By: Vicky Sidler

Meet Eli Cohen, a 26-year-old entrepreneur with a passion for live entertainment. A lifelong fan of the event experience – whether sports, music, or theatre – Cohen knows there are few things as great as sharing a show or game with your family or friends.

Unfortunately, the ticket buying experience is rarely as great. This spurred Cohen on to create Tickitin.com, the first of its kind, no fee event ticketing platform that’s changing the game. Over the last few years, Cohen and his team have been working to improve the event experience – starting with affordability. The events ticketing industry is notoriously bloated with service fees and convenience fees which only serve to put up a barrier between the audience and the artists, athletes, and actors they want to support.

In contrast to other ticketing platforms, Tickitin charges no fees on the millions of tickets they manage to events across the nation, effectively tearing down that barrier which might otherwise prevent fans from engaging with events. “It’s not right that the ticketing industry generates massive margins at the expense of customers and performers,” Cohen said. “We believe it’s time for money to flow back into the hands of consumers and performers.”

And that’s not the only way Tickitin differs from its competitors. “The only real difference between our competitors and what they offer is in their logo and graphics,” he said, “one is red, one is blue, and one is green. But there’s no true choice. Nobody is really addressing  the issue in the marketplace.”

Cohen and his team believe in the principle of “Costovation”, that is keeping costs down and creating more innovation. Although they’re playing their cards close to their chests for now, they’ve hinted at some new innovations that promise to be truly game changing when they roll out, with a focus on creating a holistic approach to the customer experience.

“We’re creating very cool technologies to help a fan, whether they’re going to the event, they’re at the event, or once they leave the event, to help drive them to new experiences,” Cohen said.

Of course, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Cohen, who built Tickitin literally from the ground up in his grandmother’s basement in Brooklyn, NY. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the events industry hard, and it could easily have spelled the end for a project like Tickitin if not for Cohen’s determination and drive to disrupt. “Giving up was not an option, but making a difference is,” he said. Despite the adversity, the Tickitin team turned the pandemic to their advantage, taking the extra time to improve on the code of the platform.

Cohen operates on a customer-first philosophy, noting that the connection between the audience and the performers, the kinship of the shared event experience, is really what it’s all about. “We make a living by what we get, and we make a life by what we give. At Tickitin, we believe in giving back and giving our customers access to an unforgettable experience in the most convenient and transparent way.”

In conclusion, Cohen shared some words that truly resonated. “Now more than ever, we want to get out and understand the need to save money. This last year has taught us that there are no replacing live events and only strengthens our belief in no fees! With this renewed outlook and even greater appreciation, we hope to establish an even deeper connection with our fans, so that they may establish an even deeper connection with their favorite performers. Our mission has never been about the money. It’s about the human experience we all share and the communal power we hold, as we come together to celebrate life affirming moments of entertainment on a deeply personal level. This is just the beginning. We’ll see you out there.”