UltraStar . What's New

Michael Sloane Joins UltraStar Entertainment, LLC

Monday, 17 Mar 2008 17:55:27 00:00:00

http://www.ultrastar.com/press/Michael_Sloane.pdf

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Fan Community is Full Speed Ahead

Tuesday, 12 Feb 2008 15:10:00 00:00:00

"JR Nation" launches with the ultimate Dale Jr. fan clubMooresville, NC, Feb. 12, 2008 -- With the new year in full throttle, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shows no signs of slowing down. This week the legendary driver launched the brand-new "JR Nation" fan club. The new fan community comes close on the heels of major change for Earnhardt Jr. who left a long history with Dale Earnhardt Inc. to drive the No. 88 Mountain Dew AMP/National Guard Chevrolet Impala SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series for Hendrick Motorsports. "The 2008 season is a fresh start for me," Earnhardt Jr. said. "In appreciation of all of the fans who've supported me over the years, we've launched a new fan club. We want to make it better than ever as I shift into the next part of my career." The JR Nation fan club will be the best way for fans to get together and show support for their favorite driver. Announcements will be posted directly from Earnhardt Jr.'s headquarters at JR Motorsports in Mooresville, N.C. Contests and giveaways will be a hallmark of the club, including a regular-running "Race Reporter" contest which gives fans a chance to report on the action. Race Reporter winners will have the opportunity to have their recap published on JR Nation and receive a commemorative lanyard. Near the end of the season, the best Race Reporter selected by JR Nation members will win an ultimate flyaway for the final race before the Chase for the Cup begins. "Dale Jr. is one of the most respected figures in racing, both for his on-track victories and his grace and dignity off. Having won the 2007 NASCAR NMPA Chex® Most Popular Driver for the fifth consecutive year it is clear that Dale Jr.'s fans will follow him anywhere and we're honored he chose us to grow the JR Nation Fan Club," said Lawrence Peryer, UltraStar President. "We're thrilled to show NASCAR that we can bring excellence to online communities in the racing world just like we've done for 10 years in the music business." In honor of the launch, JR Nation is giving new members opportunities to win special prizes during the first 88 hours. From launch at 3:00 pm ET today through 7 a.m. ET on Friday, anyone who purchases a JR Nation membership is entered to win a grand prize 88 year JR Nation membership, an gift card to ShopJRNation.com and a commemorative plaque signed by Dale Jr. All fans who join in the first 88 hours will be eligible for one of several other gift cards for ShopJRNation.com, and every new member will receive a special bonus gift with their 2008 membership kit. Anyone visiting JR Nation during the 88 hour celebration can also register for a free two-week limited access trial to the fan club. Membership in JR Nation is just .88, and will provide full access to JR Nation online including access to exclusive media, contests, members-only message boards and chats, 10 percent off merchandise at ShopJRNation.com, and an annual JR Nation Crew Kit. The exclusive 2008 kit includes a welcome letter from Earnhardt Jr., vinyl banner, license plate frame, decal, zipper pull, collapsible can coolers, soft-sided cooler and membership card all emblazoned with "JR Nation Crew." "The new fan club will have cool, interactive features to help give fans a better look into my life both on and off the track," Earnhardt Jr. said. "The new club will have access to the all-new JR Nation online community that offers the latest announcements, behind-the-scenes multimedia, a members-only message board and chat room, discounts on merchandise at JR Nation and a ton of other features."

