TM Calls For Balanced Debate

On the eve of the All-Party Parliamentary Group’s first evidence session, he pointed out that the resale sector also saw the need for changes in the market.

Ticketmaster International owns and operates the Get Me In! resale platform.

“I welcome any efforts to improve understanding of our fast-changing and technology-driven sector,” Homann explained. “That is why I have always made clear my enthusiasm to appear before the All-Party Parliamentary Group, so that they can hear both sides of the argument on resale. “It is extremely important that the Group hears from responsible resale platforms such as ourselves in order to receive a balanced picture of the industry and the issues at stake.”

Ticketmaster already made clear its stance on the use of “bots” to jump queues and scoop multiple bundles of tickets from online ticketing sites at Eurosonic-Noorderslag.

President of International Mark Yovich told delegates: “Technology is our business. Yet the e-commerce nature of ticketing means that we’re in a constant battle against those that want to exploit the lawful ticket market. “Nowhere is this problem more acutely represented than by the use of automated computer programmes – or bots – to syphon tickets.

“Let’s be clear – the use of bots is a criminal activity and in no way should it be viewed as part and parcel of ticket resale.”

Whether the words of Yovich and Homann will mollify the APPG remains to be seen.

Neither spoke of Labour MP Sharon Hodgson’s plans to see resale margins cut to 10 percent, although Homann has said calls for overzealous regulation of resale are “old hat” and that the debate has moved on.

The APPG’s fact-finding mission appeared to stall when a meeting slotted for Jan. 9 was canceled because representatives from the secondary market couldn’t make it.

Apparently all had prior engagements and no alternative date was offered.