SELBYVILLE — The Freeman Arts Pavilion has its eyes set on upgrading and securing its ticket sales with a new partnership ahead of its iconic summer concert series.
Digital ticketing service platform True Tickets has inked a deal with the Freeman Arts Pavilion to streamline the buying, selling and transferring tickets through a secure software platform. Under terms of the agreement, True Ticket will provide enhanced security measures and audience data analytics to improve the customer experience at the venue.
The Freeman Arts Pavilion offered mobile tickets last year, but officials said this will be the first to use “dynamic digital tickets.” The tickets provide a QR code that is exclusive to a single ticket holder to be stored on attendees’ mobile devices through a digital wallet app.
“We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with True Tickets,” Freeman Arts Pavilion Programming and Event Director Molly Williams said. “This collaboration will enable us to better serve our community through the arts. We look forward to a future filled with outstanding performances and a more secure and streamlined ticketing process for everyone who joins us at Freeman Arts Pavilion.”
A program under the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, the Freeman Arts Pavilion is a 4,000-seat open air venue off Route 54 in Sussex County. Famed for bringing arts and cultural programs to southern Delaware, it may be most famous for its summer concert series that bring marquee acts and cover band experiences.
The 2024 summer concert series will include legendary singers Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight, country singer Cole Swindell, Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls and Delaware native George Thorogood & The Destroyers. A second round of acts will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Williams told the Delaware Business Times that the Freeman Arts Pavilion opted to transition to True Tickets as a way to pivot to a more secure and safe way to deliver tickets.
For example, Ticketmaster, one of the largest ticketing services, sells an average of 500 million tickets per year for various events and shows. The company merged with events promoter and venue operator Live Nation in 2010 and control about 70% of the ticketing market.
But with digital ticket platforms new problems with scams and scalpers looking to see a huge rate of return on buying. The most extreme example may be for Taylor Swift’s highly-anticipated Era’s Tour, where tickets were marked up 10 times face value, according to Billboard.com.
“We made this move, not only to help curb third-party resellers, but it is also a more convenient way for our patrons to share tickets with their friends and family and easily access all their tickets for 2024 performances in their digital wallet on their mobile devices,” Williams said.
Founded in 2017, True Tickets launched in Boston with a mission to help event organizers keep better track of those who buy their tickets and help limit the scalpers. The company’s software allows event organizers to track the ticket ownership and block access to tickets until a specific time before the event, preventing counterfeit sales.
“We are excited to partner with Freeman Arts Pavilion, an organization that shares our commitment to making the arts accessible to all,” True Tickets Head of Business Development Ken Lesnik said in a prepared statement. “Our secure and user-friendly digital ticketing platform will enable Freeman Arts Pavilion to connect even more deeply with their audience and deliver a memorable experience to all who attend their exceptional performances.”
The Freeman Arts Pavilion opened sales for the 2024 summer season earlier this week.
