Kevin Hartz is Co-Founder & CEO of Eventbrite, a company that enables event creation, promotion, and ticket sales; while also helping people discover events that match their passions. Kevin was previously Co-Founder and CEO of Xoom Corporation, an international money transfer company, servicing more than 30 countries worldwide. He has been an active early stage investor and advisor to start-ups including PayPal, Pinterest, Lookout, Milo (acquired by eBay), TripIt (acquired by Concur) Flixster, Airbnb, Yammer, and Trulia. In his spare time, Kevin advises university students on entrepreneurship through Youniversity Ventures.
Kevin organized the Animal Farm and Ticketing panel at South by Southwest. Moderated by Jonathan Levine of Paradigm Entertainment, this panel will take place on Thursday, March 15 from 4:00PM to 5:00PM in the Austin Convention Center, Room 13AB. We asked Kevin a few questions about the panel:
What was your interest in creating this panel and how does it relate to your background?
At Eventbrite, we’re ticketing more and more concerts and music festivals. We focus on making it easier for people to discover concerts on our platform, share their ticket purchases, and check in upon arrival. We’re taking the philosophy of a Silicon Valley startup and applying it to the pains of bands and promoters, so we’re eager to host a conversation that addresses the ways in which technology can improve the concert-going experience for artists and their fans.
Who else is on the panel?
Travis Janovich – CEO of eTix, Todd Sims – CEO of Flavorus/Groovetickets and moderator Jonathan Levine of Paradigm Entertainment.
Why is this panel important to musicians?
Musicians are faced with more choices than ever before when it comes to ticketing platforms. Eventbrite is shifting the paradigm—helping performers capture fan data and then use it to make smart booking and promotion decisions. Musicians who attend the panel will come away with a better understanding of what kinds of tools and technological sophistication they should expect from a ticketing provider.
What do you hope people will walk away with after attending this panel?
A better understanding of how impactful social promotion can be for a tour. Eventbrite makes it easy for people to share event information and ticket purchases across their social networks—and we’ve found that each share, on average, drives an additional $12 in ticket sales for concerts. It’s powerful marketing that doesn’t cost bands or promoters a dime.
Best way for people to contact you?
@kevinhartz on Twitter
www.eventbrite.com
www.kevinhartz.com
