AEG, Cirque du Soleil and Jean-Francoys Brousseau-owned Outbox Technology and Fredric D. Rosen to Form Joint Venture to Provide Electronic Ticketing Solutions

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today a joint venture was announced between AEG, Cirque du Soleil and Jean-Francoys Brousseau owned Outbox Technology and Fredric D. Rosen to compete in the worldwide computerized ticketing business for live entertainment and sporting events.  The Venture, Outbox Enterprises, LLC will be jointly run by Outbox Technology CEO, Jean-Francoys Brousseau and former Ticketmaster builder and CEO, Fredric D. Rosen serving as co-CEO's. These individuals and industry pioneers will bring together two separate and distinct skill sets which will allow venues to sell tickets to consumers directly from their own websites, thus eliminating any need for a "middle man" when purchasing tickets.  Outbox Enterprises is scheduled to roll-out to all AEG properties around the world (with the exception of Germany) over the next 24 months.

"Our team has been researching all the available ticketing technologies and analyzing what would be the best long-term solution for our business," said Tim Leiweke, CEO of AEG Entertainment. "We are confident that Outbox Enterprises is the right technology to fit into our broader digital strategy - one which is focused on creating the best consumer experience around our brand and our content."

"When we introduced Outbox with Jean-Francoys Brousseau four years ago, we knew the technology it presented would re-invent the ticketing industry. Cirque du Soleil was the first to offer this one-of-kind system to our customers. We knew that it would become a new reference in the industry.  It is great that AEG is a  part of this customer-driven solution," said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO, Cirque du Soleil.

Outbox Enterprises will empower all live entertainment venues to control their own inventory, pricing, as well as keep and control all their consumer data and profiles without any third party involvement.  The model was originally implemented by Outbox Technology, who has been successful employing their technology with Cirque du Soleil and event venues such as the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles.

"We believe that the future is all about empowering venues to give consumers the best online experience possible," said Jean-Francoys Brousseau, Co-CEO/President Outbox Enterprises. "Outbox Enterprises is designed to be responsive to the needs of venues and their individual brands in order for them to create deeper and more engaging relationships with the consumer."  

The wealth and reach of AEG with more than 100 venues worldwide combined with a leading technology company and Rosen, the man who built and guided Ticketmaster will allow Outbox Enterprises to provide solutions to venues to conduct their business more efficiently; including the ability to enable venues to execute their own ticket transactions thus making the venue web sites more valuable and useful for the operators; providing more opportunities for sponsorship activation,  and more control of the exclusive database, which for years had been under the control of a third party.  

This transaction marks AEG's much anticipated entry into the ticketing business.  As a result of last year's merger, AEG successfully negotiated a series of concessions designed to foster the emergence of a true ticketing competitor.  Bringing together industry leaders AEG and Cirque du Soleil  Holdings as principal owners along with Jean-Francoys Brousseau  and Fred Rosen as Co-CEOs and partners in this new venture marks a significant step in realizing that goal.

"Not only does this computerized ticketing solution empower venues and help them take control of their ticketing decisions, it makes their own web sites and marketing capabilities much more valuable and relevant because that is where the transactions reside," said Fredric D. Rosen, Co-CEO and President of Outbox Enterprises. "Simply put, there is no longer a need for a middle man in this business."

About Outbox Technology:

Launched in 2006 by Cirque du Soleil and Jean-Francoys Brousseau, Outbox Technology's intuitive and ground-breaking platform manages and processes multi-language and multi-currency world-wide ticket sales for Cirque du Soleil, as well the Montreal Canadiens, the Bell Centre in Montreal, and the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.  Dubbed by a CNET technology columnist as "the best ticketing interface ever," Outbox's innovative and easy-to-use ticketing system allows users to navigate between available performances appearing on a calendar and select tickets based on a seating chart that shows the view of the stage. Users can also move from one section to another and get real time information on ticket availability and prices at a glance.

About AEG:

AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, owns or is affiliated with a collection of companies including over 100 facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center (Carson, CA), Target Center (Minneapolis, MN), The Rose Garden (Portland, OR), Best Buy Theater (New York), Sprint Center (Kansas City), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai), MasterCard Center (Beijing, China), Acer Arena (Sydney, Australia), The Globe arena (Stockholm, Sweden), O2 World arena (Berlin, Germany) and The O2 arena and entertainment district (London, England); sports franchises and events under AEG Sports including the Amgen Tour of California, Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and two MLS franchises in addition to overseeing privately held management shares of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA). AEG Live, the world's second largest concert, promotion and touring company, is comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions with fifteen regional offices.  Recent AEG Live-promoted tours have included Bon Jovi, Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Usher.  AEG has created L.A. LIVE, a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment district featuring Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE and Club Nokia, a 54-story, 1001-room convention "headquarters" destination (featuring The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels and 224 luxury condominiums – The Residences at The Ritz Carlton – all in a single tower), the Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14, "broadcast" facilities for ESPN, along with entertainment, restaurant and office space.

SOURCE Outbox Enterprises, LLC