Advantix to Merge With L.A.’s Tickets.com

Newport Beach-based Advantix Inc. said Wednesday it has agreed to merge with Los Angeles-based Tickets.com Inc., creating an event ticketing company with an extensive line of automation technology and a significant online presence.

The combined company, to be called Tickets.com, has ambitions to challenge the runaway market leader, Pasadena-based Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch, by offering a central Web site for all event ticketing information, even if it means referring people to competitors, the company said.

As part of the all-stock deal, Advantix president and chief executive W. Thomas Gimple will keep those positions in the new company, and Tickets.com president and chief executive James Caccavo will be president of Internet operations.

The merger comes on the heels of Advantix’s earlier acquisitions of Hill Arts & Entertainment Systems, Fantastix Ticketing Co. LLC, ProTix Inc. On Tuesday, Advantix also said it agreed to acquire Lasergate Systems Inc. of Clearwater, Fla. Advantix and Tickets.com are privately held. Financial terms were not disclosed.