Aggregating Third-Party Ticket Inventory for Event Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
The secondary ticket market lacks an efficient mechanism for buying and selling tickets, leading to unused tickets and supply and demand imbalances, particularly for high-demand events, where buyers seek specific seat locations, resulting in limited availability and high prices.
Innovation Solution
A network-based system that provides location-based upcoming event information, allowing users to access and purchase tickets through a server-side web application, aggregating inventory from multiple online marketplaces, and offering ticket fulfillment services, even for sold-out events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a fixed supply of seating is provided at event venues, then venue capacity is controlled and managed, but supply and demand imbalances occur leading to limited availability and high prices for specific seat locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ticket market by integrating multiple online marketplaces into a single aggregated view. This allows buyers to see and access tickets from different sellers across multiple platforms simultaneously, effectively increasing the available supply without venues needing to create additional physical seating. The segmentation principle resolves the contradiction by dividing the limited venue capacity into accessible portions across multiple销售渠道.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a universal access point that aggregates inventory from multiple online marketplaces. This multi-functional platform serves as a centralized marketplace that provides buyers with access to tickets from various sellers and venues through a single interface, thereby increasing purchasing options without requiring each venue to independently manage their own sales channels.
2Measurement precision
If buyers seek specific seat locations for high-demand events, then seating preferences are satisfied, but supply and demand imbalances result in limited availability and high prices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges inventory from multiple online marketplaces into a single aggregated view. This combination allows the system to present a comprehensive selection of available seats across different sellers and platforms, increasing the effective supply for specific seat locations while maintaining the precision of location-specific searches. Buyers can find desired seat locations by searching across a unified, aggregated inventory rather than checking multiple separate marketplaces.
3Productivity
If tickets are packaged in bulk for season ticket holders, then venues can sell out events efficiently, but ticket holders possess tickets for events they cannot attend, leading to unused tickets and secondary market sales
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic ticket resale capabilities that allow season ticket holders to easily sell unused tickets through the aggregated marketplace system. This dynamic approach enables ticket holders to adjust their inventory based on actual attendance needs, converting static bulk purchases into flexible, tradable assets. The system captures previously lost value by providing an efficient secondary market where unused tickets can be resold, thereby reducing the loss of substance while maintaining the productivity benefits of bulk sales.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple online marketplaces operate independently, then each marketplace can manage its own inventory, but the system lacks aggregation leading to limited purchasing options for users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary aggregation layer that connects multiple independent online marketplaces. This mediator system maintains the independence and autonomy of individual marketplaces while providing unified access to their combined inventories. Buyers can search and purchase tickets from multiple marketplaces through a single interface without requiring the marketplaces themselves to merge operations, thus preserving adaptability while improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and methods for third-party access to a network-based system for providing location-based upcoming event information are described. The location-based upcoming event information may be accessed from the network-based system by a server-side web application implemented by a third party. The server-side web application may be configured to communicate with the network-based system that provides online marketplace and ticket fulfillment services and to generate a query based upon the location of a user and other event criteria. The server-side web application may communicate the query to the network-based system and, in response, receive location-based upcoming event information which may be displayed to a user as a list and/or information on a map. The location-based upcoming event information may comprise an aggregate of ticket inventory available from multiple online marketplaces providing the user with multiple purchasing options.