Event evaluation is an ongoing process throughout the year. But understanding the value of your event programming more broadly, and how it advances or hinders your organization’s overall strategy and values, requires a holistic review. 

To conduct your annual event programming evaluation, begin with the following steps:

Step 1: Create a Snapshot of the Year

Start by establishing an overview of the entire year of events, include:

• The number of events hosted
• The average attendance for events
• Total money spent on events
• Total revenue gained from events, or a value estimate of the new business/clients gained from the events

If necessary, include a breakdown of stats by event types or category, such as small recurring events, large seasonal events, virtual, in-person, etc. Make note of any outliers, such as those with the highest attendance or those that garnered the least amount of revenue. 

As you create the snapshot, be sure to include highlights from events that brought about notable engagement or resulted in press coverage. If putting together a formal presentation, include photos that capture important moments from events to bring the year in review to life. 

Step 2: Revisit Initial Goals KPIs

As mentioned above, Q4 should not be the first or only time you’ve planned or conducted an analysis of your events. Instead, now is the time to take a look at your event data as a whole and see how it compares to KPIs (key performance indicators) and goals set for your marketing or programming at the beginning of the year. 

If using Ticketbud as your event ticketing platform, use the reporting tool to generate sales or scan (attendance) reports for each event. You can then compare the amount of ticket sales to your total expenses to determine your event profits. Don’t forget to include any money made from sponsorships and any costs associated with staff or volunteer training. You can also compare a report on ticket sales versus check-ins to determine attendance at each event. 

Beyond monetary and attendance success, it’s important to evaluate how your events progressed your core strategy and values. For example, if your goal was to engage new demographics, were those audiences present at your events? If you had sustainability initiatives, did your event help move the needle forward? 

As you evaluate, consider the reasons behind your successes and failures and whether some events may need to be reproduced, rethought or simply left as a memory. 

Step 3: Look at Social Media Engagement

Most social media sites provide the tools and analytics you need to gauge the success of posts and campaigns related to your event, offering data on likes, comments, shares, clicks, etc. To understand how events may have impacted your overall social media growth and strategy, review any tags, mentions, or increases in followers. 

Special event hashtags can help capture engagement from user generated content. If you did not do so this year, make sure future event marketing campaigns include a specific hashtag for the event or encourage others to tag your organization when posting about the event.

Understanding social media engagement will provide insight into how to reach and interact with your audiences more effectively for future events. It might also offer another avenue to gather feedback and stakeholder impressions of your event. 

Step 4: Review Feedback and Testimonials

It’s best to gather feedback when the event is fresh in people’s minds. So if you did not do so this year, be sure to develop a plan to collect responses from attendees, vendors, partners and staff through surveys during or shortly after each event. 

Then, review this data in its entirety at the end of the year to determine any consistent wins or pain points. Monitoring feedback from each event can demonstrate how you improved from event-to-event and established best practices. All of this is important information to take with you into the next year of events. 

If any feedback is particularly positive, consider using it as a marketing tool for future events. Whether it’s a strong quote or a consistently high rating across attendees and event dates, this data will demonstrate to audiences that an event is worth their time. 

Step 5: Evaluate Partners and Vendors

In addition to digesting the feedback of your stakeholders, it’s important to assess the value of each relationship. Perhaps certain events could not have been done without the financial support of sponsors or contributions of partners. So, consider why they chose to contribute, what they got out of it, and how you can ensure they’ll help in the future. 

It’s also good to maintain a directory of vendors you have worked with – both good and bad – and make note of any info that might make it easier to work with them moving forward (for example: responds best to email, needs attendee numbers 1 week ahead of event, requires payment upfront, etc). This living document will make it easier to plan and delegate vendor communications for future events. 

It’s also important to note if working with outside organizations allowed you to tap into new audiences. So, ask your partners for any details and analytics related to any social media posts, newsletters or emails they produced related to your event.

Step 6: Debrief with Your Event Teams

Report your findings with your events committee or decision-making teams. Together, you can discuss the return on investment (ROI) of your events, or whether the events you hosted were worth the time and resources that went into producing them. Are there any areas of fat you could trim to make the planning processes more cost and time efficient? Are there any best practices you could replicate to ensure no event eats into your ROI?

Wisdom is gained in experience, and failures can help guide future planning efforts. So, outline the lessons you’ve learned along the way, and use your knowledge to refine your approach. 

