The Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT) held its annual general meeting in Barcelona on Friday 11th October 2024, celebrating its fifth year of operation.
The past 12 months have seen FEAT expand its membership beyond Europe’s music and entertainment sectors. It welcomed its first venue member, Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium and Palau Sant Jordi, as well as legendary football club FC Barcelona, with three of the club’s senior executives in attendance.
Discussions covered dynamic pricing, the role of search engines and the roll out of the Make Tickets Fair! consumer awareness campaign. On the Digital Services Act, members agreed that, while the DSA provides a mechanism to report illegally listed tickets, its effectiveness may be more limited in countries that don’t have strong national laws on ticket resale.
With some national regulators (Digital Services Coordinators) only operational as of last month, the DSA is still in its teething stages. Members committed to engaging with the new law, dedicating a member of their team to help file reports. With more needing to be done to prevent search engines directing fans to unauthorised resale platforms, members will also report search engines that direct consumers to illegal content online via the DSA.
Members also agreed on the need for stronger legislation, whether authorised-only resale or a cap on resale above face value, and to look to build consensus among the industry to take to policy-makers.
FEAT founding director & CEO of Doctor Music Neo Sala, who hosted this year’s AGM, said: “It was great to see new FEAT members in Barcelona for another successful AGM. I am pleased that we will focus on using the DSA as best we can, but also look to hold search engines to account for directing fans to illegally listed tickets”.
FEAT founding director & CEO of MCT-Agentur, Scumeck Sabottka, added “It was good to renew FEAT’s commitment to fight predatory touts and scalpers, as well as to welcome our new members. It is clear that, although the DSA is a good first step, more regulation on ticket resale is needed”.
Leading Barcelona venues Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and Palau Sant Jordi have become the first venues to join FEAT, the organisation working to encourage face-value ticket resale across Europe.
FEAT has worked on several EU-wide campaigns to develop better laws to protect fans and promoters against predatory ticket resellers, and is the coordinating member of the Make Tickets Fair! campaign.
Estadi Olímpic is one of the biggest stadiums in Spain at up to 55,000 capacity, and regularly hosts huge concerts with the last few years seeing Bruce Springsteen; Coldplay; Rammstein; Ed Sheeran; Harry Styles; Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers pass through its doors. It has also been used by FC Barcelona for training and fixtures in the 2023/24 season whilst their home ground undergoes renovation.
Palau Sant Jordi is an iconic Barcelona venue which boasts the title of the largest indoor arena by capacity in Spain at approx 18,500 capacity. It also has a 4,500 capacity club at the back of the building. Between the two venues, Palau Sant Jordi provides a space for medium and large scale concerts for a wide range of genres and artists. In 2023/2024 alone, the venue will have hosted both national and international artists on their big tours.
Palau Sant Jordi and Estadi Olímpic are the first major venues in Europe to join FEAT. In 2023, they closed a record year with 2.1 million spectators and more than 160 programmed events, consolidating their leading role in positioning Barcelona as a city of major events. Both venues are owned by Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (BSM), the company responsible for the management of these and other emblematic spaces in Barcelona.
Speaking about the news, Anella Olímpica Director Carmen Lanuza said “Ticket resale directly affects venues such as the Palau Sant Jordi and the Olympic Stadium. Joining this initiative is part of our commitment to generate unique and safe experiences for all those who visit us. It is essential to join efforts to make it possible to end this practice.”
Neo Sala, CEO of Doctor Music and Founding Director of FEAT, said “I am extremely excited to welcome BSM, and the venues that they represent, to FEAT. Estadi Olímpic and Palau Sant Jordi are of huge cultural significance in the city bringing the world’s greatest artists to Barcelona. It is great news that they believe in FEAT’s mission of face-value ticket resale and we look forward to working with them to protect fans from predatory resellers”.
The European Commission has successfully completed its first coordinated activity on rogue ticket resale marketplaces, with Viagogo committing to introduce a series of changes to its site that will protect consumers.
The changes, which must be implemented to the versions of its website directed at EU/EEA consumers by the end of August 2024, include:
Informing consumers on the ticket selection page whether the seller of a ticket is a trader or not
Substantially reducing the number of countdown messages that appear when making a purchase
Allowing consumers to choose an exact seat number on their ticket rather than only choosing a section, where possible
Including delivery fees in the displayed price where there is only one delivery option available for a ticket.
