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Event Planning 101: Key Elements Any Event Needs to Include
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So you want to plan an event for your organization. Great idea! A well-executed event can generate a ton of revenue. What makes it even better is that it can introduce your organization to new ongoing sources of support that extend well beyond the day of your event. Hosting an event takes plenty of time, resources, and effort, though. Whether you’re hosting a music festival, an exclusive event for members of your cultural organization, or an online webinar that’s open to guests across the globe, every event needs a proper plan and fundamental building blocks in place to reach the organization’s objectives. Even if this is your first time acting as an event planner, there’s no need to panic — despite all that goes into effective events. With a little bit of research and a whole lot of effective planning, you can pull off a successful event that has a high ROI for your organization! In this article, we’ve defined the fundamental elements that will make up the foundation of your event plan. After you’ve laid a solid foundation, you can build the other activities and aspects of the event, but here are the key elements you should start with: A sustainable venue Branded merchandise A ticketing system With these in mind, you can mark them off your checklist as you walk through the process of planning your event. In turn, you’ll develop a highly engaging event that inspires supporters to stick around and register for future ones. Let’s dive into your first key to success. A sustainable venue First thing’s first, you need to nail down the details of the event, and a major part of that is choosing the right venue. No matter if you’re hosting an exclusive gala as part of your member appreciation efforts or a...
SimpleTix + Four County Players Theater
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Since 1973, Four County Players, a community theater in Barboursville, has served as a cultural landmark for Central Virginia. As the area’s longest continuously operating community theater, the non-profit has extensive experience selling tickets online and at the theater. Four County Players houses a main theater with about 220 seats, where it presents musicals, plays, concerts, and various special events throughout the year. Their smaller Black Box theater, named The Cellar, has about 50 seats for more intimate and experimental shows. The facility also offers a small onsite bistro that sells snacks and drinks to patrons, including wine, craft beer, and ciders from local manufacturers. Making the Most of Virtual As the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded, Four County Players had to contend with virtual offerings to continue with their mission of providing art and entertainment to their community. Around the same time, their previous ticketing software was bought out by a larger company, creating a desire to transition to a different solution. As the board and volunteers began researching new ticketing platforms, SimpleTix quickly stood out from their competitors, most notably since it offered a seamless partnership with Zoom. “The other systems we looked at didn’t have the easy Zoom integration [SimpleTix has],” Four County Players Director Andy Phelps said. “We knew we were going to use Zoom, so the ability to tightly integrate purchasing tickets with Zoom was key.” The theater is an intimate operation made up of two full-time staff members and dedicated volunteers. A smaller staff meant Four County Players needed a more versatile and holistic ticketing platform for everyone to use. “We only have one person who manages the box office so a more complicated ticketing solution would have made things more difficult,” said Andy. Affordability In addition to its Zoom integration, SimpleTix’s affordability was appealing...
5 Reasons to Choose Square Payments For Your Event
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Tired of waiting for your pre-sales ticket funds to hit your account? Wishing you could provide your customers with a better overall ticketing experience with multiple payment options? Your problem is a common one among event organizers. You’re probably ready for an Eventbrite alternative that meets your needs. Most event platforms have their own internal payment systems, which is why it takes so long for venues to get paid and issue refunds. SimpleTix has partnered with Square, which gives you immediate access to an intuitive payments infrastructure that makes it easy to run your event and put money in your pocket. Discover the top 5 reasons to choose Square payments and how it could improve your bottom line. Zoo and Festival Software Solutions If you are running a zoo or organizing a festival, be sure to use ticketing software that makes it easy for guests to purchase tickets and enjoy their experience. For many zoos, operating expenses are growing at a rate faster than their revenue. Get guests excited about your zoo and provide a top-quality experience once they arrive. When you make the ticketing experience easy, you are more likely to attract more guests. Your zoo software gives you the opportunity to sell tickets 24/7. That means you could wake up to more sales and revenue. Working with an Eventbrite alternative like SimpleTix, gives you more options. In fact, you can create a webpage for your zoo, allowing you to sell tickets online and promote other events. You can provide important information like directions, contact info, and weather delays in a hassle-free way. If you’re running a festival, you have lots of moving parts to consider too. You need a festival software ticketing solution that actually meets your needs, such as instant payouts, lower fees, compatibility with multiple...
