The coronavirus has taken a sledgehammer to live entertainment. Ticketek explains how it has kept the ball rolling through the pandemic.

• While a number of live performances have either been cancelled or postponed during the coronavirus pandemic, Ticketek has been working on different offerings.
• The platform sold tickets to virtual wine tastings and a live stream of a true crime podcast.
• TEG and Ticketek CEO Geoff Jones told Business Insider Australia, “We hope to see live entertainment return soon as it is possible and when it is safe to do so.”
• Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.

Ticketek has switched to virtual events as several live entertainment shows have been cancelled or postponed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Geoff Jones, CEO of TEG and its subsidiary Ticketek, told Business Insider Australia via email that while the company has been giving out refunds, some people are still hanging on to their tickets.

“Our team has issued millions of refunds but we have also found that many fans have held on to their tickets for postponed and rescheduled events and that most are missing live events greatly and looking forward to their return,” he said.

On its website, Ticketek has a massive list of shows that have been postponed, from The Sydney Comedy Festival Gala to Tame Impala’s live show.

But the company has been working on other projects while live entertainment is on hold.

In partnership with promoters such as TEG Dainty and TEG Live, Ticketek sold tickets to online events like podcasts and virtual wine tastings. There was the Meet the Winemaker event where winemaker Jeff Aston talked about a range of wines. And the Australian True Crime: Live virtual event, where Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb did a live stream of their podcast and brought along detectives to discuss various cases.

Ticketek also rolled out Ticketek Insider to give their fans news, stories, promotions and exclusive content around the worlds of music, entertainment and sport.

On top of that, the company is expanding its services.

“We are working hard on our expansion plans into the UK and the integration of our Asian businesses and we have continued to innovate – signing our world-first deal with Afterpay and working hard to bring new products to market that will assist the live events industry with its safe return,” Jones said.

Afterpay will be integrated on Ticketek’s website and app in the coming months, letting customers pay for your tickets in four equal fortnightly payments.

“Ticketing and entertainment is an area that Millennials and Gen Z have a strong passion for and interest in, so it makes sense for Afterpay to partner with a fellow Australian business to bring a buy now pay later solution to the ticketing industry,” an Afterpay spokesperson told Business Insider Australia.

Ticketek is gearing up for when live entertainment safely starts back up again in Australia

Jones said that as Ticketek works on plans for the safe return of live entertainment, its integration with Afterpay gives fans flexibility when getting tickets to a future show.

“The feedback from fans on social media has been phenomenally positive and we can’t wait to bring it to them in the coming months,” he said. “The team at Afterpay is really invested and we are looking forward to launching some very special campaigns for fans as events comeback online.”

And Jones highlighted that the company’s first priority is the safety of the public, performers and its workers.

“We hope to see live entertainment return soon as it is possible and when it is safe to do so,” he said. “We are working with our industry partners to help make that a reality. We know from our research that there will be significant pent up demand for live events from Australians as big events go on sale again and once restrictions are lifted.”