At ECAL, we’re working closely with major sports around the world, to help manage important communications around event postponements, cancellations and announcements due to Coronavirus Disease.
Given ECAL’s rich and dynamic capabilities, and ease of management, event owners and publishers are able to deliver important announcements, and event status updates to their audience, at the right time with access to the right information.
What’s the best way to manage these event disruptions? We make the following suggestions and recommendations, to help our publishers manage these important communications in the right way.
Postponing events 
If you are postponing events, we recommend updating (not deleting!) the event as follows:
- Edit the event name to insert “(Postponed)” prominently at the beginning of the event name;
- Insert an emoji ⚠️ in the event name, bringing attention to the changed status of the event;
- Update the event details with your official statement regarding the postponement;
- Add a link in the event details, where users can go to read the complete official statement, and another link to view the latest updates and announcements as they happen;
- Add / retain other useful links to keep users engaged, such as ‘Latest News’, ‘Latest Video’, ‘Facebook’, ‘Twitter’, ‘Online Store’ and so on.
Cancelling events
If you are cancelling events, we recommend updating (not deleting!) the event as follows:
- Edit the event name to insert “(Cancelled)” prominently at the beginning of the event name;
- Insert an emoji ❗️in the event name, bringing attention to the changed status of the event;
- Update the event details with your official statement regarding the cancellation;
- Add a link in the event details, where users can go to read the complete official statement, and another link to view the latest updates and announcements as they happen;
- Add / retain other useful links to keep users engaged, such as ‘Latest News’, ‘Latest Video’, ‘Facebook’, ‘Twitter’, ‘Online Store’ and so on.
Official Announcement as a new event
If you have made the decision to postpone or cancel events, we recommend the following:
- Create a new event in the user calendar, specifically for the “Official Announcement” itself. This is an important event, and your audience needs to know;
- Insert an emoji ⚠️or ❗️in the event name, that mirrors the one you will use for the postponed or cancelled events;
- Add a short term alert, such as 15 mins prior, to bring this event front of screen on the user’s mobile or desktop;
- In the event details, include a brief summary of your official statement;
- Add a link in the event details, where users can go to read the complete official statement, and another link to view the latest updates and announcements as they happen;
- Add other useful links to keep users engaged, such as ‘Latest News’, ‘Latest Video’, ‘Facebook’, ‘Twitter’ and so on.
The ECB’s much anticipated Hundred competition is clearly viewed as an unmissable summer event, with initial sales for the Hundred having ‘surpassed expectations’.
Part of the ECB’s ticketing strategy was to build strong early interest and trigger advanced sales via a Priority Ticket Release window. Fans could register their interest in the tournament via the website, and received access to the priority ticket window.
The ECB also used the official fixture release as a major promotional event, and using ECAL’s dynamic ‘Sync to Calendar’ service, fans were instantly connected – they would receive the fixture straight to calendar, along with important ticket release dates.
Levering it’s large connected calendar audience, as part of a truly integrated marketing approach, the ECB were able to deliver advance notice to fans of the upcoming Priority Ticket Release window, with details on pricing and direct access to purchase. This was a wonderful way to stimulate consumer demand and early sales amongst a high value, qualified, passionate fan base.
Within the first 24 hours of availability, ECB sales had surpassed the six-figure barrier.
ECAL’s state-of-the-art digital calendar service delivers the ECB with a tremendous platform to ‘connect’, ‘engage’ and ‘activate’ its audience around the events they love.
ECAL is proud to be the official calendar marketing service provider of The ECB. Choose your team in The Hundred, and follow your favourite international and domestic cricket here, proudly powered by ECAL.
The 2018/19 Chemist Warehouse WNBL Championship, Australia’s pre-eminent women’s basketball league has released its schedule for the 2018/19 Season, powered by ECAL.
Fans of the eight-team competition are treated to a live and dynamic feed of game details, delivered straight to their digital calendar of choice.
Basketball lovers will never miss a moment with match entries automatically updated with TV broadcast information, official game hashtags and direct access to Tickets, Membership, Online Shop and more, all just a click away
2018/19 is the beginning of a new and exciting era, with Australia’s longest running elite female competition celebrating its 38th year with a brand-new naming rights partner in Chemist Warehouse and broadcast partner in FOX SPORTS Australia.
The season will tip off on October 12 with the Chemist Warehouse Wellness Round, to be spread over both round one and two, a fun and exciting fan orientated activation that will take place across all teams opening home games. Also featured will be several double headers, the Adelaide Lighting and Brydens Sydney Uni Flames to play alongside their NBL counterparts.
FOX SPORTS Australia will again broadcast one live game per round, as well as every finals game.
