Can “Fan-Lanthropists” fix a broken model? Tickets-for-Charity® says Yes!
Boston, MA (PRWEB) August 10, 2012
In response to the empty seat conundrum faced by the London Olympic Games Committee following its opening weekend of events, Tickets-for-Charity® CEO, Jay Whitehead spoke out on the issue to several media outlets. Covered by Forbes.com and Fox Business, among others, Whitehead pointed out that many corporations and Olympic partners were not fully using their ticket allotments, often to the game’s most popular events. This practice left gaping sections of seats unoccupied and upset fans outside the gates that would have gladly paid to see these events if given the opportunity. Whitehead argued blame should not be put squarely on these organizations though for not distributing their unused tickets but rather their inability, in this case, to easily and securely transfer these sought-after tickets into the hands of fans once they know they will not be used.
A technology does exist though for fans to purchase tickets from corporations thanks to a joint partnership that Tickets-for-Charity and Spotlight TMS recently entered into, allowing corporations, teams and large events like the Olympic Games to avoid the embarrassment of empty seats while also benefitting charities at the same time. Called Tickets-for-Charity Powered by Spotlight TMS, the partnership provides fans direct access to corporate tickets while making a tax deductible donation to charities the corporation supports.
“Companies, teams and tours with unused tickets needed a one-stop shop to link with ready fans and charities,” Whitehead says. “On one site ticket owners get financial benefit and charitable benefit, buyers get great seats and a charitable deduction, and charities raise funds. Unfortunately, the Olympic Organizing Committee didn’t know to call us. Next time, maybe.”
Research shows U.S.-based corporations buy more than 13 million premium pro sports, music and theater tickets with somewhere between 30-72% going unused. The end result of the Spotlight TMS and Tickets-for-Charity partnership provides the average fan (now known as a ‘Fan-Lanthropist’ because of the charitable component of the purchase) access to hard-to-get seats, the corporation with ROI on their ticket purchase and a charity (or charities in many cases) receiving a donation they might not have otherwise received… making this a win-win-win situation for all involved.
Spotlight TMS, founded by three former Stubhub executives, has become a leading corporate ticket inventory management SaaS solution. When combined with Tickets-for-Charity’s ability to apply a charitable deduction to each ticket sold, Ticket-for-Charity Powered by Spotlight TMS has created a first-of-its kind platform that could have made the Olympic ticketing confusion a none-issue.
About Tickets-for-Charity and Charity Partners, Inc.
Tickets-for-Charity® (http://www.ticketsforcharity.com) is the world's largest free live event ticket-based fundraising platform for the world's most admired non-profits—we turn fans into philanthropists. With the fastest-growing membership of any ticketing community, Tickets-for-Charity is the official Charitable Sale™ partner of NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS teams and major concert and theater events, including Katy Perry, Brad Paisley, U2, and James Taylor, and the world's top charities including United Way Worldwide, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Special Olympics and Autism Speaks. Tickets-for-Charity's patented Bifurcated Purchase Process™ technology ensures charities, ticket sellers and ticket buyers gain unprecedented tax-deductibility, compliance and integrity. Tickets-for-Charity is a wholly owned subsidiary of Charity Partners, Inc. and is based in Boston, MA.
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