20.4.11

Ticketmaster Aims to Fill Theaters with Dynamic Pricing


Ticketmaster's CEO Nathan Hubbard knows he's got a major problem. Ticket sales were down by double digits, and 40 percent of seats went unsold last year.
Now, he has a solution, one he unveiled on CNBC's "Power Lunch" today. It's 'dynamic' ticket pricing, a technology developed with a company called MarketShare.

Instead of locking in a single price for tickets, the company is rolling out an approach similar to the airline industry's strategy to make every seat on the plane is full. The new variable pricing system will let artists and sports teams raise and lower ticket prices to reflect demand, while they're being sold.
If this strategy works, more of the seats that have been sitting empty will sell and promoters will be able to drop prices if they're not selling. If ticket prices more accurately represent their value to consumers, that could mean fewer tickets being sold at sky-high prices on the secondary market.

If tickets for a particular sporting event or concert are selling like hotcakes, the band or team can raise ticket prices—preventing them from selling for sky-high prices on Stubhub later.
And perhaps most importantly, it could mean consumers are more satisfied and less frustrated. And since Ticketmaster is a brand consumers love to hate, it could use the help!
Hubbard, a former musician himself, has been working on a number of key initiatives to make consumers happier and drive ticket sales. One tactic is to make ticket-buying social. Hubbard has integrated Ticketmaster into Facebook, so buyers can tell friends they've bought tickets to an event.
This helps spread the word—free marketing—and gets groups of friends to mobilize. Another strategy is interactive seat maps.
Now Ticketmasters gives consumers far more control over choosing seats in an auditorium.
And it's working. The conversion rates—number of people who actually buy seats after looking at them—has grown by over 25 percent.
Consumers will never want to pay fees for tickets, the question is whether Ticketmaster can be upfront about those fees, and make ticket pricing fair enough that it can keep music and sports fans from jumping ship to the competition.
And there's plenty of competition to go around: a range of companies are trying to take a bite out of Ticketmaster's business, from AEG, to Ticketfly, to a new startup Brown Paper Tickets. But Hubbard seems to get the threat these companies pose, and is trying to turn Ticketmaster into a kinder, gentler brand.

Source: 
By: Julia Boorstin
CNBC Correspondent

11.4.11

Announcement ePP and OneTree Solutions S.A. partnership



The European Pricing Platform (ePP) is pleased to announce that they have added OneTree Solutions S.A., a global software provider of revenue maximization solutions, as a new Technology Expert Partner, exhibitor, and sponsor of upcoming ePP events throughout Europe. OneTree Solutions will offer ePP participants the opportunity to discover more about value-centric pricing strategies, and how they can prevent revenue leakage and maximize revenue from every deal and contract.

“In today’s fiercely competitive landscape businesses are trying harder than ever to identify which levers can improve their revenues and sales, while protecting their customer relationships and margins. By uncovering and communicating the value of products and services to prospects and customers, businesses can stay clear from potentially unfavorable pricing practices and create room for more profitable value-based pricing,” said Denis Avrilionis, Managing Director at OneTree Solutions. “Partnering with ePP puts us in a position to highlight the importance of why businesses need to differentiate themselves and create value, and how a relatively small increase in their pricing can result in a significant increase in profits.” 

OneTree's latest software –OT ReMax– is a revenue maximization solution, which empowers businesses to make the right decisions when it comes to preparing quotes and negotiating deals and contracts. OT ReMax answers the question ‘What price can I offer customer X and successfully close the deal without leaving money on the table?’ The solution allows businesses to scientifically align the pricing of every offer with the perceived value each individual customer has about the offering. OT ReMax optimizes the critical last mile of the sales process and provides accurate, contextual insights based on market, customer and product sales history; enabling businesses to optimize deals and win new business at satisfactory margins. OT ReMax has been specifically developed for businesses offering customized prices across various industry sectors such as Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Utilities, High Technology, Pharmaceuticals and Manufacturing.