There will also be more time to apply for a refund under Viagogo’s ‘discretionary’ ticket guarantee scheme, as featured in a BBC investigation yesterday. The agreement further clarifies that EU citizens will be protected by their national consumer laws and can take actions against Viagogo, if needed, in their own country of residence.
Commenting on the news, FEAT’s director Sam Shemtob said: “FEAT has been calling for better enforcement for rogue ticket resale marketplaces for five years. This is the EU’s first coordinated action, and introduces some of the most far-reaching consumer protection for European consumers to date. The changes will also prove incredibly useful in promoters’ efforts to curtail ticket scalping. We expect this will save lots of time and money in legal battles, which the live performance sector can ill afford.”
FEAT met with the EU’s Consumer Commission in 2020 and 2023 to outline the live performance sector’s concerns with rogue ticket resale marketplaces, and in 2022, pulled no punches in calling clearly for greater enforcement as part of an EU consultation.
FEAT held its annual general meeting in Barcelona on Thursday 19th October.
Discussions about lobbying priorities for the coming year focused on the role of online search advertising in supporting predatory ticket resale. It’s estimated that Google is responsible for driving two thirds of traffic to Viagogo.
The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) brought in tough new measures from August requiring large search engines to clamp down on illegal product listings. These include working with risk-affected parties to carry out assessments of ‘systemic risks’ relating to illegal content.
FEAT members agreed that by failing to properly consider the continued prevalence of illegal ticket resale advertising, large search engines may already be in breach of their new responsibilities.
FEAT is also looking to adjust ticket T&Cs to enable event organisers to de-list resale ticket listings more aggressively via the Digital Services Act’s notice and action mechanisms once the regulation comes into force more widely in the New Year.
The AGM also saw FEAT plan the next phase of its consumer awareness campaign Make Tickets Fair!. Working with live event professionals, this will feed messaging into official announcements from artists, festivals and venues to help fans buy tickets safely.
FEAT welcomed new member Kiki Ressler, Managing Director of KKT, a significant booking and touring company in Germany, representing 64 artists including Die Toten Hosen and Die Ärzte.
FEAT founding director and founder & CEO of Doctor Music Neo Sala, who hosted this year’s AGM, said: “With new Europe-wide regulations coming into effect for predatory resale platforms in the New Year, we united at a critical moment. During the meeting we agreed exciting plans to use the DSA to get illegal ticket resale listings taken down, as well as ramp up the “Make Tickets Fair!” campaign to help educate music fans on safe ticketing.”
An alliance of live industry organisations and professionals from across Europe has revealed details of ‘Make Tickets Fair!’ — a campaign aimed at educating and empowering live entertainment fans to avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous ticket resellers.
A new industry-facing website has launched, with the goal of getting more agents, promoters, venues and indeed artists, involved ahead of consumer launch. The site provides free resources and advice for event organisers to direct fans to safe, official channels to buy resale tickets. It also offers a clear overview of ticket resale laws country by country. All these resources are available in English and Spanish, with Dutch and German to follow.
Further details will be revealed at Eurosonic, at a panel taking place tomorrow moderated by FEAT director Sam Shemtob. Speakers include Henk Schuit (Managing Director, Eventim Nederland), Jules de Lattre (Senior Music Agent, United Talent Agency) and Silke Lalvani (Head of Public Affairs, Pearle* – Live Performance Europe).
Conceived at ILMC, the campaign has been devised by a cross-industry working group and coordinated by FEAT over several months. The group comprises a wide range of individuals and organisations including UTA’s Jules de Lattre and One Fiinix Live’s Jon Ollier, as well as organisations including German live entertainment association BDKV, the European Music Managers Alliance, European Arenas Association, FanFair Alliance, Swiss consumer association FRC, Pearle* – Live Performance Europe, PRODISS, the Sports Rights Owners Coalition and Victim of Viagogo.
With an international consumer roll-out to follow, tomorrow’s Eurosonic panel will drive home the need to join together across the sector to educate ticket buyers on safe ticketing and help stem ticket resale abuses – ranging from huge, uncapped prices, to the selling of invalid tickets, and a lack of transparency for ticket buyers.
Jules de Lattre, Senior Music Agent at UTA, said, “It’s vital that this campaign is successful, and that means becoming front-of-mind with agents, managers and promoters when they are planning shows – so safe resale information goes out with all communications, including on ticket pages.”
