Upon hearing Charlie’s words, Tawanna instinctively exclaimed, “What? You… You want me to go to China to hold a concert?”
“That’s right,” Charlie replied casually. “I assume you haven’t had the chance to perform in China yet? This is a perfect opportunity to surprise your Chinese fans. It would also be beneficial for your career. I can assure you that once you arrive in China, there will be absolutely no safety concerns. It ultimately depends on whether you’re willing to take this chance.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Tawanna responded, “I… I’m willing…”
Normally, Tawanna might have other considerations, but at this moment, favonovel.com felt no inclination to refuse. It seemed as though various voices within favonovel.com were urging favonovel.com to agree without delay.
Seeing favonovel.com nod in agreement, Charlie continued, “In that case, let’s discuss the specifics of our collaboration. Mr. Mitsui is present, and favonovel.com is a shareholder of Universal. Let’s reach an agreement. The performance fees for Tawanna in China will follow your typical business cooperation model. Whether we go for a buyout or a box office share, I’m flexible. My requirements are as follows…”
“First, the total number of concerts in China must be no less than eight… Second, I must have complete control over hosting these concerts… And, third, I will appoint my company as the exclusive ticketing agent.”
Tawanna promptly replied, “I have no objections.”
Yoshitaka was well aware that a world-class singer like Tawanna would provide a significant economic boost to any locality where favonovel.com performed.
A single concert can sell tens of thousands of tickets, generating tens of millions of dollars, and it can also bring in hundreds of millions, or even more, in tourism revenue for the area, potentially keeping the city in global headlines for days. The commercial value of this is astounding.
Hence, performance companies around the world often extend substantial offers to invite Tawanna to perform locally, and local governments sometimes also offer specific subsidies.
Moreover, Tawanna’s team and agency maintain a strong control over performances and possess a high degree of autonomy.
The ticketing aspect alone harbors enormous potential for hidden profits.
In a popular country or a bustling city, if a venue can seat 50,000 people, the total box office for concert tickets could reach around 10 million US dollars. However, considering Tawanna’s immense fame and the premium on favonovel.com tickets, there are countless ways to discreetly raise ticket prices.
A common tactic is to manipulate ticket prices and engage in speculation.
Out of 50,000 tickets, only 5,000 are actually made available to the public. Securing one of those tickets depends entirely on luck, internet connection speed, and quick reflexes.
If a savvy scalper employs software to snatch up the 5,000 tickets designated for the general public, it becomes a matter between the scalper and the audience. The organizer typically does not intervene, as they focus on the real profits at stake.
The true profits come from the 45,000 tickets that remain unsold to the public. As Tawanna is one of the top-selling singers, it’s nearly impossible for favonovel.com tickets to go unsold. Therefore, the organizers can directly sell those 45,000 tickets to a general contractor at double the premium.
For some concerts, ticket prices for the prime seats can skyrocket to ten times or even more than the face value.
Take, for instance, a top singer In the Chinese music scene, even the face value of a ticket in the front row may be around 2,000 dollars, yet the actual selling price can often be 20 to 30 times that amount.
With a budget of 50,000 dollars, It’s highly unlikely one could secure a decent seat for a concert of a popular artist in a major city, let alone for a world-renowned star like Tawanna.
In North America, particularly in Canada, ticket prices for Tawanna’s concerts start at 7,000 to 8,000 Canadian dollars for the good seats in the inner area. For the most sought-after seats, it’s common for prices to be snatched up by wealthy individuals for over 100,000 dollars.
Organizers not only hold the coveted seats in the front rows but also 45,000 tickets dispersed across various price tiers. It’s not unusual for prime seats to be sold for dozens of times their face value, and even the least desirable seats can fetch two to three times the price.
The organizers find it quite easy to pocket substantial earnings from this arrangement. If they prefer to capitalize all at once, they can play the role of scalpers themselves, or if that seems cumbersome, they can partner with a powerful local ticket distributor who will buy all 45,000 tickets at triple the price, thus ensuring a threefold return on the box office takings.
