Comcast-Spectacor Makes Strategic Investment with Paciolan To Put Sports And Entertainment Venues In Direct Control Of Customer Relationships
COMPANY FORMS NEW TICKETING VENTURE --- NEW ERA TICKETS
DEAL FIRMLY ANCHORS PACIOLAN IN THE PRO SPORTS AND ARENA MARKETS
IRVINE – November 9, 2004 – Paciolan,
the leading provider of in-house ticketing solutions, today announced
that Comcast-Spectacor, one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment
conglomerates, has selected Paciolan’s technology platform to provide
in-house ticketing solutions for the Wachovia Complex and its Patron Solutions
ticket management business. Patron Solutions will now be called New Era
Tickets. In addition, Comcast-Spectacor has made a minority investment
in Paciolan. In return, Comcast-Spectacor Ventures President, Peter Luukko,
will join Paciolan’s Board of Directors.
With this relationship, the Paciolan platform will provide in-house ticketing
solutions to New Era Tickets at the Wachovia Complex in Philadelphia and
its primary tenants; the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers, upon
the expiration of their existing ticketing agreement. In addition, New
Era Tickets will now offer Paciolan technology to its customers.
With Paciolan’s technology empowering this new venture, New Era
Tickets will provide customized ticketing, database marketing and access
management functionality to clients, enabling them to sell and manage
their own tickets thereby eliminating the need for third-party distributors.
New Era Tickets will immediately begin creating similar opportunities
for other sports teams, entertainment venues and multi-purpose arenas,
stadiums and convention centers.
“In house ticketing solutions are rapidly becoming
the preferred business model for leading sports and entertainment venues
enabling them to grow their fan and patron relationships which ultimately
drives revenues,” said Luukko. “We’re excited to team
with Paciolan to allow our venues to make more money by controlling their
brands and fostering intimate and profitable customer relationships. Paciolan
is the best partner to execute this vision.”
“Partnering with one of the largest and fastest growing sports and
entertainment companies in North American provides Paciolan with a firm
stronghold in the pro sports and arena space and will continue to open
business opportunities to help accelerate our growth,” said Paciolan
President and CEO John Hnanicek. “Over the last 18-24 months Paciolan
has realized considerable success in the NHL, NBA, MLB as well as the
arena market. Our newly created relationship with Comcast-Spectacor represents
yet another milestone of Paciolan’s continued market acceptance
amongst sports and entertainment venues across the country.”
By adopting in-house solutions, venues’ interactions with their
patrons is completely controlled and branded allowing them to build and
manage life-long relationships. Paciolan’s patron-centric solution
revolves around a single database giving venues easy-to-access purchasing,
donation, demographic and attendance information on each customer.
Fred Maglione, a 25-year veteran of the sports and entertainment industry,
and formerly President of Patron Solutions, will head New Era Tickets.
Dave Homan, a former executive of Ticketmaster and formerly Vice President
of Patron Solutions, will serve as Chief Operating Officer.
About Paciolan
Founded in 1980, Paciolan is a leading ticketing enabler, providing ticketing,
fundraising and marketing technology solutions for top venues across North
America. Paciolan provides a wholly integrated infrastructure that puts
venues in direct control of their customer relationships, brands and revenue
potential. Primary markets include performing arts, college athletics,
professional sports, museums, and arenas. Collectively, Paciolan clients
sell over 100 million tickets annually representing approximately 25%
of all live event tickets sold in the US. Paciolan is a privately held
corporation based in Irvine, California.
About Comcast-Spectacor
Comcast-Spectacor is the Philadelphia based sports and entertainment firm
which owns the Philadelphia Flyers, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Philadelphia
Phantoms, the Wachovia Center, the Wachovia Spectrum, Flyers Skate Zone,
community ice skating and ice hockey facilities, Comcast SportsNet, and
three minor league affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles. Comcast-Spectacor
is also the principal owner of Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm
in the public assembly management field with more than 40 facilities throughout
the United States and Canada; Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage
service provider; and New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing
company for public assembly facilities.
Paciolan Editorial Contact
Shaw Taylor
949.476.1212
Marketing Director
staylor@paciolan.com
Ike Richman
Vice President, PR
Comcast-Spectacor
(215) 389-9552
irichman@comcast-spectacor.com
