New York, NY (Top40 Charts / Ticketmaster) Ticketmaster, the global market leader in ticketing, announced it is partnering with Veteran Tickets Foundation, also known as Vet Tix, to provide a real-time feed of live event tickets to their 780,000 veterans of all eras, current servicemembers including Guard and Reserves, immediate family members of those killed in action, and caretakers of VetTixers.
Ticketmaster will provide a real-time feed of live events made available to VetTixers through a new client-facing ticket offer that will expand the number events listed and tickets that veterans have access to. The integration also simplifies the ticket donation process for artists, venues, theatres and clubs.
This new collaboration builds on Vet Tix's longtime partnership with Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV), Ticketmaster's parent company. Live Nation has been an avid supporter of Vet Tix and is the organization's top donor, gifting over $28 million in tickets since 2014.
Vet Tix is a national non-profit, founded in 2008, whose mission is to secure and distribute tickets to sporting events, concerts, performing arts, educational and family activities across the nation to military and veteran families. Their goal is to help reduce stress, make events affordable, minimize post-traumatic stress, strengthen family bonds and encourage VetTixers to re-engage with local communities and American life. To date, Vet Tix has given out 4.3 million tickets in all 50 states and Washington, DC.
To receive tickets, military personnel and veterans apply and are verified by a third party. Members can then set their event interests and are notified when tickets to an event meeting their criteria are available. Members then request tickets and Vet Tix distributes tickets at times using a lottery.
"Vet Tix is dedicated to giving back to those who gave us so much, and we're proud to partner with Ticketmaster. In 2017 Ticketmaster and their clients donated approximately 500,000 tickets and now we can conservatively forecast doubling that and thus allow us to give back even more," said Mike Focareto, Founder and CEO of Vet Tix. "By going to these events, servicemembers, veterans and their families are able to reduce the stresses that come with military service and build life-long memories. Whether it's a game, concert, or a show, these events have an incredible positive benefit to these heroes, and by partnering with Ticketmaster, we will continue to honor them and their families."
"Ticketmaster knows the power of live events and how important they can be to people's lives, and our tech integration will bring more options to veterans," said Jared Smith, President of Ticketmaster, North America. "We're proud to partner with such a meaningful organization like Vet Tix."
For more information, visit Vet Tix at VetTix.org.
About Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster is the global market leader in live event ticketing that drives 500 million ticket transactions per year. Through exclusive partnerships with thousands of venues, artists, sports leagues, and arts and theater tours, Ticketmaster delivers unparalleled access to the most iconic live events to millions of fans worldwide.
