TICKET2ME, a fully digital ticketing and video platform for events, is planning to expand to Singapore this year as it seeks to take advantage of the strong recovery of the live entertainment industry.
Ticket2Me Chief Executive Officer Julie Bautista told BusinessWorld the startup is launching the third version of its platform later this year.
“We’re launching version three of the technology sometime in the fourth quarter. When it’s live, we’re going to be fully operational in Singapore. That’s our first expansion,” she said on July 14.
The newest version of the Ticket2Me platform is the result of two years’ worth of evaluation and insights from its customers.
“Technology is crucial… With Ticket2Me, we always try to develop our tech to adapt to the times and prepare for the future… But you can’t develop just tech, it should also be aligned with needs of the customers… We are happy Ticket2Me takes time to create engagement activities, and customer-listening activities to make sure that we know the pain points of our customers and provide the solution,” Ms. Bautista said.
Since it started in 2018, Ticket2Me posted P145 million in cumulative top line sales as of July 2023.
“We’re continuing to grow. We have issued 680,000 tickets to 150,000 registered users and we have worked with 450 clients, organizers and producers in the last five years,” she said.
The independent event ticketing company managed to navigate the challenges during the pandemic by launching streaming services, as well as enabling organizers to migrate their events to the digital space and monetize these.
With the economy’s reopening, Ms. Bautista noted that there are now more live events than online ones.
“People want to go out and watch live shows,” she said, adding that Ticket2Me aims to give fans a more convenient event ticketing system or one that doesn’t require them to line up to redeem tickets at an outlet or be limited to a few payment options.
Ticket2Me is also set to open its Series A Funding Round for a small number of qualified investors as it embarks on its expansion.
CELEBRITY EVENTSMeanwhile, Ticket2Me is launching two new projects that will boost its position in the sports and music segments: an all-celebrity basketball league and an electronic dance music (EDM) festival.
These projects will be spearheaded by actor Enrique Mari Gil who was recently appointed as the company’s chief marketing officer. Mr. Gil and his manager Ranvel Rufino have also announced an equity investment in Ticket2Me’s Singapore-based parent company.
At a July 14 media briefing in Pasig City, Mr. Gil said he decided to invest in Ticket2Me after realizing he still wanted to be involved in the entertainment industry after a three-year hiatus.
“I said I need to leave a legacy in the entertainment world… Even if I can’t dance like I used to, I can still be in a position where I can still give entertainment and give my fans a really good show. It completes my story,” he said.
Ms. Bautista said Mr. Gil’s popularity and loyal fan base is a welcome addition to the Ticket2Me brand.
“Being a smart investor himself, he understands the power of giving artists, creators, and performers greater control over the economic model behind their shows and performances. We believe that artists should be in control of their event ticketing, not the venues,” she said.
As chief marketing officer, Mr. Gil said he brings his firsthand experience as an entertainer to the table.
“I know what the fans and viewers want to see, what they want, what they like… I want to connect fans with their idols,” he added.
His first project for Ticket2Me is “Manila Madness,” an all-celebrity basketball tournament.
“We will have stars from different networks who will join, politicians, social media stars, and different personalties. Sports brings everyone together,” he said.
Mr. Gil said they are also planning an EDM festival in the future.
“We plan to add sports, concerts, music festivals. I’m involved in the business development of the company. There are already some concerts for international and music festivals, sports. We’d like to bring meet & greet to different parts of the world, so we can connect with fans,” Mr. Rufino said. — Cathy Rose A. Garcia
