Blog
The best ticket printer yet! Zebra GC420
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Over the years we've compared many types of box office point-of-purchase ticket printers. The Boca ticket printer is great, however it's expensive and takes a few weeks to ship out after being ordered. The Epson T88V has a low price, easy to use, however the tickets feel very "cheap" due to the receipt paper's thinness. The Zebra GC420 gives you the best mix: low price, easy to use, ships same day you order, and offers a quality ticket. Zebra GC420BocaEpson Paper StockCard Stock Ticket Card Stock Ticket Receipt Size 2.5" X 4" 2" X 6" 3.25" Wide MSRP $500 $1,500 $400 Ship Time Same day 3 Weeks Same Day In the GC420™ label printer, affordability meets high quality. This direct-thermal printer’s compact, space-saving design contains a powerful 32-bit processor for fast label throughput with a large memory for more graphics storage, longer label formats, and faster processing on media up to 104mm wide. (more…)
10 Ways to Create Social Media Buzz with Pre-Events
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Getting the word out about an event can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. It may seem easier to reach your intended audience with technology, but there is a lot of “noise” to shuffle through. There are some simple strategies and tools that you can use to make your job easier. And get a big showing at your next event! 1. Consider making a Pre-Event open to the general public to gauge your crowd. For instance, if you are having a documentary movie premier, you may want to host a Q&A session with the producer or a “Meet the Cast” night. Open events generate the most initial interest on social media and it’s a great way to gain a following. 2. When hosting a pre-event collect email addresses. You can use the emails to share publicity about the main event. You might want to have a free raffle prize at the door and notify people of a winner via email. You can contact participants from your pre-event and remind them to buy tickets for the main event. SimpleTix actually allows you to do this process with ease. By creating a landing page, people can register for your pre-event with an email address, and the process is streamlined. 3. Reach out to the press for pre-events. Think about how you want to approach any press for your event. You want to contact reporters early in advance and grant them exclusive access to high profile presenters, or plan your event to relate to current events. For instance, some neighborhoods have appreciation weeks or community days. Personally, I attended a Food and Wine Festival sponsored by the San Antonio Restaurant Association, after I saw a sampling of the food on a morning show. Think ahead of the game when...
Box Office Credit Card Swiper
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We’ve just added a great new feature to the box office checkout page. You can now swipe credit cards directly on the box office checkout page. No need to type in the customers: First & Last Name Credit Card Number Expiration Month & Year … It’s automatically filled in for you! To you this new feature you’ll need to buy a generic credit card swiper, you can order this from your SimpleTix manager’s panel. How to use it Once you’ve plugin in the credit card swipe make one update on the box office preferences: Now when you reach the box office checkout page and choose “Pay by Credit Card” you’ll be able to swipe the credit card to get it’s data. After swiping the card the required checkout fields are complete! You can now click the big “Order” button to complete this transaction. If you don’t have a credit card swiper and just want to see how it works. Copy the text below and paste it into the credit card window when it appears, then click [enter]. B4569870002278043^BERNARDO/MELISSA^0706101112120000000000826000000
More Control of Promo Codes on Tickets
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We've enhanced the settings on the promo codes to allow you to limit the amount of tickets a code an be applied to. Let's say you want to offer a promo code for $3 off a class, but you'd like to limit it to just 3 tickets, now you can! In this example above the customer selected 6 tickets, since the promo code can be applied to a maximum of 3 tickets only the 1st 3 get the discount, the next 3 are full price. As always we've designed this to be very flexible and offer you the maximum configuration options. Here's are the 3 ways you can set the limitation: Limit this per same event time and section. If you set the max tickets allowance to 2, if the customer selects 4 tickets (2 tickets in 2 different sections at the same event time) All 4 tickets will be eligible for the discount. This is the most “generous”, because the limit is smaller Limit this per same event time. (Will apply limit across sections) If you set the max tickets allowance to 2, and if the customer selects 4 tickets (2 tickets in 2 different sections at the same event time) Only 2 tickets will be eligible. If the tickets were for different dates all 4 would be eligible. Limit this per same event. (Will apply limit across times and sections) If you set the max tickets allowance to 2, and if the customer selects 4 tickets (2 tickets at the different event times) Only 2 tickets will be eligible. This is the least “generous”, because the limit is greater
Great way to use FaceBook and Sell Tickets
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Facebook is a fantastic way to list your organization's events and track who's coming. When you combine it with SimpleTix it is an even better solution, because you can sell tickets too. When creating an event in Facebook, simply enter in the event time page's URL into the ticket website address textbox. Your Facebook fans can click the link and buy tickets with ease. You can also choose to share this event and post it on your wall. After doing this you can choose to promote the event. By paying just a few dollars you can extend your reach to your friends' friends' news feeds. It's one of the best ways to get the word out about your event and go viral.
