Twice a month, Goldstar is surveying its audience of live entertainment enthusiasts to see how they feel about returning to in-person events. This is interesting. The highlights from early September below: When asked to “describe your willingness to go out to live events” on a scale of 0-100:  the average response score was 43. If venues followed strict cleaning routines and social distancing policies, that number goes up to 49 out of 100. And a bright spot: When asked how much they’re looking forward to the...

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You’re invited to join us for an expert chat with Michael S. Brown, who organized “the first-ever socially distanced concert in America.” Hosted by Goldstar CEO Jim McCarthy, Michael will share his experience navigating city government, safety protocol, marketing and selling tickets for the first show since the COVID-19 pandemic began.   We’ll also reveal the most up-to-date Return Readiness Score and survey results of our ongoing research into just how thousands of Goldstar subscribers feel about returning to live...

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If you missed it, Goldstar CEO Jim McCarthy shared results of the first round of our ongoing consumer sentiment survey. We also chatted with virologist Vincent Racaniello and Broadway producer Arvind Ethan David about how and when venues can reopen.  Watch the replay to see:  5:29 The Return Readiness Score for early May  10:30 The Looking Forward to Going Out Score  17:30 The difference between indoor and outdoor events  22:10 The real deal on face masks  28:00 The latest on...

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It’s going to take a lot of experts and data to answer the question “What will it take to reopen?” With that in mind, you’re invited to join us for another live chat on Wednesday, May 13 at 3:00pm Eastern / 12:00pm Pacific. There, we’ll have both: experts and data. Our CEO Jim McCarthy will share exclusive research, collected recently from thousands of Goldstar subscribers around the country, that reveals how people feel about returning to live entertainment. We’ll also have insights from Broadway producer...

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Looking for a little #MondayMotivation? We’re pulling out past stories that are still just as relevant today. Here’s a pearl from Jim: "Customer Information" or License to Spam? Today’s marketer, including live entertainment marketers, put a lot of value on what they call “customer information.” Years ago, when we started Goldstar, this wasn’t the case. Very few people cared about “information” on its own. We were very early to the understanding that customer information had value, and in many ways, we’ve built our business...

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We've got some good news to share! Goldstar is a finalist for the Insights & Analytics Award at TheTicketingBusiness Awards 2019. This award acknowledges the best integration or application of data analysis and insights to an entertainment ticketing challenge. And, in this instance, the nomination is for Goldstar’s groundbreaking technology: Matchmaker, which uses an advanced AI algorithm to help Goldstar members discover live entertainment they didn’t know about and ultimately increases purchases. TheTicketingBusiness Awards recognize leadership, innovation and achievement...

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Earlier this month, we shouted out Customer Service Appreciation Week, and recently both Senior Director of Customer Service Amy Gardea and Customer Service Specialist Shaunelle Curry shared their Pro Tips. That's because, as Jim has written, "Good service is the best marketing money you’ll ever spend." Now, venues like Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center and San Francisco 49ers' Levi’s Stadium have installed terminals made by HappyOrNot that are "equipped with buttons representing a smile, a half-smile, no smile and a frown, ranging in...

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Meet Sandeep Khera Title: VP of Marketing Hometown: Cincinnati, OH Best Live Show He’s Ever Seen: “My wife and I loved seeing the Long Beach Ballet perform The Nutcracker. True to form, it was great for our kids and got the two of us into the holiday spirit!” SO: What’s the best advice you have for arts marketers as they start their 2018-19 season? SK: With a new season starting, I’d love to see arts organizers focus on building awareness early on. By doing...

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To be truly successful at connecting with your patrons, you have to really know them. There are a few ways to accomplish this, as MarketingProfs points out in its article about making your marketing copy more engaging. Read author Nick Usborne's two tips below, and then view his entire article. "Get the language right by listening first. Imagine you're a nutritionist attending a conference of your peers, but you [accidentally] join the wrong meeting and find yourself stuck with a...

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Happy #TBT! Here’s an oldie-but-goodie post from Jim: 3 Ways You’re Wrong About Live Entertainment, Part I. [Read Part II and III.] Personally, you may not be wrong about all three or any of these things, but collectively, these are some of the most widely held misconceptions about the live entertainment business, and it’s time to set the record straight. Below, I’ll dismiss one of these vicious misconceptions and give you the real story, so as to help you avoid tragic perdition...

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