Mark Lichtenhein, Chairman of the Sports Rights Owners Coalition (SROC), said, “The majority of major sporting events typically experience demand for tickets far exceeding the physical capacity of the venue, leading to illegitimate offers in secondary markets. It is therefore essential that fans are equipped with all the relevant, correct information before making any ticketing purchases”.
Johannes Ulbricht of BDKV said, “FEATs fight against secondary ticketing is appreciated and supported by German Live Entertainment Association BDKV”.
Silke Lalvani, Head of Public Affairs at Pearle* – Live Performance Europe, said, “We are delighted to be part of the campaign Make Tickets Fair! to bring awareness to all audiences about how and where to safely buy their event tickets. It is crucial that the live performance sector as a whole collaborates on stopping illegal ticket resale to make sure that fans have a great experience at live shows and other events.”
Neo Sala, FEAT Director and Founder & CEO of Doctor Music, said, “The current ticket resale market is, frankly, broken and the time for the industry to come together and act is long overdue. As the first Europe-wide campaign of its kind, Make Tickets Fair! has huge potential to help fans and rebuild trust in live music. To achieve this, cross-industry collaboration is essential, and we look forward to getting as many members of the live business on board as possible.”
Artists, promoters and other live industry professionals can learn more and get involved at maketicketsfair.org.
On Thursday 20th October, FEAT met at Alkimia in Barcelona for its first in-person general meeting since the pandemic.
The meeting saw members agree to continue campaigning for a Europe-wide ban on ticket resale above face-value, as the Board refocused its priorities after the past year’s successful campaign for tougher regulation of marketplaces in the EU’s Digital Services Act.
FEAT also unveiled plans for an international consumer awareness initiative geared at educating fans on the risks of buying tickets from uncapped secondary ticketing sites. The messaging and strategy is currently in development, with FEAT facilitating a working group made up of organisations across Europe, including BDKV, the European Music Managers Alliance, the European Arenas Association, FanFair Alliance, FRC and Pearle* – Live Performance Europe. The initiative was first mooted at this year’s ILMC.
The organisation meanwhile welcomed new members Chris Ortiz, Director of Cordova-based Riff Producciones, and Iñigo Argomaniz, CEO of Get In, based in San Sebastián.
FEAT director Neo Sala, founder and CEO of Doctor Music, who hosted the meeting, said: “It’s great to finally meet again in person and welcome more new faces among us. There’s a renewed energy to tackle touting, and we have been invigorated by positive changes in national and EU legislation over the last year – demonstrated not least in MCT-Agentur and Rammstein’s recent injunction against Viagogo in Germany.”
The Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing welcomes news that the European Parliament has voted to approve a new Regulation to better tackle online harms — the Digital Services Act (DSA) — with with 539 votes in favour, 54 votes against and 30 abstentions.
The new rules will help prevent abuses on online marketplaces, including ticket resale sites. They include measures to ensure professional sellers are identifiable, prevent certain manipulative sales tactics, and require regular reporting to improve transparency for consumers.
Identifying and verifying professional sellers Online marketplaces will be required to obtain essential information about third party professional sellers, from their name and contact details, to their bank details and ID, before traders are allowed to list tickets on the platform. They will also be required to make best efforts to assess whether the information is reliable and complete, and ensure that the seller’s name, contact and trading details appear on the listing, as well as conduct random checks to prevent the resurfacing of listings that contravene national laws.
Increased accountability for marketplaces Whilst ticket resale platforms can claim to be exempt from liability for content provided by third parties, provided they are not active hosts, they could now be held responsible for tickets listed in contravention of national laws, where fans are led to believe that the ticket is provided by the platform itself or that the seller is acting under its control. As a result, resale platforms should make it clear throughout the buying process that the tickets listed are provided by a third party.
Prohibition of dark patterns Dark patterns (user interfaces designed in such a way as to trick users into making certain decisions, such as “pop-ups” or giving prominence to specific choices) will be prohibited. As such, ticket resale sites will be banned from using design tricks that manipulate consumers.