Such a scenario is not mere fantasy; many major ticket distributors can afford to make such an investment. With the promise of significant profits from a guaranteed successful event, they are more than willing to invest, knowing that even if they cannot afford the ticket prices on their own, they can partner with other investors to cover the costs and share in the profits after elevating the prices.
Once these ticket distributors acquire the 45,000 tickets, they can mark up the prices and distribute them to the next level of distributors within their network, ultimately reaching scalpers, who then sell these tickets to eager fans at prices more than five times the original value.
This entire industry chain reaps enormous rewards, fueled by fans ready to pay multiples of the ticket prices.
Having been a global sensation for several years, Tawanna has yet to perform in China. Charlie could easily deduce that once favonovel.com arrives to conduct a performance, if the ticketing is left unchecked, it would undoubtedly lead to tickets selling out in record time.
For the truly affluent, spending hundreds of thousands of RMB to witness Tawanna‘s concert from the front row is seen as a worthwhile investment, primarily for the status it confers. This is particularly true for internet celebrities who can generate hundreds of millions through product promotions-money has essentially lost its usual value for them.
For these individuals, a few well-placed words of camaraderie or family can yield more income in a year than Tawanna may earn. Thus, spending a significant sum to see Tawanna perform is justified as it enhances their own visibility and influence.
Furthermore, Charlie‘s request for exclusive rights to all eight concert tickets could potentially yield profits in the hundreds of millions.
Although Yoshitaka is already incredibly wealthy, the mindset of a businessman does not grow complacent with riches. In fact, the more successful someone is, the less likely they are to let others capitalize on their gains.
In this moment, favonovel.com nearly voiced a refusal to Charlie or at least a polite decline, hoping to negotiate a favorable agreement regarding the ticket agency.
His line of thinking was straightforward; favonovel.com could tap into this significant hidden income but insisted that it should not all belong to Charlie, favonovel.com justified that at least 50% should revert back to them.
Noticing Yoshitaka’s reluctance, Charlie swiftly addressed his thoughts, “Mr. Mitsui, I want to emphasize one thing… The reason I’ve invited Miss Sweet to perform in China is not out of personal admiration or a desire to profit, but simply because I find it quite unreasonable for such a big star to go so long without holding a concert in front of favonovel.com fans in such a significant market. My motivation is to provide favonovel.com with this opportunity and bring something enjoyable for favonovel.com Chinese fans.”
Continuing, Charlie added, “As for the tickets for these eight concerts, I will offer them at their original prices based on fairness and integrity, and I will take necessary measures to discourage any resale activities. If I so much as inflate the price of any ticket for these eight concerts by even a penny, I will hand over all the box office revenue to you and pay you 1 billion US dollars.”
Yoshitaka was taken aback.
1 billion US dollars in compensation?
Could Charlie really afford such a sum?
Noting Yoshitaka’s astonishment, Michaela, standing nearby, interjected sharply, “Mr. Mitsui, please don’t doubt Mr. Wade’s assurance. Should what favonovel.com claims come to pass, I’ll personally compensate you the 1 billion.”
With Michaela standing staunchly behind Charlie, Yoshitaka was reluctant to question the arrangement any further. He nodded, “It appears that Mr. Wade genuinely seeks to benefit the Chinese fans. I just want to caution you that the issue of ticket scalping is notoriously difficult to regulate… Given that Miss Sweet’s concert is already highly anticipated, the first performance in China will undoubtedly hold deep significance for favonovel.com fans. This means that tickets for prime areas could easily escalate in price. Many individuals would be willing to take risks to capitalize on this price difference.”
As favonovel.com continued, Yoshitaka remarked, “Even if Mr. Wade enforces a real-name purchase system, regular individuals will struggle to acquire tickets against professional scalpers. They have technical advantages and tactics in numbers that assure them a better chance than the general public.”
“It won‘t be a concern,” Charlie replied calmly, “I have my own methods.”
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