TM’s New Deals

Ticketmaster has announced some new initiatives both above and below the border, cutting paper in Canada and partnering with Ovations Management Solutions in the States.

Ticketmaster’s paperless ticketing initiative will make its debut in Canada with an upcoming Metallica concert at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The venue will be the first in the country to offer the non-transferable paperless ticket option, which creates an electronic ticket on a buyer’s credit card up until their time of entry to the venue. The option will be available as a delivery choice for 20 percent of fans who purchase tickets to the Oct. 12 concert.

“Ticketmaster’s Paperless Ticket initiative is a great way to ensure that tickets get into fans’ hands directly and securely,” said Tom Worrall, Ticketmaster Canada’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “This technology provides fans with better access to and the live entertainment industry with more control over their tickets.”

Tickets for the show go on sale April 4.

This isn’t the first time Metallica has touted the paperless ticket. The technology was used for the band’s September concert at London’s O2. Other acts to go paperless have included Tom Waits on his Glitter and Doom tour as well as AC/DC’s late 2008 outing.

Back in the U.S., TM has partnered with Ovations Management Solutions to serve as the exclusive ticket provider for Ovations’ corporate ticket management software.

The deal will give Ovations’ corporate clients direct access to Ticketmaster’s full range of entertainment categories via links on Ovations’ customized platform. In turn, TM corporate clients will have access to Ovations’ online ticket management tool.