AIF and its festivals join plea to Government to crack down on secondary ticketing

12 Jan 2015

This weekend, AIF and its festivals joined 80 leading representatives of the music, sport and theatre industries to call on the Government to offer greater protection to fans by allowing an amendment to a clause in the Consumer Rights Bill.

The clause would force secondary ticketing sites to be more transparent. The signatories in the open letter, published on The Independent website yesterday include Iron Maiden, One Direction’s management, AIF’s festivals, members of Radiohead, Gallows, the Rugby Football Union and the England and Wales Cricket Board amongst others.

The amendments would mean that secondary ticketing sites such as Viagogo, Stubhub, Get Me In! and Seatwave would be required to provide information including the face value of the ticket, the identity of the seller and whether a re-sale breaches terms and conditions. Although the clause was backed in the House of Lords last year, the Government has this weekend informed that it would be stripped from the Consumer Rights Bill, claiming that the measure would “overburden individual fans with red tape”.

A report by the Metropolitan Police unit, Operation Podium in 2012 found that “due to the surreptitious way that large numbers of “primary” tickets are diverted straight on to secondary-ticket websites, members of the public have little choice but to try to source tickets on the secondary ticket market”. It said, “the lack of legislation outlawing unauthorised resale of tickets and the absence of regulation of the primary and secondary-ticket market encourages unscrupulous practices, a lack of transparency and fraud”.

The bill returns to the House of Commons today, where the Government will decide on whether or not the amendments will go through.

You can read the full open letter on CMU.

Full list of signatories:

Adam Brown, Brownstock

Ali McLean, DHP Concerts / No Tomorrow Festival

Andy Bell, Festibelly

Andy Smith, Kendal Calling

Angus Baskerville and Charlie Myatt, 13 Artists

Anthony Addis, Brontone Management

Barry Drinkwater, Global Merchandising Solutions

Brian Havill, England and Wales Cricket Board

Bullet For My Valentine

Cancer Bats

Caroline Maclennan, Hebridean Celtic Festival

Chris Tofu, London Remixed Festival

Craig Jennings and Don Jenkins, Raw Power Management

Dave Newton, WeGotTickets

Emma Banks and Mike Greek, Creative Artists Agency

Emma Boggis, Sport and Recreation Alliance

Freddie Fellowes, The Secret Garden Party

Gallows

Geoff Meall, The Agency Group

Harvey Goldsmith CBE

Hugh Phillimore, Cornbury Festival

Ian McAndrew, Wildlife Entertainment

Ian Ritchie, Rugby Football Union

James Scarlett, ArcTanGent

Jane Beese, Meltdown

Jeff Craft, X-Ray Touring

Jim Winship, The Event Services Association

Jo Dipple, UK Music

Joe Buirski, Fire in the Mountain

Joe Gibbs, Belladrum Tartan Heart

John Empson, Eden Sessions

John F. Smith, Musicians Union

John Jackson, K2 Agency

John Rostron, SWN Festival

Jon Webster, Music Managers Forum

Joshua Sanger, Barn On The Farm

Julia Calver, UK Centre for Events Management

Julian Bird, Society of London Theatre

Kate Hewett, Tramlines

Katherine Goodenough, Greenbelt Festival

Lee Denny, Leefest

Lisa Burger, National Theatre

Martin Laws, Pangaea

Michael Downey, Lawn Tennis Association

Moose Blood

Nicholas Crow, Fling Festival

Nick Chambers, Beat-Herder Festival

Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Ed O’Brien (Radiohead), and Sandie Shaw, Co-Chairs, Featured Artists Coalition

Nick Tanner, Glastonbudget

Nick Thomas, HQ Theatres & Hospitality Ltd

Oliver Jones, Deer Shed Festival

Oscar Thornton, Farr Festival

Pablo Janczur, Brecon Jazz

Paul Bliss, Blissfields

Paul Flower, Profound Media & Management

Paul Reed, Association of Independent Festivals

Paul Roberts, Phil McIntyre Entertainment

Peter Davies, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru

Peter Elliott, Primary Talent International Agency

Peter Nosworthy, Nozstock Festival

Rachel Tackley, UK Theatre Association

Ralph Broadbent, Truck

Ralph Broadbent, Y-Not Festival

Reece Miller, We Are FSTVL

Richard Griffiths, Modest Management

Rob Challice, Coda Agency and Larmer Tree Festival

Rob Da Bank, Bestival/Camp Bestival

Rod Smallwood, Phantom Music Management

Roger Tomlinson and Andrew Thomas, The Ticketing Institute

Roger Woodhall, Bournemouth 7s

Sam Eldridge, Urok Management

Sean McLoughlin, Village Green

Sidharth Sharma, Shambala

Simon Maltas, 2000 Trees

Simon Watson, Sidewinder Management

Sofia Hagberg, End of the Road Festival

Stuart Galbraith, Kilimanjaro Live and Sonisphere

Turbowolf

While She Sleeps

Will Brown, In the Woods Festival