Ticketmaster Celebrates 25 Years In U.K.

Ticketmaster celebrated 25 years of operating in the U.K. by inviting some of its leading customers to a September 30th bash at London’s 30 St. Mary Axe, the building more popularly known as “the gherkin.”

The event was hosted by U.K. managing director Chris Edmonds and was attended by figures from the music, theatre, arts and sports industries. Live Nation, Anschutz Entertainment Group, Marshall Arts, Metropolis Music, Disney, Cameron Mackintosh, the Football Association and clubs including Millwall and Tottenham Hotspur were on the guest list.

Ticketmaster’s U.K. operation, with offices in London, Manchester and Glasgow, employs more than 700 people. The Ticketmaster and Ticketweb brands cover a vast range of live events.

The U.S. company celebrates its 30th birthday this year, having built up a worldwide network that includes 6,500 retail outlets, 19 international telephone call centers, and a broad online and offline marketing base. It has more than 9,000 clients worldwide, selling tickets for hundreds of leading arenas, stadiums, performing arts venues, museums and theatres. In 2005, it sold 119 million tickets valued at US$6 billion.

– John Gammon