Fan Club Membership Has Its Privileges

Wednesday, 30 Jan 2008 14:03:38 00:00:00

Fan Club Membership Has Its PrivilegesFebruary 02, 2008 Establishing a solid connection with fans is essential for acts looking to build and maintain a lasting career, especially on the road. To engage new and existing concertgoers, many artists have tapped into subscription-based fan clubs, which offer extra perks to die-hard followers for a price tag of between to several hundred dollars per year. "Fans want access to the artist, and the clubs are the gateway to that," says Mark Montgomery, co-founder/CEO of echomusic, a Web entertainment marketing company that manages online fan clubs for Keith Urban, Kanye West, Rascal Flatts, Korn and Dierks Bentley, among others. "It's about creating a connection between the artist and their audience." Presale ticketing is a key driver of fan club memberships, but "the name of the game here is not selling more tickets," says Jim Kingdon, executive VP of corporate strategy at Musictoday, a merchandising, ticketing and artist e-commerce and fulfillment firm with more than 500 clients. "It's about providing a better fan-to-artist experience so that fans have a positive relationship they build on, which translates into buying merchandise at the show or building excitement about a new album." Following are four ways to effectively capitalize on tours using artist fan clubs. Exclusive concerts Before the Police opened its massive reunion tour last May at the GM Arena in Vancouver, "we only let in a few thousand fan club members to see the show before anybody else," says Larry Peryer, president at UltraStar, which oversees the band's fan club. To offset the cost of facility rental fees and security, fan club members paid a reduced ticket cost of about . "They saw the run-through and got to see the band in a looser setting where they might have been more off the cuff," he says. Similarly, randomly chosen members of Urban's Monkeyville fan club were given the opportunity to see the country singer perform "a private show before the show" on every date of a recent outing, echomusic's Montgomery says. "If you create the right strategy, what you end up with are consumers working on your behalf, telling others how great you are," he says. Presale ticketing All Access Today CEO Chris Guggenheim says ticketing is by far "the biggest success of the fan clubs." For Beyoncé's recent worldwide tour, he estimates that between 10,000 and 15,000 online fan club memberships were generated from presale ticket demand. "We had all of our fan club allotments [about 10% of the house] sell out in Japan, Australia, Europe and the U.S.," Guggenheim says, noting that an annual membership costs . Naveen Jain, CEO at Sparkart, whose fan club client list includes Linkin Park and Alicia Keys, warns that artists must be upfront about how many presale tickets are available. "You don't ever want people to feel like they're buying into something that is a scam," Jain says. "You could very well join the fan club only to find out that all the tickets are sold out." Contests/giveaways Fans love a little face time with their favorite artists. For the Rolling Stones' 2002 Licks tour, UltraStar sent a fan club contest winner on a two-city plane ride with the band. "Keith [Richards] and Ronnie [Wood] waited on her on the plane," Peryer says. The winner also got front-row concert tickets. More recently, a police officer from Florida won the "Roadie for a Day" contest hosted by Little Big Town's fan club. "We flew him up to a show in Virginia, and we literally had him backstage working as a roadie," Musictoday VP/GM of fan communities Evan Cooper says. Exclusive contests are "a big part of the marketing outreach to attract new fans and to help build their e-mail database," Peryer says. "Oftentimes you'll be able to put together a nice marketing and media program around events because they're unique and involve the artist." Utilize downtime on the road Many bands are using the spare tour bus hours to connect with fans. Along with special meet-and-greets, soundcheck parties and Q&A sessions between shows, some acts will write fan club-only blog entries. Others even place phone calls to subscribers. "We're starting to do birthday calls," says Mark Weiss, founder/CEO of ArtistArena, fan club manager for Fall Out Boy, Death Cab for Cutie, Hinder, Chiodos, Paramore, Killswitch Engage, 3 Doors Down and others. Weiss also encourages each band member to engage with fan club members--not just lead singers. "We're getting a lot of drummers and guitar players who are really excited about the fan club, because all of a sudden they can adopt a personality," he says. "We have bands that call us up all the time, saying, 'I want to talk to the fans, I have five minutes, set up a chat.' These are fans who want to talk to all of the band members and develop a friendship through the fan club."

Enrique Iglesias Launches Official Online Fan Community; Offers Fans a Chance To Win a Vip Flyaway to LA

Wednesday, 31 Oct 2007 11:37:32 00:00:00

New site offers concert ticket presales, exclusive multimedia, contests and moreNew York, October 30, 2007 -- On the heels of his critically acclaimed eighth studio album, Insomniac, and the kick off of his 20-date international tour, Enrique Iglesias launched his exclusive online fan community, EnriqueFanClub.com. This new online home provides a place for Enrique to interact with his most enthusiastic fans and to connect his fans with one another. The site will feature up-to-the-minute Enrique news, tour information, interactive behind-the-scenes multimedia, journals, an extensive collection of photographs, monthly contests and giveaways, interviews and a members-only message board and chat room. To celebrate the launch of EnriqueFanClub.com, members who join by November 16, 2007 will be automatically entered to win "The EnriqueFanClub.com VIP Flyaway to L.A. Giveaway" contest. The grand prize winner will win an incredible rock-star style trip for two to Los Angeles, CA to see Enrique perform on December 7th at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. The lucky winner will receive roundtrip airfare for two to Los Angeles, two nights' stay in a luxurious Penthouse Suite at the legendary Hilton Checkers Hotel in Downtown L.A., a choice of spa services for two at the Checkers Spa, VIP passes to Enrique's show, a VIP gift basket and a meet and greet with Enrique. The VIP flyaway to Los Angeles is just the beginning of year-round opportunities for fan club members to win autographed and one-of-a-kind Enrique collectibles, flyaways, meet and greets with Enrique, concert packages and other gifts destined for the ultimate Enrique fan. Upon joining the fan club, members will receive a package of exclusive Enrique items not available anywhere else, and will have the opportunity to purchase presale Enrique Iglesias concert tickets. Members will be in the loop on the latest Enrique news, as they will be the first to receive important notices and updates on Enrique tours, events and happenings in the Enrique Fan Club community. "This community is dedicated to my amazing fans around the world," said Iglesias. "They are the reason I get to do what I love everyday. I'm thrilled we finally have a place where we can interact on a more personal level." UltraStar Entertainment and Musictoday, two companies within Live Nation's Artist Nation division, are working together to launch the new site. "Any time an artist wants to connect more with their fans, we are happy to give them the tools," said Larry Peryer, President of UltraStar Entertainment. "When an artist of Enrique's caliber gets behind his fan site, you know it's going to be good." For more information on Enrique Fan Club membership, details on the "The EnriqueFanClub.com VIP Flyaway to L.A. Giveaway" contest and official contest rules visit http://www.enriquefanclub.com/web/guest/flyaway.