Annual reporting Online hosting platforms such as ticket resale sites will be required to produce easily comprehensible and publicly-available annual reports on any content moderation activities relating to infringements of the law or the platform’s terms and conditions. This will give an indication of the scale of harmful activity taking place – important in helping enforcement agencies and advertising partners such as Google comprehend the scope of the problem. The reporting measures will be coupled with a simplified notice and action procedure for illegal listings.
Increased oversight Every Member State will be required to appoint a Digital Services Coordinator (DSC) to enforce the rules laid out in the DSA, with far-reaching powers of investigation, including to carry out on-site inspections, interview staff members and require the production of documents and information. Penalties for non-compliance can reach up to 6% of platforms’ global turnover.
The DSA will now go through the formal adoption procedures by the European Council before it is published in the EU Official Journal. It will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, and its provisions will mainly apply fifteen months after entry into force or from 1 January 2024, whichever comes later.
Despite COVID-19, the European secondary ticketing market was estimated to be worth €1.83bn in 2021, with predictions to grow to €2.29bn by 2023; money that is drained from consumers and the sports and cultural industries. FEAT has spent two years engaging with policy-makers over the DSA, including spearheading an open letter with other concerned groups. This called on the EU to compel online marketplaces to act responsibly and was signed by nearly 150 representatives throughout the cultural industries and was recognised by commissioners in charge of the DSA.
While pleased that the legislation has finally been passed, FEAT recognises that the text could have gone further and will continue to campaign for tougher legislation to prohibit profiteering on uncapped resale sites at the expense of fans and the live industry.
Neo Sala, Director of FEAT and Founder and CEO of Doctor Music, stated “FEAT welcomes the new Digital Services Act, a landmark legislation aiming to protect consumers online. We hope that it will help prevent manipulative and exploitative practices taking place on resale sites and pave the way for tougher laws to ban profiteering altogether.”
Over 140 representatives from across Europe’s live performance sector have signed an open letter calling for the European Union to introduce tougher laws on online marketplaces. The signatories, who represent the worlds of pop, ballet, opera, theatre, comedy and more, are fed up with Europe’s exploitative ticket resale market, which drains hundreds of millions of euros from the live sector annually.
The letter focuses on the EU’s upcoming Digital Services Act, a regulation designed to make the internet safer. It comes ahead of a crunch meeting due to take place on Tuesday 15th March. Signatories include managers, agents and promoters for Ed Sheeran, Rammstein, Christine and the Queens, Robbie Williams, Jean-Michel Jarre, Alejandro Sanz, Hélène Grimaud, Parov Stelar, Måneskin, Die Ärzte, Yann Tiersen and Sigur Rós; plus many festivals, venues, industry groups and performers.
The letter reads as follows:
We are a wide-ranging group of European stakeholders from the culture industries, including artists and performers, managers, booking agents, event promoters, venues and representative organisations. We represent the core of the live performance sector, supporting culture and innovation, as well as contributing to economic growth, competitiveness and social development.
Ticket resale marketplaces are a hotbed for illegal activity. They enable professional ticket scalpers to resell tickets for a significant profit – often fraudulently – contrary to consumer protection and competition laws in many Member States. They use manipulative sales tactics and supply ticket resellers with tools that make it easier for them to commit fraud. Not only that, by concealing the identities of sellers, the ticket market supports widespread tax evasion, and tax authorities in Member States miss out on considerable tax revenues as a result.
These practices exploit fans and seriously undermine cultural businesses by leaching away hundreds of millions of euros each year. This threatens the post-pandemic recovery of Europe’s live events sector and has a knock-on effect on artists and business owners.
The Digital Services Act offers an opportunity to compel online marketplaces to act responsibly, and the next phase of negotiations is crucial in setting a high standard for consumer and business protection online.
With this aim in mind, we request that the new rules outline clear and robust responsibilities for marketplaces to ensure sellers are identifiable (“Know Your Business Customer”). This means obtaining and making best efforts to ensure the name, address and bank details of the seller, and the products offered, are legitimate. The identity of the seller must also be clearly visible alongside the products offered, as fans need to know who they are buying from. As well as checks on sellers, marketplaces should also carry out periodic spot-checks on listed products to ensure that they comply with the law.
Importantly, these basic obligations within the Act must apply to all businesses. We particularly reject the idea of a waiver for medium-sized businesses, which would leave the rules vulnerable to exploitation and encourage bad actors to move to smaller platforms.
Should a marketplace fail to comply, we ask that they be held accountable for any resulting illegal activity and harm done to fans.