Using Festival Software to Fix Festival Woes
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Developing and launching a festival is quite the undertaking even for seasoned pros. You have to manage staff, visitors, tons of information, scheduling, ticketing, and more. Your goal is to host a memorable, safe, and fun festival for everyone. To make your life easier and to make your customers happy, consider using festival software to streamline and simplify the process. Permits, Insurance, Taxes, and Licenses Pulling off a great festival means making sure you have all the required permits and licenses. As you may have guessed, festivals involve tons of permits and licenses. In addition, there are taxes you must pay, and your event could be shut down if you can’t prove you have followed all the proper protocols. Creating and hosting a festival costs money even before you start lining up vendors, entertainment, and concessions. Depending on your event, you could need permits for mass gatherings, alcohol, sound, structural, or fireworks, to name a few. Often, insurance is required, too. What kind of insurance you may need depends on your festival. You will want to figure out what the right amount of coverage is for your vendors, staff, and artists. The primary types of insurance include: General liability Worker’s Compensation Automobile Umbrella You may also want to consider adding rain or weather insurance, and artist cancellation insurance to cover all your bases. Permits, insurance, taxes, and licenses cost money. Work with a festival software provider who offers instant payouts. You will have the funds you need when you need them. Festival Staff and Resources Managing a festival is like “herding cats” because of all the moving parts and people. Outside of ensuring your guests have a safe and unforgettable experience, you have staff, artists, and vendors to manage. No detail can be left by the wayside. For example, you have to...
Tips for Communicating with Attendees
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When you invest in event software, you want a digital tool that does more than just sell tickets—you want software that lets you build connections with your attendees. The best event management software offers an alternative to Eventbrite that makes communicating with attendees easy. Before an event ever begins, attendees need to know the key details about your event. They should have easy access to information about times, dates, venues, performances and vendors, food and drink, parking, special discounts or ticket packages, health and safety guidelines, purchase confirmation instructions, and how they can get in touch with you. If your event is cancelled or details change, you need tools to get this information to ticket purchasers as quickly as possible. After your event concludes, good communication creates loyal customers. Following up with attendees about their experience with feedback questionnaires, links to event content like photos or videos, and promotions and discounts for future events, can build a loyal customer base who keeps coming back event after event. Digital ticketing apps can offer an alternative to Eventbrite and the perfect communication tool. Whether it’s building an event website or promotional materials, customizing ticket details, or making email communication more efficient, event software helps streamline communication with your attendees. Here are some tips to get the most from your communication tools when connecting with attendees. Table of Contents: Info Your Website Should Have Critical Ticket Confirmation Info Giving Updated Information An Alternative to Eventbrite That Builds Connections Info Your Website Should Have When selling tickets for an event, your website is usually the first contact an attendee has with you and will impact whether they decide to buy tickets. They should be able to get all the information they need and navigate your page...
Transitioning Back to In-Person Events
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While virtual events are here to stay, streaming a festival on a computer screen will simply never replace the energy and vitality of attending one in-person. Because COVID-19 still pervades every in-person interaction, shifting any virtual events back to in-person will most likely require some additional consideration and care to work around. Festival software provides a versatile solution to facilitate this transition. Your city or state may still have various regulations in place to quell the spread of COVID-19. From mask mandates, capacity limits, or vaccination regulations, you may have to accommodate a plethora of rules for your festival or event to remain compliant with state and local decrees. Even with these additional directives to consider, online festival and event management software helps you safely and easily transition your virtual event to in-person with little hassle. Table of Contents: Prepare with Online Festival and Event Management Software Communicate Efficiently with Online Festival and Event Management Software Manage Your Event with Minimal Staff Prepare with Online Festival and Event Management Software While COVID can be unpredictable, preparing as well as possible and staying up to date on current events will help your event go off successfully. Knowing what kind of regulations, mandates, and laws you are dealing with will establish a good starting point as you begin planning your return to in-person festivals and events. Be aware of daily developments. Staying abreast of news and trends locally and nationwide will be a good reference point for your own event. Your local infection, hospitalization, and vaccination rates could affect the possibility of returning in-person. Being informed will help you prepare for any changes as soon as they crop up. Stay up to date on mandates and regulations. As vaccination rates trend upward and infection rates trend down,...