Best Practices for Building Your Interactive Seating Charts
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There are many cool websites that allow you to raise funds for your organization or projects. You can raise these funds as either an individual or non-profit. For sites that focus only on fundraising you will pay anywhere between 3-9% in fees on the money you raise. The average fee is about 5% plus a merchant processor fee. When you combine Fundraising and Events, fees increase significantly. If you want to fund raise and host an event via online methods, oftentimes you will have to sign up for 2 different services. In response to the demand of online ticketing and donation services, many fundraising sites and event sites have teamed up together to offer both donation and event services. It may seem like an easy and convenient option. However, you are often left with using two different tools and sites that are not fully integrated. In the end you may still end up with two different sites and services to manage. First Giving has teamed up with Eventbrite, Donate Now works with Givezooks. For services that allow both, you are limited to one type of ticketing mode and one type of donation mode. With SimpleTix service you have 9 different styles of ticketing, the ability to host your entire site on SimpleTix or have us match your site. Site matching enables you to keep all of your branding. You are not left having to settle for one generic events and donation page. With SimpleTix you can create a fundraising page. Supporters and event attendees can shop for your event, add a donation, and pay as part of one transaction. For your enthusiastic supports, they can use social sign in to promote your event and fundraising efforts on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and others. By using SimpleTix for your events and...
Fundraising and Event Ticketing, the true costs!
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There are many cool websites that allow you to raise funds for your organization or projects. You can raise these funds as either an individual or non-profit. For sites that focus only on fundraising you will pay anywhere between 3-9% in fees on the money you raise. The average fee is about 5% plus a merchant processor fee. When you combine Fundraising and Events, fees increase significantly. If you want to fund raise and host an event via online methods, oftentimes you will have to sign up for 2 different services. In response to the demand of online ticketing and donation services, many fundraising sites and event sites have teamed up together to offer both donation and event services. It may seem like an easy and convenient option. However, you are often left with using two different tools and sites that are not fully integrated. In the end you may still end up with two different sites and services to manage. First Giving has teamed up with Eventbrite, Donate Now works with Givezooks. For services that allow both, you are limited to one type of ticketing mode and one type of donation mode. With SimpleTix service you have 9 different styles of ticketing, the ability to host your entire site on SimpleTix or have us match your site. Site matching enables you to keep all of your branding. You are not left having to settle for one generic events and donation page. With SimpleTix you can create a fundraising page. Supporters and event attendees can shop for your event, add a donation, and pay as part of one transaction. For your enthusiastic supports, they can use social sign in to promote your event and fundraising efforts on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and others. By using SimpleTix for your events and...
Creating a donations page for your site is super easy!
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SimpleTix offers an easy way to accept donations online. Fund raise for your event, organization, or both. To set levels of giving and categories from your Administrative Panel, go to: Products > Donations Manage the details and description of donations in the Content Manager. From the Administrative Panel, go to: Content > CMS > Donations Here is where you get the opportunity to style your page and add content. When fundraising, presentation is always an important factor in getting donors to understand why they should support your cause. Here are some steps to take when creating your donations page. Create a Donations Page 1. Describe how funds will be used – Give specific examples of what the money will be used for. And, how your donor contributions benefit your organization and project. 2. Tell your story – Add images and provide details about who you are, your organization, history and past projects. 3. Create an ask video – Engage your donors by creating a video, upload it to YouTube/Vimeo and embed it on your SimpleTix donations page. Everyone likes a good video. It doesn't have to be super fancy, a basic video will go a long way in helping donors understand your cause. 4. Add Perks – Many crowd fundraising sites offer a perk in exchange for contributions. Although SimpleTix is not a crowd funding site, you can use these same principals to increase contributions. Add graphics that demonstrate levels of giving and perks you are offering, like event tickets. Most importantly deliver on those perks. 5. Know your legal responsibilities – If you are a non-profit with a 501(c)(3) status, you may already be aware of reporting responsibilities. If you are an individual do your research about any legal or tax consequences. Additionally, if you are using PayPal as your payment...
