PortTIX
PortTIX is a nonprofit-owned regional box office and online ticketing platform serving Greater Portland, Maine, selling tickets for Merrill Auditorium and 15+ local performing arts organizations through a PCI DSS-compliant e-commerce system with mobile QR tickets, subscription packages, and group sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What PortTIX does
PortTIX, LLC operates a regional box office and online ticketing platform for performing arts events in Greater Portland, Maine. The company is jointly owned by two nonprofit anchor organizations, Portland Ovations and Portland Symphony Orchestra, and serves as the official ticket seller for Merrill Auditorium, a 1,900-seat City of Portland-owned venue, as well as 15+ additional local arts organizations including Portland Chamber Music Festival, Portland Conservatory of Music, Portland Ballet, Mad Horse Theatre Company, PortFringe, Portland Theater Festival, Bach Virtuosi Festival, North Star Baroque, The Kotzschmar Organ, USM Department of Theatre, USM Osher School of Music, YES&Co., and 240 Strings. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through an e-commerce website (porttix.com and boxoffice.porttix.com), phone sales, and a physical box office at 400 Congress St in Portland, supplemented by a dedicated group sales channel for orders of 10+ tickets managed by Group Sales Manager Jen Whitley.
The underlying platform is a PCI DSS-compliant e-commerce ticketing system that issues mobile tickets with unique QR barcodes, supports Apple Pay at checkout (with Google Pay and PayPal in active development), and operates anti-scalper defenses including CAPTCHA, ticket purchase limits, and unique-per-ticket barcodes. The platform integrates third-party parking (ParkWhiz at Merrill Auditorium, ParkEngage for USM venues) and the Merrill Auditorium assisted-listening system (ListenWiFi), and is extending into digital content with on-demand concert offerings such as the Magic of Christmas Digital Concert. Customer-facing pricing combines per-ticket service fees scaled proportionally to ticket price (uniform across online, phone, and in-person channels) with seven subscription packages that offer 5–25% savings, group discounts for 10+ ticket buyers, senior/student/veteran discounts, and pay-what-you-can pricing on selected events.
PortTIX generates revenue almost exclusively through transaction fees on ticket sales for partner events plus ancillary services such as gift certificates and group sales coordination. The company markets primarily through its own website, a monthly email newsletter, and an organic social presence on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, with an active anti-reseller education campaign that aligns with Maine's September 2024 ticket resale law capping reseller service fees at 10% and prohibiting bots and speculative tickets.
PortTIX firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PortTIX
- Legal name
- PortTIX, LLC
- Website
- https://porttix.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PortTIX is a nonprofit-owned regional box office and online ticketing platform serving Greater Portland, Maine, selling tickets for Merrill Auditorium and 15+ local performing arts organizations through a PCI DSS-compliant e-commerce system with mobile QR tickets, subscription packages, and group sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PortTIX industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Ticketing
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)
Keywords
Where PortTIX is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
PortTIX business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales Commission: PortTIX earns revenue through handling fees on ticket sales, which are scaled proportionally to the ticket price (cheaper tickets have lower fees, more expensive tickets have higher fees). Fees are the same regardless of purchase channel (online, phone, or in person). For standard mail delivery, a $3 shipping fee applies per order.
- Partnership Ticketing Services: PortTIX serves as the official ticket seller for Merrill Auditorium and partners with various local non-profit arts organizations to sell tickets for their events. Revenue is generated through ticket service fees on these partner events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Tiered seating from $29 to $99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BUGS at Westbrook PAC - $25 all ages |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Magic of Christmas Digital Concert - Pay-What-You-Can starting at $10 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Symphony in Space - Family-friendly pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | VOCES8 concert - Adult pricing with service fee |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Pick 3 Package - Save $5 per ticket |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Take 5 Package - $20 per ticket for 5 shows |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Compose Your Own - Save 10% off single tickets |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Broadway & Beyond Package - Save 10% |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
PortTIX product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PortTIX sells tickets to performing arts events presented by partner organizations in Greater Portland, Maine, including Portland Ovations, Portland Symphony Orchestra, and Portland Conservatory of Music. It is the exclusive authorized local box office for Merrill Auditorium and provides both online (web and mobile) and in-person ticketing for concerts, Broadway productions, family programming, and subscription packages.
Product overview
PortTIX is a regional ticketing and box office platform operated by Portland Ovations and Portland Symphony Orchestra, serving as the official ticket seller for Merrill Auditorium and multiple Greater Portland arts organizations. The core offering is the PortTIX Online Box Office system for purchasing event tickets, complemented by Mobile Tickets (QR-based digital tickets), Gift Certificates, and Group Sales packages. The platform offers various subscription packages including Compose Your Own (PSO Classical/Pops), Pick 3 (Portland Ovations), Take 5, Broadway & Beyond, Saturday Pops, Sunday Pops, and Portland Conservatory of Music subscriptions. PortTIX also provides digital access to recorded performances like the Magic of Christmas Digital Concert.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PortTIX Online Box Office
Quantifiable outcome
- All ticket purchases from PortTIX are guaranteed valid; tickets purchased from third-party resellers may not be accepted due to duplicate or invalid barcodes.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use PortTIX
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PortTIX technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature3 records
PortTIX partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Portland OvationscorePortland Ovations is one of the two owner organizations of PortTIX. Portland Ovations presents performing arts programming including Broadway shows, dance performances, and concert events at Merrill Auditorium and other venues. PortTIX serves as their exclusive ticketing platform.
