CALABASAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Entertaining customers is supposed to be entertaining and lead to business growth. TicketManager, the leading provider of ticket and invitation management applications for companies of all sizes, aims to bring all aspects of customer entertainment together into an easy to use application integrated across CRM, email and mobile technologies.
Coming off a banner year where the company added globally known businesses, such as FedEx, Nissan, Konica Minolta, BMO, and even the United States Olympic Committee, to an already impressive stable of companies including AT&T, Coca-Cola, American Express, MasterCard, Verizon, Wells Fargo, and 50+ Fortune 500’s, the firm has secured a $20 million Series B round of financing led by Kayne Partners and Point Judith Capital to expand into new markets and accelerate growth. Kayne Partners is the growth private equity group of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, L.P., an alternative investment firm managing over $22 billion in assets (as of 9/30/15).
"With a customer list of globally known Fortune 1000 companies, partnerships with more than 60 professional sports teams, sponsorships with 14 arenas and universities and strategic alliances with the best technology providers in the world, our team has proven there is a major opportunity to help companies with tickets, invitations, conferences, and events…and TicketManager is the answer,” said Tony Knopp, TicketManger’s CEO and Co-Founder. “With the latest round of funding, we will continue our rapid expansion domestically and globally by adding to our team, building mission critical technology for our customers, and opening the world’s eyes to just how valuable and easy client entertainment is.”
The investing community shares in the enthusiasm: “TicketManager is one of those rare companies that has both the vision and the technical capabilities to change how corporations manage client entertainment,” said Sean Marsh, Co-Founder of Point Judith Capital. “Client entertainment is a multi-billion dollar industry, and companies need solutions like TicketManager to ensure their investments provide the maximum return in new and retained business.”
Nathan Locke, a partner of Kayne Partners, added, “Sales and long-term business come from relationships. Relationships are built by spending time with people, doing the things they enjoy doing. We’ve invested in TicketManager because the potential is huge for a solution that amplifies the impact of relationship building through tickets, events and other client entertainment assets.”
TicketManager integrates seamlessly with its customers’ core enterprise applications, making it easy to create an invitation for a customer and include the tickets, an itinerary, online check-in, and even a guest list to track who is at the event in real time. To that end, TicketManager is already integrated with leading CRM platforms, Salesforce, and Concur, to take the pain out of requesting, obtaining and delivering client entertainment options. The strong reporting and compliance tools also ensure companies are able to track and justify every request.
With a customer base of globally known companies spanning all industries including Under Armour, Fox Sports, CBS, NBC Universal, HP, and more, TicketManager has quickly become a necessity for firms of all sizes as the company continues to gain recognition within the industry. “The quality of our customer list speaks for itself,” said Joe Greiner, Co-Founder and CRO, “and this is just the beginning as companies are seeing the need for our application every day.”
TicketManager has drawn rave reviews from major content and event providers as well. “TicketManager makes it easy for the Verizon Center to manage every aspect of executive suites and corporate partnerships for three professional sports organizations and a major college basketball program,” said Jim Van Stone, Chief Revenue Officer for Monumental Sports Entertainment, which owns and operates the Verizon Center and Washington D.C.’s professional basketball and hockey teams.
In addition to securing its latest round of financing, TicketManager was recently highlighted as one of the Top 100 Places to Work in LA and a 100 Fastest Growing Private Company by the LA Business Journal, and also earned a coveted slot as one of the fastest growing private companies in America in this year’s Inc. 5000 listing.
“We will automate client entertainment for companies of all sizes,” said Knopp, “and put the fun and ROI back into an important business investment.”
About TicketManager
TicketManager is Where Tickets Mean Business by automating client entertainment for companies of all sizes. TicketManager makes inviting customers to events or outings simple by enabling companies to measure the business impact of sports and entertainment assets and customer invitations while staying compliant.
Described as “Necessary in Business” by CNBC, TicketManager offers a variety of web and mobile products to help companies of all sizes use the tickets, gift cards, and invitations they own, buy the tickets they need, and stay compliant with all federal, state, and local regulation without adding another layer of red-tape or confusing software.
TicketManager makes tickets and invitations available where the business user lives, whether on their mobile device, in their CRM, or through their team and venue partners. TicketManager partners with over 60 professional sports teams and venues as well as industry leading partners, Salesforce.com and Concur, to offer integrated products alongside education. The company is based in Calabasas, CA.
