TicketSwap CEO and co-founder Hans Ober says new partnerships will dictate the company’s future expansion plans following a period of rapid growth.

The price-capped ticket resale platform opened offices in London (UK), Sao Paulo (BR), Stockholm (SE), Berlin (DE), Paris (FR), Madrid (ES), Milan (IT) and Krakow (PL) last year after raising US$10 million in funding from venture capital firm Million Monkeys.

The Amsterdam-headquartered firm has attracted upwards of nine million users active in 36 countries worldwide, plus 1.5m registered users in the UK. Partners have included LWE and Secret Garden Party in the UK, Hungary’s Sziget, Netherlands’ ID&T Group, Bootshaus in Germany, Norbergfestival in Sweden and Brazil’s Entourage and Ingresse.

“It’s really important to make sure we focus on the markets we are already in,” Ober tells IQ. “There are some companies that take us with them [into new international markets] and that is great – it is a really good starting point for entering new markets. But for now, we are keeping our focus laser-sharp on the markets we are in to make sure that we do as well as possible.”

“Resale is a huge problem, even today. So we definitely have a value proposition that can add something to the event industry”

Since launching the business in 2012, Ober believes that TicketSwap has served as a force for good in the often controversial secondary ticketing market.

“In the Netherlands and Belgium, we’ve completely turned resale around,” he contends. “Most of the big resale platforms, at least in the Netherlands, are either gone or are fading into the background. Fans are more aware of where to buy tickets and we are working with promoters to make it harder and harder for touts.

“Resale is a huge problem, even today. So with that in mind, we definitely have a value proposition that can add something to the event industry. We think resale should be fair for everyone, and that includes organisers and fans. We want to give everyone a good experience and make the touting platforms’ lives as hard as possible.”

One of TicketSwap’s methods is to work directly with event organisers to offer verified SecureSwap tickets on its platform, which makes the seller’s original ticket invalid while the buyer receives a completely new and unique ticket.

“Often, the solutions in the market have been more oriented towards making big money, but we tend to do things differently,” suggests Ober. “We can definitely make resale completely safe and it’s all bound by our rules – and one of the most important rules is that prices are kept only 20% over face value. That way, we guarantee that people won’t overpay.

“We did a survey in the UK and almost 70% of the respondents were in favour of setting a price limit in the secondary ticket market, so that also emphasises that what we do is the right way.”

“A more and more common part of organising events is to make a rational decision about resale instead of just ignoring it”

Earlier this year, TicketSwap launched FairShare, which divides profits from secondary ticket sales equally between the seller and the organiser of the event. The feature is also designed to discourage ticket dealers who resell tickets for profit, as the profit margin for them is decreased.

If an event organiser chooses to use FairShare, the profit on a resold ticket – which at TicketSwap is a maximum of 20% – is split between them and the seller.

“There is always a challenge that people can still make a little bit of money, with [more expensive tickets] that 20% can add up quickly,” explains Ober. “So we introduced FairShare, so that way an organiser also gets a piece of it because, at the end of the day, they are the ones taking the real risks.

“Our biggest opportunities are in the fields where organisers want to have control over their tickets. A more and more common part of organising events is to make a rational decision about resale instead of just ignoring it – it’s now part of the whole sale strategy and we can definitely play a big role.”

He concludes: “For us, first of all, the high season is coming with all the festivals throughout Europe, so we are focusing on making sure everything goes well and as many tickets are being safely resold as possible. In the meantime, we already have to start preparing for the after-season to make sure we have partnerships lined up for after the summer.”

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Price-capped ‘ethical’ ticket marketplace TicketSwap has expanded to new markets in Europe and Latin America.

The Amsterdam-headquartered firm is growing its international footprint by opening offices in London, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Berlin, Stockholm and São Paulo, which will serve as its first Latin American base.

The company has also signed a multi-year deal with Sziget, the company behind Sziget Festival, to be the brand’s official resale partner until 2026. Other partners include Hellfest (France), LWE (UK), Bootshaus (Germany), Norbergfestival (Sweden), Entourage and Ingresse (Brazil).

“After the pandemic, fan behaviours are changing dramatically, and with over 750,000 people attending our events every year, it’s crucial for us to have an option for fans to safely sell their tickets to other authentic fans,” says Sziget CEO Tamás Kádár. “I’m convinced that the more we see event organisers supporting ethical fan resale sites, the quicker we can bring an end to ticket touts and help protect our fans.”

