Portland Gains "Next Generation" Box Office
Portland, OR (PRWEB) September 19, 2013 -- Portland arts, entertainment and tourism took a giant leap forward today with the grand opening of Big Red Arrow, a unique new “Next Generation” community box office.
Patterned after proven successes such as TKTS in New York’s Times Square, Big Red Arrow is Portland’s one-stop shopping hub for the best things to do in Portland for locals and visitors alike.
With service available online, in person, and on the phone, “Big Red Arrow will help buyers sift through what’s new, what’s now, and what’s hot in Portland entertainment,” according to company founder David Schargel. “We’re not only going to make it easier to buy tickets with no fees, but we’re going to make it easy to find the best things to do in Portland.”
The addition of Big Red Arrow means that Portland joins the ranks of a small group of world-class cities that includes London, New York, Boston and San Francisco as cities whose providers of high-quality entertainment have come together to make finding the best local shows and buying tickets easy for the customer.
“With its thriving tourism and cultural activities, Portland will benefit from a centrally located walk-up box office that also offers assistance via phone and on-line ticketing," said Jeff Miller, President and CEO of Travel Portland. "This will help continue our well-deserved reputation for an innovative arts and entertainment destination.”
Big Red Arrow will offer both regular-price and last-minute ticket sales for a variety of local shows, attractions, tours, festivals and other events. Over two dozen suppliers have committed to joining the box office and with no ticketing, processing, handling, or event fees.
Ticket availability varies seasonally, but recent inventory has included events from Serendipity Players (theater), Portland Walking Tours (tours), ComedySportz (comedy/improv), and even bike rentals.
What is a “Community Box Office”?
What distinguishes Big Red Arrow as a “Next Generation” box office vis-a-vis the online ticket wholesalers are four key characteristics:
1. Real, local people. Big Red Arrow isn’t just a website. Live, local, trained “Suddenly… Concierge!” staff are available by phone or in person to answer questions and help you find the best show, seat or time that suits your needs.
2. No ticketing fees are added to your order.
3. Multiple sales channels. You can buy on-line, by phone, in person and a myriad of other ways.
4. Primary sales. Big Red Arrow is not a ticket reseller like StubHub, but sells actual seated inventory on behalf of organizations, venues, and promoters.
“Having a central community box office will change the entertainment landscape in the city,” says Rees Erwin, President Emeritus of the Portland Concierge Association. “The ability to compare different options in one place, with help from local experts, and then buy tickets without huge add-on fees - it’s very exciting, and a great service we've needed for a long time.”
About Big Red Arrow
Big Red Arrow, a division of Hometown Advantage Co, is Portland's "one stop shop" for online and walk-up retail ticket window with all the best performances, tours, attractions, cruises, and other entertainment options in the Portland area. Big Red Arrow provides a year-round, daytime and evening, workday and weekend central ticketing clearinghouse.
The 24-hour information and ticketing line is 503-405-8999. Additional information and online ticketing are available at http://bigredarrow.com.
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Gary R Corbin, [email protected], http://www.bigredarrow.com, +1 (503) 405-8999, [email protected]
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