4 Customer-Focused Features Offered by Apps Like Eventbrite
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You want to maximize ticket sales for your event, drive revenue, and offer event goers a memorable experience. Your customers want digital ticketing that feels intuitive and easy, and gives them features that put them in control. With the best apps like Eventbrite, ticketing becomes a win-win for both you and your customers. Success for any major industry means adapting to customers’ needs. As technology evolves, so do the preferences and expectations of your patrons. The music industry has seen records, cassettes, and CDs replaced by iPods and Spotify. Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu dominate film and television. Financial institutions have turned increasingly to mobile banking and contactless payments as paper checks go all but extinct. Likewise, the event industry has experienced a growing customer preference for contactless purchasing and digital apps. But what, exactly, do customers want from digital ticketing ? How can the right event software offer more convenience and versatility, a smoother, safer on-site experience, and build a loyal customer base that comes back event after event? Here’s a closer look at four essential features your customers will want from apps like Eventbrite. Table of Contents: Online Ticket Sales Lets Customers Plan Ahead Customers Control Ticket Details with Apps Like Eventbrite A Digital Check-In Experience that’s Smoother and Safer Build Loyalty with Square Integration and Instant Refunds Online Ticket Sales Let Customers Plan Ahead The last thing you want is patrons showing up the day of an event, only to find tickets have sold out. The most versatile apps like Eventbrite let them plan their event attendance well in advance, from anywhere at any time, and easily buy the ticket types they want with the click of a button. With SimpleTix event software, you can create an event...
Instant Payouts Pay Off For Gypsy Circus Cider Company
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Stephanie Carson’s Kingsport, Tennessee-based and award-winning Gypsy Circus Cider Company opened a new taproom, Barrelhouse, in Knoxville in October 2020. The spacious addition included a kitchen (the Bohemian) and a separate event space they dubbed TAPestry. As Knoxville’s first meadery and cidery, Stephanie and her staff were excited to start hosting events in the 7000 square foot event space. From comedians, drag shows, and even a cheese festival, Barrelhouse currently hosts about two ticketed events a month. This means Stephanie and her staff need a ticketing solution that easily facilitates smooth ticket sales, quick payouts, and an easy-to-navigate interface. With ten years of experience at beer festivals, Stephanie was no stranger to navigating events. When Barrelhouse and TAPestry first opened, she chose a smaller ticketing platform for her ticket sales after hearing the difficulties many people had with Eventbrite, including lack of communication, difficulty obtaining technical help, and post-event payouts. Despite trying to avoid the issues that came with the big platform, Stephanie found herself dealing with a smattering of red flags in her chosen platform. “There were just some things that were popping up that were problematic,” she explained. The biggest problem was an increasing difficulty trying to obtain her ticket sale profits. “The payouts always worked differently,” Stephanie elaborated. “They would do a cash deposit leading up to the event, but it had to be triggered by us. I would have to email and ask for the funds to be deposited.” She found herself spending a lot of time following up with the platform about her ticket money. Not only was there no automatic or scheduled deposit sent to her account, it was also becoming increasingly difficult to receive the funds at all. Stephanie sometimes waited weeks after an event for complete payout. Without the ticket sales it...
SimpleTix Supports Local Businesses
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Local businesses are the lifeblood of communities everywhere. As a drive-in theater, zoo, pumpkin farm, or event venue, supporting your customers and your business means streamlining the ticketing options. You need an Eventbrite alternative, like SimpleTix. SimpleTix helps keep the cash flowing, reduces your workload, provides flexible ticketing, and leaves a positive impression on your customers. Find out how partnering with SimpleTix gives you and your customers the best ticketing experience. Cashflow As a zoo, event site, or anywhere that uses ticketing to help pay your bills, you know how challenging it can be to keep cash flow positive. This is especially true when you have to return funds to a customer. Certain ticketing platforms – like Eventbrite – slow down the process, both in collecting payments and refunding them. You don’t need to waste time and energy trying to figure out how much money is coming and when it will be posted to your bank. SimpleTix is the only ticketing platform that partners with Square to offer you more options. Should your customers need a refund, they can choose to receive the refund as a gift card to use at a later event. With SimpleTix you get: Instant payouts help stabilize cash flow and pay your bills. Square gift cards let ticket holders opt to receive their refund in the form of a gift card, which lets your business hold onto the cash. SimpleTix's low price helps businesses keep more money in their pocket. Streamlines Your Workload You have an event to manage, a zoo to run, or a festival to host. Ticketing needs to be the last thing on your mind. With an Eventbrite alternative, such as SimpleTix, you can streamline your workload. You’ll be able to run your event with fewer staffers while maintaining your sanity. The...