Step 7: Set Future Goals

Your reflections should inform your aspirations as you set new goals and establish KPIs for next year’s event calendar. Make sure these goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART):

• Specific: Find a way to simply and specifically define success so you and others can easily evaluate whether you’ve achieved it in the end.
• Measurable: Though events result in many valuable qualitative results, it’s helpful to be able to quantify measures of success. So, consider creating numerical benchmarks for ticket sales, revenue, media placements, social media engagement, new clients or relationships developed etc.
• Achievable: Goals need to be aspirational but realistic.
• Relevant: Make sure the goals you are setting are in alignment with your organization’s values and overall strategy. 
• Time-related: Events have a clearly defined timeline; but if you’re hosting a series of events, your goals may be something that you work toward across a calendar year. 

Make annual reviews of your events and annual programming a regular practice. Consistently reviewing your goals and progress leads to continuous improvement in the planning and execution of your events. 

The post A Year in Review: Conducting an Annual Evaluation of Your Events appeared first on Ticketbud.

The end of the year brings on a frenzy of work parties, friend and family get-togethers, school events, holiday shopping and more. Creating an event that breaks through all the noise takes careful planning and execution, with great consideration about your audiences’ time, preferences and needs. 

Get Started

The sooner you can get on people’s calendars, the better. So, determine a date, budget and timeline for the event and planning process, and quickly.

Venues book up fast this time of year, with just a handful of Fridays and Saturdays to work with before the new year. You may need to consider other days or times that might work for your particular event and audience. And, remember to prepare for any weather or other unforeseen circumstances that might affect your plans. 

Once you’ve locked in the basics, it’s important to conduct some market research to understand the types of events you will be competing against:

• Check out community calendars and competitor’s websites for other holiday events.
• Start a spreadsheet to record information about each event’s theme, target audiences, planned activities, ticket prices, etc. 
• Review  the marketing of  competing events, through their event websites, social media posts on and offline promotion, including their discount offerings. . 

When you understand what your event is up against, you can tailor your event by offering a unique differentiator to your audience, such as a theme, special activity or exclusive sale. This will be key in persuading your audience to register for your holiday event and should be emphasized in any marketing or promotions. 

Holiday Event Themes and Activities

A themed event provides an anchor for planning your event and point of difference. So work with a team to brainstorm some holiday centric themes or entertainment you might offer as a way to entice your audiences and bring energy to your event.

Be mindful of how any activities or themes could impact who you may or may not attract to your event. If you’re hosting an event for a very general audience, your event may be more successful if you stray away from religious traditions. However, incorporating these elements could be beneficial if they align with your audience’s values. 

Here are some themes and activities for inspiration: 

• Winter Wonderland 
• Holiday Hoedown 
• Holiday Movie Night or Series
• A Light Show
• Ugly Holiday Sweater Party
• Pajama Party
• Fun Runs or Polar Plunges
• A Gift Exchange
• Christmas Tree Auction 
• A Visit from Santa
• Black Tie NYE
• Candle Making 
• Christmas Cookie Bake Off
• Holiday Bar Pop-up
• Gingerbread House Competition 
• Crafting Classes for Wreaths or Ornaments

If successful, your holiday event may provide your organization brand power year after year. Take for example the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For nearly a century, people have looked forward to the annual event and have positive associations with the brand and those tied to it. The three-hour holiday spectacle has become so successful over the years that companies will shell out $120,000-300,000 to  sponsor the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade . 

Boost Ticket Sales with Marketing and Promotions

Cross-channel marketing campaigns are a must when promoting any event. So, create a robust plan for direct invitations and email, social media promotion, digital and print advertising.

Reflect on your initial competitor’s analysis to evaluate successful ways you might market your holiday event. And remember, holidays are about cheer, giving and savings. So consider how you might incorporate these elements within your promotional messaging. 

Themed Marketing Campaigns:
Get inspired by the traditional advent calendar or the “12 days of Christmas” to create a countdown to the event. Each day, you could host a giveaway, encourage engagement, share photos from past events or teasers for the upcoming event. 

Referral Codes and Gifts:
Incentivize people to invite friends, family and contacts to your event. With Ticketbud, you can issue unique referral codes to those who’ve already registered for your event. Event organizers have the ability to track these codes. So, if the code is shared and used, the person who shared it could be entered to win a prize or receive a special gift or discount from the organizers. 

