10/07/2005
Seattle Symphony announces a new and exciting way to buy tickets on the Seattle Symphony website, www.seattlesymphony.org. The new feature, called "Select-Your-Own-Seat," allows ticket buyers to choose the exact seats they are purchasing for most performances in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium. Seattle Symphony Executive Director Paul Meecham stated, "The new system is similar to ordering airline seats online, and the Seattle Symphony is thrilled to be the first Orchestra to use Tessitura Software® to engage this technology."
Tessitura Software was designed to meet the unique needs of today's arts organizations, and was implemented by the Seattle Symphony in July 2004. The software is capable of managing all of the Orchestra's various relationships with patrons and donors, including ticketing and contributions. The Seattle Symphony is a member of the Tessitura Network, Inc. This non-profit organization provides support and development for Tessitura Software. Seattle Symphony's website was chosen as a "beta" or test site for this feature prior to roll out to other arts organizations. Seattle-based POP, the Seattle Symphony's interactive agency of record and a technology partner of Tessitura Software, designed and implemented the technology for the Symphony.
"The Seattle Symphony has proven to be an innovative, forward-looking organization that recognizes the value a well-designed technology solution will provide their patrons", said Bill Predmore, Founder and President of POP. "By focusing our collective efforts on enhancing the ticket-buying experience we've developed an intuitive, flexible and easy-to-use solution that gives patrons the opportunity to take control of the ticket purchasing process."
Tessitura Network President Jack Rubin stated, "We are very excited about releasing this optional 'Select-Your-Own-Seat' online-buying path for organizations who elect to put that power in the hands of their online ticket buyers. The Seattle Symphony is a welcome innovator within the worldwide Network of Tessitura Software licensees."
Certain performances will not have the "Select-Your-Own-Seat" capability, and these are: Discover Music! series, Tiny Tots series, Fluke/Gabelein Organ Recital series and "Itzhak Perlman Conducts Mozart's Requiem." To receive subscriber discounts, Seattle Symphony subscribers must log in with their special promotion code before selecting a concert and tickets.
Tessitura Software®
Tessitura Software is owned by Impresario, L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Metropolitan Opera, which originally developed it for its own use in order to improve customer relationships. The Tessitura Network, Inc. is a nonprofit company established by Tessitura licensees to further enhance Tessitura Software over time and to provide ongoing support and consulting services for Tessitura licensees. Licensees become "members" of the Tessitura Network once they start using Tessitura to process transactions for their organization.
POP
POP is a Seattle-based creative agency that fuses design and technology to engineer powerful experiences for some of the world's most visible and vibrant brands. Founded in 1996, POP provides website design, search marketing, traditional graphic design and technical solutions to some of the most prestigious performing arts organizations in North America, Australia and the UK, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House. POP also works with consumer brands such as Nintendo, National Geographic and Microsoft. You can find more information about POP on the web at www.experiencepop.com.
Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony, under the direction of Music Director Gerard Schwarz, is the one of the oldest-founded in 1903-and largest cultural institutions in the Pacific Northwest. Performing in acoustically superb Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle, the Symphony is recognized for its adventurous programming and tradition of performing music by contemporary composers. One of the world's most recorded orchestras, Seattle Symphony is represented on nearly 100 compact discs. From September through July, the Orchestra is heard live by more than 315,000 people annually in a schedule that includes 18 weeks of classical subscription Masterpiece concerts and a broad spectrum of other series. Each year over a quarter of a million people enjoy the Orchestra's broadcasts on Classical KING FM 98.1 and at www.king.org. During the 2005-2006 season, the Seattle Symphony will present nearly 220 performances in Benaroya Hall and community concerts throughout the Puget Sound region and Washington State.