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Local Event Listings Provided By Ticketmaster, Ticketweb, Museumtix, Match.com, Active.com and Evite Users
Los Angeles - July 12, 2004 - Evite, the leading free online event planning service, announced the final product launch of Evite 2.0 featuring the most comprehensive online directory of local events on the web. In addition to displaying user supplied events, Evite expanded its local event offering by teaming up with Ticketmaster, Ticketweb, Museumtix, Match.com, and Active.com. Through these relationships, the new events directory offers nearly 50,000 local events in cities throughout the United States.
Evite 2.0 also features new services for the local events directory such as venue-based event listings, a rating system for users, and enhanced recommendation technology, in addition to an improved user interface and product design.
Providing localized event information is of great value to online users. A recent Jupiter Research survey found that Internet users between the ages of 18-54 spend 60 percent of their time online viewing local content (Source: Jupiter/Ipsos-Insight Individual User Survey 6/03 "US Online Activities By Age, 2003").
"From a business standpoint, we are thrilled to have such a strong group of content partners who offer access to some of the best events in the US. With all of these events aggregated on Evite, plus thousands of user-supplied events, consumers are now able to search in one place for all of their event interests," said John Foley, president of Evite. "This is an exciting step for Evite as we continue to lead the way in online event planning."
Ticketmaster is the world's leading ticketing company, and its two properties Ticketweb and Museumtix are currently featured in the events directory.
"Combining Ticketmaster's extensive event listings with Evite's planning services creates the ultimate resource for consumers looking for new and exciting things to do in their local neighborhood," said David Goldberg, executive vice president, Strategy and Business Development, Ticketmaster.
"Ticketmaster offers tickets to thousands of concerts, sporting and family events that can now be easily accessed through Evite, the web's most extensive social planning destination."
Match.com is the global leader in online dating and hosts singles and social events in 58 cities across the United States through its MatchLive and SpeedMatching properties. Match.com's offline events will be featured in the directory one week following the launch.
"Match.com will host more than 1,800 singles events this year, and we're thrilled to be able to expand access to Evite users, through the launch of Evite 2.0.," said Tim Sullivan, president of Match.com. "We think Evite users will add substantially to the quality of our events."
Active.com, one of the Web's best resources to find, learn about and register online for participatory sports and recreational activities nationwide, is also providing feeds to the Evite local events directory and will be featured in the directory one week following the launch. Additionally, Citysearch continues to provide a daily feed about the local dining scene.
Among the most anticipated features in the directory is the venue event listing, which can be viewed through a 30 day calendar or chronological list. This feature allows users to browse a variety of events that are not specific to a category, but rather a location. Each event listed in the directory features links that allow a user to send an Evite to plan an outing, send an email to a friend letting them know about the event or add the event to the user's My Evite calendar.
A completely new feature of the directory is the user based rating system, created to allow users to build community while encouraging attendance and generating buzz around an event. Users can view both an aggregate rating of an event based on all submitted ratings and individual user comments and ratings.
Through Evite 2.0, users can view all the new features by simply clicking on the "Find Local Events" tab. A localized list of events is broken out into categories such as:
About Ticketmaster:
Ticketmaster, the world's leading ticketing company, sold more than 95 million tickets valued at more than $4 billion in 2002, through www.ticketmaster.com, one of the largest e-commerce sites on the Internet, more than 3,500 retail Ticket Center outlets and 19 worldwide telephone call centers. Ticketmaster serves more than 8,000 clients worldwide and acts as the exclusive ticketing service for hundreds of leading arenas, stadiums, performing arts venues, and theaters and is the official ticketing provider and supporter of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Ticketmaster is headquartered in West Hollywood, California and is an operating business of InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI).
About Active.com:
At Active.com (www.active.com), part of The Active Network, Inc., participants can find, learn about and register online for participatory sports and activities in cities nationwide throughout the year. Through Active.com's one-stop event management services, event organizers can access online registration and donation processing, data management, and event promotion. Other Active.com products include ActiveGiving(tm), online fundraising services for building online giving communities; ActiveAdvantage, a customized savings membership program for active lifestyles; and TrainingBible.com, effective, interactive online training programs to track training progress online. For more information about Active.com or The Active Network, visit www.theactivenetwork.com.
About Match.com:
Operating more than 30 online dating sites, in 18 local languages, spanning six continents, Match.com is the world's leading online dating and personals property, according to the May 2004 global ranking by industry-leading independent measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. Match.com offers the industry's most advanced and comprehensive matching technology - the exclusive Total Attraction Matching™ system - which incorporates powerful, scientifically-based personality profiling tools and the first and only physical attraction matching platform. Since its launch in 1995, Match.com has been leading the industry in providing a wide array of tools and resources for its 12 million members seeking long-term, committed relationships or marriage. Match.com provides wireless dating (www.matchmobile.com), Online SpeedMatching (www.OnlineSpeedMatching.com) and events opportunities for singles through its sites MatchLive.com and SpeedMatching.com, both operated by its affiliate, MatchLive, L.L.C. Based on resignation survey data the Company calculates that more than 200,000 Match.com members met the person they were seeking on the site in 2003 alone. Match.com is an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq: IACI).
About Evite:
Evite is the leading free online event planning service, complete with invitations and local event listings. From planning a dinner party for friends, to finding something to do on Saturday night, to locating a tennis partner, Evite makes it easy to explore local areas, communicate, coordinate, and make decisions. Launched in 1998, Evite was acquired by Ticketmaster, the World's leading live event ticketing and access company, in 2001 and is currently headquartered in Los Angeles. Evite is an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI).
Media Contacts:
Evite
Kristen Wareham
213-739-3275
Kristen@evite.com
