Madonna is not a woman who likes to share her spotlight, so the fact that she surrendered the aesthetic of her new video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” to promoting her upcoming appearance at Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show and asked M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj to appear on the track is no small feat.

The Madonna- and Martin Solveig-produced song — the first single from March 26′s M.D.N.A. — channels the retro vibe of her Austin Powers single “Beautiful Stranger” through the “Mickey” filter (Tony Basil is even rocking a similar cheerleader chic look in its single cover). But Madonna has a little additional firepower here: Minaj contributes a blitzkrieg 16 referencing “boy toy” and her own alter ego Roman, while M.I.A. joins in a few seconds later with a handful of slo-mo bars that ends with a gun blast censoring her parting shot, “I don’t give a shit.” In short: Everyone plays themselves perfectly.

The video, directed by Megaforce, is regrettably light on Madonna’s dancing, especially considering her videos for 2008′s Hard Candy were elaborately choreographed. Her attempt to find a bridge between sports, love, and fame falls a bit flat — “Fans can make you famous, a contract can make you rich, the press can make you a superstar, but only luv can make you a player” is scrawled in cursive at the top of the clip — but in the end, the football players and cheerleaders in the video are all literally faceless passersby. They, like the two high-profile MCs, are all here in service of the Queen of Pop — they are shouting “L,U, V, Madonna” and taking bullets for her, after all.

But are those Smirnoff bottles we spy on the bar while Madonna strikes familiar poses and Nicki and Maya are decked out like virgins? Everyone’s gotta play the stupid game these days, even if she is not only a different kind of girl, but a different kind of queen.

Visit link:
Good Sport: Madonna, M.I.A., and Minaj Play Ball in ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ ‘ Video

Package improvements:

We now have 3 flexible package options available which include “Discount packages, Flex packages, Series packages”.

Discount packages:

Discount packages allow you to define a number of general admission or reserved seating events that are available for a package discount. You define the events, the number of events required to get the discount and the discount amount (amount or percentage). If the user chooses the events required, the appropriate discount will be applied when they checkout. Please note that this is the only package option at this time that allows you to sell reserved seating events. This package option is great for having ultimate flexibility where you might have events in different locations with reserved seating and general admission all included as options.

Series packages:

Available for general admission events using the same seating chart, a series package allows you to group events by “series” and apply a discount. The series package option presents the package as an option within your venue store and the patron only needs to select that package to get all shows in the package and receive the discount during checkout. Individual tickets are printed for all events within the package. Soon, this option will be available for reserved seating when we complete the option of the system to sell seats based on availability instead of allowing the customer to choose their seats.

Flex packages:

A flex package allows you to define events available, but the difference is that you define how many tickets the patron needs to purchase from the available events on a list to get the discount. So, for example, if there are 20 events possible, you might require them to purchase 5 events from the list to get a 20% discount. This is different from series packages because it allows the customer to choose which events they want as part of their package. Series packages provide the customer with specific events and no choice. Flex packages also now allow you to define a specific discount per event. So one event in the package might have a 10% discount and another event might be discounted by $5. Again, this option is currently only available for general admission events using the same seating chart.

Please contact us today for a demonstration.

Now on to the juicy details. Below are some of the new features and improvements that we’re going to be rolling out very soon. This is in no way a comprehensive list – just a quick list of things that we think you might be interested in. Of course this list will always be evolving because we’re always trying to take suggestions on how we can improve our system.

We look forward to working with you in the new year and beyond.

1. Ability to define different pricing for adult, child, senior or student for general or reserved events.

2. Improvements to the Venue Builder options so you can build more complex seating charts with less effort. Remember, with ETS you have complete control over your venue seating charts and there is no charge for setting up multiple charts. Oh yea, did we mention there’s no charge for additional venues either?

3. Improvements on how the system handles pricing for sections, rows and seats for reserved, general admission and combo seating charts. We’re always trying to make complex pricing and discounts flexible and changes easier. Again, you have complete control!

4. Many visual improvements throughout to make using the system easier to use. We’re always trying to make it easier for patrons too. We’ve been told that our system is one of the cleanest and easiest systems to use on the market and we’re always trying to make it better.