“We’ve focused on the business growth and expansion to new markets, while reinforcing our presence in existing markets”

The company, which launched in 2012 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, caps the resale price of tickets at 20% above face value.

Last year, TicketSwap raised $10 million in new funding from Amsterdam-based venture-capital firm Million Monkeys.

“Thanks to our first funding raised in June 2021, we’ve focused on the business growth and expansion to new markets, while reinforcing our presence in existing markets,” says Hans Ober, co-founder and CEO of TicketSwap, which counts 6.5 million users in 36 countries.

TicketSwap is also extending its partnership with Netherlands-based Tomorrowland promoter ID&T Group.

“We’re thrilled to support our partners in this crucial phase for their businesses,” adds Simon Aurik, CMO and CCO of TicketSwap. “Our 10th anniversary is also the perfect occasion for us to give back to the community and partners.”

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TicketSwap, the Amsterdam-based fan-to-fan ticket marketplace, is letting 30% of its staff go, becoming the latest live music company to make cutbacks due to the impact of the coronavirus.

TicketSwap ended 2019 in a strong financial position, says the company, “with a sizeable financial buffer in place and a clear growth strategy”, and the start of 2020 saw it bolster its workforce in anticipation of a strong summer festival season. But with the summer calendar in the Netherlands and elsewhere now empty, the firm was forced to implement cost-saving measures, including pausing remuneration for execs and reducing budgets across all departments.

“As the full extent of the coronavirus impact became clear, and with the EU suggesting that large-scale events would be the last thing to return to normal, further action was necessary and staff cuts were inevitable,” reads a statement from TicketSwap. “While the NOW support from the Dutch government certainly helped the company, it was not sufficient […] and did not allow the business to keep going at its current state.”

TicketSwap, which has users in 22 countries, says the lay-offs fall most heavily on the marketing and customer support departments, “since these teams handle day-to-day activity, which has stopped almost entirely”.

“It is a very sad day for TicketSwap, but we know we are not the only ones hurting”

The staffing reduction, which takes TicketSwap’s workforce back to early 2019 levels, comes as the company seeks loans and other funding and investment opportunities to help it weather the pandemic. The company remains fully owned by its founders.

TicketSwap CEO Hans Ober (pictured) says: “It is a very sad day for TicketSwap, but we know we are not the only ones hurting. Festivals, venues, event organisers, artists and everyone behind the scenes is hurting badly.

“The fans are hurting, too, and it’s imperative that the government does all it can to support the creative sector through this remarkably difficult time.”

Other companies known to have made redundancies during the Covid-19 outbreak include Cirque du Soleil, Paradigm Talent Agency, Eventbrite, StubHub and Endeavor/WME, while many more industry professionals are temporarily furloughed.

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Ethical secondary ticketer TicketSwap has appointed music industry analyst Chris Carey as head of international marketing.

As the founder and CEO of London-based Media Insight Consulting, Carey has worked with clients including Spotify, Sony and the O2 Arena. Prior to starting the consultancy firm, he served as global insight director at EMI Music and Universal Records.

In 2015, Carey founded the future-focused FastForward Music Conference in Amsterdam, later launching editions in London and Sydney.

Carey will bring experience in marketing, research, data analysis and consumer insights to aid TicketSwap’s marketing and growth strategy.

“I’m excited to bring my background and industry insights to TicketSwap and bridge the gap between talent, events and the secondary ticketing marketplace,” says Carey.

“I’m excited to bring my background and industry insights to TicketSwap and bridge the gap between talent, events and the secondary ticketing marketplace”

“TicketSwap’s marketplace offers the best fan experience and is rapidly growing internationally, and I am thrilled to be a part of that success story.”

“We have been on a steep growth journey since we started six years ago and I’m proud to add Chris to our team as we continue to professionalise and expand even further,” adds Hans Ober, CEO of TicketSwap.

“I’m excited to see how the combination of his data-driven methodology and international experience will fuel our marketing strategies in 2020 and beyond.”

Over four million fans have used TicketSwap to buy and sell tickets since its 2012 inauguration. The platform caps the price of resold tickets at 20% above face value, working with over 300 partners to help venues and promoters to take more control of secondary ticketing.

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