Ticketmaster Chosen to Continue Powering Ticketing Solutions for Michigan and Florida Premier Sports and Entertainment Teams and Destinations
DETROIT, Sept. 27 -Palace Sports and Entertainment (PS&E) has signed a multi-year contract extension selecting Ticketmaster, the world's leading ticketing company, to continue to provide complete ticketing solutions for all PS&E venues and sports teams including: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Shock, DTE Energy Music Theatre, Meadow Brook Music Festival, and Jerome Duncan Ford Theatre, all in Michigan, and the St. Pete Times Forum and Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa, Florida.
As part of the agreement, Ticketmaster will continue to serve as the authorized ticketing company for the sale and distribution of event tickets for PS&E's five venues and three major league sports teams, providing each with unique strategic marketing and customer relationship management solutions. PS&E venues and teams will continue to utilize Ticketmaster's state-of-the-art ticketing platform as well as its AccountManager system, enabling new and renewing season ticket holders to manage their accounts, pay invoices, and order tickets -- all online. And PS&E will now have access to Ticketmaster's Mail Manager integrated e-mail marketing system to increase ticket sales through direct communication with fan databases.
"Ticketmaster has served as our long-term ticketing partner since 1988," said Tom Wilson, President and CEO of PS&E. "After thorough evaluation of the many opportunities in the ticketing marketplace, we undisputedly want to continue working with Ticketmaster. Our business is complex and demanding and they deliver consistently to meet our high standards for the services we require. Ticketmaster offers the best in every category -- distribution, marketing, customer service, as well as the technology and relationships for integrated ticketing initiatives that drive sales for our venues and teams."
"Ticketmaster prides itself in providing superior service and cutting-edge technology for its clients," said Bob Garsh, General Manager, Ticketmaster Detroit. "Palace Sports and Entertainment is one of the most active entertainment companies in the country, offering top entertainment attractions across all event categories. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship and providing PS&E venues, teams, and fans with the best products and services for their ticketing needs."
As part of its ongoing service in PS&E venue markets, Ticketmaster:
* Maintains and operates a ticket outlet network in cities throughout
each state
* Maintains dedicated local telesales numbers to serve ticket buyers
nationwide
* Offers live event tickets on the World Wide Web through
http://www.ticketmaster.com
About Palace Sports and Entertainment
Palace Sports and Entertainment ownership includes The Palace and DTE Energy Music Theatre, as well as the management of Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University. Combined, PS&E's Michigan venues average 300 events and 3.5 million guests annually. In 2005, the organization entered into a cooperative agreement with Hillside Productions in booking and marketing the Jerome-Duncan Ford Theatre at Freedom Hill in Sterling Hts., Michigan. The Palace has been voted Arena of the Year eight times by Performance magazine and twice by Pollstar magazine, also listed annually among North America's top-grossing arenas. Voted "Best Outdoor Concert Venue" in Pollstar's 2000 Readers' Poll, DTE Energy Music Theatre has been listed as the nation's most attended amphitheater by Amusement Business/Billboard each of the 14 years of PS&E ownership. PS&E also owns the leasehold rights to the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. The venue is a 1999 and 2004 recipient of the Prime Site Award by Facilities & Event Management magazine and is one of North America's top-grossing arenas annually.
About Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster is the world's leading ticketing company, providing ticket sales and distribution through http://www.ticketmaster.com, one of the largest e-commerce sites on the Internet; approximately 3,300 retail Ticket Center outlets; 19 worldwide telephone call centers; and a broad online and offline marketing network. Ticketmaster serves more than 9,000 clients worldwide across multiple event categories, providing exclusive ticketing services for hundreds of leading arenas, stadiums, performing arts venues, museums, and theaters, and sold 98 million tickets valued at $5 billion in 2004. Ticketmaster is headquartered in West Hollywood, California and is an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq: IACI).