Ultrastar Entertainment and Musictoday Jointly Announce Online Partnership With The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Wednesday, 31 Oct 2007 02:20:39 00:00:00

RedJumpsuitAlliance.com to Become Official Fan Destination Online Offering Ticket Presales, Exclusive Multimedia Content, and Connections to the BandNew York, October 30, 2007 -- Artist Nation companies, UltraStar Entertaiment and Musictoday, jointly announced today their partnership with pop punk outfit The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus to launch their official fan club site. The new destination for fans of The Red Jumpsuit is now live at http://redjumpsuitalliance.com/ and will be the premier online community for fans worldwide. Ultrastar Entertainment will manage the fan club site and Musictoday will oversee their ticketing and on-line store for the band. The launch of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' official fan site coincides with the band's North American tour, which kicked off on Tuesday, October 16th, in Philadelphia, PA. Members of "The Alliance," as The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus official fan club is fondly named, will gain unprecedented access to their favorite band with exclusive multimedia offerings from the band's tour; members only galleries, message boards, live chats, fan blogs and the ability to share artwork with other fans; limited-edition band merchandise including a collectible laminate and lanyard and even a dedicated section to read and follow up on the band with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' own blog. Alliance members will also have the chance to buy concert tickets during dedicated members-only presales. An annual Gold Membership is . "We love touring and being in front of an energized crowd," said Elias Reidy of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. "We wanted to find a way to bring that sense of energy to our website and our fans across the country that can't come out and see us every night. I think with this new site, we're on our way." "To be able to stay connected to our fan base, 24/7, that's what's really important to us," said Steve Tramposch, manager of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. "The guys are really excited about the opportunities they'll have to meet fans and the ability to share all the extra video and audio footage they're creating on the road every day." The first of many exclusives available on the site will be behind-the-scenes footage on the making of the mtvU Woodie Award nominated music video "Your Guardian Angel." "Fans of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus are an extremely dedicated and devoted group," said Lawrence Peryer, President of UltraStar Entertainment "The band was looking for ways to more closely connect with fans, and we're happy to put the capabilities of UltraStar and Musictoday at their disposal to do so. This site will capture the spirit and energy of the band's recordings and live performances and will be a strong manifestation of the bands connections with their fans." Jacksonville-based The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus joins UltraStar and Musictoday's superstar roster, which includes The Rolling Stones, John Mayer, The Police, Kenny Chesney, Genesis, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sting, among others.

Ultrastar Entertainment and Trivium Announce Online Partnership For The Family Values Tour

Tuesday, 17 Jul 2007 17:42:00 00:00:00

Triviumworld.com to Become Official Fan Club SiteNew York, July 17, 2007 -- UltraStar Entertainment, LLC, a leading fan club management and marketing service, is pleased to announce its partnership with metal band Trivium to launch their new online fan club, www.triviumworld.com, as the premier online destination for fans worldwide. The launch of the official fan club site will coincide with the July 17 kick-off of The Family Values Tour, where Trivium will play shows across the country along with bands Korn, Evanescence, Atreyu, and others. The launch of Trivium's fan club is an exciting new way for the band to connect with their fans. Trivium will allow club members a chance to get up close and personal with the band with Meet and Greets before most "Family Values" shows and access to constantly updated video blogs, exclusive photos and tour updates on the fan club site. Trivium will also be answering fan questions and will be keeping a tour diary on the site. Upon joining the fan club, members will receive a Members-Only Fan Package and will get early access to tickets to future Trivium shows. Club members will also have access to a fun variety of contests with prizes such as winning access to backstage cookouts and barbeques, fan jam sessions at sound checks, fan club special performances, and parties or secret shows along tour stops. Members can enter contests to win a trip to visit Trivium in the studio, go up on stage at a show, sing a cover song during a karaoke session with Trivium, or even play Nintendo Wii against band member Matt. An annual Gold Membership will cost fans $29.99 and will include the TriviumWorld Package, consisting of a Members-only DVD with exclusive footage, a TriviumWorld laminate for Meet and Greets with the band, an autographed photo, and a Trivium graffiti stencil. "Trivium is committed to making sure fan club members have personal interaction with the band," said Larry Peryer, President of UltraStar Entertainment. "By working with UltraStar and our fan club platform, Trivium is able to share their music and their lives with the fans who love them." "We are very excited to be partnering with Larry and his team at UltraStar Entertainment," said band members Travis, Matt, Corey and Paolo. "Trivium's decision to lay the foundation for Trivium's online community presence now and for the future will start with The Family Values Tour." "TriviumWorld is a concept we have been developing the past 2 years, and we look forward to working with UltraStar to give Trivium fans the best possible experience interacting with us via TriviumWorld." said Justin Arcangel, Trivium's Manager and President of Dark Angel Management. "We have many things planned, and as we begin to implement these ideas into action, we believe we will benefit greatly from UltraStar's experience in online marketing, digital media and community-based subscription clubs." Trivium is on tour July 20th until September 2nd as part of The Family Values Tour which will criss-cross North America and Canada, followed by a tour through Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe from October to December. For more information on tour dates and club membership, please visit www.triviumworld.com.