5. Refinements to the public and backend seating chart management so you can mouse-over individual seats and see row, seat#, price at a glance. This is extremely handy for patrons and administrators to confirm pricing in a complex seating chart.

6. Ability to sell advance sale tickets before tickets go on sale to the public. Yes, now you can sneak tickets for your buddies behind the scenes before the public has access!

7. We recently moved to upgraded RAID servers in one of the best datacenters in the country and now have full nightly backup on all files and databases as well as 24/7 monitoring of all server functions. We realize that our basic infrastructure is extremely important and we’re positioned to offer one of the best services available.

8. Discount codes and associated reporting. Add as many as you like. Assign codes to your entire venue or to specific events.

9. Barcode scanning at the gates for print-at-home tickets. This has been a long time coming and we’ll be rolling this option out soon.

10. Ability to sell “best available” seating for a reserved seating venue. Why make your patrons work so hard? Simply define your seating chart to assign seats automatically!

11. Ability to define “upsell” items during the purchase like parking, pre-show events, etc. Have you ever thought that a “pre-show wine and dors d’oeuvre” event would be popular? Well, now you can easily add an option like this to your events. Need to sell parking passes for your entire venue? You can get the job done easily with a few clicks.

12. Improvements on reporting. We’re always looking for ways to improve our reporting. If you review the system and have a need we’re always glad to consider adding your requests if they make sense for all our users! We’re always open to your ideas to improve.

13. Need custom, pre-printed tickets? Yes, we can help too. Contact us for more details and pricing.

If you have any comments or suggestions on improvments we would be glad to hear them and consider them for our development schedule in 2009. Please contact us today for access to a demo or a product walk-thru.

1) Improved reporting. We’re always open to integrating your ideas and needs so we’ve taken your suggestions and improved the reporting functionality and reporting options. In addition to new reports for generating a printable will call list we’ve also included new reporting for individual ticket sellers. The option to print, email and export reports from the system is now available as well.

2) Easily duplicate seating charts. Since our system allows you to have direct control over the customization of your seating charts (down to the individual seat) we’ve realized that it’ll be beneficial to give you control to duplicate seating charts. That way if you put a lot of work into building out one seating chart you can easily duplicate it for another event and make additional changes to pricing, discounts, on hold seats and layout as needed without starting from scratch.

3) Packages and single tickets. Since we just released new options to sell packages we had to put some work into allowing you to sell packages and single events in the same store. It’s all possible now and available with a click of a button.

4) Seat and section management. We’re designing our system to be as flexible as possible so we’ve now improved your ability to customize events with automatically scheduled discounts, on hold seats with scheduling and other functionality that’s customizable by event, section or seat!

5) Improved customizable print-at-home tickets. We’ve realized that it will be beneficial and handy to give you direct control to completely customize your print-at-home tickets for each event yourself. Now with a click of your mouse (and a little creativity) you can completely customize the header, the ticket graphic, the terms and conditions AND we’ve added a large area for you to put sponsorships, directions, future promotions, etc. – all in an effort to give you as much control as possible.

This is just a few of the new features that we have available. If you’d like to get more information about our service please contact us at sales@eventticketingsystems.com

1. Q. Is the service affordable? A. The ETS system pricing can start at .50 a ticket sold/tracked through our system and will go down from there based on your volume. You simply pass this fee on to your patrons in your ticket price or add on a processing or service fee that you control.

2. Q. Does the system offer a wide variety of delivery options that includes a customizable, print-at-home ticketing option? A. Yes.

3. Q. Can you easily manage sponsorships on your event store and print-at-home tickets? A. Yes.

4. Q. Can the ticketing service handle reserved seating, general admission or a combination of both? A. Yes.

5. Q. Can you manage your venue from initial sign-up, to building out your venue seating chart & seats, to scheduling your event sale dates, down to extensive reporting? A. Yes.

6. Q. Can you put tickets “On Hold” for media or comps and then set a release date for them to be made available to the public? A. Yes.

