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SALT LAKE CITY — Art and culture can transform lives, Crystal Young said.
Young, the executive director of Utah Culture Alliance, said at a news conference Tuesday that art is "in the business of living, and we are core to Utah DNA."
But for years, she explained, the cultural industry in Utah has had issues with fraudulent ticketing.
Consumers are faced with navigating a confusing system of independent resellers overselling tickets, purchasing tickets with fake identities or selling tickets on presale before the reseller has actually purchased the ticket or tickets have gone on sale, Young said.es
"We don't have a problem with the fact that the secondary ticketing market exists," Young told the Deseret News. "The problem is when some of the bad actors in that marketplace come in, buy up inventory, and usually do it with fake identities."
Young described the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster issue that swept the nation, where the site nearly crashed because of an overflow of people purchasing tickets. Part of that, she believes, was likely Ticketmaster dealing with fraudulent purchases from independent resellers.
Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, is running a bill to force ticket resellers to tell consumers whether or not the tickets they're offering have actually been purchased. Many times, tickets are sold by those companies before they actually go on sale.
The bill also requires secondary ticketing companies to follow certain guidelines, like requiring refunds if an event is canceled and helping with consumer protection.
"We have resellers who are maybe copying and pasting occasionally, a logo or a website from the original seller, say Capitol Theatre tickets or whatever (company)," to make the seller look more official, Sandall said.
This, while illegal, is occasionally not followed up on, Sandall said. "We're working with consumer protection to make sure that any of the complaints that they've had have been able to follow up on," adding clarity to the law.
"Our biggest need always is investment," Young said. The policy priority for this legislative session, she said, is ticketing issues.
"This is our fourth piece of legislation addressing the issue," she said. For years now, the industry has worked on legislation attempting to solve the ticketing fraud issues. This year's bill, Young hopes, will provide the clarity and change needed.
On Tuesday, hundreds of employees of the Utah cultural industry came to the Capitol to showcase their work. Museums, theaters, libraries and other art forms rallied to show support.
Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, shared his experience with the arts.
"I reflect on my family and some of the best experiences and times we've had, they've been doing things whether it's going to shows together or museums or performances," he said.
Wilson said, "Cultural activities play a really important supportive role in the state's $10½ billion visitor economy."
Wilson cited data showing tourists and visitors to Utah stay longer because of the cultural industry.
"We know how important (the industry is) not just to the fabric of our society but for our economy," Wilson said.
People who visit, Wilson said, "they do not just get to experience the outdoors, but they get to feel and sense of who we are as a people."
Correction: A previous version incorrectly referred to problems with fraudulent ticket sale practices by secondary ticketing companies. The concern is actually with the practices of independent ticket resellers.
