Have You Met MyMateTom?

A ticketing revolution has arrived in Brum. Students Marc Evans and Michael Rees have set up a business called MyMateTom, an online event service that uses the latest Smartcard and contactless mobile technologies to make purchasing tickets and entry to events simpler than ever.

Marc, left, and Michael, right

In short, you’ll have one less thing to worry about on your night out.

Marc, an Accounting and Finance student, told The Tab, “I came up with the idea in the Easter of our first year. The Smartcard element of the business came from me attending Reading FC matches – as they use this type of system. I thought, why can’t this be applied to the nightclub industry?”

Once a customer has purchased a ticket for the event from the website, it is immediately loaded onto their Smartcard which can then be scanned by the doorman using MyMateTom’s mobile app on their smartphone. Surely even the bouncers at Fab could understand something so simple.

Marc and Mike have said, “MyMateTom will never add a booking or transaction fee onto the price of a ticket.”

This is a bonus for all us wallet-watching students, and something born from their obvious love and understanding of the student lifestyle.

Mike, studying classics, said: “We have always tried to build around the concept of ‘What would I like as a student?’ Interacting with all different year groups throughout university, seeing what the people will want and implementing that into the company.”

They are in talks with businesses in Selly Oak too, which will hopefully enable the MyMateTom card to function as a student discount card as well as an entry card. Rooster House is already dead cheap. Imagine it cheaper.

MyMateTom is a member of the BSEEN entrepreneurial programme (Birmingham Skills for Enterprise and Employability Network) run by the University of Birmingham, where both lads currently study.

“With the support of BSEEN, MyMateTom has been able to achieve our goals a lot quicker and with a lot more guidance than we would have on our own.

Due to our goals being received a lot quicker than projected, we have booked Urban Village for our launch event on Tuesday 26th November – we will have a live band or DJ (or both) on the night.”

MyMateTom is all about working for and alongside young and upcoming professionals, so several University of Birmingham societies have been contacted to find artists and bands to play throughout the night to share the exposure of the launch.

The Launch Party will also have several surprises and giveaways during the night.

Despite being in their final year of study, Mike says the boys plan to carry on building their new business and could stick around Selly Oak for another year or two.

The boys are looking forward to “show[ing] off for the first time how the Next Generation of ticketing will work” and say “they are here to stay”.

Visit http://mymatetom.co.uk for more information, and to purchase your card and Launch Party ticket.