Two on the aisle for FTC’s “That’s the Ticket” workshop

Humphrey Bogart said it in “The African Queen” and it was a catchphrase popularized by Jon Lovitz on “Saturday Night Live.” But to the FTC, That’s the Ticket is the name of a June 11, 2019, workshop to explore consumer protection issues related to online ticket sales – and the agenda is out now.

Consumers who try to buy tickets online to a concert, theatrical performance, or sporting event have often expressed frustration with the process. That’s the Ticket will bring together advocates, industry members, academics, and law enforcers to explore the topic from the consumer’s perspective.

FTC Commissioner Slaughter will open the event at 9:30 ET. Next on the agenda: Professor Eric Budish from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, who will share his insights into the issues.

The first panel will explore Bots and the BOTS Act. Passed in 2016, the Better Online Ticket Sales Act makes it illegal to “circumvent a security measure, access control system, or other technological control or measure on an Internet website or online service that is used by the ticket issuer to enforce posted event ticket purchasing limits or to maintain the integrity of posted online ticket purchasing order rules.” The next panel will address Other Consumer Protection Issues Around Ticket Availability.

After a mid-day break, the topic will turn to The Adequacy of Ticket Price and Fee Disclosures. Do consumers have accurate information about how much they’ll be charged? The last panel of the afternoon will consider Consumer Confusion: What and From Whom Am I Buying? Do buyers have a clear picture of what they’re getting and the identity of the seller?

Mary Engle, Director of the FTC’s Division of Advertising Practices, will offer closing remarks.

Ironically enough, you don’t need a ticket to attend That’s the Ticket, which will take place on June 11th at the FTC’s Constitution Center conference facility, 400 7th Street, S.W., in Washington, DC. The event is free and open to the public or you can watch via webcast, which will go live moments before the 9:30 ET starting time on the That’s the Ticket event page. We’ll also live tweet using the hashtag #FTCticket.