Access All Areas October 2019 | Page 7

OCTOBER | AGENDA Festicket launches Pay with Friends for group festival bookings Festicket, a festival experience platform, has announced the launch of a new feature that allows fans to pay for festival tickets as a group. By using ‘Pay with Friends’, the lead booker can reserve tickets for their whole group while only having to pay for part of the payment up-front. The other members of the group then have 48 hours to pay their individual part. If anyone in the group does not pay before the 48-hour deadline, the booking is released and no one is charged. However, there is a small non-refundable deposit charged to the lead booker to reserve the booking. Normally, group bookings require a lead booker to take responsibility for organising, booking and paying for the trip. This responsibility can lead to friction and negatively impact the beginning of the festival experience. ‘Pay with Friends’ aims to reduce pressure on the lead booker by sharing the payment immediately with the rest of the group. ‘Pay with Friends’ has been developed in response to the popularity of group bookings. Around 60% of festival-goers go in groups of more than three; 20% of that are more than six (source: Festicket consumer survey 2019). Festivals have become a popular alternative to group holidays, with international festival travel increasing by 400% over the past five years (source: Festicket Wristband Report). Zack Sabban, CEO & co-founder at Festicket, said: “Our goal is to make festival discovery and booking as easy as possible for fans so they can focus on what matters - enjoying the festival. Groups are a big priority for us as the group is usually an important part of the festival experience. We already have a designated sales team for assisting groups with their booking. We are the first ticketing company to offer a feature specifically designed for group payments. It’s exciting to be leading the way with this lifesaver for lead bookers.” Star Live has appointed Chris McCormick as festivals and partnerships director. Festivals are a significant focus at Star Live. With a wealth of festivals and live music event experience in the business, the new enhanced offering from Star Live spans brand partnerships, staffing, stages rigging and structures. McCormick will be leading the sponsorships and partnerships element. McCormick said: “I’ve had the honour of working in this industry for over 15 years and have witnessed and been part of such a significant change and evolution in attitudes towards customer experience, production, loyalty and inclusivity which have made the UK market the envy of the rest of the world. “Festivals are engrained in British culture and we’re privileged to work in a world-leading market with some inspiring individuals and businesses.” “Over the short to medium term Star Live will build on its work with festivals and events such as Kendal Calling, Bluedot, Snowboxx and Elrow in helping to create partnerships that add value to the festival goers experience and deliver measurable and tangible benefits and returns for partners.” 07