Eventim’s Dutch Treat

German ticketer CTS Eventim is working with Dutch retailer Totaal Gemak to test the viability of selling tickets through the 150 shops the company operates in The Netherlands.

The Gemak chain specialises in high-quality stationery, tobacco products, books, mobile phone top-up cards and accessories, and operates postal and courier services. It was founded in 1999 and had a 2007 turnover of euro 125 million.

The trial period is starting in select branches and should expand to include all the company’s stores by the end of the year.

The deal enables the German company to test the market while keeping costs manageable.

CTS Eventim doesn’t have a promoting presence or a ticketing operation in Holland, but moving in via the Gemak outlets will enable Dutch music fans to access the Eventim shows taking place across the rest of Europe.

"The Netherlands is a very attractive market with significant spending power. Totaal Gemak’s size and reputation make it the ideal partner for us," said Eventim chief ops exec Alexander Ruoff, as the company predicted it would have a solid foothold in the country within two years.

By working with Gemak and promoting its own Internet portal, Eventim believes the country’s promoters and event organisers will see the benefits of using the German company to sell their tickets.

Ruoff described the deal as "a further important step in the systematic consolidation of our market position in Europe and worldwide."

Totaal Gemak director Jan Damman says his company is the right partner for CTS Eventim because the combination of a small organisation’s creativity and a market leader’s power will make the platform a success.

CTS Eventim forged a 10-year ticketing deal with Live Nation in December, following the promotion giant’s decision to not renew its deal with Ticketmaster.