And while it’s fun to receive gifts, the holidays are a time for giving. Using ticket sales to raise money for a meaningful cause or local charity may also influence people to take part in the event as well as encourage others. Ensure you have the ability to add donation options with your ticket sales. 

Sales and Discounts:
Early bird sales are an effective way to boost ticket sales and get people to commit to your event before their calendar fills up. These sales are enticing because they offer discounted ticket rates for a limited amount of time, forcing the buyer to act fast.

To motivate a greater influx in sales ahead of your event, you might also incorporate specialty promotions in conjunction with Black Friday or Cyber Monday. For tips on holiday sales, check out “Tis the Season to Save: Hosting Holiday Sales to Sell More Tickets to Your Events.

How Ticketbud Can Help Plan Your Holiday Event

Ticketbud allows event organizers to create a free event website and host registration for free and paid events. Our site offers a suite of ticketing and communication tools to make event coordination easier before, during and after the event. 

The Ticketbud ticket editor can be used to create and sell a range of ticketing options, such as individual or group tickets, early bird or regular sale tickets, general admission or VIP tickets, and more. Organizers are also able to edit and automate sales timelines, so they can set it and forget it. 

Ticketbud also allows event organizers to communicate with attendees via email directly from the ticketing platform. Use it to send important information about venue access and check-in leading up to the event, or to issue thank you emails and gather feedback after the event. Learn more about how Ticketbud works and how we can help ease the stress of holiday event planning.

The post A December to Remember: How to Plan a Holiday Party that’s Worth People’s Time appeared first on Ticketbud.

According to a study published in Nature Communications, the global events industry accounts for more than 10% of global CO2 emissions annually. And, another study found that events contribute 2.5 pounds of landfill waste per person per day. These findings demonstrate why 80 percent of meeting professionals consider green initiatives when planning events. 

Sustainability is Good for Business

One in three U.S. adults say they spend more time thinking about the climate than they did before the pandemic; and 68% of highly empowered consumers report choosing brands that reduce their environmental impact, according to Forrester research.

Choosing greener practices not only engages these audiences, it can also reduce the costs of energy, water and waste management. And the good news is event planners can start small. It’s not necessary to reimagine and reorganize an entire event to have a positive impact. 

Below, we offer nine ways event organizers can incorporate more sustainable practices into event planning, while motivating partners and attendees to pass it on. 

1. Host Virtual, Hybrid or a Series of Satellite Events

Research by MeetGreen shows that air travel by attendees, speakers or sponsors accounts for 70% of an event’s carbon footprint. Meaning, reducing travel is one of the easiest and most significant ways to make a large environmental impact. 

If the content allows, make the event virtual, or create hybrid options to limit the need for people to travel. Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that hybrid conferences combined with the promotion of land-bound travel “could be a feasible compromise to reduce emissions by almost 90%.”

If in-person is necessary and resources allow, organizers might also consider hosting several satellite events in convenient locations across states or countries to meet audiences where they are at. 

2. Go Paperless

Embracing sustainability requires adopting innovative event technologies and practices, replacing physical needs with digital solutions. This reduces the need for paper products and can increase efficiency and effectiveness of event planning and execution.

Start with registration. Ditch paper invitations and registration forms. Instead, create a free event website and online registration form with Ticketbud’s event registration platform. Ticketbud also issues electronic tickets which can be scanned at event check-in to reduce printing needs. 

During the event, trade out traditional posters or brochures for digital visuals. Use AV to broadcast important marketing or event content, and host important speaker, sponsor or event information on an app or website. 

To help people access the materials, simply post a QR code at check-in or email instructions ahead of the event. Driving web traffic or content downloads can also capture important information about audiences and their engagement.

Click here to read Nine Cool Technologies to Help Plan Your Next Event. 

3. Offer Alternative Transportation

Above, we mentioned how air travel can inflict a large environmental toll. When working toward a more sustainable event, it’s important to educate attendees on the impact and provide recommendations on how to work around it. 

Whenever possible, promote eco-friendly transportation. For example, festival planners at Lollapalooza encourage event-goers to take “low-emission” routes to the festival, such as buses, bikes, or carpools. It may be economically and environmentally beneficial to partner with an e-bike or rideshare program to offer free rides or discounts to guests commuting to the event. 

