From rugby matches to stand-up comedy shows and even arts and music festivals — you name it, BermudaTix does it.

For the new event ticketing service, which was launched by Richard Simon this summer, covers everything from The Rugby World Classic and Just For Laughs comedy show to The Bermuda Festival of Performing Arts, The Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) Kids, No Ordinary Christmas and Fright Night at Halloween.

And the business, which is based in the British American Building in Front Street, Hamilton, has been a storming success so far, according to Mr. Simon.

"Frankly I could not have asked for a better start — we have got almost all of the events we have gone after and the events that we want are the annual ones," he said.

Mr. Simon started the venture because he wanted to sell tickets for his Just For Laughs comedy show and saw an opening in the market.

"BermudaTix came about because I am the promoter of Just For Laughs comedy show and I am very much for online ticket sales and customer service," he said.

"In order to run an event successfully and to please the customer you have to be able to sell online.

"I looked at the market here and there was nobody else and said to myself, 'How do I do it?'

"I found by talking to other event organisers in Bermuda there was an opportunity to create a business."

He did his research on the subject and decided to sign an exclusive deal with website host Transact.

"I knew it was a no-brainer because even if I only sold Just For Laughs tickets I was going to recoup my investment," he said.

Mr. Simon set up his website to sell tickets online, opened box offices in Transact in Reid Street and Picture Perfect in Heron Bay Plaza to pick up tickets and a call centre with a Bermuda and international numbers to take bookings over the phone.

"You can either go in person to buy or buy online," he said.

"Some people are not in Bermuda before the event or they are not mobile, so we set up a call centre to handle phone orders."

Customers who buy online can print off barcoded tickets which are able to be scanned with mobile wireless scanners at any event, with only one barcode allowed per person, cutting down on copying and duplication fraud, according to Mr. Simon.

"My goal was to have a world class ticketing system here in Bermuda," he said.

"We supply a box office person and a chief scanner, so we are on site at all our events ensuring that everything is running smoothly."

Transact provides BermudaTix with Internet access and E-moo promotes the enterprise, BTC supplies the DSL service and CellularOne the wireless Internet facility, while a team of seven Bermudians run the show part-time.

The service's first client was the Little Theatre in Queen Street and since then it has built up a customer base including The Bermuda Festival of Performing Arts, BIFF Kids and No Ordinary Christmas among others, selling 4,000 tickets on the first day of trading for The Bermuda Festival of Performing Arts alone.

It also offers online membership applications and payments and donations to community groups, such as Bermuda National Gallery and The Association of Canadians in Bermuda.

Being truly interactive, the website contains site maps of events, as well as a special site view feature which allows users to get a virtual view from the seat they will be sitting in, including the likes of the Mid-Ocean Amphitheatre at the Fairmont Southampton Princess hotel, the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium at CedarBridge Academy and City Hall.

"We have a scalable solution," said Mr. Simon.

"As big an event that can come to Bermuda, it is not going to blow our server up and we offer the customer security and availability in terms of customer service.

"I am obsessed with my business and I do not accept second best and put myself in the clients shoes every time."

Mr. Simon, who is a shareholder along with business partner Alvin Wilson in Incentis Ltd., which includes BermudaTix, Island Advertising Specialities and Pay Back, said there are also plans in the pipeline to send barcode tickets to cell phones which can be scanned at events.

To book your tickets online for an event or for more information visit www.bdatix.bm.