaged position to be leveraging AI and ML technologies given the wealth of data generated in the process of delivering our services. We are very focussed on investing further in this space to unlock value for both customers and clients.”
AI is an important part of the work that CTS Eventim does, too, says Schulenberg. “AI will revolutionise many of our processes – and it’s already doing so. It will help us analyse the huge volume of data we’ve aggregated so we can make our recommendations even more accurate and our sales platforms even more powerful. It will help guide marketing campaigns for our partners and support us in refining our after-sales service. With AI, we’ll be able to react faster, better, and more intelligently than ever before – especially with high volumes and short-notice projects. We began engaging with AI a while ago so that we could give our partners access to the best, most powerful tools on the market at any time.”
The rapid pace of change in the ticketing industry shows no sign of slowing up. And with improvements for all ticket- buyers high on many companies’ agendas, the coming 12 months are likely to be as dynamic as the last.
- This article was first published in the latest edition of IQ‘s International Ticketing Report. IQ subscribers can read the digital magazine below, or access the dedicated mini site here. To purchase a print copy of the report, email [email protected].
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CTS Eventim appoints venues & real estate VP
CTS Eventim has appointed experienced manager, architect and project developer Arne Fritz to the newly created role of VP venues & real estate.
Fritz, who will report to Eventim CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, will take over some tasks from EVP Rainer Appel, who is planning to gradually move into a consulting role for the German-headquartered company next year.
As well as overseeing the construction of the firm’s €180 million multi-purpose Arena for Milan in Italy, alongside the business of the existing venues, Fritz will strategically develop CTS’ real estate portfolio to “sustainably strengthen its value chain”.
“I’m delighted that we’re welcoming another successful and dynamic leader into our team,” says Schulenberg. “Arne will contribute significantly to our future strategy, with which we aim to increasingly diversify our business areas while also offering our artists and business partners an even higher quality of international services from a single provider.”
“I’m grateful to Klaus and the entire team for putting their trust in me, and I’m delighted to be part of the Eventim family”
After graduating in architecture, Fritz spent eight years working in a firm specialising in architecture, project development and property sales in Münster, before moving to real estate consulting specialist Drees & Sommer.
Latterly serving as associate partner and head of sports and entertainment, Fritz worked on projects such as the reorganisation and construction of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Hamburg’s application for the Olympic Games, and numerous other projects for sporting venues, stadiums, and event venues.
“I’m grateful to Klaus and the entire team for putting their trust in me, and I’m delighted to be part of the Eventim family,” says Fritz. “With our existing and upcoming venues, we offer artists, promoters and fans the highest level of service and entertainment.”
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TicketOne chief surveys the Italian market
Italy’s live music market has already grown by a third in value since the pandemic, according to the CEO of leading ticket platform TicketOne.
Stefano Lionetti has shared his observations to coincide with the publication of the latest edition of IQ‘s International Ticketing Report (formerly the International Ticketing Yearbook), which is now available in print, digitally, and on the dedicated year-round mini-site.
“Before the pandemic the concert market value was about half a billion euros, but this figure has been significantly exceeded by about 30% in 2022,” Lionetti tells IQ. “The same will happen in 2023.”
CTS Eventim-owned TicketOne celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and is the country’s market leader. Lionetti suggests much of the growth in the live sector is being driven by homegrown acts.
“National artists are very popular with a strong hardcore fanbase,” he says. “International events decreased this year from more than 30% to about 25% of the total. Pop and rock are evergreen, but also local rappers are more than a temporary trend.”
While Lionetti notes that Covid-19 has accelerated the shift towards print at home and digital tickets, Eventim’s bespoke “FanTicket” collectables remain a popular alternative.
“TicketOne enjoys successful volumes on its FanSale reselling platform where fans who cannot attend a show can easily and quickly sell the tickets”
“Web plus mobile penetration is permanently between 80% and 90% of the total,” he says. “Print at home is the preferred choice so far, but mobile tickets are catching up as well. Hard tickets by post/courier remains popular in the ‘Fanticket’ version as a kind of souvenir.”
Earlier this year, Italy’s Communications Regulatory Authority AGCOM fined Viagogo more than €12 million for breaking the country’s laws on secondary ticketing. The Switzerland-headquartered platform has been sanctioned three other times in Italy since 2020 for breaking the law against ticket touting.
TicketOne previously criticised AGCOM for its lack of action against secondary sites, although Lionetti stresses that the firm’s own face value resale marketplace FanSale has been well-received.
“New legal resale platforms, introduced by law to prevent scalping, are more and more popular and appreciated,” he points out. “TicketOne enjoys successful volumes on its FanSale reselling platform where fans who cannot attend a show can easily and quickly sell the tickets and recoup their money, while fans who didn’t find tickets before, can buy a precious ticket for sold out event at the same price of the primary market in a 100% safe environment.”
Since it was first published in 2015, the International Ticketing Report has been the only global guide to the live entertainment ticketing market.
The eighth instalment features in-depth profiles of the top 40+ live entertainment markets around the world, as well as insights and information from the most important companies in each market.
IQ subscribers can read the digital magazine here, or access the mini site here. To purchase a print copy of the report, email [email protected].
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