- Portland Symphony OrchestracorePortland Symphony Orchestra is one of the two owner organizations of PortTIX. PSO presents classical, pops, and special event concerts. PortTIX serves as their exclusive ticketing platform for performances at Merrill Auditorium and other venues.
- Portland Chamber Music FestivalmajorPortland Chamber Music Festival uses PortTIX to sell tickets for their summer concert series at Stevens Square Theater, featuring classical and chamber music performances.
- Portland Conservatory of MusicmajorPortland Conservatory of Music (PCM) uses PortTIX to sell tickets for their concerts and events at their venue at 28 Neal Street in Portland's West End.
- Portland Theater FestivalmajorPortland Theater Festival uses PortTIX to sell tickets for their theatrical productions at various venues including Crewe Center for the Arts.
- University of Southern Maine - Department of TheatremajorUSM Department of Theatre partners with PortTIX for ticketing their theatrical productions at Hannaford Hall and Crewe Center for the Arts.
- USM Osher School of MusicmajorUSM Osher School of Music uses PortTIX for ticketing their concerts and performances, with optional parking add-ons available through the platform.
- The Kotzschmar OrganminorThe Kotzschmar Organ uses PortTIX for ticketing their organ concerts and performances.
- Mad Horse Theatre CompanyminorMad Horse Theatre Company uses PortTIX for ticketing their theatrical productions.
- PortFringeminorPortFringe (Portland's fringe theater festival) uses PortTIX for ticketing their performances.
- Portland BalletminorPortland Ballet uses PortTIX for ticketing their dance performances.
- Bach Virtuosi FestivalminorBach Virtuosi Festival uses PortTIX for ticketing their classical music festival performances.
- North Star BaroqueminorNorth Star Baroque uses PortTIX for ticketing their baroque music performances.
- YES&Co.minorYES&Co. (improv comedy group) uses PortTIX for ticketing their comedy performances.
- 240 Stringsminor240 Strings uses PortTIX for ticketing their musical performances.
- City of PortlandcoreMerrill Auditorium is owned and operated by the City of Portland. PortTIX serves as the official ticket seller for the venue. The City handles lost and found through their Public Assembly Facilities Division.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PortTIX competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Telecharge: Primary ticketing service for Broadway and performing arts venues in New York City, owned by The Shubert Organization. Direct peer in the niche of venue-affiliated performing arts ticketing services serving nonprofit and commercial arts organizations.
- Goldstar: Discount and half-price ticketing marketplace for performing arts, attractions, and live events. Comparable as a ticketing intermediary serving arts patrons with similar transaction-fee economics.
- TodayTix: Mobile-first ticketing platform focused on performing arts (theater, Broadway, dance) in major cities. Direct competitor to PortTIX in the performing arts ticketing niche with similar consumer base and exclusive venue partnerships, though operating at larger scale.
- Etix: Regional and venue-focused online ticketing provider serving performing arts centers, theaters, and entertainment venues across the US. Closely comparable to PortTIX in business model, target customers (regional venues and arts orgs), and scale.
- Brown Paper Tickets: Independent ticketing service with strong presence among small and mid-size performing arts organizations and nonprofits. Closely comparable to PortTIX in serving mission-driven arts clients with transaction-fee pricing.
- AudienceView: Ticketing and engagement platform serving performing arts organizations, sports teams, and universities. Competes in the same nonprofit/arts organization ticketing space as PortTIX with subscription and membership management features.
Broad incumbents
- Ticketmaster (Live Nation): Dominant incumbent in live event ticketing with broad venue and promoter relationships. Major competitive threat to any regional performing arts ticketing service, including PortTIX, for partner venue contracts.
- AXS (AEG): Global ticketing platform operated by AEG, serving arenas, theaters, and performing arts venues. Competes for institutional arts venue contracts at the regional and national level.
- Eventbrite: Large-scale self-service ticketing and event management platform with broad category coverage. While not specialized in performing arts, it competes for arts organization ticketing contracts and represents a significant threat as an alternative platform.
Others
- Patron Technology (Tessitura Network): CRM and ticketing solutions provider specialized in arts and cultural organizations, often integrated with the Tessitura platform. Comparable in serving the same nonprofit performing arts customer base, sometimes as a backend technology partner to ticketing services like PortTIX.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PortTIX social profiles
Digital presencePortTIX compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
PortTIX financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PortTIX leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
PortTIX funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PortTIX M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PortTIX
What does PortTIX do?
PortTIX sells tickets to performing arts events presented by partner organizations in Greater Portland, Maine, including Portland Ovations, Portland Symphony Orchestra, and Portland Conservatory of Music. It is the exclusive authorized local box office for Merrill Auditorium and provides both online (web and mobile) and in-person ticketing for concerts, Broadway productions, family programming, and subscription packages.
Is PortTIX a public or private company?
PortTIX is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PortTIX founded?
PortTIX was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PortTIX based?
PortTIX is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does PortTIX make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales Commission is the primary driver. The others are partnership Ticketing Services.
Who are PortTIX's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Telecharge, Goldstar, TodayTix, Etix, Brown Paper Tickets and AudienceView. Broad incumbents are Ticketmaster (Live Nation), AXS (AEG) and Eventbrite. Patron Technology (Tessitura Network) is listed as an others.
Does PortTIX have an API?
No public API is recorded for PortTIX.
What industry is PortTIX in?
PortTIX's product category is Performing Arts Ticketing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAFAL, Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions). Its NAICS code is 711310 and its SIC code is 7900.