7. Q. Can you easily discount shows, sections and individual seats? A. Yes.

8. Q. Can your ticketing store be customized to look like your venue website? A. Yes.

9. Q. Is the public and backend user interface classy and intuitive for you and your patrons? A. Yes.

10. Q. Can you offer season ticket packages of different types? A. Yes. Please contact us for current options.

11. Q. Can you accept donations at your venue and customize the text that appears? A. Yes.

12. Q. Can you easily integrate your own merchant account and retain control of your money? Can you use Paypal or offer multiple forms of payment and shipping? A. Yes.

13. Q. Can you sell walk-up sales through this system, process credit cards through the system or sell cash sales? A. Yes.

14. Q. Is the system integrated with a robust email marketing system to collect patron information and email addresses? A. Yes.

15. Q. Can the patron establish an account in the system and see their past purchases, etc.? A. Yes.

16. Q. Is the system hosted in a world class datacenter and monitored 24/7 by professionals, backed up nightly, and secure? A. Yes.

17. Q. Can you manage multiple venues and thousands of shows within one account? A. Yes.

18. Q. Does the system offer robust reporting and exporting of the data? A. Yes.

19. Q. Will the system easily integrate with a ticket printer so we can print our own tickets? A. Yes.

20. Q. Will your service wash my car, brush my dog and play with my children? A. Not currently but we’re always looking for ways to improve our service!

If you have any questions that are not answered here please contact us and expect us to say “yes” or we’ll consider adding your request to our development schedule ASAP!

For nearly 60 years, the Akron Symphony Orchestra has been a driving musical force throughout the Greater Akron area. Widely recognized for musical excellence and performance versatility, it is committed to meeting the needs of its community

The Akron Symphony Orchestra is operated by the Greater Akron Musical Association (GAMA). GAMA is committed to providing quality symphonic an choral music, through performances and educational programs, to the largest number of people possible in the greater Akron area. This mission is realized by operating the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Akron Youth Orchestras, Akron Symphony Chorus, and numerous special outreach and educational programs.

To view their online ticketing store that’s powered by ETS (or better yet), if you’re in the area, get yourself some season tickets! You won’t be disappointed. Click here to view their custom online ticket store.

Thank you for considering Event Ticketing Systems by Sanctuary Media Group and taking the exciting first step toward taking your venue and event sales online. Making the move to the web and selling tickets online is a decision that you most certainly won’t regret. There are many reasons why online ticketing will most assuredly streamline your event operations and save you time and money.

Convenience for your patrons:

As you may already know, online shopping is all the rage these days and will probably never trend down. It’s becoming “the way” to shop and compare before making a purchase. People enjoy the convenience of shopping in their slippers and bathrobes while saving time, accessing a massive window of choice, and saving money by comparison shopping. All with just a simple click of the mouse. Online ticketing and box office systems allow you to provide this same convenience to your potential patrons so they can purchase tickets online and have them delivered without ever leaving their seat. Today, patrons demand convenience and online ticketing is another great way that you can give it to them.

Saves you money:

Online ticketing is not all about the patron though. On the surface, e-ticketing saves your patrons time but that’s only the tip of the benefits iceberg. Online ticketing will save your event and venue money. At Event Ticketing Systems our services are essentially free to your venue or event. There are no monthly fees or hidden charges to sell tickets. We make our money by including a small processing fee on each ticket purchased and you simply pass this on to the ticket purchaser to cover the cost of using the service. Your event receives access to use the software on your website and in your box office, you get to utilize our powerful servers and infrastructure, you don’t pay for ticket stock and you can reduce your employee fulfillment costs if you allow us to fulfill your orders and mail them for you. We’ll essentially handle your ticketing from beginning to end for free. All you need is a computer and a reliable internet connection.

Reduces staff demands:

Have you dreaded selling tickets to a large event because of the staff required to take and fulfill the orders? Staffing your offices for phone calls can be an expensive and daunting task. Let your website do the work fulfilling orders and answering question while put your staff to work elsewhere. Online ticketing makes it easy to sell tickets without human intervention.

Helps you grow your marketing:

At Event Ticketing Systems we don’t miss an opportunity to help you grow your venue or event participation. When you become a client and utilize our system you’ll gain access to a powerful way to market your events – Email. We believe that you should never miss an opportunity to stay in contact with a potential or past patron and we make it easy for you.

