Damir Vranić (Eventim): The local community could be more actively involved in organizing major events

For several weeks now, we have been reading about the sold-out tour of American singer Taylor Swift, who is not only breaking records for earnings and ticket sales. To get a ticket for her concerts, one had to register, and only the lucky ones who were quick enough during the few hours from the start of sales for three concerts in Vienna had the chance to buy one. For her concert in Singapore, where about six million people live, as many as eight million people registered or tried to get tickets. The concert industry seems to have fully recovered after the pandemic, and things are going better than ever. The euphoria is not only around Taylor; it is the same with other stars, and tickets for concerts are in higher demand than ever before. This is also true in Croatia, confirms the director of Eventim for Croatia, Damir Vranić.

This agency recently organized two sold-out concerts of Robbie Williams in Pula, and soon, at the same venue, in the Arena, there will be a concert by the band Imagine Dragons for two consecutive nights, followed by rapper 50 Cent in Zagreb. When asked if this means that global stars no longer bypass Croatia and that we can hope for other attractive names, Vranić answers affirmatively. He did not want to reveal who else is coming soon, only stating that it is a big name.

Eventim has been in Croatia for twenty years, celebrating this anniversary this year, and is part of the German group CTS Eventim AG&Co., an international provider of ticket sales and live entertainment services. Within its global system, around 250 million tickets are sold annually. In addition to selling tickets online and at sales points, the group consists of many companies that promote concerts, tours, and festivals such as Rock am Ring, Rock im Park, Hurricane, Southside, and Lucca Summer. Moreover, it manages some of the most famous European venues. In 2022, it achieved a revenue of 1.9 billion euros in more than twenty countries. In Croatia, Eventim generated about one and a half million euros in revenue last year, according to Poslovna Hrvatska.

What has changed the most in your business in twenty years in the Croatian market?

– Back in 2003, when we started operating in Croatia, online purchasing was just in its infancy, and tickets sold online accounted for only a few percent. At that time, there was also resistance to online purchasing in general, as people were afraid to leave their card details in the virtual space. Therefore, from the beginning, we developed a quality network of sales points throughout Croatia while simultaneously providing a reliable and unique online platform for ticket sales and transparent and quality service to organizers – thus, we quickly took over a large part of the work from concert organizers. Soon, customers recognized the advantages and strengthened their trust in online ticket purchasing for concerts, primarily due to the convenience of buying and the so-called easier communication regarding tickets. As a result, today, most purchases are made in our webshop, but Eventim continues to invest in maintaining and expanding the network of physical sales points to meet all the needs of its customers and event organizers.

How much was the Croatian concert market worth when you entered it, and how much is it worth today?

– The concert market in Croatia has been steadily growing over the twenty years we have been operating. Of course, there have been downturns due to objective reasons, such as the pandemic years. With growth comes experience and professionalism, so we can certainly say that the market, or all participants who have survived in this business, has reached sufficient maturity for further serious development of Croatia as an important destination for world tours.

Okay, but what is your estimate of how much it is worth?

– I wouldn’t dare to speculate; it’s too big a business involving numerous stakeholders: promoters, the video industry, the audio industry, and many others. After all, we don’t just sell tickets for concerts; our business also includes sporting events, theater performances, children’s theater performances… But we are talking about millions of euros, of course.

What is the most expensive concert for which you sold tickets in Croatia?

– The one that didn’t take place, Céline Dion; it was supposed to be the most expensive production. We were involved in consultations, offered our ticket sales experience, set the price, and created a case study. We did not organize the concert; that was done by some promoters.

Many global stars are coming to Croatia today, but some names still bypass us. Who is responsible for that?

– Looking at the entertainment industry in Croatia in general, we can say that we do not lag behind other countries of similar size in the region or in Europe. Croatia is an interesting country and market for domestic and foreign promoters who bring attractive international performers. This is evident this year, especially when looking at the concerts in Pula in June, July, and August, which are almost sold out. These are very attractive names such as Robbie Williams, Imagine Dragons, Florence and the Machine, Simply Red, Norah Jones… all in a small area – in Pula and Opatija. This proves that there is interest because we are a tourist country and because we have very good references related to visits from major international stars. Also, this year, most world artists’ tours are taking place in the summer, and we are considered an attractive location. I wouldn’t say that anyone is bypassing us, but rather that conditions have not been met for some performers. We must also consider that we are a small market and that we often cannot financially support large projects like those held in the most developed countries in the world. There are simply too few of us.

What do you think about the discontinuation of the INmusic festival?

– We regret that it was not held this year because the discontinuity of such a long-standing event does not benefit anyone. We are pleased with the recent announcement that it will continue next year. We look forward to every quality project, regardless of whether we participate in it or not.

Should local government units sponsor concerts and festivals?

– Cities and tourist boards could be more actively involved in organizing because the arrival of a major global star and band brings many other benefits; not only to the organizer but also to all accompanying elements, hospitality, hotel industry, retail… These are tourists who might not come to us if it weren’t for such events. I believe that an additional impulse would be beneficial for organizers, as much as possible. I’m not saying that this is not being done, as we see that cities are getting involved. However, it would be good if they could get more involved, especially financially, so that organizers can be more confident that they will come out without a loss from such an event. This would further strengthen the industry because organizers are, in a way, undervalued in terms of support. It is often forgotten that they bear the entire risk. All of us involved in this industry should listen better to their needs and possibilities due to that risk. In event organization, everything must be paid for in advance, and the organizer has no guarantees that the event will be successful.

How has the pandemic affected business in Croatia and beyond, how does inflation affect ticket sales for events, what is the situation in the market in Croatia as a whole, and what does he think about the competition, read in the printed or digital edition of the weekly Lider.