Congratulations on your upcoming event! It’s not easy to plan & execute a successful event, whether it’s a game, a show, a gala, or something entirely different. Whatever it is you have planned, you have put in many hours of training, planning, and boots on the ground work to make it happen. Now you just need to fill the place with excited attendees! How do you do that? This article will walk you through your options for ticketing and help you select the method and platform that works best for you.
Paper Tickets or Simply Cash at the Door
At first glance, this always seems like the easiest option. Nothing to set up. You are in control. Everyone knows what to expect. However, this is not always the easiest option. When you are printing paper tickets, you must coordinate with the printer, come up with a system for reserved seating if necessary, check and double check capacity numbers, and make sure you don’t over sell, and then you have to deal with each & every patron that is purchasing tickets – ensuring each transaction is correct. Then you have to handle all of that cash. It’s easy to miscount, so you have to count multiple times to ensure accuracy. And then that dreaded phone call – I lost my tickets. Now what can you do? Do you have an accurate database that shows what they purchased? Are you able to verify that those tickets are gone and re-issue tickets confidently knowing no one will try to use both sets? There are so many things that can go wrong when you only handle tickets in person and internally, and it is a HUGE burden on you and your team. If you decide this is the method you’d like to use, make sure you have a very organized person overseeing the entire operation and that they fully understand how to ensure a smooth event with paper tickets.
Pricing
Price is usually the first thing people look at when evaluating an online ticketing system. There are 3 basic pricing models that you’ll find with most systems:
- Subscription Model: You pay an up front cost, monthly or annual fee to use the system. This may be combined with other fees such as per-ticket fees, customer support fees, new event fees, etc. If you select a system with this model, make sure you understand all of the fees involved with using and maintaining the system. Also check to see if you are still paying fees even during down times when you may not even be using the system.
- Pay Per Feature Model: With this model you typically pay per what you are using. If you are doing a lot of events, you may have extra fees. If you use their email marketing tools, CRM tools, customer support, seat map creation, etc, there may be fees for each individual feature. You may still have per ticket fees or a monthly fee with this model, so make sure you add up everything you plan to use to know what your total cost will be to use this type of system.
- Per Ticket Fee Model: With this model, there are typically no set-up fees or monthly or annual fees, but make sure you double check! Per Ticket Fees can be broken down into two different types:
- Include Your Fees in Ticket Price: With this type of per-ticket fee, you pay that fee out of your ticket prices. For example, if a ticket costs $25, and the fee is $5, you only get $20 per ticket into your hands. This system works well in areas where patrons do not want or cannot afford the additional fees added to their tickets, but can cut into the bottom line of small non-profits that depend on ticket sales to keep their doors open.
- Pass Fees on to Customers: Most people are used to this type of fee structure, especially when buying tickets on large platforms like Ticketmaster. With this fee, a $10 ticket may have an added fee of $1.28, so the patron pays $11.28. The organization gets the full $10 ticket price. If you prefer this type of fee structure, make sure you find a system that has a lower per-ticet fee. Also, ask about lower priced items, cash sales & complementary tickets. Does the system charge the same fees on all of these types of tickets, or do they have a scale that allows your organization to utilize tools such as comp tickets to increase attendance without cutting into their bottom line?
With the Per Ticket Fee Model also double check that there are no additional “hidden” fees on any of the features that you plan to use regularly.
Features
What kinds of features are you looking for? Here is a brief list of different features you may find in online ticketing. Make sure you prioritize your top 3 and check to see if the systems you are comparing offer them and if they will do what you want for your organization.
- Email Marketing: Having the ability to create email campaigns right in your online ticketing site is super helpful! You can capture their email addresses as they purchase tickets and target your campaigns to those that purchased tickets to specific events in the past, those who haven’t purchased yet, or any other type of list you create within your account.
- Fundraising Campaigns: Many online ticketing platforms allow you to set up fundraisers alongside your ticketing. Some have features much like a “Go Fund Me” site, with suggested donations, goal tracking, and donor thanking. If this is something that is important to you, look for a ticketing site that allows for donations to be added at checkout – many patrons won’t even think about contributing to a campaign, but if presented with the option at checkout, they might throw some extra money in to help support your organization!
