Today marks the launch of Tickadoo, a personalised online platform by two leading figures in the ticketing industry, promising to revolutionise the way customers find and book theatre and entertainment experiences.
Francis Hellyer and Emmanuel Ciolfi, the founders who transformed London Theatre Direct (LTD) from a single laptop on a kitchen table into an industry giant with over $1 billion in ticket sales, foresee a new era in ticketing. This era focuses on the customer’s personality and interests, driven by AI technology.
Differing from traditional platforms, Tickadoo offers tailored event recommendations based on users’ unique interests, enabling them to discover new shows and experiences. Its map-based discovery feature allows users to search by preferences and consider factors such as distance, weather, and location.
Users will have the option of exploring the bookings navigator or dealing directly with an AI powered chat client, without ever leaving WhatsApp.
tickadoo is currently available in the test markets of New York, Las Vegas and London. It will soon launch in more than 180 cities worldwide, with a membership-based platform that uses AI to adapt its offerings to a customer’s individual preferences and needs.
“The trends in live entertainment couldn’t be clearer,” Hellyer said. “Customers want personalisation, discoverability, and they want a tailored experience that focuses on their specific interests.”
London Theatre Direct pioneered online ticketing in Britain 25 years ago and introduced groundbreaking features, including live seating plans, API connectivity to West End venues and was the first ticket company in the world to accept bitcoin.
“We were always at the forefront of technology at London Theatre Direct, pushing boundaries and doing things no-one had ever done before. What’s hugely exciting for me with tickadoo is that we’re going global. We’re taking everything we learned about selling London and doing that in 180 cities across the world.”
tickadoo+ members will gain access to early ticket sales, special discounts and VIP experiences that are not available to the general public. This program enables venues to adapt to a more demanding audience and build a loyal customer base by offering enhanced experiences.
Hellyer added: “We’ve spent this last year assembling a world-class team. Every one of them is at the top of their game, from user experience to engineering. We know we are going to revolutionise this industry. We’re coming up with new ideas every day. It is phenomenal what we can do now with the tech. Too many people throw the word ‘groundbreaking’ about, but this truly is. It’s game changing.”
“Customers today really value spontaneity and personalisation,” says co-founder & COO Mark Prethero, who also worked on London Theatre Direct and more recently at Headout: “We are really focused on meeting audiences wherever they are, day or night, and serving up just the perfect last-minute suggestion for just the right moment, on a trip, or during an unplanned night out. That will help promoters book more seats, and give customers much more flexibility and choice.”