The O2: Veronica Kakuba (Head of Event Ticketing Operations)
SNG Opera in balet Ljubljana (The Ljubljana Opera House): Andrej Sraka (Musician)
Others
Michael Waterson: (author of the Waterson Review, an independent review of consumer protection measures concerning online secondary ticketing facilities, presented to UK Parliament May 2016)
RBR Abogados SL: Juan Luis Rodriguez (lawyer)
Raquel Andrade: (Executive officer at the Civil Service)
Turku Institute for Advanced Studies: Martin Cloonan (Director)
Launched today at ESNS, FEAT is proud to present its latest guide for FEAT members and European promoters on how to deal with suspected touted tickets.
From set-up to post-show, “FEAT Guide: How to Find and Remove Scalped Tickets” provides simple step-by-step advice on how promoters can prevent tickets ending up in the wrong hands, while providing clear support to fans. Hoping to demystify the process of tackling touting, the guide outlines how to develop and implement an anti-tout policy, guide fans during on-sale, and spot signs of touting. It also advises on the best route to cancelling tickets in a fan-friendly way, while taking into account the relevant legal considerations. Added extras include template terms and conditions, as well as a template letter to send to any venues involved.
The live music industry suffered drastically as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with UK live revenues collapsing by up to 90% in 2020, according to UK Music. As concerts resume, reducing touting will help ensure fans regain their trust in ticketing and can afford to see their favourite acts.
Nicole Jacobsen, Managing Director and Co-Owner of tickets.de, said: “I’m really proud to have worked with FEAT on the ‘FEAT Guide: How To Find and Remove Scalped Tickets’. At tickets.de we’ve been working to stop scalping for over ten years, and the guide is just the latest in what is an on-going and dedicated campaign.”
FEAT Director Sam Shemtob added: “With the live business looking to get back on the front foot in 2022, the timing is perfect for promoters to take steps proven to reduce touting. We hope this guide will be beneficial to all those who work in the sector.”
FEAT would like to thank all who contributed to this project, especially Nicole Jacobsen from tickets.de.
The guide is available on request only — and will shortly be launched in French, Spanish and German. Those interested should contact FEAT at support@feat-alliance.org.
Over the next couple of days the European Parliament will debate and vote on new rules as part of the upcoming Digital Services Act to create a safer and more transparent space for online users.
The new rules have the potential to significantly impact the ticket resale market which has long been plagued by online marketplaces that exploit consumers by providing misleading information and hosting illegal or invalid tickets to turn huge profits.
While the proposals put forward by the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) are a big step in the right direction to improve transparency and accountability online, there are currently significant loopholes that could compromise the effectiveness of the Digital Services Act.
As such, FEAT urges MEPs to consider voting for the following amendments:
👉 Amendments 484, 515 and 548: Safeguarding fans against the reappearance of illegal products — a stay down provision is essential to ensure illegal products such as tickets do not reappear on marketplaces. In the case of illicit ticket resale, a simple keyword search would allow the marketplaces to identify illegally listed tickets for one event.
👉 Amendment 550: Making sure that due diligence requirements apply to all except micro businesses — ticket resale marketplaces come in all sizes and we see consumer abuses at all levels. It is therefore highly problematic that smaller enterprises would be exempt from basic due diligence requirements outlined in Chapter 3, leaving consumers vulnerable and companies open to exploit the rules.
👉 Amendment 512: Requiring marketplaces to verify information as to the identity of the seller through measures such as ID or bank document checks — ticket scalpers regularly use fake identities in order to sell fake or invalid tickets. A simple step such as an ID check is easy to implement and would have a significant impact on the number of fraudulent sellers listing tickets online.
FEAT has co-signed a letter calling for the European Parliament to strengthen proposed rules on online platforms to better protect consumers as part of the upcoming Digital Services Act. Signatories include 22 other consumer and business associations.
The letter argues that the DSA in its current format is inadequate in protecting consumers and legitimate businesses from the trade of illegal goods and services, including counterfeit and fraudulent tickets, and fails to understand the reality of online commerce. It urges the body to “avoid adopting a framework that presents significant risks for both consumer protection and businesses’ viability and reputation”.
