Coast to Coast Tickets

Coast to Coast Tickets is an American ticket-brokerage brand that operated in the secondary ticket market, marketing tickets for sporting events, concerts, and theater productions. The company was based in Chicago, Illinois, while its earlier expansion history was associated with Austin, Texas. Its business model combined inventory sourced by the broker with online listings and customer-facing services intended to make resale-ticket purchasing easier. The company’s origins date to the late 1990s, when its founder began selling tickets while studying at the University of Missouri. The local market offered demand for event tickets but was not large enough to attract many established brokers, creating an opportunity for a smaller specialist business. Coast to Coast Tickets was formally established in 2000, and the brand name was trademarked in 2001. The company initially operated from a small home office, later moved into a former church building, and eventually occupied a larger office in Austin, Texas. Coast to Coast expanded rapidly during the first half of the 2000s. Reported revenue increased from $2.6 million in 2004 to $8.7 million in 2005, while the business also expanded its staff and customer-support capacity. In 2004, the website received a major redesign intended to differentiate the company through service and information rather than ticket listings alone. The redesigned site included schedules, biographies of artists and teams, and guides to cities, venues, and events. Telephone support was expanded with additional full-time and part-time staff. In 2005, Jason Randall joined the company as chief executive officer after working at organizations including the Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte & Touche, and Maritz. The company adopted a new visual presentation and the slogan “great tickets from nice people” in early 2006. During this period it received attention from business and industry publications for its growth, web traffic, and position among sports-ticket brokers. It was included in the Inc. 500 in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and appeared on the Austin Business Journal’s Fast 50 lists in 2005 and 2006. The service offering broadened in 2007. Coast to Coast added ticket insurance, designed to give customers a refund option if they could not attend an event, and introduced a marketplace through which customers could submit tickets for listing alongside the company’s inventory. These additions moved the business beyond a conventional broker model toward a platform that also supported customer-supplied resale inventory. Coast to Coast also changed its marketing approach in 2009, moving from an advertising-led strategy toward social-media activity. The company established a presence on Facebook and Twitter and added an official blog. Its position in industry rankings rose from number 13 on Ticket News’ Top 20 Secondary Ticket Sellers list in March 2007 to number 4 on the April 4, 2009 list. The available reference material documents the company’s growth and business initiatives through this period, but does not establish its current ownership, operating status, website, or later corporate history.

Coast to Coast Tickets developed from ticket-selling activity begun by its founder in the late 1990s while the founder was a student at the University of Missouri. The local market had demand for tickets but relatively limited access to established brokers, allowing a smaller specialist operation to emerge. The company was formally founded in 2000 and trademarked its name in 2001. Its early operations were conducted from a home-based office. As sales expanded, the company moved into a former church building and later into a larger office building in Austin, Texas. Reported revenue reached $2.6 million in 2004 and $8.7 million in 2005. During 2004, the website was substantially redesigned to provide more than ticket listings. It added event schedules, biographies of artists and sports teams, and guides covering cities and venues. The company also tripled the size of its team and expanded telephone assistance through full-time and part-time employees. Jason Randall joined Coast to Coast Tickets as chief executive officer in 2005. His previous experience included work with the Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte & Touche, and Maritz. The company adopted a revised website appearance and the slogan “great tickets from nice people” in early 2006. Its growth attracted recognition from business and ticket-industry publications. It appeared on the Austin Business Journal’s Fast 50 lists in 2005 and 2006 and was included in the Inc. 500 in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The company also received attention in coverage of the secondary ticket market from publications including Bloomberg, Red Herring, GQ, American Way, and several U.S. newspapers. In 2007, Coast to Coast expanded its services with ticket insurance and a marketplace for customer-supplied tickets. Insurance was intended to protect customers who could no longer attend an event, while the marketplace allowed users to add their own tickets to the inventory shown on the company website. These services broadened the company’s role from brokered ticket sales toward a hybrid brokerage and marketplace model. Marketing strategy shifted again in 2009. Rather than relying principally on advertising, Coast to Coast began using social networks and owned content, including Facebook, Twitter, and a company blog. Its industry standing also improved: Ticket News placed it at number 13 among secondary ticket sellers in March 2007 and at number 4 on its April 4, 2009 list. The available sources identify Chicago as the company’s base but do not provide reliable information about its later ownership, current operations, website, or ultimate corporate disposition.

