Our weekly tech round-up from the world of ticketing and associated industries…
Astros’ chatbot success
Houston Astros sold 4,000 tickets through chatbots during their successful 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) season as they were crowned World Series winners.
The Astros, who reported the second-highest regular season attendance in the American League, deployed Satisfi Labs AI assistants during the campaign, with some $232,000 generated by such transactions. With 71% of tickets sold on the day of the game, the chatbots offered fans the chance to quickly purchase tickets and ask the assistant ticketing questions.
Satisfi Labs added that the platform saved over 11,000 work hours for Astros staff, allowing them to focus on other areas of the ballpark.
Broadway digital initiative launch
Leading Broadway digital marketing agency Situation Group has launched The Hatch Program, a new initiative focused on driving innovation in digital transformation for its clients.
The Hatch team will serve as consultants and strategists throughout the company’s existing business units, bringing clients transformation-as-a-service. Hatch has already completed a collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Roundabout Theatre Company, developing a new ticketing engine called Criterion Ticketing. Services provided by the Hatch team include technical solution discovery, ticketing innovations and AI technology.
“In a world of rapid consumer change, digital transformation is more important than ever. Hatch is the perfect platform for us to take a leading role in helping our clients stay ahead of the curve and meet the evolving needs of their customers,” said Peter Yagecic, vice president of innovation at Situation.
Bears’ new loyalty scheme
Premiership Rugby team Bristol Bears has announced the launch of My Bears Rewards, a new loyalty and incentive scheme for 2022-23 season ticket holders and members.
In partnership with Fortress GB, those signing up to My Bears Rewards will be rewarded for their support of the Bears when the scheme launches very soon.
Supporters will receive a start-up balance (100 points for Season Ticket holders and 50 points for Members) and can earn further points by attending matches, purchasing merchandise and additional tickets, spending on food and drink in the Ashton Gate concourses on matchday and spending with affiliate brands and partners.
Charlie Lincoln, Bristol Sport head of marketing and ticketing, said: “The scheme opens up a wide range of exciting prizes and experiences and helps reward supporters for their interactions with the club. There will be new rewards added to the portal regularly, which will help bring supporters even closer to the club. We would like to thank Fortress GB for their work on this project and hope our supporters will soon enjoy the benefits of the scheme.”
UCI signs up Ticketmaster
UCI will use Ticketmaster’s ticketing services for the inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will take place in Glasgow and across Scotland this August.
The event will welcome more than 8,000 amateur and elite cyclists from more than 120 countries and crown over 190 UCI World Champions across 13 UCI World Championships.
Trudy Lindblade, chief executive of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, said: “We are thrilled to have a trusted and established supplier in Ticketmaster working with us to deliver a successful ticketing experience across the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. The championships aims to reach out and engage with new audiences globally and share with them the excitement of combining 13 UCI World Championships into one mega-event over 11 days in August 2023.”