You can follow your team throughout the 18/19 Season and join thousands of basketball fans who rely on ECAL to stay up-to-date and connected to the WNBL via their personal calendar. Sync your team fixture here.
3 July 2018
Sydney
TEG, Australasia’s leading Ticketing, Live Entertainment and Data Analytics company, is delighted to announce that the TEG-owned Ticketek has entered a partnership with ECAL, a global leader in calendar marketing and communications technology.
The partnership sees Ticketek, Australasia’s leading ticketing and data-driven marketing company, integrate ECAL’s ‘Sync to Calendar’ technology across the breadth of the ticketing experience on its website and email communications. The integration will incorporate everything from event search and discovery, to waitlist and post-purchase scenarios.
With just a couple of clicks, fans can easily add their favourite sports, teams,music and entertainment events directly into their personal calendar for free. Dynamic updates keep fans informed of important ticket on-sale dates, specialticket offers and other specific event details, with direct access to purchase; all from the convenience of their personal calendar.
A recent online survey by ECAL reports that 70% of Australian adults rely on their digital calendar most to manage their life, with over 47% reliant on their mobile calendar. ECAL’s smart calendar marketing system enables events to bypass the inbox and sync directly to a calendar.
TEG CEO Geoff Jones said the new ‘Sync to Calendar’ feature adds to the suite of innovation under the Ticketek Ignition™ program.
“The ECAL platform will enable Ticketek to help our partners engage in exciting new ways, gather invaluable consumer insights, continually learn and refine the calendar communications service to optimise sales,” said Jones.
“This represents a new media channel that is ideally suited to the sports and entertainment market, given that event dates, start times and venue details are the most relevant pieces on information when it comes to the show.
Ticketek Ignition™ opens Ticketek’s internal network and systems to enable multiple ticket purchasing experiences across multiple platforms and partner systems”.
“The new ‘Sync to Calendar’ feature is a wonderful initiative by our product and marketing teams, and reinforces our commitment to deliver the most personalised, connected and intelligent ticketing experience for today’s modern, mobile consumers,” said Jones.
Ticketek’s network of partners across sports, venues and entertainment promoters would reap the benefits of enhanced fan engagement and digital marketing.
ECAL Founder and CEO Patrick Barrett said: “ECAL is thrilled to partner with Australasia’s leading ticketing platform in Ticketek, to work hand-in-hand with TEG Analytics to uncover insights into purchase behaviour, and further develop our smart data and ‘decisioning’ platform.”
“We are looking forward to delivering a highly beneficial service for entertainment fans, and more sales and support for sports, venues and promoters, with ECAL’s in-calendar marketing logic typically working at up todouble the normal ‘purchase rate’.”
About Ticketek
Ticketek in Australia and New Zealand is the region’s number one ticketing agency, powered by advanced data-driven marketing and technology solutions. Ticketek has over 150 venue and sport partnerships, issues 28 million tickets per year, and by ticket sales volume Ticketek is in the top three
ticketing companies in the world. Ticketek’s website has 26 million impressions monthly, and is a leader in mobile commerce with over 1.3 million app downloads.
About ECAL
ECAL was founded by technology entrepreneur Patrick Barrett in 2010, and is the world’s first purpose-built ‘calendar marketing’ platform that delivers ‘rich’ and dynamic communications to the personal calendars of users. ECAL services millions of users globally, and works with some of the world’s
best known brands in sports, ticketing, media, conferences, banking, and payments. ECAL is an Australian based company headquartered in Melbourne.
About TEG
TEG is Australasia’s leading Ticketing, Live Entertainment and Data Analytics company. TEG includes Ticketek, TEG Live, TEG Dainty, TEG Analytics, TEG Rewards, Softix, Qudos Bank Arena, Eventopia, Life Like Touring, The Entertainment Store, The Brickman Experience and TEG Asia.
Further information
Kyle Patterson
Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs
TEG
E: kylep@t-e-g.com.au
M: 0412 193 148
O: +61 2 9266 4073
Patrick Barrett
Founder & CEO
ECAL
E: patrick@ecal.com
M: +61 (0)411 650 445
O: +61 (03) 9956 5000
ECAL, the world’s leading calendar marketing solution, is proud to announce its partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of cricket globally.
Cricket lovers throughout the world can now sync their favourite Men’s and Women’s fixtures straight to their personal calendar, so they know what’s on and when, wherever they are. With handy alerts and direct access to the ICC live Match Centre, Tickets, Latest News, Social Media and more, cricket fans will never miss a moment of the action.
For ECAL, this is yet another significant partnership with a major global sport. With an enormous audience, particularly within the Indian subcontinent, this partnership takes the ECAL service to millions of new users.
