Breakdown of the Secondary divisions of Employee Benefits Group (EBG) and what function they perform
Entertainment Benefits Group Corporate Components
Entertainment Benefits Group is made of two main components. The first component is their employee discount program that uses a variety of brands underneath the main flagship brand of TicketsAtWork.com. The mostly acquired sub-brands underneath the TicketsAtWork.com include Plum Benefits, Working Advantage, Beneplace and Recreation Connection. There is another group of companies that make up the second component of EBG and this is a variety of disparate brands and business models that do not fit exactly into the main corporate direction of employee benefits. These other organizations often lack the singular focus of the primary component and do little for the ultimate bottom line of EBG as it heads towards an IPO. These brands include: ShowTickets.com, MemberDeals.com, BestofVegas.com, and BestOfOrlando.com
ShowTickets.com
ShowTickets.com is a business built and based in Las Vegas, but also provides discounts to shows and attractions in Orlando and New York City. The program claims to provide exclusive discounts and suggestions to the best shows in all three locations, but faces stiff competition from a variety of other sources at all the other locations. The brand has failed to win a significant market share to make it a big money maker for EBG, despite help from one of its major shareholders, The Shubert Organization in NYC, that appears to give the organization more and more help to the detriment of competing firms.
MemberDeals.com
MemberDeals.com provides a ‘members only’ service to select groups and associations. This corporate benefits program also offers discounts to entertainment and travel, but is totally superseded by the TicketsAtWork behemoth and the brand has failed to develop. The deals available look very similar to what is already available on the main ticketsatwork.com website and it may just be another example of EBG repackaging the same content under so many brands that the user gets confused and often assumes they are in fact different companies, which they are definitely not.
BestofVegas.com
Best of Vegas offers special discounts to local attractions in Las Vegas, NV. The Program claims competitive rates on show tickets, tours attractions, and hotels in their destination city. Their team of experts claim to focus on niche markets to provide the best discounts and exclusive offers to employees and tourists, but reviews are mixed.
BestofOrlando.com
Much like the 'Best Of Vegas' website, 'Best of Orlando' specializes on local discounts in Orlando, FL. 'Best of Orlando' aims to provide website visitors with pleasant, efficient, and cost-effective means of booking hotel accommodations, theme parks and show tickets. With roughly 6 million admissions booked annually, and over 4,000 distribution partners, BestofOrlando.com and EBG have mastered a cost-effective performance based model. This division is in EBG’s Florida backyard, so they have made it their goal to crush any competition in this field and they are often the only game in town.
Is Entertainment Benefits Group The Right Choice?
EBG has become a notable company in the employee discount program and retail entertainment industries. The company has hundreds of employees and various program divisions in Miami, Orlando,New York and Las Vegas. Many HR managers are quick to incorporate EBG into their benefits package hoping that their employees will benefit from the countless offers. However, it is important to note that If not implemented correctly, the program can fail for various reasons. The "less is more" approach often leads to the greatest success when it comes to employee discount programs.
Due to its array of over 10,000 products and offers, the programs at EBG may encourage browsing and shopping at work. Their products can also overwhelm employees who are looking for tickets in a timely manner. HR managers should select a handful of products and services that make sense to their employees, such as offers to local attractions. It is important to incorporate programs that will meet the wants and needs of the employees, rather than an excessive amount of offers.