Also, don’t neglect any freight and shipping involved with gathering supplies or swag for the event. When possible, opt for local vendors and scheduled pick-ups. 

4. Find an Eco-Friendly Venue

Venues make up a large part of the event budget. To make sure it’s money sustainably spent, look for venues that have third-party sustainability certifications, such as LEED, APEX/ASTM, Green Key, or IACC Green Star. Or, ask about the location’s energy use or water or waste management practices, such as low-flow toilets or recycling.

For local events, select a centrally located venue that is accessible by public transport. If expecting out-of-town guests, choose somewhere close to an airport or train station to reduce travel. If possible, identify outdoor venue options. 

For help identifying environmentally-conscious venues, check out online directories like Book Different, Green Globe, and TripZero; or read “5 Convention Centers that are Mastering Sustainability.”

5. Choose Partners and Vendors Wisely 

Denver’s Great American Beer Festival has a strong environmental backbone. Its sustainability program includes waste reduction, resource recovery, energy use and education. These efforts are supported by like-minded organizations featured on its website: ZeroHero, Freeman Exhibit Services, Colorado Convention Center, Centerplate Catering, and the Colorado Carbon Fund. 

Through these partnerships, the festival is able to turn a profit during its annual event while realizing large-scale environmental goals. So when looking for vendors or sponsors, lead with sustainability targets and ambitions.

Forge relationships with vendors with well-documented ESG initiatives, such as printers that utilize recycled paper products or caterers that source locally. Find vendors who are members of the Green Business Bureau, an association committed to clean transportation, waste management and other green practices. 

To get started, check out this open-sourced and vetted database of sustainable event vendors, created by Happily. 

6. Eat Green

Though it may come at a higher cost, a locally sourced farm-to-table menu will result in higher quality food with less impact on the environment. To further reduce the event’s impact, consider offering a plant-based meal or courses. 

The World Wildlife Fund estimates that up to 18% of global methane emissions come from livestock. So, swapping out meat for more veggie options can be a strong demonstration of dedication to hosting a sustainable event. 

And, remember that quantity is just as important as quality. According to MeetGreen, more than 20% of waste created by an event is organic material, including food and compostable serving ware. To avoid food going to waste, have guests preorder food or close registration before catering numbers are due. 

This is easy with Ticketbud’s ticket editor, which allows planners to modify and automate registration timelines and create custom questions for guests to answer when registering for the event, such as “Will you be staying for dinner?” or “Select chicken, beef or veggie.” Get started here. 

7. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Of course, food waste still happens. So, come up with a plan to avoid putting it in the trash, such as partnering with a local shelter for food donations. If choosing this route, inform the event and catering staff in advance so they know to box and properly store any leftover food. 

If donation is not an option, look to the example set by the U.S. Open. Since taking on green initiatives in 2008, “Nearly 900 tons of food waste has been converted into nutrient-rich compost for gardens and farms,” including the flower beds at Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

But remember, food and compost waste is just one fifth of waste at events. To avoid sending the other 80% to the landfill, devise a plan to manage waste and educate attendees on the process and importance. If the venue does not offer recycling or composting, contract out the services. A vendor can provide bins, signage and removal services. Extra staff or volunteers may be required to help collect, sort and encourage attendees to dispose of waste in the proper manner.

8. Get Attendees Involved

Hosting a sustainable event goes beyond event day and considers its lasting impact. So, how can an organization motivate attendees to carry the mission forward? 

Start with education. Make clear in event marketing and messaging why the organization is taking action and the impact it hopes to make. The more people understand the why, the more likely they are to act. This will encourage them to be more compliant during the event and may inspire them to be more sustainability conscious after the event. 

Some organizations may choose to incorporate volunteer projects within the event itself, giving attendees an opportunity to get hands-on with the mission and efforts. Or, they may direct attendees to their social media pages or newsletters, where they post local initiatives or projects with volunteer opportunities. 

If welcoming travelers to the event, create a welcome packet and email a recommendation list of businesses or restaurants that support sustainable initiatives. Or, encourage attendees to help the organization offset event emissions by participating in a donation program which contributes to achieving carbon zero or other green initiatives.