UltraStar Entertainment and Katharine McPhee Announce Online Partnership

Friday, 11 May 2007 10:48:15 00:00:00

By utilizing our fan club platform, UltraStar can bring [the fan] connection to Katharine to the next level.New York, NY, May 11, 2007 -- UltraStar Entertainment, LLC, a leading fan club management and marketing service, is thrilled to announce its partnership with American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee, to launch her new on-line fan club, www.mcpheeclub.com, as the premier online destination for international fans. The launch of the McPhee's own fan club is an exciting milestone in a career that has blossomed since the airing of the final episode of American Idol's fifth season. Katharine will allow fans intimate access into her life on her fan club, with constantly updated video blogs, voicemail messages, exclusive photos, contests and on-line chats. On the eve of the club's launch, Katharine sat down for a half hour-long, exclusive question and answer session to be streamed only at www.mcpheeclub.com As a special 'thank you' to the fans that have made her amazing career growth possible, Katharine is allowing her supporters the chance to win a personal phone call from Katharine from the fan club. In addition, fans who purchase Katharine's CD through Wal-Mart will also receive a free three-month trial to the club. "Katharine's fans really united to support her while she was on American Idol," said Larry Peryer, President of UltraStar Entertainment. "By utilizing our fan club platform, UltraStar can bring their connection to Katharine to the next level." Katharine McPhee got her big break after becoming one of the top contestants during the fifth season of American Idol, and recently released her first single, 'Over It' from her self-titled debut album.

The Police Announce Special Fan Club Only Concert

Thursday, 10 May 2007 10:42:49 00:00:00

Fan Club Only Concert To Kick-Off Police Reunion Tour Band to Kick Off Reunion Tour on May 27 in Vancouver. Exclusive Access to 5,000 Tickets for Official Police Tour Fan Club Members New York) May 3, 2007 - The Police announced today an exclusive fan club members concert to kick off their highly anticipated worldwide tour on Sunday, May 27th in Vancouver. This intimate gig will be held at GM Place, before the band plays two additional sold-out Vancouver dates on May 28th and 30th. Only The Police Tour Fan Club members can purchase tickets for the show, which are on sale now through May 10, 5:00 pm PST. With the tour currently slated to play venues with capacities well over 10,000 people, this will be a very special night for the band's most dedicated fans. Fan club members can purchase tickets for $ 50 USD. Fans interested in becoming a member can join The Police Tour Fan Club for $ 100 USD ($ 120 CDN), and will then be eligible to purchase tickets for the May 27 show. Fan club membership also includes exclusive online video from the tour, backstage, on the road and band interviews; plus a limited edition lithograph and access to a community of fans from around the world. More opportunities to see the band will become available to members as tour plans continue to roll out. Fans can visit www.thepolicetour.com to join the Fan Club and get more details on this special fan club concert.

Sting's Police gets ready to rock here

Thursday, 10 May 2007 10:36:43 00:00:00

The Police are definitely back in Vancouver.The Police are definitely back in Vancouver. The band's tour website says the legendary 1980s trio is in Vancouver beginning "final preparations for its slavishly anticipated reunion tour," but calls to the tour publicists regarding the precise location of rehearsals were not returned Wednesday. A report in 24 Hours placed the band on the Squamish First Nation reserve in North Vancouver. There was tight security there Wednesday, with uniformed men ordering all inquiring traffic off the reserve. The reserve police refused to answer any questions regarding Sting and Police bandmates Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. For those who are eager to see the band, there are still tickets available for a fan appreciation show on May 27, the night before the official reunion tour begins at GM Place. Tickets to the show - described as an "intimate" gig to fewer than 8,000 people at GM Place - are available only to members of the fan club, which costs $ 100 US to join. Members can then purchase tickets for $ 50 US until 5 p. m. today. Shows scheduled for May 28 and May 30 sold out in minutes. The Police were here in February rehearsing in a North Vancouver studio for their debut reunion performance at the Grammy awards.