The Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) has appointed Richard Brundle as its new chairman.
Brundle (pictured), who was approved unanimously at STAR’s recent AGM, succeeds Adrian Sanders, who has retired after two-and-a-half years in the role.
As MD of the ticket agency Edwards And Edwards, Brundle was part of the team that created STAR in the mid-1990s and was a STAR council member from 1997-2001. He is currently a freelance consultant.
Speaking to STAR’s members at the AGM, Brundle said, “Many splinter groups have come into existence to put their own version of what ticketing should look like in 2018. Some have their own agendas to promote and validate their own business model, others seem to be on a crusade and we have still more groups trying to bring order in a commercial world which has many different levels of complexity to it.
“STAR needs to unify where it can, lead the ticketing charter, and to make a difference in how people choose to buy their tickets.
“STAR ‘s role must be to help to ensure that the public are well informed and clear before they purchase a ticket. The public need to know that whoever they buy their ticket from is it a legal transaction or not, and where to turn to if something goes wrong.”
Brundle is a qualified accountant who has specialised in the theatre, entertainment, and hospitality industries, and has held numerous senior and board level positions in the commercial theatre and entertainment industries for 30 years.
One of his immediate aims is for the ticketing and wider entertainment industry to meet the challenges set out in Attitude Is Everything’s recent State Of Access Report. He said, “We need to bring together as many parties as possible to make tickets available to all, including those with access issues. Great strides have started on that and one of my goals is bring an industry wide standard in this area.”
Jonathan Brown, CEO of STAR said, “It’s great to have Richard on board again. He knows the ticketing industry inside-out and, as a founder of STAR, he has great clarity and vision about strengthening and extending STAR’s role in safeguarding the interests of the ticket-buying public and the industry its members serve. He has tremendous support from the membership and I know that the STAR Council are looking forward very much to working under Richard’s leadership.”
