Ticketmaster Launches Online Ticketing Program For Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire

Ticketmaster Launches Online Ticketing Program For Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire

Specially-Priced Online Ticket Deals Available to the Mentor Volunteers for Children Served by Big Brothers Big Sisters

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Ticketmaster has launched a new online ticketing program for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, offering specially-priced event tickets and other ticket deal opportunities for its Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor volunteers (deemed "Bigs"). Working with its venue, promoter, and sports team clients, Ticketmaster is providing a dedicated Web page where Bigs can access specially priced tickets to events they can attend with their designated Little Brothers and Sisters (known as "Littles").

Beginning this week, Bigs will receive a passcode to access BBBS online ticket deals available on a private, branded Web page. The online ticketing program for the BBBS of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire chapter is the first of a planned regional initiative expected to roll out over the coming year, whereby Ticketmaster will assist the agency with recruiting efforts. In assisting BBBS with its efforts to recruit volunteers to mentor the growing number of area youths interested in participating in the beneficial mentoring program, Ticketmaster will be introducing BBBS to Ticketmaster clients throughout Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, helping the organization to facilitate on-site initiatives at select entertainment and sporting events in those markets.

"We are just thrilled that Ticketmaster has developed this service to recognize the amazing work of the thousands of Bigs that are matched with at-risk kids. It will also give our Bigs a special opportunity to take their Littles to concerts, presentations, and exhibitions that they would not otherwise get to see. But I am equally enthused about how our relationship with Ticketmaster will help us recruit more volunteers to serve the hundreds of boys and girls on our waitlist," remarked John E. Kobara, President/CEO of BBBS.

"We applaud BBBS' efforts in promoting mentoring and we're proud to get involved with an opportunity to reward the significant contributions that the Big Brothers and Big Sisters make in the lives of children all across America who participate in the program," said Kim Burgan, Director of Sales and Marketing at Ticketmaster. "Ticketmaster, along with our clients, is pleased to be able to provide an opportunity for Bigs to access affordable tickets to attend family-friendly events with their Littles."

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

Walt Disney and Meredith Willson founded Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles in 1955 to help ensure the well being of boys growing up without fathers in Los Angeles. The Big Sisters Program was founded in 1972 under the umbrella of a public social service agency. In 1978, the program became Big Sisters of Los Angeles (BSLA), a separate, non-profit organization.

In order to strengthen and expand services to significantly more disadvantaged youth, the two agencies merged on July 1, 2001, to become "Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire." Today, BBBSGLAIE is one of the largest affiliates of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, based on the number of children and youth served, the number of volunteer mentors, and the size of our service area (Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties).

National research has shown that the positive relationships between Big Brothers and Big Sisters and their Littles have a direct, measurable, and lasting impact on children's lives. BBBS of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire empower children who face economic, emotional and social challenges through a variety of programs, which provide a professionally-supported, one-to-one mentoring relationship with a positive role model. To learn more about how you can get involved and experience the difference a Big Brother or Big Sister can make, visit http://www.bbbslaie.org/.

About Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster is the world's leading ticketing company, providing ticket sales and distribution through www.ticketmaster.com, one of the largest e-commerce sites on the Internet; approximately 3,300 retail Ticket Center outlets; 19 worldwide telephone call centers; and a broad online and offline marketing network. Ticketmaster serves more than 9,000 clients worldwide across multiple event categories, providing exclusive ticketing services for hundreds of leading arenas, stadiums, performing arts venues, museums, and theaters, and sold 98 million tickets valued at $5 billion in 2004. Ticketmaster is headquartered in West Hollywood, California and is an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ:IACI).

Source: Ticketmaster

CONTACT: John Kobara, President/CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters, +1-213-481-3611, ext. 229, jkobara@bbbslaie.org; or Bonnie Poindexter of Ticketmaster, +1-310-360-2321, bonnie.poindexter@ticketmaster.com

Web site: http://www.ticketmaster.com/ http://www.bbbslaie.org/

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