Advertisement

New ticketing site APACTix launches in Singapore

Photo of a ticket box office located at Singapore Indoor Stadium. (Photo by Roslan Rahman)

Starting from next month, SISTIC will have competition in the ticketing market.

New player APACTix intends to provide alternative retail ticketing solutions to organisers and patrons in the city-state.

APACTix set up shop in Singapore providing services for the Singapore Sports Hub for more than a year under the brand Sports Hub Tix.

The company’s general manager Chad Phillips told TODAY there is space for two large players in Singapore, adding that the business will focus on events held outside the Singapore Sports Hub.

Formerly known as New Era Tickets Asia, the company has spent S$3 million to set up its base here. This includes a data intelligence warehouse and a local data centre with the necessary bandwidth to support high volume sales.

APACTix’s main office is located at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, but patrons will be able to purchase tickets from APACTix at SingPost branches across Singapore.

The new ticketing company is part of the US mass media giant Comcast Corporation, and its ticketing system is powered by Paciolan Technology.

Will APACTix succeed in competing with SISTIC?

Phillips admitted in the interview with TODAY that competing with SISTIC would be a challenge as the “incumbent always has the advantage”.

SISTIC has been Singapore’s dominant ticket service provider since December 1991 providing ticket solutions for about 1,000 events each year, according to their website.

In an email reply to Yahoo Singapore, SISTIC said, "There have always been competitors in the market – typically four or five companies. For example, a major European ticketing company won the Singapore Grand Prix business in its first year (about 8 years ago). We have, however, won the contract from the second year onwards and have provided ticketing services every year since."

When asked if APACTix entry into the market would impact their sales and business strategies, they answered, "We’ll continue to focus on both show promoter and ticket buyer needs, including expanding our partner network overseas and upgrading our technology and services to better assist our customers."

However, the ticketing services market will also prevent one single provider from abusing its position.

In June 2012, the Competition Appeal Board (CAB) found that SISTIC had abused its dominant position through a series of exclusive arrangements with event promoters and operators to be their sole ticketing agent.

CAB said the exclusive arrangements were anti-competitive.