NLIS 4
May 12, 2000
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)

Arts and Culture Centre tickets now available on-line

Charles Furey, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, today announced that patrons of the province�s Arts and Culture Centres can now purchase show tickets on-line, by going to their web site at www.artsandculturecentre.com

"For several years the Centres have maintained a web site to provide information about upcoming events and during a recent upgrade of the site, it was decided to add an encrypted server so people can use their credit-cards on line," said Furey. "This is a great convenience and it gives the public an opportunity to view an excellent web site, which profiles the wide variety of events and entertainment offered by the Arts and Culture Centres across the province."

Richard Stoker, program manager for the Centres, said many people visiting the site asked when they might order on-line and this service is a direct response to this customer demand. Reservations and purchases are confirmed by email to each subscriber. While ticket buyers cannot choose the exact seat they want, they can specify the general area in which they would like to sit.

"People like the visual aspect of the web site and can see what they're doing when buying their tickets. It's a convenience to customers who may not find it easy to physically get to a Centre. The feedback so far has been positive, with fairly steady usage of the site," said Stoker. "I think the use of e-commerce for business-to-consumer contacts will become increasingly important to us. We will monitor use of the site in order to respond to further customer demand."

Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Communications, (709) 729-0928.

2000 05 12                                                3:15 p.m.