The Association Of Secondary Ticket Agents, for there is such a thing, has thrown its support behind the previously reported Resale Rights Society. As previously reported, the UK's Music Managers' Forum last week announced the creation of the RRS which will see the artist and management community give websites which enable the resale of gig tickets for profit some legitimacy in return for a commitment to protect music fans' interests and, more importantly, a pledge to pass on a percentage of their profits to artists, managers and live music promoters.
Speaking at the launch of the RSS last week, the new body's chairman, Marc Marot, said he had had encouraging talks with key secondary ticket sales websites about the management community's proposals. However, the boss of one resale site, Seatwave, immediately criticised the new body, calling it "a direct attempt by a few music managers and promoters to line their pockets at the expense of consumers". But the good news for the RSS is that Seatwave may well be in minority there, because the secondary ticket agents trade body the ASTA announced on Friday that it supported the scheme.
The trade body's Executive Director, Graham Burns, told reporters: "I wholly support the project and so do my members. Unfortunately in any business there are bad apples. The internet makes it all too easy to rip people off. We need a concentrated effort to clean up this business and get rid of these jokers. We have introduced a Code Of Conduct which is currently being reviewed by the Office of Fair Trading. The launch of the RRS is a significant milestone in the legitimisation of the secondary ticketing business. It is a good thing for the whole industry. If anyone buying or selling tickets knows that an organisation has been checked over by the RRS and has received an RRS 'kitemark', that is going to give them a lot more confidence".
Distancing himself from the comments made by Seatwave, he continued: "I feel strongly that the secondary ticketing market can and should nurture performers. I think the RRS can set a benchmark that other sectors of the sports and entertainment industry could look towards. It is only fair that money should be returned to the people who create the value".
ASTA represents 42 ticket reselling operations, including Premier Events, Double8, Front Row Promotions, Mission Impossible and Ticket Solutions. As previously reported, another popular resale service, Viagogo, gave its support to the RSS last week.
Though, of course, the one sector yet to really comment on the MMF's proposals are the live music promoters, who have been most critical about the growth of online ticket touting and ticket auctions in the past. Some in the live sector had been pushing for new laws to restrict the resale of tickets. It remains to be seen if they now support the MMF's self-regulation proposals, or continue to lobby for stricter statutory limitations on ticket touting such as those that exist in the football industry.