Courtesy of: StubHub
It seems like it just gets harder and harder to locate those perfect tickets, whether for a sports game, theater or concert.
When you are looking for the best, then use the best – StubHub.
StubHub is an online ticket marketplace, where anyone can buy or sell any ticket to any event nationwide.
Based on sales, StubHub is the largest ticket marketplace in the world. StubHub was acquired by eBay in of January 2007.
Here’s a Q&A with StubHub On Traveling And Getting Tickets To Your Favorite Events:
Joellen Ferrer is the StubHub spokesperson and public relations manager, as well as a super traveler. Ferrer was recently interviewed about her company’s success and industry trends.
Q. How many times have you traveled in the past few months? All by air? Train? Car?
A. Live event tickets are a constant commodity, and the last three months alone have been a cross-country journey. I’ve been to Pebble Beach for the US Open, Chicago and Philadelphia for the Stanley Cup Finals, Las Vegas for the Mayweather-Mosley bout, Augusta for the Masters, and Los Angeles for a ticket giveaway. Next up is the MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim. Big events like these help us spread the word that fans can still catch all the action in-person, even up until the very last minute.
Q. Since you are often in and out cities so quickly on short stays, any advice for people on how to pack for a short trip?
A. Most of my trips are two-to-three day stints, so I never pack more than a carry-on. Pack light and pack layers; you never know when the weather will throw you a curveball. And leave extra room (or pack a duffel) because if you’re heading off to a big event and/or a new city, chances are you’ll probably be coming home with unexpected goodies. Somehow, I still manage to bring home a t-shirt from every event, even though they rarely see daylight.
Q. With the MLB All-Star Game coming up, how busy a time is it for StubHub compared to other big events?
A. The MLB All-Star Game is perennially one of the hottest events on StubHub, regardless of the host city. We’ve already seen that fans across the county have begun purchasing tickets to this year’s mid-season classic at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. This will be my fifth All-Star Game with StubHub, and I’m excited to see how this one will shake out; every year it just seems to get better.
Q. Any insider tips on how to get tickets for hot events?
A. If you think of a ticket like a stock, you’ll begin to notice that prices similarly fluctuate on StubHub. Supply and demand are key factors, but variables like cities and venue sizes also come into play; typically events in larger cities skew prices higher, as do events in smaller venues because there aren’t as many tickets floating around.
The life-cycle of a ticket often follows a pattern – demand is up during the week tickets first go on-sale (read: higher prices), dips several weeks later when the buzz subsides (lower prices), increases again when the event gets closer (higher prices), then falls again at the tail end since tickets are a perishable item (lower prices). But be warned that selection is always lower in down times, so determine if price or seating location is your priority. Then have fun rolling the dice in the ticket market!
Q. What are the cities you’ve visited that you’d recommend are best for sporting events, seeing concerts, good family getaways, etc. Any cities that you may not think about on the surface?
A. Big cities like New York, LA, and Chicago are always great spots, but I’ve also found that some of the smaller cities offer local charm, lower ticket prices, and an excuse to check out a new city. College towns are a great example and are filled with rabid fans; our two newest partners are Georgia and Virginia Tech and definitely fit the bill. And as a huge baseball fan, I try to sneak-in a game wherever I am, in the hopes of eventually crossing off all 30 parks (I’ve gotten to 16).
Concerts are another great destination event. Big acts usually have more than 30 tour stops, some within reasonable proximity of each other. For example, Lady Gaga has several shows in New York, but Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Hartford, DC, and Boston are all a quick drive or flight away and offer more attractive prices for comparable seats in the Big Apple.
Q. Best way to get tickets last minute?
A. Stubhub reinvented the ticket space ten years ago and created a safe means for tickets to change hands – “sold out” is a thing of the past. Tickets are guaranteed and often available up until game time, so fans shopping on a whim have viable last minute options; though selection will be lower, there is potential for a relative bargain. Also, if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can easily score last minute tickets with our StubHub App.
For more information and to buy tickets, please visit: http://www.stubhub.com/