2009 has been a year of rapid development and expansion for our promotion platform. If we look at the figures, it has been a huge success for all involved. On a raw data basis, just short of 800 new companies have registered with Fatsoma during this calendar year. While the majority of these have been promoters, we have seen a rise in venues, and 39 new festivals joining the platform. From these companies, over 1200 websites have been created, many of which have used the website wizard.

Large promoters that we have been welcomed to the platform in 2009 include Kissdafunk, Union Boys, Bedlam, Chibuku, Dirty Box Promotions, Red Hot Promotions, and Bitch Promotions, to name just a few.

However, our platform is not just used by promoters, venues, artists, and labels. Over 850 photographers have posted an incredible 220,000+ photos on our clients’ websites; and thousands of reps have sold tickets to events throughout the year.

Evidence suggests that our clients’ websites and events have been a huge success due to the unprecedented rise in ticket sales in 2009, as well as 90,000 new customers registering on client sites. Clients are increasingly able to connect with their customers, with an incredible 14,600,000+ free newsletters and e-flyers having been sent this year, as well as 175,000+ SMS messages. Clients have also taken advantage of our Facebook integration services, with 61 new applications created.

This expansion would not be possible without the tireless work of our development team. The software has been hugely improved throughout 2009, as is our policy to ensure we provide a comprehensive online promotion service at a lower cost than ticket agents, web developers, newsletter specialists, and other fragmented online promotion service providers. Significant developments this year have included modification to enhance the usability of the sitebuilder and website wizard. We have also released more templates to ensure every website is truly unique, with customisability a key focus for our platform.

Our services have not only been improved, but extended in 2009. We have added a new feature to allow customers to become ticket reps after they purchase a ticket on any Fatsoma website, as well as offering advanced targeting for email and SMS campaigns. Advanced targeting is made all the more customisable through the introduction of our custom data capture modifications, whereby additional details can be added to customer registration forms. These updates have allowed our clients to expand their promotion campaigns. As out clients are in the promotion industry, these enhancements have effectively made their job simpler and have been met by a great response, as is demonstrated by the aforementioned figures.

Another key improvement in 2009 has been the introduction of our advanced reporting, and in all honesty, it would take the rest of the month to recap the details of every improvement made. More information can be found throughout our product blog. The modifications were made possible through the addition of three top-class developers in Danny Allen, Damon Williams, and Jesus Requejo. In total, the workforce has doubled through the course of 2009.

On the front-end, we have also gone through an exciting transition, from a new support section to a complete branding and website overhaul. This was the beginning of our expansion-driven restructuring process. First of all Mark Stacey was recruited as an account manager and custom-build specialist, before a marketing, branding, and sales department was created with the additions of Juliette Keyte and Ray Boggiano. This allowed the directors to work closely with new clients while the new recruits extended social media involvement and set about establishing a wider presence in the industry. Fatsoma’s marketing effort culminated in a tweeted endorsement by Radio 1 DJ, Fearne Cotton.

So what can we expect from 2010? We have many plans to continue our development and expansion throughout the next year in order to maintain and improve the ultimate online promotion platform. As always, news of these releases will be publicised on this blog, and as of next year via the Fatsoma Newsletter. We are also excited to announce the imminent launch of our very own blog for the live events and nightlife industry, Soma Soapbox.

From all of us at Fatsoma, we would like to wish you a merry Christmas and a successful and happy new year!