- Discount Codes: Do you offer a free ticket to the staff at your school? Does the local Chamber of Commerce like to support you with 10% off for all of their members? Do you want friends and family to get $5 off if they purchase before a certain date? All of these things are available with many online ticketing platforms that offer discount codes! You want to make sure they offer the variety of options that are listed here, along with zero fees on complementary tickets. The last thing your organization needs is to reduce revenue while giving away tickets for free!
- Presale Access Codes: Offering advanced tickets to VIPs, members, families of graduating seniors, etc. is a fantastic way to generate a buzz about your upcoming event! Make sure your ticketing platform offers a way to limit the number of tickets they can purchase in advance, create unique one-time-use codes to ensure you are able to limit these early purchases.
- Virtual Queue: Dance Schools typically have a large number of users trying to purchase tickets at the same time, but this can happen with any organization that has a highly anticipated ticket release! A Virtual Queue will control access to your site, allowing a certain number of patrons to purchase at once, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Each additional patron will be told their “spot in line” and allowed in when the space allows. This feature is a MUST HAVE if you have a large volume of sales at one time.
- Item Sales: The ability to sell merchandise online can limit lines at your event and even help promote your event ahead of time if people are able to receive their purchases in advance. Items can be an added bonus to an already-existing event sale, or use to generate more revenue.
- Sponsorships: Collecting Sponsors is the backbone of many non-profit organizations. Look for a ticketing platform that allows for tiers of sponsorships and can include a combination of items, event tickets and other benefits.
- Program Ad Sales: Like sponsorships, selling ads in your programs can add a large amount of revenue to your organization. Simplify your process by collecting artwork and payments online in one simple transaction! Look for a system that offers templates of traditional program ad sizes to make it easier for both your program manager and the businesses purchasing the ads.
- Point-of-Sale Tool: This tool is necessary if you are selling tickets at the Box Office either prior to or during your event. Look for an easy to use, intuitive tool that allows for both (free) cash sales and credit card sales.
Customer Support
Excellent Customer Support is a non-negotiable when looking for an online ticketing platform. Look for a platform that does not charge for their support. You want to be able to access support during normal business hours, at showtime, and in the hours prior to your weekend events! Make sure there are multiple ways to reach support so that you can use the one that you are most comfortable with. These can include email, an online chat feature, phone, emergency phone support, and an online searchable database with answers to many questions you may have. Bonus if the platform you choose offers an online group to interact with your peers using the same platform and webinars dedicated to helping you learn more about the system and event marketing in general!
Be wary of any platforms that offer you a dedicated support contact. While this sounds like it may be of benefit to you, make sure that there is someone to contact if that person is out sick or on vacation. A group support team may be a better fit for you, always ensuring that there is someone available to answer your question.
Scalability
Whether you do one small event per year or dozens of large-scale events each month, you want to make sure you find a platform that fits! Some platforms only work well for larger organizations that do a high volume of ticket sales. Some platforms work best for single one-off events. Look for a platform that meets your needs no matter where you lie on that spectrum, and make sure that any future plans you have will be met as well. A platform that is able to scale up is great for a new, growing organization. A platform that is able to scale down is great for unforeseen speed bumps down the road. No one plans for major life events (for example, the recent pandemic), but things happen, so be sure your platform is ready to help you through whatever life tosses your way, including the immense success you are about to have with your next event!
The BookTix Difference
If you are interested in learning more about the BookTix platform, please click here to schedule a demo with someone on our sales team! https://www.booktix.com/book-a-demo-options/
BookTix is a ‘free-to-you’, feature-rich platform! We allow you to decide if you want to wrap the fees into your prices or pass them along to your patrons. We do not charge any platform fees, monthly fees, support fees, etc.; we only charge a small per-ticket fee. We have dozens of features available for you to use free-of-charge as well! Our support team is top-notch and is comprised of individuals with backgrounds in the arts and event support. The BookTix platform is scalable for events of all sizes. We would love to show you around & answer any questions you may have.