Big business, across many industries, are a perfect fit for the ECAL’s enterprise solution. With a need for high security, high levels of customisation, preferential API’s and in-depth data analysis, ECAL is the ‘go-to’ solution for enterprise business.
The English Football Association (The FA) is leaning on ECAL’s calendar communications to spread Christmas joy, and to promote it’s 2017 England Christmas Gift Pack!
The much-anticipated Gift Pack is an amazing present idea for any English football fan, and includes tickets to England’s International Friendly against Italy in March 2018, a digitally signed Christmas card from a selection of England players, and a chance to win a signed England shirt. Additionally, 500 lucky fans will also receive a hand-signed Christmas card.
The England Christmas Gift Pack is available to purchase from just £20 for adults and £10 for juniors. ECAL users have direct access to purchase this amazing gift in time for Christmas, straight from their personal calendar.
Could Christmas shopping be any easier?!
ECAL is proud to be the official calendar marketing service provider of The FA, Premier League and various teams including Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Leicester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United amongst others.
Footy is back, and the countdown to the new season has begun!
Today, the AFL released its 2018 season fixture. As the official calendar technology provider across the AFL, ECAL lets you sync the official team fixture and club events straight to your personal calendar.
Choose your favourite team to get started: Bombers, Blues, Bulldogs, Cats, Crows, Demons, Eagles, Giants, Hawks, Kangaroos, Lions, Magpies, Saints, Suns, Swans and Tigers.
Football fans will never miss a moment of the action with match details updated dynamically throughout the season, with direct access to Membership, Tickets, Latest News, Shop, Social Media and TV Broadcast info at your fingertips.
The 2018 AFL Premiership season kicks off with the traditional clash between reigning premier Richmond and a rising Carlton on Thursday 22nd March.
Footy is not far away, so be prepared and sync your team fixture to calendar now. Thanks to ECAL 🙂
Women’s footy fans, get excited! The AFLW has released its fixture for the 2018 season.
Fans of the Blues, Bulldogs, Crows, Demons, Giants, Lions and Magpies can sync the team schedule and events straight to their calendar first. Please check your favourite team site for updates as they happen!
Football lovers will never miss a moment with match details updated dynamically throughout the season, with direct access to Membership, Latest News, Online Shops, Social Engagement and TV Broadcast info.
History will be made when the Fremantle Dockers clash with Collingwood at Western Australia’s new state-of-the-art Perth Stadium on Saturday, February 10. The 2018 competition will visit all parts of the Country, Collingwood playing the Demons in Alice Springs, Western Bulldogs in Moe (Regional Victoria) and Lions in Moreton Bay (Queensland).
The Premiership will open with traditional rivals Carlton and Collingwood meeting at Ikon Park under lights on Friday February 2nd. A record crowd of 24,000 attended the first ever AFWL match, will there be another lock-out in 2018!
Football is back, so don’t miss a moment and sync the fixture to your calendar now.
Melbourne City FC is counting down the days to the start of the 2017/18 W-League season, promoting its ‘Add to Calendar’ service on its social channels ahead of the opening round of the new season this weekend.
City FC fans will be kept up-to-date with the latest game details, broadcast information and direct access to Buy Tickets, Match Centre, Online Shop and more throughout the season.
The defending champions have reinforced its Championship-winning Westfield W-League side with the signing of Matildas defender Alanna Kennedy, Japanese international Yukari Kinga and United States youth international Ashley Hatch.
City FC season kicks off with a blockbuster 2017 Grand Final replay against Perth Glory at nib Stadium in Perth before returning to Melbourne for a huge Melbourne Derby in Round 2 at AAMI Park.
Follow City FC throughout the W League and A-League Season and stay up-to-date and connected via the calendar, all thanks to ECAL!
Rugby League fans, get excited! The NRL has released its schedule for the 2018 season.
Fans of the Storm, Eels, Broncos, Panthers, Cowboys and Warriors can sync the team schedule and events straight to their calendar first. Please check your favourite team site for updates as they happen!
League lovers will never miss a moment with match details updated dynamically throughout the season, with direct access to Ticketing, Membership, Latest News, Online Shops, Social Engagement and TV Broadcast info.
The NRL will stage a record number of double headers and regional matches in 2018 as well as more Sunday blockbusters in a new look season schedule. There will also be a standalone weekend for State of Origin II.
The Premiership will open with a clash between St George Illawarra and Brisbane Broncos at UOW Jubilee Stadium on Thursday, March 8.
Let the ECAL team know if your team is lagging behind the others, and we’ll chase them up! It promises to be a big season of rugby league ahead!
