10 Ticketing Platform Business Success Stories [2024]
A ticketing platform business allows individuals or organizations to sell tickets to events online. This can include concerts, sports games, festivals, and more.
The ticketing platform handles all aspects of ticket sales, from setting up the event and ticket options to processing payment and distributing the tickets.
To run a successful ticketing platform business, it is essential to have a user-friendly website and a reliable ticket distribution system. Then, establish partnerships with event organizers and venues to expand the number of events available on the platform.
Marketing efforts to reach potential customers and regular updates to the platform to improve the user experience can also help drive sales. Overall, a ticketing platform can be a lucrative business opportunity for those with a strong understanding of the events industry and a knack for building and maintaining client relationships.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a ticketing platform business:
1. GreenRope ($1.92M/year)
metrics for our business are our customer satisfaction and retention rates, which remain consistently high. We currently have over 1,000 customers in over 20 countries, ranging from startups to universities and municipalities. Moving forward, we plan to continue evolving and improving our platform to meet the changing needs of businesses and provide even greater value to our customers.
How much they make: $1.92M/year
Current team size: 15
GreenRope, a self-funded CRM and marketing automation platform with over 1,000 customers in 20 countries, was built organically and focused on creating a positive, customer-centric culture without outside investment, with an all-in-one interface solving challenges in managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations.
2. Ticket Tailor ($6M/year)
Jonny, the founder and CEO of Ticket Tailor, came up with the idea for his ticketing platform while studying software engineering at Birmingham University in 2005. As a music fan, he wanted to create a website called "What's on in Brum?" to showcase local events. Through his experience building ticketing systems for clients and the frustration with high fees and data sharing from ticketing agencies, he saw an opportunity to create a scalable software product that would make ticketing more affordable and convenient for event creators.
How much they make: $6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 8
A successful ticketing platform that grew from a side project into a business that issues over 5 million tickets annually, using a combination of cold calling, word of mouth, and partnerships to attract and retain customers while navigating the challenges of COVID-19.
So... can you actually make money with a ticketing platform business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Palco4 ($1.2M/year)
Juan José Delgado, co-founder of Palco4, came up with the idea for the disruptive ticketing company after his friend and tech manager, Vicente Vara, finished his job as CTO of a major ticketing company in Spain. They wanted to create a ticketing platform that met the needs of demanding customers, focusing on the promoter of the shows as the center of their product. After two years of hard work, they launched Palco4, which now transacts 4 million tickets per year and operates in 13 countries with a monthly turnover of 100k USD.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
Current team size: 12
Palco4, a disruptive ticketing company, transacts 4 million tickets per year and has a presence in 13 countries with an average monthly turnover of $100k USD, achieving its success through a versatile platform, optimized and efficient value chain, and a business model focused on the promoter.
4. Discotech ($1.2M/year)
Ian Chen, the Co-Founder and CEO of Discotech, came up with the idea for their business after struggling to find reliable promoters and information about nightlife events and reservations. Realizing there was a gap in the market, Chen and his co-founders created Discotech, an app that simplifies event discovery, VIP table reservations, ticket purchases, and guest list sign-ups. Since surviving the COVID pandemic, Discotech has generated over $1 million per month in gross sales, with a net revenue of 10-15%.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $450K
Current team size: 15
Discotech, an OpenTable for Nightlife, has partnered with over 1,200 venues across 50+ cities, generating over $1M in gross sales and netting between 10-15% as net revenue, while thriving after surviving the COVID pandemic.
So... can you actually make money with a ticketing platform business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. Flight Expert Bangladesh ($18M/year)
Salman Rashid, Founder & CEO of Flight Expert, came up with the idea for his business after realizing the potential of online travel agencies in Bangladesh. Seeing the decline in revenue in his family's offline-based travel agency, Salman suggested starting an OTA to his father. Despite initial skepticism, Salman recognized the need for better technology, service culture, and the value of brand trust in the industry, leading to the launch of Flight Expert in 2017.
How much they make: $18M/year
How much did it cost to start: $80K
Current team size: 60
How a first-time founder grew the first-ever online travel agency in Bangladesh to 700+ airlines and one million-plus hotels worldwide, with a 50% increase in revenue in October 2021 compared to pre-Covid sales and aiming to hit break-even by March 2022.
So... can you actually make money with a ticketing platform business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
6. EventBookings ($120K/year)
Mark Thomas, the founder of EventBookings, came up with the idea after witnessing the difficulties event organizers face in hosting events for universities worldwide during his career in the educational photography industry. He realized the need for a platform that could help event organizers remain organized throughout the chaos of event planning. With EventBookings, he created an all-in-one event technology platform that makes it effortless to sell event tickets online. Since its launch, EventBookings has hosted over 10,000 events and attracted 1,500 event organizers worldwide.
How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $60K
Current team size: 25
EventBookings is an all-in-one event technology platform that helps event organizers remain organized throughout the chaos of event planning and is now running the business with 25 employees and is currently on track to reach their next revenue target of $1M.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
