FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 9, 2010 Contact: Tim Underwood
519.342.3703
tim@grafmartin.com
INNOVATIVE LOW-COST TICKETING SOLUTION RELEASED
YourTicketZone.com launched to high early acclaim
(Waterloo, ON) Recognizing the need for lower event ticket service charges and seeing the opportunity to offer more options than large, well-known ticketing websites, Canadian music industry veteran Derek Schaaf has formally launched www.YourTicketZone.com. YourTicketZone is an innovative, low-cost, fully customizable online ticketing solution for conference organizers, event planners and concert promoters.
After discovering that there wasn’t a cost-effective, accessible, flexible ticketing method to serve upcoming music artists, Schaaf created the original YourTicketZone in 2002 as a part-time test project, and rolled it out for individual concert tours. When conference organizers showed interest and needed both ticketing and specialized conference registrations, the program was adapted and further developed to accommodate changing needs.
When the company at which he served for the past 18 years, most recently as CFO/COO, was sold in 2008 Schaaf took the opportunity to venture out and further develop YourTicketZone, customizing the program to offer a range of marketing tools and accommodate online sales, charitable donations, individual event seating, and seminar selection. “It was clear that it was the right time to move forward with YourTicketZone. We had created a proven tool with unique capabilities and highly flexible solutions because we had worked with event planners, artists and concert organizers to tailor it to their specific needs. After I had to pay a $16 service charge to buy a $20 concert ticket from another vendor, I knew we had something that consumers would love.” says Schaaf.
Schaaf explains, “Our clients appreciate that their customers can buy a barcoded event ticket, make meal and seminar selections, purchase a CD download, receive an electronic coupon for future sales, and make a donation to their favourite charity – and not be hit with a high ‘convenience fee’ or service charge.”
Even with all these new developments and their significant added value to event planners, Schaaf has remained committed to keeping YourTicketZone as a cost-effective, accessible ticketing solution. The service is offered completely free to event organizers, and customer service fees have been kept to rates far lower than industry standards.
YourTicketZone clients have included bands like Hillsong United, Jars of Clay, Starfield, Casting Crowns and Thousand Foot Krutch. Conference and event clients have included Unite in Worship, Revolution Rewind Conference, many other festivals and the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre. Ready to launch worldwide is a new partnership with Integrity Music.
Early adopters have offered high praise for YourTicketZone:
YourTicketZone was the perfect way for our band to sell tickets online to our public gigs. It was very user-friendly and easy to use, presented our event and image in a very professional manner and most of all was much better value compared to anything else available.- John Swain
They have become an indispensable part of my marketing team.
Nicole Smith, Event Coordinator
I strongly endorse YourTicketZone and we will be using them for all of our events in the future. It is both an excellent advertising and selling tool that contributed to the success of our event.....which sold out!
Robert Glatt
For more information on YourTicketZone visit
www.yourticketzone.com
or contact Tim Underwood, Graf-Martin Communications at tim@grafmartin.com or 519-342-3703 ext. 2.
About YourTicketZone
YourTicketZone.com is a uniquely cost-effective, customizable online ticketing solution for events, concerts and conferences. It’s as simple as click.print.enjoy!
Recommendations
YourTicketZone was the perfect way for our band to sell tickets online to our public gigs. It was very user-friendly and easy to use, presented our event and image in a very professional manner and most of all was much better value compared to anything else available. Derek was very responsive to all our requests to ensure our event was presented on the site professionally. YourTicketZone was a great find for us and we will continue to use it in the future for our events.
John Swain, Partner
OLIVER WYMAN Delta
I have used YourTicketZone for all of my online ticketing needs from the very beginning and have always been pleased with the professional, friendly and quick assistance I have consistently received. They have become an indispensable part of my marketing team.
Nicole Smith, Event Coordinator,
Lost and Found Ministries/WellAndAlive Family Festival and Concert Series
YourTicketZone has been an amazing sponsor for us over the past 3 years. Not only have they facilitated selling tickets online for our “Heavenly Night” fundraising events but have so generously donated their services! Derek has been great to work with in every capacity.
Kelita Haverland, Artist
YourTicketZone.com is an excellent source for selling tickets online! Their services are very to use, making it easy for users to navigate through the site and purchase tickets to the event. The best part about YourTicketZone is their customer service, always on hand to answer any questions I have.
Mike Fine
Event Director, The Tennis Show Inc
YourTicketZone was a great alternative to trying to sell tickets on our own. Their website advertised our event and sold our tickets, when people called we directed them to the website where they easily purchased their tickets. The information was provided to YourTicketZone and they took care of the rest. The website is easy to navigate and provides up to the minute information regarding ticket sales. Whenever I had any questions, the answers were forthcoming in a timely manner. I strongly endorse YourTicketZone and we will be using them for all of our events in the future. It is both an excellent advertising and selling tool that contributed to the success of our event.....which sold out!
Robert Glatt
The Old Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar Niagara On The Lake, Ontario
I've worked with Derek Schaaf and YourTicketZone as an online ticket sales agent for concert tours and conference registration and found them to be very reliable, enthusiastic and professional.
Paul Kelly, President
Unite Productions Inc.
About Management
Derek Schaaf, CEO
Derek Schaaf is the Founder & CEO of YourTicketZone, a company offering cutting edge technology in a quick, efficient and free online ticketing and event registration solution. Derek was most recently Chief Operating Officer of CMC Distribution, the largest independent music distributor outside of the USA, servicing CBA retail stores with the finest in music and video product. He served with CMC for 18 years starting in the accounting department and working his way up to Senior Manager Finance & Administration then Senior VP Finance & Administration and eventually COO and CFO where he managed an $16M budget and helped negotiate the sale of the company to David C. Cook Communications.
Derek attended Brock University where he studied Accounting and Finance and has been accepted to the Executive MBA program with the Richard Ivey School of Business at University of Western Ontario. He presently lives Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario with his wife and two daughters and is very passionate about music and has a strong desire to provide artists and businesses with unique, customizable, innovative and cost effective ways to ticket their events.