Every time someone places an order through your account they’ll be asked to subscribe to your e-newsletter. Via your account you’ll be able to access this database of information and continually market your future events to your database via email. It’s a great way to stay top-of-mind and grow your event participation. We make it easy and our system provides you with an easy way to build, schedule and send your messages for free. You can easily include graphics, links, special offers, discounts and coupons and any other messages that you deem necessary and it’s all done with a click of the mouse. We even provide extensive stats on how many people opened your message, what links they clicked on, who they are and more. You can even export the data and use it for direct mailings because the system gathers and stores all the information you need from your patrons.

Increases revenue opportunities and value for your sponsors:

Sponsorships are a big part of event marketing. Without sponsorship dollars it’s hard to put on an event. Again, we make it easy for you to expand your sponsorship revenue or increase your sponsorship value. We do this in two ways. First, within our system we provide you with an easy to use advertisement manager that allows you to place sponsorship ad cubes throughout your online store. Sponsors will increase their exposure and gain direct traffic to your website. Our system tracks statistics that you can share with your sponsors to show the extra value you’ve provided them. Second, you can easily add sponsorship logos, messages and offers to your print-at-home tickets, receipts, and printed tickets. Our system makes this easy and it’s all managed by you and customized for each event.

Reduces your technical hurdles:

If online ticketing seems like something that scares you, don’t be afraid. Event Ticketing Systems handles everything for you. Our software is easy to use, we maintain our own servers and house them in one of the best data centers in the country and we’ll handle all of your fulfillment. We like to give you as much control as you want but we’ll even setup your account and venue for you if needed.

We hope you’ve found this introduction useful. Please call Sanctuary Media Group about our Event Ticketing Systems product anytime to discuss your needs further! 330-266-1188

In an effort to help you choose an online ticketing company we’ve begun this series of articles to help guide you so you can have a nice checklist of items to consider when choosing ticketing software. We’ll help you think through the process and show you the options available so you can make the best decision possible. Even if our company does not offer the solution that you’re seeking, we’ll try to tell you what’s possible, what’s new and what’s hip in the online ticketing world.

General admission or reserved seating

Ideally you want an e-ticketing system that provides you with the flexibility to sell general admission seats, reserved seating or a combination of both. Not all software is created equal so ask this question if it’s not explicitly spelled out. Even if you’re venue or event is completely reserved seating you never know what you’ll need in the future or how your venue will evolve. It’s always better to plan for the future and weigh all options so you’re confident that you’ve made the best decision. Flexibility is key and a good ticketing system should allow you to setup and manage reserved seating, general admission or break up your event with both options within the same seating chart. The best systems will allow management of multiple seating charts for your venue and will allow you to customize pricing for each individual event.

Payment processing for online ticketing

If you’re selling tickets online you need a reliable vehicle to accept credit cards from the patrons purchasing tickets to your events. Many ticketing services do the processing for you which is convenient. The downside is that they can potentially sit on your money for a long period of time. If it’s a large amount of money they’re probably banking the money and gaining interest from your money before they release it. You should consider this before committing to a service. Ideally you should setup a merchant account of your own and integrate it into the software so you have complete control over your money. The process is usually painless and it will guarantee that you receive your money as soon as possible. If you’re a small operation or you’re running a one time event there are additional options available if you don’t want to go through the merchant account approval process. Investigate services like 2checkout.com and PayPal.com.

Options for online event ticket printing and delivery

The options for delivery of tickets purchased on the internet are continually growing. In general you should consider whether you need print-at-home ticketing services, will call and delivery via postal mail. You should also consider whether your event will print and fullfill the tickets that need to be mailed or if the ticketing software company provides fulfillment services. This service is usually offered as an add-on option when patrons are purchasing their tickets. It’s a convenient option for your patrons and your event. It’s also cost effective since the fees are passed on to the purchaser as a ticket convenience fee or shipping and handling fee. Strongly consider a company that will fulfill your order for you.

