City Winery, the unique 300-seat music venue with locations in NY, Chicago, Napa and Nashville, has announced today a major innovation with its mobile ticketing program. The “luxury concert venue,” founded by Knitting Factory founder Michael Dorf, released the “seat-picking” system when it launched its own proprietary ticketing platform in 2008. Since then, the company has experienced tremendous growth in sales with upwards of 300,000 tickets selling a year and 90% of the 300-seat shows selling out on a monthly basis—all tickets sold through their own website.
City Winery has also created a unique membership program for its guests, with a number of perks including a 48-hour advance notice on all shows, zero ticketing fees, a rewards program, and a feature called “virtual sommelier” offering customized suggestions for wines to try or shows to see based on the customer’s previous consumption. The new program will allow members to pick their top 5 favorite seats, a perk that has never been offered before. When new shows are announced, customers will receive notice on their smart phone via the weekly e-mailers and they can then purchase their favorite seat with just one touch.
“The customer relationship has been at the heart of our model from the very beginning. We are trying to use technology as a tool to improve the ‘user experience’ while at the same time apply a Danny Meyer level of ‘hospitality’ to our process,” says Michael Dorf. “We are in a rare position to have a small enough venue that allows us to have direct relationships with our customers and therefore offer a level of unprecedented service to our members. “
The company currently has over 5000 paid memberships, called “vinofiles”, growing on a monthly basis. With new venues in more markets, City Winery expects this number to grow approximately 100% in the next year. “Some people join the membership to get advance notice on shows that will sell out quickly, while others appreciate the economics and savings on the typically high fees charged by other ticketing services,” Dorf says. “Some also really enjoy how the system records their wine consumption and makes recommendations. For us, our ultimate goal is to consider the entire customer experience from when they first learn about a show or wine tasting all the way to the memory the next day. The ticketing is a big part of the process and we think this 1-click “favorite seat” upgrade really makes the mobile purchase much easier.”
About City Winery:
City Winery, founded in 2008, strives to deliver the highest-end combined culinary and cultural experience to urban wine enthusiasts. They are a unique facility located in several cities in the US including New York, Chicago, Napa and Nashville. The brand combines a fully functioning winery with intimate concerts, food & wine classes, private-events and fine dining. City Winery has created a compelling mix for their sophisticated clientele of foodies, and active cultural patrons bringing the wine country experience to the heart of large cities.
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