Marcato acquired by Patron Technology

Patron Technology, the parent company of ticketing platforms ShowClix and Ticketleap and festival app developer Greencopper, has acquired Marcato, a Canada-based provider of live events management software, for an undisclosed sum.

Marcato provides a web-based platform for festivals to manage back-end logistics, including credentialling, artist advancing, asset management and catering. The company works with more 300 events globally, including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Eurosonic Noorderslag and Iceland Airwaves, and is also a member of Yourope and ‘friend’ of the UK’s Association of Independent Festivals.

Natasha Hillier, Marcato’s GM, says: “At Marcato, we’ve seen our clients experience a sizeable reduction in onsite staffing costs, catering costs and, especially, in the amount of time spent organising their events.” “By joining Patron Technology, we can expand our reach and offer the product our clients love to even more organisers,” adds CAO Alison Giovannetti, “while maintaining Marcato’s superior level of support.”

“Marcato is the best and most efficient way to manage everything that goes into organising an event”

“We are excited for the Marcato team and product to join our business,” comments Marc Jenkins, CEO of Patron Technology. “We recognise the many hours live event promoters spend on the details, coordination and logistics of putting on events, [and] Marcato is the best and most efficient way to manage everything that goes into organising an event.

“Adding the layer of event logistics and operations to Patron Technology brings the full life-cycle of your event into one integrated product offering. Patron Technology isn’t just about the consumer-facing side of events; we are now helping event organisers behind-the-scenes as well.”

Patron acquired Greencooper, whose clients include Coachella, Roskilde, Reading and Leeds and Pitchfork Music Festival, in February. The company is majority owned by Providence Strategic Growth, a unit of Providence Equity Partners, the private-equity firm behind Superstruct Entertainment, which is an investor in Sziget, Sónar and, most recently, Norway’s Øya Festival.

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Shiny ‘appy people

The arrival of the iPhone in 2007 catapulted the mobile app into the mainstream, as it was no longer a limited tool sitting on a niche operating system. The subsequent rise of the Android platform accelerated things to the point where over two million different apps are now available – most of them free – covering everything from news and weather to games and face-swapping.

The live industry has seen a significant part of that growth, with most festivals and venues now having their own apps that help connect and engage audiences in ever-more unique ways. IQ spoke to some of the leading companies in the space about their tech and how this dynamic industry will evolve next – click below to read the full feature in the digital edition of IQ 67…

Read the rest of this feature in issue 67 of IQ Magazine.

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