Using Ticketbud’s ticket editor, event organizers can create a separate fundraising line to accept online donations directly from the registration page. Learn more about how to add various ticketing options such as donations on Ticketbud.

9. Start Early and Hold Yourself Accountable

From the early stages of the event planning process, design with green in mind. Include sustainability goals alongside all event KPIs and lay out a timeline of objectives and tasks that will help achieve it. 

Utilize online tools, such as SAM or Sustain.Life, to determine the carbon footprint of the event and identify areas that can be improved: energy efficiency, waste reduction, transportation, etc. Then, share these projections and goals with potential attendees and partners to encourage participation and support. 

After the event, put together an impact report to compare goals and results. Distribute the findings to partners and attendees to communicate the impact and show gratitude for their participation and contributions. This demonstrates that the organization is dedicated to the cause and fostering supportive relationships around it. It could also be the reason a person purchases a ticket or a sponsor contributes more funding to a future event. 

In sum, promoting environmentally friendly initiatives and event management practices demonstrates social responsibility and may attract new attendees, clients, partners whose values align. It shows that the organization is concerned not only with profits but with the well-being of the community and the planet. It’s good for the brand, and it feels good to know an event can create both lasting memories and a meaningful impact.

The post Nine Ways to Go Green at Your Next Event appeared first on Ticketbud.

Trusted vendors have a proven track record of delivering high-quality, professional products and services on time. Their experienced staff can bring a wealth of knowledge to developing the intricacies of your event, and their communication and reliability is crucial for ensuring that all aspects of your event run smoothly.

To help kickstart your event planning journey, we’ve compiled a list of the Best of Texas Event Vendors, based on reviews and event organizer feedback. It includes:

• Event Planners
• Printing/Signage
• Av/Tech Support
• Photography/Videography
• Catering/Bartending
• Staffing/Security
• Rentals/Decor
• Entertainment
• Venues

Event Planners

Fauxcades (Dallas)
fauxcades.com 
Offering a full service event design, custom fabrication, production and rentals, Fauxcades focuses on the experiential aspect of every event. In addition to helping with your planning needs, their services include graphic design and print shop, paint, carpentry, welding, lighting and sculpture studios. The team was awarded the silver award for Best of DFW Event Planners in 2021 by the Dallas Morning News.

Red Velvet Events (Austin)
Weareredvelvet.com
For more than 20 years, event planners at Red Velvet Events have focused on their mission to “create compelling human connections through insight, design and collaboration for brands on the cusp of disruption.” The full service industry specializes in a strategic, collaborative planning process and has been recognized through 25 international event awards. 

Printing/Signage

ProGraphix (Austin)
pgaustin.com
ProGraphix is a woman-owned, eco-conscious print shop established in 2002. From design to delivery and installation, their team can help with any print project for your event, be it invitations, brochures, postures, directional signs, window decals or murals.

Minuteman Press (National)
minutemanpress.com
Minuteman Press International has been rated the #1 Printing Franchise in the printing industry by Entrepreneur Magazine more than 30 times. The national chain of print shops offers a wide variety of services, including small paper prints or posters to unique swag or branded food items. 

AV/Tech Support

ATX Event Systems (Austin)
atxes.com 
ATX Event Systems is a full service audio visual company specializing in conferencing, brand activations, concert production and installation. Plus, the company has several studio spaces to host your in-person or online event, as well as a staffing arm to relief in areas beyond technical support, such as food and beverage services, janitorial and security.

Karana Audio Visual (Houston)
Karana-audiovisual.com
Established in Houston in 2015, Karana Audio Visual was built by two musicians with an in-depth understanding of the technical needs of putting together a successful event. They offer a full suite of event production services, including lighting, live streaming, audio, video, as well as video production. The company has garnered an Award for Excellence from the Better Business Bureau. 

Photography/Videography

Bennett Creative (Austin)
bennettcreative.co
Whether you need a conference opener video, a highlight reel, or anything in between, Bennett Creative has got you covered. The Austin-based team provides a bounty of event services, including photography, livestreaming, capturing b-roll, multi-camera set-ups, interviews and timelapses. Beyond event work, Bennett Creative is a great asset to any marketing team looking to bring life to their strategies.

