Goldstar from Live Events to Stellar Live Streaming Service

Jim McCarthy is the co-founder and CEO of Stellar Tickets and Goldstar, a company that sells millions of live event tickets to millions of people on behalf of more than 5,000 venues and producers each year. An e-commerce veteran, Jim has spent his entire career in high-growth businesses and likes to share his knowledge and insight with others.

Founded in 2002, Goldstar has helped sell-out events in all major U.S. markets – from Madison Square Garden to Dodger Stadium. The arrival of COVID 19 changed everything. Jim pivoted and co-founded the Stellar to enable producers and artists to sell tickets to online events, stream to a global audience, and manage payments. It’s described as “the first-ever Total Show Management System (TSM) for online live events”.

Stellar’s partners can promote events to Goldstar’s more than 10,000 subscribers, at no additional cost. It will also provide advice to support producers through the process of streaming an event. I invited Jim onto the Tech Talks Daily podcast to share his story and the difference he is making in the event and ticketing industry.

We’re in a crisis. But I hope this encourages people to rethink their business models and to break down walls. Not only could this be enormously profitable, it could also let people who would not normally have access to a show get to see theatre. That could build up our fanbase. We need to seize this moment.”

Jim is also the editor and main contributor to SellingOut.com a website for live entertainment and arts marketers. He’s the curator and co-founder of TEDxBroadway the sold-out annual event dedicated to the question: “What’s the Best Broadway Can Be?” He’s spoken at conferences all over the world, including TED, SXSW, INTIX, and more. His articles have been in Forbes, Fast Company, and Business Insider

I learn more about how he is enabling artists and organizations to create high-quality online content — helping them find success in this new era where online events are transforming the entertainment landscape. We also discuss online events during the COVID crisis, the future of live events, and pivoting using technology.

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