Two stadiums in strife over misuse of free tickets
Stadium operators in Perth and Melbourne have shone a light on staff caught misusing free concert tickets.
Perth-based VenuesWest launched an investigation on Thursday night after two unnamed board members contravened rules by giving away their free ticket allocation to Katy Perry’s Perth Arena concert in November to family and friends. Perth Now reports the value of the eight VIP tickets was potentially $1,600.
The act breaches the VenuesWest Ticket Allocation and Corporate Hospitality Policy, which states they are to accompany guests to events.
A full review of VenuesWest’s practices is expected to follow and its board has been required to make a declaration that its use of tickets complies with the policy.
Meanwhile in Melbourne, the Federal Court found Etihad Stadium operator Melbourne Stadiums Limited (MSL) was justified in sacking its former Chief Commercial Officer Nicholas Sautner. Sautner, whose annual salary was $230,000, was fired in June 2013 for using free concert tickets as currency to pay for gym membership and hardware store vouchers, gifts for his girlfriend, discounted renovations on his home, a battery for his BMW and Qantas Club passes.
Sautner filed an unfair dismissal action against Etihad Stadium which awarded him a$150,000 redundancy payout. However the Court appealed the decision and the verdict was overturned.
AFR has reported that Sautner is now the COO of the West Australian Football Commission.