Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers

Name

Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers

Legal name

The Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers

Website

https://star.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIAFAD

Ticketing Platforms & Primary Ticketing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Live Music & Touring (Promoters, Venues, Ticketing)

SECONDARYHSACALAC

Theater & Performing Arts Ticketing

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Ticketing & Reservations Services

Keywords

• Ticketing self-regulation
• Dispute resolution services
• Industry membership association
• Consumer ticket protection
• UK ticketing standards

Headquarters

HQ city

York

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: STAR generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees charged to ticket agents, retailers, venues, and other industry participants. Fees are structured based on ticket volume (number of tickets sold annually) or membership category.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

STAR is the self-regulatory trade body for the UK ticketing industry. It sets and enforces a Code of Practice for member ticket agents, retailers, and venues, and delivers a government-approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service to resolve consumer disputes. Additional offerings include a Member Directory, consumer ticket buying guidance, Model Terms and Conditions templates, and a Ticketing Industry Apprenticeship Programme developed in partnership with the National College Creative Industries.

Product overview

STAR (Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers) is a self-regulatory body for the UK ticketing industry, not a software product company. Its core offerings consist of the STAR Code of Practice, which sets industry standards for member ticket agents; an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute; a Member Directory for consumers to find verified ticket sellers; and consumer ticket buying guidance. Supporting offerings include Model Terms and Conditions of Sale templates and a Ticketing Industry Apprenticeship Program developed in partnership with the National College Creative Industries. The organization provides regulatory-approved consumer protection rather than a traditional software product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STAR Code of Practice Industry code of conduct setting high standards for customer service and information for UK ticket agents and retailers. Members commit to clear pricing information, refunding at least face value for cancelled events (where authorised), courteous booking handling, and highlighting terms and conditions including transferability, cancellation, and viewing restrictions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,533 disputes handled in 2020, with approved ADR timescales maintained

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National College Creative Industries (NCCI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018STAR partnered with NCCI to create a bespoke apprenticeship tailored to the ticketing industry. The first ticketing apprentices were recruited by the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Ticket Factory in 2018. NCCI provides off-the-job training through workshops and industry practitioners who assess apprentices using an e-portfolio system.
• Royal Shakespeare CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018One of the first organisations to recruit ticketing apprentices through STAR's partnership with NCCI when the apprenticeship programme launched in 2018.
• The Ticket Factory (NEC Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018One of the first organisations to recruit ticketing apprentices through STAR's partnership with NCCI when the apprenticeship programme launched in 2018.
• UK Theatre / Society of London Theatre (SOLT)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCross-promotional partner with shared interest in theatre ticketing standards. UK Theatre registered charities receive discounted STAR membership rates.
• Live Music Industry (LIVE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner organisation supporting live music events and ticketing standards.
• Here for CultureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK Government campaign for the culture sector. STAR is listed as a supporting organisation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents): UK trade association with a comparable structure to STAR: members subscribe, adhere to a Code of Conduct, and benefit from an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme. Most directly comparable peer given parallel membership-fee funding and ADR-provider business model in an adjacent consumer-facing sector.
• Society of London Theatre (SOLT): London-based theatre trade association partnered with STAR. Comparable as a member-funded industry body overseeing ticketing standards for a specific segment of live entertainment venues.
• Federation of Small Businesses (FSB): UK membership organisation providing services and protection to small businesses, including dispute resolution. Comparable as a subscription-based trade association offering consumer-protection and member support services to UK SMBs.
• National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB): US-based trade association for ticket brokers that similarly promotes ethical standards and consumer protection in ticket resale. Comparable as a sector-specific industry body for ticket agents, though US-jurisdiction rather than UK.
• UK Theatre: UK trade association for theatres and performing arts venues, with shared membership economics (associate/per-seat pricing) and STAR cross-promotion. Closely comparable peer serving the theatre ticketing subset of STAR's member base.
• Live Music Industry (LIVE): UK trade body for the live music sector that STAR explicitly partners with. Directly comparable as a stakeholder organisation supporting live event ticketing standards, with overlapping member bases in venues and promoters.

Broad incumbents

• AXS: Global ticketing platform serving major UK venues and arenas. Comparable as a primary ticketing platform operating in the same UK market, likely a STAR member subject to its Code of Practice.
• Ticketmaster: Largest UK primary ticketing platform and a likely STAR member. Comparable as a major incumbent in the same UK ticketing market that STAR regulates, though commercially oriented rather than self-regulatory.
• Live Nation Entertainment: Global live entertainment and ticketing conglomerate operating across UK venues and festivals. Comparable as a major industry participant subject to STAR's Code of Practice through its UK ticketing subsidiaries.

Others

• Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI): UK professional body for trading standards that approves STAR as an ADR provider. Ecosystem participant rather than competitor; its approval framework defines STAR's regulatory standing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/starticketing
• Facebookfacebook.com/securetickets

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers