Transitioning Back to In-Person Events
-
by
Riley Manning has worked as a travel and entertainment writer for more than 10 years. Today, he writes about unique events and the technology that helps make them happen.
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, precautions and rules have loosened up; however, not all precautionary measures have been abandoned. Your event may have to contend with capacity limits, masking mandates, or even vaccination documentation.
Capacity limits, either voluntary or mandated, can create a safe and healthy atmosphere to help your guests feel comfortable in a manageable crowd. Online festival and event management software should offer you seating charts customizable to your venue so guests can feel at ease and practice social distancing in their assigned seat.
Consider timed entry.
If you are requiring a vaccination or negative COVID test for entry into your event, the entrance line can be overwhelming as your staff must check each guest’s documentation before scanning their tickets.
Online festival and event management software with timed entry can facilitate manageable crowds and entrance lines. With staggered entry times, you will avoid the massive rush for entry and keep the line moving quickly and efficiently.
Communicate Efficiently with Online Festival and Event Management Software
Transitioning your event from in-person to online means you’ll need guests to fill up the venue. From emails, social media posts, and targeted ads, online festival and event management software allows you to easily get the word out to your potential guests.
Target previous event attendees.
Email campaigns are an incredibly cost-efficient marketing method with a very high ROI. Online festival and event management software saves the contact info for any events you’ve managed through the software, offering you a rich list of contacts to start contacting.
You can even offer promo codes, discounts, or early purchase windows to entice, attract, and show gratitude for loyal return customers.
Share on social media.
Social media remains a reliable method to direct traffic to your event’s ticket page. Once everything is set up, exciting posts create anticipation and hype for returning in-person. With festival software, you can direct your followers to your event page, where they should find not only this event but any others you host. This increases visibility for all events you are throwing.
Stay in touch with your guests.
Should anything change leading up to the event, online festival and event management software can help you easily communicate any last-minute information to your guests. Any FAQs, tips, or maps can be sent to any online ticket purchasers, and your event website can be updated to communicate any necessary information as well.
Thank attendees and look to your next event.
It’s important to show gratitude to your guests. Once your event wraps up, send attendees an email through your online festival and event management software to thank them for patronizing your event. You may even consider conducting a brief survey to hear about what went right and any areas for improvement.
Manage Your Event with Minimal Staff
You may have less access to experienced employees due to the pandemic. Luckily, online event and festival software allows you to run the same quality event with less staff just as efficiently as before.
Scan and go mobile check-ins facilitate quick entry.
Mobile check-ins mean you need less event staff to check people in. Staff can use their own mobile devices to scan each guest’s mobile ticket in seconds, keeping the line moving and check-in simple.
Square allows for quick in-person sales.
Tickets purchased ahead of time means less of a line at the ticket booth. For those who didn’t buy their tickets ahead of time, festival software with Square integration makes in-person purchases no problem.
Cashless transactions have increased in popularity each year and are forecasted to continue gaining popularity, and Square offers myriad methods to pay. With a versatile payment system and contactless payments, guests have multiple payment options to utilize. Plus, without having to handle cash, your staff will be able to complete each transaction in record time.
Allow guests to modify their tickets.
If you host a festival with multiple days, timed entry, or different events within an event, you may offer updates to tickets free of charge. Managing all of these potential updates can create a lot of work for your employees, however.
Online festival and event management software lets guests update their own tickets, rather than having to call the box office and request a change. This will make your guests happier, as they won’t have to wait on hold to make a simple change, and it will also free up your staff to handle other matters.
SimpleTix has offered an affordable, premium event ticketing platform that outperforms Eventbrite and similar apps for over 12 years. Compared to the competition, SimpleTix offers better options at a better price point. To learn more, call us at +1 (855) 550-3670 or email us at support@simpletix.com.