Saturn Photography (Austin)
saturnphotography.com 
With more than 300 5-star reviews, Saturn Photography can help your guests relive your event in high–resolution in the days and weeks after the event. The company’s online gallery system makes it easy to share images with guests to view, download and print, with no watermarks included. Their services also include video production for private and corporate projects. 

DTX Media (Dallas/ Fort Worth)
dtxmedia.com
Though located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the team at DTX Media will travel across Texas and Oklahoma to capture photos and video of your next commercial or corporate event. Their services include photo booths and event photography to drone footage and video production for any size of event. 

Catering/Bartending

Glory House (Irving)
Gloryhousecatering.com 
Whether you’re looking for pick-up catering, a full-service reception or to host an intimate bistro gathering, Glory House is a go-to vendor for corporate and private on or off-site events. The company has served the DFW metroplex for more than 20 years, earning the title of Best in Irving Caterer every year since 2011. 

The Heights Catering (Houston)
theheightscatering.com 
Completely customize your event day menu with The Heights Catering, serving clients in Houston and surrounding areas. The Heights chefs offer a versatile menu, including African, Asian, British, Middle Eastern and American. The business also offers service from food trucks to bring a unique flair to your next event. 

la Barbeque Food Truck (Austin)
labarbecue.com 
Bring a local Austin vibe to your next event with a BBQ food truck. The female–owned and operated food truck la Barbeque is an Austin staple, consistently appearing on the city’s best BBQ lists. Invite them to your next event to dish up some delicious, locally sourced beef cooked low and slow for 8 hours for that melt-in-your-mouth goodness. 

Event Staffing/Security

5 Star Event Services (Houston, Austin, San Antonio)
5starstaff.com
Established in 2000, 5 Star Event Services has provided security officers, ushers, ticket takers and event staff personnel at more than 41,000 events throughout the surrounding areas of Houston, Austin, San Antonio. Their teams are trained in customer service and have undergone background checks to ensure a positive and safe experience at each event. 

Trinity Event Staffing
trinityeventstaffing.com 
Rated as a top staffing company in the DFW area, Trinity Event Staffing can cover any of your personnel needs for small private events or large seated dinners or conferences. Easily assemble a food service team, brand ambassadors, or extra security staff to help ensure no one staff member feels too much pressure during your event. 

Event Rentals and Decor

Marquee Event Rentals (Austin, Dallas, Houston)
marqueerents.com
Marquee Event Rentals serves any size of event across Southern and Midwestern markets. The company, which recently culminated from six separate vendors, touts the largest inventory of event rentals in the industry, including tables, tents, china, linens, kitchen and serving appliances, crowd and climate control equipment, lighting and more.

Loot Rentals (Austin)
lootrentals.com
Looking for a unique, curated look at your next event? Look no further than Loot Rentals, a boutique event rental company serving Austin and North Texas. The company’s rental catalog includes bars and tables, dining sets, seating, outdoor furnishings, decor, vintage items and more.  

Entertainment

Texas Entertainment Group (Dallas, Houston)
texasentertainmentgroup.com
No matter the fun you’re hoping to add to your event, Texas Entertainment Group is there to help. Their team will work with you to determine what entertainers, extreme sports, or inflatable games might enhance the experience at your next corporate, school, or community event.

GigSalad
gigsalad.com
If you’re looking to hire an entertainer for your next event, check out GigSalad. The nationwide talent search database will help identify an extensive list of potential musicians, DJs, speakers and entertainers to suit your event needs and budget. 

Venues – Austin

The Sky Lounge on Lady Bird Lake (capacity 35-150)
skyloungeonladybird.com
Located in the heart of downtown, The Sky Lounge on Ladybird promises astounding views of the city and Ladybird lake, as well as convenient access to many popular downtown attractions. Whether you’re hosting a small holiday gathering or a larger community function, the venue offers additional amenities, such as bar and catering services, staging and sound systems, as well as convenient parking and security. 

The Austin Convention Center (capacity 7,000+)
austinconventioncenter.com 
The Austin Convention Center has a bounty of space and resources, and is equipped to handle any of your technological, catering, and security needs. The venue is homebase for many massive events, including the annual SXSW festival, but can also host much smaller events within its 50+ meeting rooms.

Venues – Dallas

Texas Ale Project (capacity 28-600)
texasaleproject.com
Give your guests a local experience by hosting your next event at one of Dallas’s hometown breweries. The Texas Ale Project has a variety of unique event spaces to host anywhere from 28 to 600 guests. The biggest benefit of the venue? The drinks, of course, as well as its AV, catering, wifi and parking amenities. 

