Ticketing revolution for New Zealand provincial rugby

Provincial rugby fans in New Zealand are set to benefit from an innovative, customer friendly and cost effective ticketing system from Dash Tickets.

Dash Tickets has entered the provincial rugby with a revolutionary ticketing system designed to reduce costs for customers and provincial rugby unions.

The international ticketing company, which is based in Wellington with a strong presence throughout New Zealand, has moved into the ITM Cup space alongside its sister company, TicketDirect.

Matthew Davey, Chief Executive of Fortress Information Systems Ltd, parent company of Dash Tickets and TicketDirect explains "we’re providing a quick, painless, inexpensive and effective purchasing experience."

The new approach to ticketing is a competitive price model based on groundbreaking technology which gives provincial rugby unions the power to control their own ticket sales, with the support of the Dash system.

It involves a fully integrated ticketing website with a strong customer focus, including Facebook integration and a ticket scanning smart phone app.

This enables Event Professionals to self-manage their own events quickly and easily, resulting in significantly reduced service fees for the purchaser – the equivalent of about a quarter of the fees that other ticketing agencies charge.

Davey states “the new system means more people can meet the cost of attending games. Dash Tickets was founded as a means of lowering service fees and rewarding customers when they buy online and do the work themselves."

Dash Tickets believes it is important to cater for everyone’s purchasing needs, with people still able to buy tickets online, over the telephone, or at i-sites and ticketing offices.

Currently, Dash Tickets, together with TicketDirect, is involved with 10 provincial rugby unions along with most of professional netball and cricket.

Davey continues “we have long-standing associations with three of the Super Rugby franchises – the Crusaders, Highlanders and Chiefs. The Provincial Rugby Unions will be able to leverage the wider marketing and customer associations we have with them."

Davey adds that Dash Tickets' recent confirmed partnerships with North Harbour and Tasman Rugby "reflects our credibility in the area."

North Harbour Rugby Union Chief Executive Brett Hollister, is excited about the opportunities Dash Tickets affords his Union.

Hollister states “we like the fact that we get all the benefits of a top class ticketing platform but can deliver it under the Harbour Rugby banner and integrate with our social media network. We are sure this will help enhance our customer experience.”

The increased flexibility across sales channels enabled by Dash Tickets’ new system is helping the company foster a greater degree of connection across all Provincial Rugby Unions.

As Davey concludes “ultimately it allows people to have a greater connection to grassroots rugby. It’s also an exciting platform for all divisions of national rugby.”

Dash Tickets’ experience in other large scale sporting events spans handling the majority of the HRV cricket competition through to a host of high profile horse-racing events.

Dash Tickets and TicketDirect are active in both the Australian and New Zealand markets.

To find out more about Dash Tickets and TicketDirect call 0800 224 224 in New Zealand or 1300 798 550 in Australia.

3rd September 2013 - TICKETDIRECT’S ACQUISITION OF DASH TICKETS TO ENABLE GROWTH IN NEW ZEALAND TICKETING SECTOR