Tickets.com Selected as Official Supplier of Ticket Services for the 2010 Winter Games

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) announced today that it has selected Tickets.com as its official supplier of ticket services within Canada for the 2010 Winter Games.

The five-year partnership provides Tickets.com with Official Supplier sponsorship rights in the "ticket service provider" category, in addition to the sponsorship rights to the Canadian Team participating at the Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

"The sale and distribution of tickets in Canada will be key to the success of the 2010 Winter Games and we have selected a ticketing service provider that will help us offer a user friendly, fair and equitable system for the distribution of tickets with excellence in customer service," said Caley Denton, Vice President, Ticketing and Consumer Marketing at VANOC. "Tickets.com has an impressive track record and extensive Olympic ticketing experience, having managed the successful ticketing programs for the Atlanta 1996 Summer Games, and the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Games. Tickets.com's Olympic ticketing engine was also the backbone for ticket sales and distribution for the Sydney 2000 Summer Games and the Torino 2006 Winter Games."

The majority of tickets to the 2010 Winter Games will be sold to the Canadian public through vancouver2010.com using Tickets.com's user-friendly and leading-edge technology. While the vast majority of ticket sales will occur online, VANOC will also work with Tickets.com to offer traditional purchase systems such as phone and local ticket outlets.

"We are honoured to have the opportunity to continue our long tradition of the supporting the Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Larry Witherspoon, CEO Tickets.com. "This opportunity allows us to continue our record of providing best-of-class solutions to the unique ticketing needs of the Olympic Games, and also serves as a solid platform for growing our presence in the Canadian market."

Tickets.com also offers VANOC the technology and tools necessary to develop an online ticket redistribution system that will allow ticket holders to redistribute their tickets to other fans if they can't attend an event. The ticket redistribution system, which is supported by a barcode-based access control system at each venue, will expand the public's access to tickets and help ensure that venues are full at Games time.

"The ticket redistribution and access control technology will give Olympic spectators confidence they have purchased legitimate tickets with valid bar codes and assist us in our goal of full venues," said Denton. "Buying valid Olympic tickets will ensure that the spectator has an experience of a lifetime and avoids disappointment. Our message is simple: buy directly from Vancouver 2010 or our authorized agents to ensure authenticity."

Tickets.com will soon expand their operations by bringing their ticketing solutions to various performing arts venues and sports arenas in Canada. The Vancouver 2010 ticketing contract represents an opportunity for economic growth for British Columbia through the installation and development of local infrastructure to support their operations.

Tickets will be available for purchase in October 2008. VANOC's Official Supporter Jet Set Sports, and its affiliate company CoSport, is the only company authorized to develop and supply official Vancouver 2010 hospitality packages in Canada that combines Games tickets, accommodation, ground transportation, etc. All other tickets will be sold through VANOC directly or through individual countries' National Olympic Committees. Tickets for events start as low as $25. To keep up to date with news and next steps for the user-friendly ticket program, sign up at vancouver2010.com. To date, the website has received roughly 80,000 subscriptions.

About Tickets.com

Tickets.com is a leading business-to-business ticketing solutions provider for live events. The company, with its corporate office in Costa Mesa, Ca. and other offices around the United States and the world, facilitates the sale of tickets by enabling venues and entertainment organizations with proprietary and cutting edge software, retail outlets, kiosks, call centers and an interactive voice response (IVR) systems.

Tickets.com builds private label Ticketing Gateways(SM) to enable live entertainment organizations with e-commerce distribution platforms. The company also sells tickets directly to consumers at http://www.tickets.com, as well as offering related products and services. Tickets.com's automated ticketing solutions are used by thousands of entertainment organizations such as leading performing arts centers, professional sports organizations and various stadiums and arenas in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and Latin America.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010.

     Media Contacts
     Margaret Nevin         Katie Green
     Vancouver 2010         Vancouver 2010
     778.328.6475           778.328.6473

     Michael Martinez
     Tickets.com, Inc.
     714.327.5625
     mmartinez@tickets.com