 “OneTree Solutions has been carefully selected to join our group of technology experts worldwide because of their proven track record, experience, and pricing validation and control methodologies,” said Pol Vanaerde, ePP president. “We are pleased to have OneTree Solutions included on our expert list, and look forward to working closely with them to better serve our participants.”

ePP serves as the first ‘Not-for-profit’ network for cross-industrial pricing decision makers in Europe. Through various on- and offline media, ePP is dedicated to develop and share pricing best practices, effective tools, methodologies and populate technological solutions assisting in successful definition and implementation of Strategic Pricing.

To learn more about OT ReMax, visit www.OneTreeSol.com/otremax


About OneTree Solutions
OneTree Solutions S.A. (www.OneTreeSol.com) offers enterprise-class, asset-based solutions that help businesses and organizations to perform optimally. OneTree Solutions is part of the OneTree Group, which was formed in 2001 with a vision to change the way software is researched, engineered and delivered. By harnessing the latest technologies and through their knowledge of business domains, OneTree provides software solutions which offer a fast ROI and quick time-to-value.

OneTree is focused on yielding measurable benefits. Their core-asset approach guarantees robust software that's modular, scalable and customizable, resulting in solutions that empower customers quickly and effectively. OneTree continues to innovate with the development of SaaS-based software solutions; offering customers the flexibility to select what best fits their needs. The OneTree Group is based in Luxembourg.

About European Pricing Platform
The ePP offers your company to have the right pricing tactics in place to guarantee customer loyalty and deliver sustained margin growth to your business. Enhance your pricing know-how and be successful in it by joining this dynamic and yet resourceful pricing platform.

1.4.11

Announcement ePP and Model N Partnership


March, 2011


The European Pricing Platform (ePP) is pleased to announce that they have added Model N, a global software provider of revenue management solutions, as a new Technology Expert Partner, exhibitor, and sponsor of upcoming ePP events throughout Europe. Model N will offer ePP participants insights and lessons learned from dozens of global Revenue Management deployments as well as share best practices and strategies for successfully managing pricing within a holistic Revenue Management ecosystem.


“In a highly competitive and globalized marketplace, companies need to ensure their pricing and Revenue Management practices and processes are helping and not hindering efforts to protect and grow margins,” said Niels Skov, Managing Director, Europe, Model N. “We are pleased to partner with a highly regarded organization such as ePP. This partnership will provide an ideal platform to highlight the importance of integrating and aligning pricing with bid and tender, contracting, settlements, and other critical revenue life cycle processes to reduce financial risk and drive business value.” 

Model N is the industry leader in Revenue Management solutions for Life Sciences, High Tech, and Discrete manufacturers. Leveraging a powerful combination of deep domain expertise, industry best practices, and breakthrough technology, Model N's unique approach recaptures lost revenue, provides powerful insights into business performance, and increases visibility and control across multiple organizations and geographies. 

 “Model N has been carefully selected to join our group of technology experts worldwide because of their proven track record, experience, and expertise in providing price and Revenue Management solutions to global organizations,” said Pol Vanaerde, ePP president. “We are pleased to have Model N included on our expert list, and look forward to working closely with them to better serve our participants.” 

ePP serves as the first ‘Not-for-profit’ network for cross-industrial pricing decision makers in Europe. Through various on- and offline media, ePP is dedicated to develop and share pricing best practices, effective tools, methodologies and populate technological solutions assisting in successful definition and implementation of Strategic Pricing. 

About Model N
With over $150B in annual revenues across 50 countries managed in our systems, Model N supports Life Sciences, High Tech, and Discrete manufacturing customers through their entire revenue life cycle across their pricing, bid and tender, contract, compliance, settlements, and channel processes. Our deep industry expertise and best practices, highly configurable applications, and comprehensive services support your organization on premise or in the cloud. Whether you are an emerging business or a global leader, Model N results in revenue. www.modeln.com 

About European Pricing Platform
The ePP aims to ensure your company has the right pricing tactics in place to guarantee customer loyalty and deliver sustained margin growth. Enhance your pricing know-how and facilitate your pricing success by joining this dynamic and resourceful pricing platform. www.pricingplatform.eu