Features
SFX Deals For Flavorus
SFX has made an agreement to acquire Flavorus, a ticketing platform that’s been incorporated by many EDM brands including Electric Daisy Carnival, Hard Events and others, the company announced March 19.
Established in 1999 by Todd Sims and James Reichardt, “Flavorus is a leader in ticketing technology, customer service, on-site operations and event marketing,” according to the SFX announcement.
Flavorus claims more than 5,000 partners, and “is the go-to ticketing solution” for EDM events “including Electric Daisy Carnival, Hard Events, Pacha NYC, Beta Nightclub and other leading event brands.”
The acquisition price was not disclosed.
“We are building a new, contemporary model for ticketing and their strength in complex technology, self-serve platforms and proportion will be very helpful as we introduce the next generation of ticketing experience to the music industry,” SFX Chairman/CEO Robert Sillerman said.
It’s not clear how the pending acquisition will be helpful to Insomniac Events, the EDM producer that entered into a “creative partnership’ with Live Nation last year and owns Electric Daisy Carnival, or LN, with its and Hard Events brands.
SFX attempted, and failed, to acquire a stake in Insomniac last year, with Live Nation making the winning offer with what is widely believed to be a much lower bid.
And despite the SFX announcement claiming Hard Events as a Flavorus client, Hard Events and Ticketmaster made an agreement of their own earlier this year.
A source familiar with Hard Summer sales told Pollstar that ticket sales, now being handled by Ticketmaster for the 2014 edition, are up some 400 percent over last year.
The SFX/Flavorus acquisition agreement follows on the heels of SFX’s attempt to acquire collateral – including the lease agreement for the Electric Forest festival – from the company that owns JJ Resorts in Rothbury, Mich.
The leaseholder, Madison House Presents, partners with AEG Live and Insomniac to stage the popular festival on the resort property.
A Live Nation spokeswoman was unable to immediately comment on the effect of SFX’s acquisition of Flavorus at press time, and a spokesperson for Insomniac was unavailable during the Electric Daisy Carnival festival in Mexico.