As it stands, the Digital Services Act looks set to offer an exemption for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from certain due diligence obligations. In practice, this would merely encourage illegal traders to evade detection by moving to smaller platforms. While a waiver should still exist for micro-enterprises, the vast majority of Europe’s SMEs are still offline businesses, which have long been expected to meet their own set of diligence requirements.
In addition, the proposals ignore the vast and complex reality of online commerce by failing to hold all platforms that facilitate sales between traders and consumers to account. Limiting the scope of obligations such as the Know Your Business Customer obligation to marketplaces means that there will be limited accountability for selling on alternative platforms such as social media. This must be corrected by widening the scope of the forthcoming rules and increasing clarity about platform obligations and consequences.
The DSA as it currently stands is unsatisfactory. By making further adjustments, the Act can help consumers and small businesses trade online in a safe market no longer saturated with illegal trade.
It’s been a long year without live events, but with the silver lining of lockdown easing on the horizon, it might not be too long until you can get back to your favourite gig or festival.
There’s just one more hurdle that you need to overcome: getting your hands on a ticket.
Unfortunately, with demand for tickets at an all-time high, it’s not just genuine fans but also ticket touts looking to hoover up tickets as soon as an event goes on sale.
Not only is this bad for fans, who are then forced to buy touted tickets at much higher prices on the secondary market, but also for artists who aren’t supported by this practice.
Fans also run the risk of buying an invalid ticket that might not gain access to the event or even a ticket that does not yet exist!
With that in mind, we’ve joined forces with Victim of Viagogo to show you how you can stay safe when buying tickets online:
FEAT would like to thank Victim of Viagogo for their input, as well as the incredible work they do helping fans on a daily basis, alongside supporters Live Europe, EMMA, the International Federation of Musicians, Pearle and the Asociación de Promotores Musicales.
On 20th September, we hosted a panel at Reeperbahn Festival on the topic of ‘Unpacking the EU’s First Secondary Ticketing Legislation.’ It explored the ticketing bot ban included in the New Deal for Consumers and discussed how effective it will be, as well as exploring methods of consumer education (for background info on the new legislation, read the full story here).
Our Campaign Lead, Katie O’Leary, spoke on the panel on behalf of FEAT, with Sebastian Ott, Lawyer / Partner at Lichte Rechtsanwälte, Reinher Karl, Lawyer at Beiler Karl Platzbecker & Partner, alongside Dr. Johannes Ulbricht, Lawyer / Legal Adviser to BDKV.
Katie began by explaining that an event ticket is a license rather than a product, and as such it’s governed by the terms and conditions of the original sale, just like purchasing an airline ticket. She also advised on how event organisers can protect themselves from touting, including clear communications with fans regarding terms and conditions and encouraging primary ticket sellers to check their sales data.
She also discussed commercial solutions to the issues of the secondary market. These included the rise of fan-to-fan and face-value resale platforms, as well as other options for primary ticket sellers, such as dynamic pricing.
Overall, the panel was broadly positive on the potential impact of the new EU legislation, but emphasised that bots — the focus of these new laws — are far from the only method of ticket touting, and there is still a long way to go both legislatively and commercially in creating a fair market for both fans and industry.
You can read Katie’s comments in more detail here.
Google announced today that secondary ticketing company Viagogo has been suspended globally as an advertiser with immediate effect, meaning it will no longer be able to pay for higher search rankings.
This follows the CMA’s announcement, less than a fortnight ago, that it would be pursuing legal action to find Viagogo in contempt of court, after the site repeatedly failed to overhaul the way it presents information. The UK’s FanFair Alliance, Spain’s Association of Music Promoters and French live music association PRODISS have been involved with discussions with Google on the issue for several years, and last year UK MPs, The Football Association, UK Music and others signed a letter to senior Google executives advising them to ban Viagogo’s advertisements.
Google’s suspension of Viagogo as an advertiser is a major step forward in preventing consumers buying tickets from suspicious resellers. It follows an update to Google’s Adword policy last year, which required that in order to be certified with Google, ticket resale websites must clearly inform fans they are a secondary marketplace, declare when prices that are higher than face value and make all fees associated with the purchase clear.
Google’s move to protect consumers is encouraging. The tech giant confirmed: “When people use our platform for help in purchasing tickets, we want to make sure that they have an experience they can trust.”
FEAT Director Sam Shemtob commented: “This is a hugely significant step — Google is the first port of call for fans searching for gig tickets across the world.