In addition, you should consider the options for print-at-home ticket delivery and the costs and technical hurdles associated with offering such an option. Many ticketing companies provide print-at-home tickets that are individually bar-coded. This is an effective method for reducing fraud but the costs and potential technical problems usually outweigh the amount of fraud that arises. This is especially true for reserved seating events where there is no real reason why someone would duplicate their tickets since the ticket is only good for one seat. Strongly weigh the costs involved with print-at-home ticketing when comparing companies and ask if you can get a discount on the services if you don’t utilize their scanning services. Event Ticketing Systems does provide print-home-ticketing but we do not usually go through the cost of providing expensive scanners, a wireless network, computers and staff onsite to troubleshoot issues. This allows us to offer our services at a reduced rate for a service we feel is generally unnecessary. In general if you have a reserved seating event you’ll be fine without scanning every ticket and slowing down the entry process. If there is a conflict it’s easily resolved by checking the order details on the print-at-home ticket. If you have a general admission event you can provide tickets via will call or postal mail so there is not need for scanning. If you have a large general admission event like a festival though you might consider another service that provides ticket scanning at an increased cost.
There are companies now that offer ticket delivery via mobile phone and PDA if you really feel like getting techy. Again, this offers convenience to your patrons but there are technical hurdles that can potentially hamper your operations.

Ease of use for you and your patrons

The best online ticketing systems are easy to use, intuitive and flexible. Your online box office should be easy to use and clear. Your patrons should be able to quickly find what they want and checkout with ease. The backend box office management should be clear and flexible as well. Consider if you have direct control to edit your seating charts, manage seating/section pricing without contacting someone, offer discounts for entire shows or down to individual sections and seats and consider the reporting options available.

Also consider if you can use your chosen system in your venue box office, around town or at home! If the ticketing system is web-based there should be no reason why you can’t setup users with access to sell and distribute tickets from anywhere. A a will call or postal mail delivery system is ideal for wide distribution so the seller does not have to print tickets.

Following these tips will help you get started on the right foot with online internet ticketing and you’ll make the best choice if you take the time to investigate and weigh all the options available.

Event Ticket Systems (Sanctuary Media Group) is a small, family owned business so you can be assured that you’ll get fast support and you’ll know the name of the person you’re calling or emailing if you need support or have a question. Our system features rival those of the larger, more expensive companies but our costs are much lower because we strive to reduce overhead and focus on running the best, web-based ticketing and fulfillment system available. ETS is a division of Sanctuary Media Group, Inc. and we have a long history of developing web-based applications and websites so we have the knowledge and experience necessary to get the job done right. Our goal at ETS is to design our system to put you in control. Once you sign-up, the system is completely customizable and available at your fingertips. There is no waiting to configure your account, setup your venue, setup events or to customize your seating, pricing or seating charts. Everything is available to you so you’re in control.

How much does your service cost?

We simply charge a small service fee that’s applied to each order and our pricing is simple. We simply charge .50 per ticket sold or tracked through our system. Pricing can go down based on volume. Your patrons can pay this small fee when they purchase tickets through your store by adding on a “convenience fee” or “processing fee”, or you can choose to absorb the cost yourself. (You have complete control over this) This fee is in addition to any shipping and handling fees that apply. Generally there are no setup fees but you should review the information on our sign-up page here to get all the details.

How do I get my money when someone buys a ticket?

You are always in control of your money. Unlike other services we do not handle credit card processing. We like you to get your money right away and retain control over your finances. Our service includes easy integration of credit card processors like authorize.net, 2checkout.com and Paypal, among others. If you’d like to discuss custom integration of your current credit card processor please contact us and we’ll be glad to discuss it.

Is there any way you’ll process credit cards for me?

No, we do not currently handle this service.

How does ETS get paid?

We charge a small service fee on every order as described above and this covers our costs to run the service. Each month we’ll send you an invoice for the amount required and you can pay by check or credit card. A $20 minimum applies. There are NO hidden fees.

How do my patrons get their tickets?

We have several flexible options available which allow you to choose the service that fits your needs the best. You can mix several options or choose just one. Current options include print-at-home, will call or postal mail.

How do you ensure that people don’t duplicate their print-at-home tickets?

The only way to guarantee that a print-at-home ticket has not been duplicated is to provide a unique bar code on each ticket and to scan each individual ticket at the gate to check for validity. This requires barcode scanners, a technical staff, a fast wireless network and wireless routers and repeaters placed throughout your venue.

