Misguided amendment would give more power to Ticketmaster
We need legislation that will help fans, not monopolies
Ticketing Resale Laws Need to Protect Fans Not Businesses
Members of the Maryland General Assembly have made it clear that reform of the live events ticketing industry is on the agenda this session. This is encouraging news for the countless fans who have faced limited choice in the ticket market, experienced a clunky purchasing process, or felt duped by misleading pricing.
Potomac Yard arena deal would be a monumental disaster for Virginia
While deal proponents argue that the project will usher in a new era of economic prosperity, a closer examination reveals an all-too familiar pattern — billions of taxpayer dollars given to a few wealthy individuals with no strings attached.
Brian Hess Named 2023 Top Lobbyist by NILE
The National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics (NILE) is thrilled to announce the recipients of its 2023 Top Lobbyist award. In 2020 NILE embarked on a mission to create an annual list that recognizes excellence in lobbying while ensuring the selection process is purely merit-based. Our dedicated panel of judges blindly evaluated each nominee to guarantee that the honor of being a Top Lobbyist is earned solely through outstanding performance and dedication to their profession in the given year.
Consumer protection organizations claim bill to limit ticket fraud actually creates ‘concentrated power’
Brian Hess, the executive director of Sports Fans Coalition, a non-profit that claims to protect buyers by fostering more competition between ticket sellers, said the original bill created a concentration of market competition.
“The bill actually concentrated power into a few large entertainment conglomerates,” he said. “It did nothing to protect consumers, despite its name.”
New Ticket reform bill could stop you from getting
Brian went on local news in Colorado to discuss Ticketmaster’s ticketing bill and how it fails consumers.
Bill favors Ticketmaster, slights Colorado Consumers
In 2017 the Denver Broncos callously revoked the season ticket licenses of several fans because they resold their own season tickets to games they couldn’t attend on NFLTicketExchange.com, a website promoted and endorsed by both the NFL and the Broncos. Such anti-fan conduct was thankfully outlawed in 2018 when Colorado passed a law protecting a consumer’s right to freely use, sell, or give away their purchased tickets by transferring them to someone else if they wish. But all of that is at risk today. Ticketmaster is once again playing its game of monopoly and state lawmakers should not be deceived by it.
The Taylor Swift Meltdown Was About Greed, Not Bots
When the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on Jan. 24 and questions Live Nation/Ticketmaster’s management about market competition and consumer protections, senators should prepare for an Oscar-worthy performance in finger-pointing and deflection.
Hess Named 2022 Top Lobbyist
"I'm honored to be included as one of the Hill’s 2022 Top Lobbyists alongside such influential advocates. The work we’ve accomplished at the Goodfriend Group and Emmer Consulting is nothing short of extraordinary. I’m lucky to represent the kinds of clients I do — non-profits, labor unions, and mission-driven companies that help people connect in meaningful ways with one another. I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for us.”
Equal pay bill would be a big win for Team USA
Something historic happened on June 22nd: The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee unanimously voted for the Equal Pay for Team USA Act. Republicans and Democrats joined together to tell the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee that it’s time to treat women equally.
Hess Named 2021 Top Lobbyist
“The ranks of policy experts, influencers and advocates run deep in Washington, but these are the people who stand out for delivering results for their clients in the halls of Congress and the administration.”