• 2009

  Social-media marketing adopted

  [1]Coast to Coast Ticketsen.wikipedia.org

  The company expanded its marketing through Facebook, Twitter, and an official blog.

• 2007

  Insurance and resale marketplace introduced

  [1]Coast to Coast Ticketsen.wikipedia.org

  Coast to Coast added ticket insurance and a marketplace for customer-submitted tickets.

• 2005

  Jason Randall becomes CEO

  [1]Coast to Coast Ticketsen.wikipedia.org

  Jason Randall joined Coast to Coast Tickets as chief executive officer.

• 2004

  Website redesign and service expansion

  [1]Coast to Coast Ticketsen.wikipedia.org

  The company redesigned its website and expanded event information and telephone-support resources.

• 2001

  Brand name trademarked

  [1]Coast to Coast Ticketsen.wikipedia.org

  The Coast to Coast Tickets name was trademarked.

• 2000

  Company formally founded

  [1]Coast to Coast Ticketsen.wikipedia.org

  Coast to Coast Tickets was formally established after its founder had begun selling tickets in the late 1990s.

A customer-service-oriented online secondary ticket broker offering event inventory, event information, ticket insurance, and customer-supplied resale listings.

• Secondary-market event tickets · 2000

  Sports tickets

  Coast to Coast Tickets marketed tickets for sporting events through its online brokerage operation. Sports inventory was part of the company’s core offering from its inception and contributed to its recognition in sports-ticket-broker rankings.

• Secondary-market event tickets · 2000

  Concert tickets

  The company sold tickets for concerts and other live music events in the secondary market. Its website supplemented listings with information about artists, schedules, venues, and event locations.

• Secondary-market event tickets · 2000

  Theater tickets

  Theater tickets were another core category marketed by Coast to Coast Tickets, alongside sports and concert inventory.

• Customer protection service · 2007

  Ticket insurance

  Introduced in 2007, the ticket-insurance option was intended to provide customers with a refund if they were unable to attend an event.

• Resale marketplace · 2007

  Customer ticket marketplace

  Introduced in 2007, the marketplace allowed customers to submit their own tickets for display among the listings marketed through the Coast to Coast Tickets website.

• 2009Social-media marketing initiative

  United States

  Coast to Coast Tickets shifted from an advertising-centered marketing approach toward social-media and owned-content activity, including Facebook, Twitter, and an official blog.

  Outcome. The available source does not quantify the initiative’s commercial results.

  Source

• 2009

  Move toward social-media marketingStrategy

  Background

  The company reconsidered an approach focused primarily on conventional advertising.

  Action taken

  Coast to Coast became active on Facebook and Twitter and incorporated an official company blog.

  Aftermath

  The available material records the change in channel strategy but does not report a measurable outcome.

  Source

• 2007

  Launch ticket insurance and a customer resale marketplaceProduct launch

  Background

  The company sought to broaden its secondary-market service offering beyond tickets sourced and marketed directly by the broker.

  Action taken

  Coast to Coast introduced an insurance option for customers unable to attend and a marketplace where customers could add their own tickets to the company’s listings.

  Aftermath

  The initiatives expanded the company’s role toward customer protection and marketplace facilitation; later performance is not documented in the supplied sources.

  Source

• 2004

  Redesign the website around service and event informationStrategy

  Background

  The secondary ticket market was competitive, and the company sought to provide more customer assistance than a basic inventory listing.

  Action taken

  Coast to Coast redesigned its website to include schedules, artist and team biographies, and guides to cities, venues, and events, while also expanding telephone support.

  Aftermath

  The redesign coincided with continued company expansion, although the source does not establish a causal financial result.

  Source

1. 1Coast to Coast Ticketsen.wikipedia.org