Can I sell sponsorships?

Yes, our system is setup so you can easily add sponsorship graphics to your print at home tickets and throughout your online store. Advertising on your online store is also tracked so you can provide your advertisers with click-thru data. Yet another way to cover the costs of selling tickets and increase profits.

Can you help me with online marketing?

Yes, our system is setup to gather contact information and email addresses from your patrons. As long as you are a subscriber you can use our unique Subscriber Manager system to build e-marketing campaigns and market future events and special offers to your past patrons*. For more information about this part of the service please contact us.

Since ETS is a division of Sanctuary Media Group (an experienced web development and online marketing firm) we can help you manage your online marketing under one roof and that includes website design and development, SEO, pay-per-click management, powerful hosting and more.

*Additional setup fees apply

What equipment will I need to provide this service?

Our system is completely web-based so you’ll need a computer and a connection to the internet. If you choose to print your own tickets you’ll need to rent or purchase an approved ticket printer. Purchase prices start around $1000. Please contact us for more information and recommendations.

Can I setup multiple venues and events within a single account?

Yes.

Does the system provide reporting?

Yes. We provide extensive reporting that can be exported and imported in Excel or Quickbooks.

Can I reserve seating for media, special guests, handicapped and comps?

Yes. You can set aside seats or entire sections. Handicapped seating is not sold through the system because there is no way to verify that someone is actually handicapped. The system will show the customer which seats are handicapped and prompt them to purchase these seats.

Can I include an option to ask for donations during checkout?

Yes.

If I handle the ticket printing and mailing for my event can I include a shipping and handling fee?

Yes. You have complete control to assign shipping and handling fees to your orders. You may also opt to include an additional processing fee even if we’re handling the mailing. This can be used to cover any additional costs related to your venue and to cover our small service fee.

Can I auto-schedule events to go on sale on a particular date?

Yes.

Can I auto-schedule a date for discounts to start and stop?

Yes.

Can I customize the look of my print-at-home tickets.

Yes. You have the option to customize the header graphic, ticket icon, terms and conditions and a large area to design sponsorship positions for each even ticket.

How do I get to my store?

When you signup for an account you’ll have a unique URL for your venue store and a unique link to each event. It will look similar to www.eventticketingsystems.com/your-venue-name/your-event-name/

You’ll also have control to customize the look of your store by including an HTML header and footer. We’re available to help in this process.

Still have questions? Please contact us!

• Web-based online ticketing from anywhere
• Quick and easy sign-up with low $20/mo. minimum
• Fast loading and easy-to-use interface
• Unlimited venues and events within a single account (no extra fees!)
• Reserved, general admission, combo ticketing
• Pricing by adult, child, student or senior
• Venue Builder – multi-venue, multi-seating chart management that you control! (no extra fees!)
• Automatic sale date, discount and “on hold” scheduling
• Reporting (email, export and print functions)
• Box office sales with ability to assign ticket seller accounts
• Sales sorting and search (by order or by ticket) and customer account management with search
• Web-based Remote POS for ticket sellers
• Print-at-home tickets with complete customization per event
• Will call ticketing with claim status management and reporting
• Customer database export
• Integration with powerful e-mail marketing
• Scheduled discounts by event, section, row or seat
• Promotion and sponsor management within your store and on your print-at-home tickets
• Secure, custom ticket store branding that can look just like your venue site
• Integrated fund raising and donations during checkout
• Upsell items (add-on items like discounted parking, pre-show events, etc.)
• Discount code management and reporting at the venue or event level
• Advance ticket sales control
• Inventory management with convenient dashboard overview of venues and events
• Merchnat account Integration (you’re in control of your money!)
• Easily integrate with Authorize.net, Paypal and more.
• Integrated package options (Please contact us for currently available options)
• Customer account integration with purchase history and ticket re-printing
• U.S. time zone customization
• Color-coded, visual status indicators for venues, events and will call
• Free support
• Professional design services available
• System and reporting customization requests available as needed
• Powerful dedicated servers located in secure datacenter
• Nightly backup of data and databases

We’re always improving so if you don’t see an option that you need here please contact us and we’ll let you know what we’ve been up to and how we can help you.