5 Tips For Running a Skeleton Event With a Skeleton Crew
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Fun opportunities for festive events abound as the autumnal equinox ushers in a new season. Cooler temperatures, earlier sunsets, and a festive mood provide the perfect atmosphere for special harvest and Halloween-themed events. You may be considering throwing certain seasonal events including: Pumpkin patches Hay rides Corn mazes Costume contests Haunted houses Ghost tours Halloween film festivals Farm harvest festivals Due to the various effects of the pandemic, you may want fewer employees than usual to staff these events. By employing the right ticketing software, running a skeleton event is easier and safer for your employees and guests, leaving everyone to enjoy the seasonal haunts in peace. Whether you’re creating a new attraction, hosting a special event, or throwing a small festival, ticketing software allows you to run your seasonal event with a skeleton crew in these five ways: Selling tickets online Scan-and-go mobile check-ins Minimizing cash transactions Communicating with customers Staying on top of safety Don’t be scared – it’s that simple. Selling Tickets Online Offering ticket purchases online allows your guests more time for assembling their costumes. Online ticket sales have increased each year since 2016 and are expected to continue to grow 6% each year. Without long lines at the ticket booth, guests can walk right up to the event, ticket in hand. Since selling your event’s tickets online allows potential visitors the opportunity to buy tickets at their leisure, you can sell tickets all day, every day without any labor on your team’s behalf. It is not only convenient for your customers, but also provides you with clarity for your upcoming event. With advance ticket sales, you know just how many visitors to expect at your pumpkin patch or haunted house. This allows you to hire the appropriate number of staff for the event. Plus, you and...
Zoo Software for Special Events
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Zoo software lets owners promote their special events and sell tickets through a user-friendly, no-contact platform. This software can also be used to sell other ticket types such as general attendance or memberships, with a wide range of customizability and functionality. Special events help zoos promote their facilities, draw attendance, and bring attention and funding to causes like wildlife conservation. For instance, some of the Miami Zoo’s notable events for 2021 include: “Audio Safari,” a summer audio tour using QR-codes for mobile listening “ZooRun5k”and “ZooKidsDash,” a virtual 5k fundraiser “Zoo Boo 2021,” a Halloween-themed trick-or-treating event “Roars, Snores, and S’Mores,” a campout for children “Holiday Cheers Sip & Stroll,” an adults-only food and beverage event Whether zoos’ special events succeed depends on effective marketing and ticket sales. Getting special event tickets into the hands of your patrons means enriching the community’s relationship with your zoo. Ticket purchasers can experience education about animals and their habitats, as well as get more invested in conservation efforts. While special events create buzz about the benefits of zoos, they also drive crucial revenue toward daily zoo operations and important causes. Here’s how zoo software can maximize ticket sales and garner more support for you and your wildlife. Table of Contents: Promoting Special Events with Zoo Software Boosting Revenue with Online Ticket Sales Day-Of Digital Event Management Using Software for Post-Event Reconciliation A Digital Approach to Health and Safety Promoting Special Events with Zoo Software Zoo owners must find ways to promote special events while also driving year-round attendance. Whatever the event, your larger goal is always to promote the zoo itself. The right zoo software provides promotion tools for...
Using Zoo Management Software to Drive Revenue and Admissions
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Running a zoo is a big job. From managing staff to feeding animals to keeping visitors satisfied, you have a lot going on at once. Let’s not forget about the large overhead you have to cope with too. With operating expenses growing rapidly, you need to streamline your workflow and financial processes to maximize your budget and keep guests wanting more. Using zoo software or zoo management software can help you simplify your operations and give your customers the best experience possible. Creating Positive Customer Experiences with Zoo Software Zoo admissions and ticketing are at the heart of running a zoo. Implementing zoo management software that helps make ticketing easier is essential. When the ticketing and admissions processes are easy for your customers, you are setting a positive tone from the start. Bettering your customers’ experiences goes beyond ticketing. As a zoo, your goal is to educate people about animals from around the world. You are part of a larger conservation effort. Keeping customers coming back to your zoo helps you keep your doors open, your conservation efforts moving forward, your public education initiatives at the forefront, and your animals in the hearts of thousands. Connecting with the public keeps them coming back, and returning customers are your most valuable customers. In fact, research shows that many customers believe that purchasing memberships is the best way to support a nonprofit, such as a zoo. Additionally, members tend to spend an annual average of around $92.71 with their organization, compared to $18.94 by non-members. This is because members spend more on food and beverages, gifts, and donations to the organization in addition to their annual membership fees. While gaining and retaining members is important, you also have to remember they started out as customers. You want to ensure the customer experience...