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REVENUE GENERATION such as the Air and Water Show, or Lollapalooza, that draw large numbers of out-of-town visitors. "We felt [the deal] best aligned with out-of-town visitors coming to town for summer vacation or the holiday season," Eric Reese, GM, business development, CTA, says. "If you're coming in for a three-day weekend, you'll have an easy way to get around the system." Groupon can mail the fare cards to customers so they can get them before they even arrive in Chicago, making it easier for them to use CTA trains and buses. "[It's] a great way to get to a different customer base than we normally have an opportunity to [reach]," Reese says. The contract allows Groupon and CTA to offer the passes for the same price within the next 12 months. CTA is watching the results of the partnership and will re-evaluate whether it makes sense to do again after all the passes are sold. Customers and tourists have received 56 < mETRO mAGAZINE JANUARY 2013 The Chicago Transit Authority's partnership with Groupon best aligned with riders coming into the city for festivals and weekend activities. the deal very positively, Reese says. "In general, it has helped CTA overcome the hurdle of getting out-oftown guests on the system more easily, because they don't have to figure out how to buy a pass," he explains. "There's one option for them, they know where to get it and it's easy to purchase. It's already in their pocket when they arrive at the station." metro-magazine.com