Montreal company backed by Cirque du Soleil to challenge Ticketmaster for live events
A new Montreal company is hoping to give Ticketmaster a run for their money as they enter the lucrative event ticket business. But this time, venues are in control; not Ticketmaster and their service charges.
Outbox Enterprises is a joint venture between AEG, Cirque du Soleil and Jean-Francoys Brousseau-owned Outbox Technology and Fredric D. Rosen. The partnership will compete in the worldwide computerized ticketing business for live entertainment and sporting events. Brousseau and Rosen will serve as co-CEOs.
What makes Outbox different is that they allow venues to sell tickets directly to customers without a middleman charging exorbitant fees. It will allow venues to control their own inventory and pricing, and keep and control all their consumer data and profiles without any third party involvement. This model, developed by Outbox Technology, bas been used by Cirque du Soleil and event venues such as the Bell Centre in Montreal, Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles since 2006.
AEG’s involvement is certainly a major part of this story. AEG is a giant in the world of venue management, owning over 100 major stadiums and venues, including the STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center (Carson, CA), Target Center (Minneapolis, MN), The Rose Garden (Portland, OR), Best Buy Theater (New York), Sprint Center (Kansas City), The Globe arena (Stockholm, Sweden), O2 World arena (Berlin, Germany) and The O2 arena and entertainment district (London, England). With AEG backing this venture, they already have a massive built-in consumer base.
“Not only does this computerized ticketing solution empower venues and help them take control of their ticketing decisions, it makes their own web sites and marketing capabilities much more valuable and relevant because that is where the transactions reside,” said Rosen, in a press release. “Simply put, there is no longer a need for a middle man in this business.”