Ticketing + Related and Recommended Products
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SimpleTix now support the ability for you to recommend products per event/show. This can be useful for: Dinner and a show events - list & sell the dinner options Dance/concert events - list & sell bottles Certification courses - list & sell course material, like: handbooks and DVDs Music Programs - list & sell lunch options The will be a Event Timespecific report that lists the: products, buyer's name, and order info. This gives the venue staff an easy way to track what products do prepare per event time. Below is an example of how a music program took advantage of this new feature.
Using Boca Style Tickets
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Thermal tickets are printed for movies, theater performances, sporting events, festivals and museums. Want the same ticket-printing capabilities as a pro sports stadium or top movie chain? You can do this with SimpleTix. You will need a Boca ticket printer. Boca style tickets are 2 inches by 5.5 inches. SimpleTix supports over 15 different layouts. Both vertical and horizontal style layouts. Boca ticket printers cost around $1,500, you can buy used ones for around $1,000. You can order thermal paper in a variety of types and colors. We recommend: Ticket size: 2" x 5.5" Trail edge perforation: 1" Right side perf (see the white arrow in this image) Be sure not order a layout with a double perf, which would be like the lower ticket in this image.
SimpleTix Goes Green with Paper-Free Ticketing
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SimpleTix sites generate over 1,000 tickets each day. That's a lot of paper. To keep that paper out of landfills, SimpleTix encourages people to use their smartphone at the event rather printing out tickets. Recent studies show most people prefer using their phone to show their tickets instead of having to bring the printed version. Instead of scrambling for printed tickets that may have been purchased weeks ago, your customers can relax - they've already got their smartphones, so they're good to go! We're not the only ones encouraging businesses to look for paper-free options. The information management organization AIIM created World Paper Free Day to encourage businesses to reduce paper usage for increased efficiency and a cleaner environment. The event's mantra, "moving businesses into the 21st century without the paper trail" encapsulates the goals of SimpleTix: we want to help your business move forward with stand-out innovations. And, we believe these innovations should offer your customers services that improve their lives and the planet. This year, celebrate World Paper Free Day by committing to: 1. Conscientiously make a point to not print 2. Investigate a business process or technology that can cut the paper waste in your office 3. Participate or produce a local Paper Free Day Event To get started on #2, check out SimpleTix for a paper-free ticketing option. It's a small step that can have a huge impact on the planet, and your customers will appreciate your commitment to reducing paper waste as well.
Mobile service boosts eTicketing
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Like all businesses, event planners and organizers have to able to interact with their customers where the customers are. Today, the customer is increasingly on the go. The world has gone mobile and businesses of all types are trying to keep up or catch up. Everywhere you look — on the street, in the park, on the train, the bus or in their cars — people are using their mobile phones to do everything from read the news to call home. For many people, their entire lives are planned and coordinated on their cellphones. This gives event planners a great opportunity when it comes to eticketing. If they can make their process effectively mobile, they have expanded their reach considerably and can make their sign-ups or sales fluid. Potential customers can check out your event at any time and any place they choose. They can purchase the tickets and scan the eticket on their phone as they pass through the door. It’s neat. It’s easy. It’s handy. Adding the mobility factor to eticketing process is an easy way to reach your customers on their terms while at the same time helping ease any last minute rush at the box office. The SimpleTix eticketing system provides and easy to use mobile system. Contact us to learn more about how mobile access can help you with your event.