Categories
Latest News
Related Articles
How SimpleTix Used Surveys & Auto-Scheduling To Streamline A Property Insurance Event
-
by
[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2" css=".vc_custom_1480416839073{padding-right: 20px !important;}"][vc_column_text]Pacesetter Claims Service is a trusted property claims service that offers coverage across the U.S. They provide daily insurance claim services, catastrophe services, water damage mitigation, and other insurance adjustment offerings. Pacesetter ultimately provides homeowners and renters with essential insurance services. When Pacesetter chose to launch their 2nd Claims Conference using SimpleTix, we were thrilled to handle the event registration process for them. SimpleTix offered Pacesetter custom features like surveys and auto-scheduling to ensure they would make the most of their property insurance event.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="26758"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vcex_spacing][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text] [caption id="attachment_26750" align="alignright" width="288"] Image: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Conference Location)[/caption]By integrating Pacesetter's event registration portal with a survey feature, Pacesetter can ask event attendees important questions. More specifically, Pacesetter can now request the workshop/break-out session schedules of attendees. This helps Pacesetter determine the specific tracks that people plan to attend at their event. It also makes it easier for Pacesetter to interact directly with the insurance industry professionals who attend their conference. Pacesetter's event attendees are also able to automatically schedule classes that are "grouped" together. For example, if a conference attendee chooses a "Part 1 class" to attend, that attendee would automatically be scheduled for the corresponding "Part 2" class as well. This auto-scheduling feature prevents people from signing up from too many "part 1" classes. It also prevents people from skipping the corresponding "part 2" classes when those classes are deemed necessary.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_single_image image="26755" title="Attendee Workshop Selection"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In other words, auto-scheduling makes it easy for conference-goers to receive the full experience of events. Not to mention, it also helps companies like Pacesetter attract many more attendees at their events! And best of all, the custom survey and auto-scheduling features that are available to Pacesetter are also available to companies and individuals across the U.S, Canada, Australia, U.K, New Zealand and elsewhere. SimpleTix is used all around the world, and is...
Religious Organizations
-
by
Overview Religious organizations have unique event needs—from weekly services and fundraisers to High Holy Day events. SimpleTix offers a comprehensive, affordable event ticketing system that simplifies registration, integrates online donation options, and enhances communication with your congregation. This lets you focus on your mission while managing events efficiently. Onboarding Process Create Your Account & Connect Your Payment Processor: Sign up for SimpleTix and integrate with Square, Stripe, or Authorize.net. Create Your Event: Enter event details, select ticket types (General Admission, Member, Guest), and add donation options. Customize Your Event Page: Reflect your organization’s branding and mission using logos, images, and compelling narratives. Integrate Communication Tools: Connect Mailchimp to automate email updates and engage your congregation. Download the Organizer App: Use the Organizer app for efficient on-site check-in and sales. Run a Test Event: Validate the complete process before going live. FAQs Can free events be managed? Yes, free events incur only a nominal fee. How do I handle reserved seating for High Holy Days? Use the seating chart designer for accurate seat assignments. How are donations processed? Donations are integrated directly into the ticketing flow. What if an attendee forgets their ticket? Check in attendees manually using the Organizer app.
Comedy Clubs
-
by
Overview Comedy clubs thrive on energy and engagement. SimpleTix provides a ticketing solution that supports both general admission and reserved seating, along with mobile check-in and seamless integration with Square for secure payments. Our system helps you maximize ticket sales and create a hassle-free experience for your audience. Onboarding Process Create Your Account & Connect Square: Sign up for SimpleTix and integrate your Square account. Launch Your Event: Enter show details, choose ticket types (General Admission, Reserved, VIP), and set pricing. Customize Your Event Page: Add your club’s logo, images, performer bios, and special offers. Set Up Promo Codes & Upsells: Create exclusive promo codes and add upsell items like drink packages through Square. Enable Mobile Check-In: Download the Organizer app for efficient on-site ticket scanning. Promote Your Show: Utilize social sharing, QR codes, and email campaigns to drive ticket sales. Run a Test Event: Confirm that the entire process works seamlessly before going live. FAQs Can I offer both reserved and GA tickets? Yes, simply create separate ticket types. How are on-site sales processed? Through the Organizer app with a Square card reader. How do I set up promo codes? Use our platform to create unique codes for discounts. What is the refund process? Refunds are processed directly via SimpleTix.