FanFair Alliance, the recently-launched campaign against online ticket touting, and the Music Managers Forum have published a guide to help managers minimise the scalping and resale of their artists’ tickets.

Available as a free download from www.fanfairalliance.org, the guide offers Ten Tips To Beat The Touts, as well as case studies from leading managers and music industry professionals – including Adam Tudhope (Everybody’s), Caius Pawson (Young Turks), Alex Bruford (ATC Live), Angus Baskerville (13 Artists) and Richard Jones (Key Music Management).

“When we launched FanFair in July, we encouraged managers, agents, promoters and others in the live music business to continue to innovate to ensure our artists’ tickets reach their intended audience at the right price, said FanFair Alliance co-founder Tudhope. “We all know that this is a huge challenge. We are operating within a dysfunctional market, where the abuse of unregulated ticket resale websites is out of control.

“However, while we wait for Government to act, it is essential that managers and music businesses develop ticketing strategies that aim to disrupt the touts and help fans. This guide marks a first step towards that goal.”

Measures advised in the guide include:

  • Applying tighter terms and conditions to control transferability of tickets
  • Ensuring fans have clear information about those terms at the point of sale
  • Offering a face value resale or reallocation option for ticket-buyers who are genuinely unable to attend an event

Leading ticketing services and direct-to-consumer businesses have signed up to the FanFair Alliance since its launch, including Active Ticketing, DICE, Music Glue, Pledge Music, Scarlet Mist, Songkick, Twickets and WeGotTickets.

They join a growing number of music professionals and businesses supporting FanFair, including managers of Years & Years, Biffy Clyro, Iron Maiden, Arctic Monkeys, PJ Harvey, Little Mix, One Direction, Cheryl, Mark Knopfler, Nick Cave, Chvrches, Noel Gallagher, Placebo and the music industry bodies AFEM, AIF, AIM, BASCA, FAC, MMF, MPG, MU, MVT and PRS for Music.

Government is expected to respond shortly to recommendations made by Professor Waterson in his independent report, while a separate compliance review by the Competition & Markets Authority of four UK secondary ticket platforms – GET ME IN!, Seatwave, StubHub and Viagogo – is due for publication later in 2016.