Southfork Ranch (capacity 2,000)
southforkranch.com
Nestled on 300 acres of groomed ranch land, Southfork Ranch gives event organizers plenty of room to spread out for large events, or scale down for small gatherings within its private meeting spaces. The venue, which was made famous for its appearance on the TV show “Dallas,” is the perfect place to blend boots and business and has staff onsite to help with your next event. 

Venues – Houston

Ronin Art House (capacity 50-150)
rentalsatronin.com
Hundreds of Google reviews reiterate the same sentiment: If you want to host an intimate event in a unique and beautiful space, look no further than Ronin Art House. Event organizers can choose from three venue spaces based on the size and vibe of the event. Each space is architecturally designed to play with angles and light to present a new definition of industrial chic. The venue is willing to work with any outside vendor or caterer.

Asia Society Texas (capacity 1,360)
asiasocietytexasrentals.org
The stunning cultural center, designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi, is consistently recognized with Houston’s Design Award for its elegant blend of Japanese and Western the design. The inviting atmosphere hosts five indoor and outdoor event spaces, or planners can choose to rent out the entire building. 

Keep in mind that the event industry is dynamic, and vendors may change over time. It’s crucial to research and contact vendors directly to inquire about their current services and pricing for your specific event needs. Additionally, reading reviews and getting recommendations from event planners, venues, or other trusted sources will help inform decisions when selecting vendor partners for your next event.

The post Best of Texas Event Vendors appeared first on Ticketbud.

Online event planners may face an uphill battle in reaching and recruiting event attendees, as well as dispelling preconceived notions that online events lack both entertainment and engagement. To help organizers work through these challenges, we offer the following advice:

Set up online registration for your virtual event

To sell tickets to any event, you need an eye-catching event website and a ticketing platform with trusted payment processing capabilities. Even if the event is free, a ticketing platform can help ease registration and manage attendee communications.

Fortunately, Ticketbud makes it easy and affordable to create both. That way your audience can learn about and register for your event all in one place, eliminating any barriers to completing registration. 

And, setting up an event with Ticketbud does not require any knowledge of html or design. Use the intuitive page editor to plug in relevant event information. Then browse through the site’s all-inclusive toolkit to create unique ticket types, set timelines for registration, and link to your preferred payment processor (if paid event). 

Once the event is live, use your Ticketbud URL to promote your event across your marketing channels. If you’re hosting a series or multiple events, consider creating an organization landing page through Ticketbud that directs others to your entire event calendar. 

Promote across all communications channels

It’s not enough to have an event website. You also have to market and promote it in order for the world to see. 

These days, the average person uses more than six social media platforms. So, being present on social media and keeping your messaging and marketing consistent across your channels will make it more likely that your audience will recognize and respond to your branding. 

As you work to promote on social media, it’s important to tap into the network and followers held by any of your event partners, speakers, or sponsors. Use these connections and their channels to help elevate and expand your marketing efforts. You can do this by tagging them in relevant posts or by providing them with visual and written content to post organically. 

Remember, the purpose of social media is to engage. So, be creative in ways that you can get people to interact with your content. The more people who interact with it, the wider your potential reach.

To tap into audiences who already know and trust you, it’s also important to build robust newsletter and email campaigns. These folks may be helpful in referring others to your event. 

Offer incentives to sell more tickets

One of the most influential tactics to promoting sales is creating the idea of scarcity, or the idea that time or quantity is limited. According to Cornell psychology expert Michael Lynn, this tactic increases desirability in the product by making it feel more exclusive and valuable to the consumer. 

Consider ways you can easily induce a sense of scarcity within your ticket sales or registration:

• Setting time limits on registration – Create a registration deadline and communicate it often across your channels to remind your audiences that time is running out. 
• Offering discounts – Reward your loyal customers with exclusive savings, or entice newcomers to engage with you by providing discounts. Discounts may give people the push they need to complete their ticket sale. 

You can manage both tactics with Ticketbud’s ticket editor, which allows you to create multiple ticket types, set and automate sales and registration timelines, and create discount codes and timed promotions for running exclusive sales. 

