Several North Dakota venues are considering alternatives to Ticketmaster, including establishing their own ticketing systems.
The Fargodome may switch to its own system after its contract expires at the end of the year, said Neil Sulkes, regional VP of venue manager Global Spectrum. Eliminating the Ticketmaster middleman could bring the company another $200,000 a year, he said.
Reducing surcharges could save customers money, Fargodome GM Rob Sobolik said, although he cautioned that it is too soon to know for sure.
Global Spectrum owns New Era Tickets, a ticketing company servicing venues in Iowa, New York, Georgia and Tennessee.
Two venues in Grand Forks – Alerus Center and Ralph Engelstad Arena – also said they are examining their ticketing options, according to the Grand Forks Herald. The two venues’ Ticketmaster contracts – as well as that of the University of North Dakota – expire at the end of 2006, the paper said.
One option being explored is the creation of a single ticket agency for all North Dakota events centers, according to the paper.