Machin Joins Tixdaq

Former Live Nation exec Steve Machin has joined U.K. entertainment ticketing consultant Tixdaq to spearhead its commercial strategy.

Machin will be responsible for developing Tixdaq’s commercial, strategic and marketing relationships in the ticketing and live entertainment sectors. He was VP of international business development for the Live Nation-owned UltraStar Entertainment and was head of music services for Ticketmaster Europe.

Tixdaq founder Will Muirhead said the appointment is a significant development in Tixdaq’s mission to become “a trusted supplier of information to the business and consumer markets.”

Machin said he believes his new employer’s business intelligence has the potential to “transform the live industry in the same way that the advent of the Official Charts transformed the recorded music business.”

He said Tixdaq’s ongoing dialogue with event stakeholders will develop a robust market view across the music, sports and theatre categories and the company’s “sector-specific insight will benefit everyone involved in the live space.”

“I believe that Tixdaq intelligence will help to shape the future of live entertainment – arguably one of the most dynamic sectors in the entertainment business,” he said.

Machin’s appointment follows the appointment of former EMI strategist Will Waddington as chief ops and financial officer in July.

Tixdaq launched a chart in September listing which acts’ shows are selling best, although it doesn’t say how many tickets actually moved.

The first chart, which was published in the first issue of the re-vamped Music Week Sept. 29, says the Oasis tour that opens Oct. 7 is the hottest ticket.

“It’s the same as the record sales charts. Unit sales figures are not made public, but they are available to companies in the industry,” explained Tixdaq PR representative Steve Redmond. “Tixdaq is currently working on a suite of data products for the live music business.”

The next five positions in the first Tixdaq chart went to Kings Of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, Kanye West and The Ting Tings.