CrowdTorch Combines TicketMob and Seed Labs For Live Event, Fan Engagement Platform
TicketMob, a ticketing and social marketing platform for music and comedy, was acquired by Cvent last year during a quiet period before their IPO in August. Cvent also acquired mobile app maker Seed Labs in 2012 which became CrowdTorch. Now they're merging the two efforts as CrowdTorch and launching a new Audience Management Platform to handle ticketing and fan relationships through every phase of an event. Yesterday I spoke with TicketMob Founder and CEO Scot Richardson about the news.
What TicketMob Created
Hypebot briefly covered TicketMob when it launched its music verticals in 2012. In addition to a comedy vertical, TicketMob ran TuneStub for music in general and Electrostub for electronic music.
Scot Richardson revealed that the electronic music component was the largest part of their business but as CrowdTorch they would be launching new verticals. He explained that each vertical has unique needs. For example, venues featuring EDM often offer tables and bottle service at group prices. TicketMob developed the ability to sell group tables but allow each person to buy their share separately.
In addition, TicketMob developed a system for connecting with fans at each stage of an event from the announcement to onsite interactions to marketing after the fact. Examples might include incentives for fans to share the event news through social media, seat upgrades responding to inventory shifts when one arrives at the venue and after event news to connect further with the act or to promote future related events at the venue.
In short, TicketMob developed a platform to not only manage ticket sales but to engage with fans and encourage marketing via social means.
TicketMob Becomes the Base for CrowdTorch
Cvent, a company focused on business events, acquired them last year to expand their business into entertainment events. They are using TicketMob's platform as the base for that offering with mobile integrated into the platform via their previous Seed Labs acquisition. The new entity takes Seed Labs' new name, CrowdTorch, with the new Audience Management Platform as their main offering and Scot Richardson as General Manager.
Since TicketMob was acquired during the quiet period leading into Cvent's IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, they didn't make an announcement at that time and held off until they'd successfully merged the various pieces and were ready for today's launch of the Audience Management Platform.
The new CrowdTorch site is up and they seem prepared to serve all event-based entertainment industries from Nightlife & EDM to Sporting Events to Festivals & Fairs.
The features list is fully described in the official announcement from TicketMob:
- Ticketing: mobile box office, social rewards, merchandising and upselling, access control
- Mobile: native apps, mobile content management system, venue maps, personalized event schedules
- Fan Engagement: CRM, segmented push notifications, email newsletters
- Website: custom design, dynamic content management system, responsive layout
- Social: photo sharing, embeddable widgets, gamification
- Insights: customer segmentation, detailed usage reporting, influence measurement
But Scot Richardson painted a much more enticing picture of what might happen in relationship to a specific event pointing out the many ways a venue or act might engage with fans before an event to the variety of interactions during an event to the continued relationship-building that can occur after an event.
The Future of Networked Events
Unfortunately I'm not up to the challenge of repainting that pretty picture but Richardson was describing the emerging reality of events in a networked world. It's one that's peaking out at us from various locations that may have been most clearly signaled at music festivals to date.
It's a future which the new CrowdTorch is helping bring into reality.
More:
- Alternatives To Scalping Your Own Tickets: Tikly, TicketMob, Ticketscript
- Social Media Check-Ins At Major Music Festivals Signal Next Phase For RFID Wristbands
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/Facebook) is currently relaunching All World Dance. To suggest topics about music tech, DIY music biz or music marketing for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
