News Release

CONVENTION & ENTERTAINMENT
FACILITIES DEPARTMENT

New Ticketing System Unveiled at Houston Venues

Small arts groups to benefit at Wortham Center, Jones Hall

The new system means patrons may now purchase tickets online for many events at the Wortham Theater Center and eventually Jones Hall. Resident companies of Jones Hall and Wortham Center (Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony and the Society for the Performing Arts) will continue to sell their own tickets.

“We designed this as an added convenience not just to the smaller arts groups that use our facilities, but also to their patrons,” said Dawn Ullrich, director of the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department, the city department that operates the two theaters. “Before now, some of these groups sold tickets online themselves, and some preferred to sell them only on the phone or at the box office on the day of their event. Now people can buy tickets through our facilities for any of the smaller arts groups, online or in person. So it will be much easier to get tickets to their events.”

The city is using Tessitura Software, provided by the Tessitura Network, to handle the ticketing. Houston joins about 300 organizations in six countries in using the software, which Tessitura calls “the premier arts and cultural enterprise product.” They include The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Center, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Santa Fe Opera and many others.

The first event to use the new system was Dance Houston on May 22 at Cullen Theater at the Wortham.

“The Wortham's ticketing service was very flexible in fitting our needs and allowed our staff more freedom to focus on the quality of our program,” says Andrea Cody, director of Dance Houston.

The City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department manages the George R. Brown Convention Center, Wortham Center, Jones Hall, Miller Outdoor Theatre and a host of other municipal properties. For more information, visit www.houstontx.gov/cef.