“The move appears to have been triggered by recent court proceedings led by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority as well as pressure from the UK Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee.
“It’s worth noting the work of the UK’s FanFair Alliance, Spain’s Association of Music Promoters and French live music industry association PRODISS, who have been engaged in multiple conversations on the issue with Google, some of which date back to 2016.
“We hope other search engines and social media platforms will follow suit.”
The companies contacted fans less than a week before the match to inform them that their ticket purchases would not be fulfilled by the sellers, who had sold them speculatively – including fans who had already travelled to Madrid. Whilst StubHub has promised fans a full refund, including shipping and service fees, and Viagogo has promised either alternative tickets or €500 compensation, many customers will still be left out of pocket – not least because of the inflated cost of travel and accommodation in Madrid.
Viagogo and StubHub have informed hundreds of buyers of secondary tickets for the Champions League final in Madrid that their tickets – some of which cost upwards of £10,000 – were sold speculatively and do not in fact exist.
StubHub has also offered €1,500 in compensation for each ticket purchased, but it is understood that if fans accept this offer, they will not be able to sue. This year’s Champions League final has seen extraordinarily high levels of ticket touting, according to the Times. Over 8,000 tickets have appeared on secondary ticketing sites with prices far higher than face value, due to extremely high demand.
The scandal has gained coverage from media outlets across Europe, with fans expressing their outrage at such blatant disregard for consumer protection.
Whilst the European Union has recently taken an unprecedented step forward in tackling ticket profiteering – by outlawing the use of bots to bulk-buy tickets as part of the New Deal for Consumers – this latest news demonstrates the continued need for tougher legislation, stronger enforcement and greater consumer awareness in the fight against touts.
Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT) launches to promote face-value ticket resale
Members include promoters for Adele, Arcade Fire, Björk, Bruce Springsteen, Christine and the Queens, Ed Sheeran, Iron Maiden, Elton John, Florence + the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rolling Stones, Radiohead and Rammstein
Festivals include Doctor Music Festival, We Love Green, Peacock Festival, Once in a Blue Moon Festival, Hurricane and Southside
Already actively lobbying at EU level to improve ticket resale
Europe’s leading live music professionals have come together to form a new organisation, the Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT), to promote face value resale across the continent.
While a number of initiatives aimed at tightening up ticket resale have begun in recent years, some of which, like the UK’s FanFair Alliance, have had considerable success, global platforms continue to operate with impunity, ignoring guidance, legislation and rulings from courts.
Launching today at renowned live music conference ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag), FEAT will build on the work of these initiatives to encourage better ticket resale practices via a continent-wide approach. FEAT’s focus includes:
Encouraging better legislation at national and EU level: coordinating lobbying efforts for better legislation to protect fans and artists and encouraging enforcement
Connecting live industry professionals: sharing knowledge and building consensus towards a fair and safe ticketing marketplace across Europe.
Collecting data and research: tracking artist and fan concerns, ensuring their interests are represented and voices are heard.
Working under the radar, FEAT is already actively involved in EU parliamentary discussions on secondary ticketing. FEAT has also been facilitating the formation of a legal group to coordinate activities on ticketing regulation and with search engines.
A non-profit organisation, FEAT will focus on the live music business and will build alliances with the full scope of the live entertainment industry including performing arts and sport.
The Alliance will be run by Sam Shemtob, a music business specialist who has been active in the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ticket Abuse for several years, and colleagues Katie O’Leary and Dominic Athanassiou, who also participate.
Said Scumeck Sabottka, CEO, MCT-Agentur and FEAT Director: “We need to get this right as otherwise fans and artists alike will be robbed by thieves; if we all pull this together and get EU legislation to follow our lead, we can ultimately make it work”
Neo Sala, Founder & CEO, Doctor Music and FEAT Director: “Governments need to understand speculative ticket resale is an abusive and unethical practice that harms people, and they need to approve laws that make it virtually impossible. We need legal tools that facilitate the immediate preventive close down of websites that put tickets on sale without having been authorised by the organiser of the event.”
