May 17, 1999 08:18
Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch Accelerates New Business, Initiatives
Realigns Organization
The Company Announces Several Executive Promotions and Additions to the Management Team
PASADENA, Calif., May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch (Nasdaq: TMCS), today
announced a realignment of its company structure to accelerate its expanded strategy to be the leading
personalized source for local information and transactions. The company's rapidly expanding city guide
network now includes a full range of local transaction services, including tickets, hotel reservations,
merchandise, e-Commerce, employment classifieds and matchmaking to help local consumers get things
done online. To support these efforts, the company will now have two groups with five strategic business
units. The company also announced several executive promotions and new additions to the Ticketmaster
Online-CitySearch management team.
"The realignment of our operations allows us to focus our resources on creating the next generation of city
guides and local transaction services," said Charles Conn, Chief Executive Officer of Ticketmaster
Online-CitySearch. "We believe re-aligning around accountable business units rather than functional areas
will allow us to effectively manage our growth and success. More importantly, it will help us deliver new and
innovative ways to help people get things done online."
Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch has organized its operating units into two groups. The City Guides &
Central Support group will include the City Guides and CityAuction business units and will concentrate on
expanding the current partnerships and city guide network. The Ticketing & Transactions group will contain
the Ticketing, e-Commerce and Scheduling/Reservations business units, including an effort to expand the
online merchandise available on Ticketmaster Online and CitySearch.
By aligning the two key areas of growth, Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch is facilitating a consumer
experience that allows people to obtain information online, then take action with a related transaction, such
as making a reservation or purchasing a ticket. This "local portal" approach provides features and
functionality relevant to local activities, just as national portals do with Web navigation. The first city
example of this new generation city guide, the Denver city guide, is exceeding expectations, and in its first
month 11% of all visitors also linked to the Ticketmaster Online site.
City Guides & Central Support Group
David Hagan has been promoted to President of the newly formed City Guide & Central Support group.
Hagan will oversee the division responsible for development of the growing network of city guides across the
country and internationally. In addition, he will continue to build the CityAuction person-to-person online
auction site that provides a time-saving way to buy and sell items in local and regional marketplaces. The
company announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Match.Com, a leading online
matchmaking and dating service, which will also report to Hagan. Prior to joining Ticketmaster
Online-CitySearch in January, Hagan was responsible for all marketing, sales and customer service
functions for Sprint Canada nationwide. He also successfully planned, developed and launched an Internet
service for residential and small business customers.
Ticketing & Transactions Group
The Company has announced the promotion of John Pleasants to President of the newly formed Ticketing &
Transactions group. Pleasants will head the division responsible for event ticketing, merchandising,
e-commerce and other transactions, such as hotel and restaurant reservations. Joining Pleasants in the
Ticketing & Transactions group is Tim Sullivan, who will serve as Vice President of e-Commerce. Sullivan
comes to Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch from Walt Disney Co., where he was Vice President and
Managing Director of Buena Vista Home Entertainment Asia Pacific and responsible for the sales,
marketing and distribution of Disney video product in the region.
About Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch
Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch (Nasdaq: TMCS) is an award-winning provider of locally-developed online
information and transaction services relevant to people's everyday lives. The TMCS family of Web sites
includes www.citysearch.com, www.ticketmaster.com, www.cityauction.com, www.match.com, and
www.Livedaily.com. CitySearch (www.citysearch.com) develops city guides that provide rich local
information on arts and entertainment, recreation, shopping and community, and integrate transactions to
help people get things done. Ticketmaster Online (www.ticketmaster.com) provides online ticketing through
an exclusive agreement with Ticketmaster Corporation, the leading provider and distributor of event tickets,
selling annually approximately 75 million tickets, representing gross receipts in excess of 2.5 billion dollars,
for more than 250,000 events and 3,750 clients. CityAuction (www.cityauction.com) is a person-to-person
online auction site that provides a time-saving way to buy and sell items in local and global marketplaces.
These services provide a local portal that allows people to perform everyday activities online, from planning
an evening out, to buying tickets, to local shopping. Match.Com (www.match.com), a leading matchmaking
and dating service offers single adults a convenient, fun and private environment for meeting other singles.
The service, which has registered more than 1.8 million members to date, is responsible for arranging over
200,000 relationships and has confirmed more than 650 marriages. Live Daily (www.Livedaily.com) is a daily
live entertainment news magazine on the Internet that provides Web music fans with daily concert and
music news, reviews, interviews, commentary and exclusive ticketing information. Ticketmaster
Online-CitySearch is headquartered in Pasadena, California.
Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch is the owner or licensee of its name and logo trademarks and service
marks. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
Visit Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch on the World Wide Web at www.CitySearch.com,
www.Ticketmaster.com, www.CityAuction.com, www.Livedaily.com. Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch
corporate headquarters is located at 790 East Colorado Boulevard - Suite 200, Pasadena, California, 91101;
+1-626-405-0050; fax +1-626-405-9929; info@citysearch.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995
This press release contains forward-looking statements about Ticketmaster
Online-CitySearch, Inc. (the "Company"), including those concerning its future
product plans. These forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from
these statements. Among the risks and uncertainties that could adversely
affect the Company's actual results are: the limited operating history and
early development stage of the Company; the absence of history of Ticketmaster
Online as an independent company; the Company's lack of profitability and
anticipation of continued losses; the Company's dependence on its relationship
with Ticketmaster Corporation; control of the Company by USA Networks, Inc.;
the potential for conflicts of interest; the fact that the license agreement
between USA Networks, Ticketmaster Corporation and the Company is subject to
certain limitations that are contained therein; possible future sales of the
Company's securities by USA Networks, Inc.; company integration risks; the
Company's dependence on increased ticket sales; the Company's future capital
needs and the uncertainty of additional financing; the unpredictability and
potential fluctuations in future revenues and operating results. Investors
are encouraged to read the risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company's
filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form S-1
SOURCE Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch
/CONTACT: Nancy Scott Lyon of Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch,
626-660-2530, nancy_lyon@citysearch.com; or Sara Strickland of Ticketmaster
Online-CitySearch, 626-660-2758, sara@citysearch.com/
/Web site: match.com
/Web site: livedaily.com
/Web site: cityauction.com
/Web site: ticketmaster.com
/Web site: citysearch.com
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