Tony Award Productions Uses The Patron Edge for 2009 Tony Awards® Ticketing
Charleston, S.C., June 3, 2009 — Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB), today announced that Tony Award Productions, a joint venture between The Broadway League, Inc. and The American Theatre Wing, Inc., has selected The Patron Edge® to record ticketing history, process credit card transactions and manage reserved seating for its 63rd annual awards program recognizing Broadway productions and performances.
“I was familiar with Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge product through a previous organization so I knew that their ticketing system would be a cost-effective and user-friendly software that would easily meet our needs,” said Dawn Kusinski, director of ticketing services for Tony Award Productions. “We converted our existing database and went live with The Patron Edge ahead of schedule—and in a very short time period—were up and running for our 2009 show. Blackbaud was the only technology provider that could not only meet our demanding project timeframe, but also deliver a solution that fit our pricing and support needs.”
With more than 5000 attendees expected at the Radio City Music Hall show in New York City on June 7, the organization needed a flexible patron management solution that could accommodate a combination of manual and electronic ticketing while enabling last-minute seating changes and capturing key patron information.
“We are pleased to partner with Tony Award Productions in support of this outstanding show,” said Chris Bilbro, who leads Blackbaud’s arts and cultural solutions team. “With The Patron Edge, box office staff can easily handle the high transaction volumes and flexibility of seating that this organization requires while also providing personalized service to patrons.”
The Patron Edge is a comprehensive ticketing management solution specifically designed to help organizations that sell reserved seat ticketing boost attendance and increase revenue. The Patron Edge meets the specific, complex needs of busy box offices by tracking all the details associated with building a strong relationship with each patron or visitor, while giving ticketing professionals the tools they need to manage daily operations—from selling tickets to tracking and reporting on those sales. Organizations of all types and sizes can quickly process and report on ticket sales; get a single view of patrons, visitors, and donors; and instantly access the information required to personalize customer and donor interactions.
With The Patron Edge, arts and cultural organizations can:
· Manage ticketing operations
· Boost ticket sales and cut expenses
· Build and strengthen relationships with patrons
· Demonstrate increased financial accountability to donors
For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com/cultural.
About Tony Awards
Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris,The Tony Awards will be broadcast live in HD, from Radio City Music Hall on CBS, Sunday, June 7th, 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay). The 2009 Tony Awards are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. To view the live Tony Awards pre-telecast, featuring the Creative Arts Awards, please log onto www.TonyAwards.com at 7:00 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, June 7th. The 2009 Tonys are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Nina Lannan is Chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is Executive Director. At the American Theatre Wing, Theodore S. Chapin is Chairman and Howard Sherman is Executive Director. For Tony Award Productions, Alan Wasser and Allan Williams of Alan Wasser Associates are the General Managers. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss/White Cherry Entertainment are Executive Producers of the 2009 Tony Awards. Mr. Weiss will also serve as Director of the 2009 Tony Awards. The official partners of the Tony Awards are Visa, the exclusive card accepted at the Tony Awards; and IBM, which develops, designs, and hosts the official Tony Awards website, www.TonyAwards.com. The official supporters of the Tony Awards are Continental Airlines, the official airline of the Tony Awards; and Sprint, the official communications provider of the Tony Awards. The presenting sponsor of the Tony Awards Red Carpet is Audemars Piguet. Promotional and media partners for the 2009 Tony Awards include USA Today, Van Wagner Communications, Clear Channel Spectacolor, Macy’s, TheaterMania.com, and BWYNOW (299669) The Mobile Way to Broadway.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud is the leading global provider of software and services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, enabling them to improve operational efficiency, build strong relationships, and raise more money to support their missions. Approximately 22,000 organizations — including University of Arizona Foundation, American Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, The Taft School,Lincoln Center, InTouch Ministries, Tulsa Community Foundation, Ursinus College,Earthjustice, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the WGBH Educational Foundation — use one or more Blackbaud products and services for fundraising, constituent relationship management, financial management, website management, direct marketing, education administration, ticketing, business intelligence, prospect research, consulting, and analytics. Since 1981, Blackbaud’s sole focus and expertise has been partnering with nonprofits and providing them the solutions they need to make a difference in their local communities and worldwide. Headquartered in the United States, Blackbaud also has operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com.