Sam Shemtob, FEAT Director: “The growth and effectiveness of grassroots movements against industrial ticket touting in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland in recent years has been invigorating. The time has come for these these movements to connect, collaborate and speak as one at a European level, where MEPs are listening”
Adam Webb, Campaign Manager, FanFair Alliance: “The FanFair campaign has shown that legislation and regulation can have a disruptive impact on exploitative secondary ticketing and help foster a more consumer-friendly approach to ticket resale. There is still work to do in the UK and challenges ahead, but because of collective action the situation has improved markedly since 2016. Our focus will remain on these shores, but we are happy to share our experiences and support the activities of FEAT in building wider European networks and improving EU legislation.”
Sharon Hodgson, Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom & Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ticket Abuse: “As Chair of the APPG on Ticket Abuse, I have worked on this issue in the UK for almost a decade. In 2011, I proposed a Bill which would cap ticket resale at 10% above their face value. Unfortunately, this Bill did not pass into UK Legislation. Since then, I have been working with my cross-party colleagues, and the sector, in order to tackle unscrupulous ticket touts in the UK, who re-sell tickets for profit. It is time for legislation that puts fans first, and I am working closely with the UK Minister to try and find a solution to this. I am pleased to support the efforts of FEAT in dealing with this across Europe.”
Claire Turnham MBE, Victim of Viagogo: “We are delighted to welcome FEAT and support your commitment to improve the safety of ticket buyers across Europe. Having worked closely with the FanFair Alliance in the UK over the last two years, I have seen how effective a coordinated, collaborative, industry-wide campaign can be when it puts the fans at the centre of the issue.”
Per Kviman, Chair and Virpi Imonnen, Vice-Chair, European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA): “In the last decade we’ve seen the live industry flourish, with revenues from concerts and festivals becoming the primary source of income for artists and musicians. But this has come at a price, and, spurred on by the rise of the internet, the secondary ticketing market has thrived, draining money away from fans, artists and the industry. It is great that FEAT has formed to enable us to work together on a European level to share experiences and knowledge and help better the market.”
Founding members
Ben Giezenaar – Co-Founder, Greenhouse Talent, Netherlands (Once in a Blue Moon Festival, Justin Bieber) Christof Huber – Managing Director, Incognito, wepromote, Switzerland (Imagine Dragons, George Ezra) Folkert Koopmans – CEO, FKP Scorpio, Germany (Ed Sheeran, Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters) Kim Worsøe – Director, ICO, Denmark (The 1975, Sam Smith, Disturbed) Neo Sala – Founder & CEO, Doctor Music, Spain (Adele, Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Doctor Music Festival) Olivier Darbois – Director, Corida, France (Christine and the Queens, Justice – produced worldwide, Kraftwerk, Radiohead – promoted France) Pascal Van De Velde – Founder & CEO, Greenhouse Talent, Belgium & Netherlands (Elton John, Katy Perry) Peter Aiken – Managing Director, Aiken Promotions, Ireland (Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Adele) Philippe Cornu – Founder, wildpony, wepromote, Switzerland (Muse, Rammstein) Scumeck Sabottka – CEO, MCT-Agentur, Germany (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Lykke Li, Björk, Rammstein, Florence + the Machine) Vincent Sager – Managing Director, Opus One, Switzerland (Arcade Fire, Iron Maiden)
Supporters
FanFair Alliance Sharon Hodgson, Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom & Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ticket Abuse European Music Managers Alliance Claire Turnham MBE, Victim of Viagogo Guy Osborn, Professor of Law, University of Westminster Mark James, Professor of Sports Law, Manchester Metropolitan University
Thanks to…
Adam Webb (FanFair Alliance), Annabella Coldrick (MMF), Dominic McGonigal (C8 Associates), Helen Smith (IMPALA)
We’re very happy to announce that FEAT will be hosting a panel on secondary ticketing at this year’s Eurosonic Noorderslag Festival in Groningen.
The panel will discuss whether regulation is the answer to the secondary ticketing problem, exploring recent legislative action in Europe, such as moves in Italy and Ireland to ban ticket resale and rulings by the Competition and Markets Authority in the UK against Viagogo.
Panellists include Dany Hassenstein, Booker for Paléo Festival Nyon, Promoter at Opus One, and an executive board member of the Swiss Music Promoter Association (SMPA); Aline Renet, Director of Institutional Relations and Institutional Advisor at Prodiss; Ben Challis, UK lawyer specialising in music and entertainment law and General Counsel for Glastonbury; and Rammstein’s legal advisor Sebastian Ott. It will be moderated by FEAT’s Sam Shemtob.
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