Additionally, the tool also enables you to track the success of your sales tactics and marketing promotions through referral codes. These codes generate special links to your website so you can monitor what posts or campaigns are generating the most traffic to your site. 

Research and select a ticketing software that makes sense for you

When choosing an event ticketing system, look for one that makes selling tickets as easy and secure as possible. A reliable event ticketing platform should provide useful tools such as: 

• Event page builder and editor
• Online payment processing
• Customizable digital tickets
• Social media and advertising options
• Communication and messaging 
• Detailed sales and customer reports 
• Mobile friendly interface and check-in options

The post How to Sell Tickets for an Online Event appeared first on Ticketbud.

Below, we offer a complete checklist to help you plan and execute a memorable and successful event. 

Pre-Planning: 4-6 Months Before the Event 

Before diving into the details, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of your event’s purpose and objectives. Ask yourself what you aim to achieve with this event. Are you raising funds for a cause, celebrating a milestone, or launching a product? Consider who the right people are to help achieve those goals – think: partners, vendors, sponsors, staff, volunteers, etc. Having the right people in place and clearly defining your objectives sets the tone for the rest of the planning and process. 

In this stage, be sure to: 

• Identify goals and objectives
• Identify key audience 
• Pick a date
• Pick a venue
• Outline a budget and set KPIs
• Put together a planning committee
• Develop a timeline
• Create branding for the event 
• Determine pricing strategy
• Determine a marketing strategy, including social media, email, web and any print or broadcast advertising
• Identify and reach out to potential partners or sponsors
• Begin negotiations with entertainment or speakers
• Select a registration software or ticketing system 
• Announce event and registration dates to audiences 

Get the Ball Rolling: 3-4 Months Before the Event

At this point, the event date is set and you should be rolling full steam ahead with planning. It’s important to secure partnerships, such as sponsors and collaborators, early on. These relationships will help amplify your event promotions as you build interest and anticipation for your event. Consider hosting early bird sales to lock in audiences that are already engaged with you. These folks can also help spread the word about your event. 

In this stage, you’ll need to: 

• Develop workflow for planning committee
• Balance the budget with potential spending and expected revenue earned from sponsorships and ticket sales
• Secure early sponsorships and funding to cover early event costs
• Create an event website and open registration
• Execute marketing and promotions strategies 
• Finalize agreements and pay deposits for venue, vendors and entertainers
• Launch early-bird registration 
• Boost marketing efforts
• Monitor sales and determine if any other special sales or promotions are needed 

Ramp up Sales and Promotions: 1-2 Months Before the Event

It’s time to spread the news far and wide about your event. Finalize and use event details, such as partnerships or novel experiences, to pique interest and build interest in your event. Tease your audiences with news about what they can expect and encourage those who have already committed to refer others to your event. 

During this phase, it’s important to:

• Lock-in sponsorships, partnerships, entertainment 
• Develop run-of-show to share with planning committee, event partners, vendors, entertainment, etc
• Update event website with more finalized details (speaker/entertainment/partner info)
• Incorporate all finalized details into event promotions to pique more interest and sales 
• Organize marketing campaign around sponsors, entertainment, speakers, etc
• End early bird sales and activate general ticket sales
• Meet with all sponsors, partners, vendors and entertainment to lay out plans and expectations for the day of the event
• Encourage referrals to boost registration 
• Finalize any design or printing projects for day-of event (programs, posters, etc)
• Develop contingency plans in case of weather, vendor or other planning issues
• Send out event reminders to contact lists and other audiences

Tie Up Loose Ends: 1-3 Weeks Before the Event

The last month leading up to your event is your chance to make sure all of your ducks are in a row. Start thinking about what your event will look like from start to finish, run it by all who are involved and ensure you have all the people and mechanisms in place to execute it successfully. Additionally, if your ticket sales have become stagnant and you’re worried about attendance, it may be time to consider last-minute sales or promotions. 

During this time period, complete the following: 

• Review and edit run-of-show
• Regroup with event committee
• Recruit and prep any event volunteers or staff
• Check in with all vendors and review day-of plans (catering #s, tech needs, seating arrangement, etc)
• Review all technology or presentation needs and materials, print copies and save on multiple devices 
• Send event reminders to all confirmed ticket holders with any pertinent information within a week of the event 
• Identify any photo-ops 
• Organize any day-of or post-event marketing strategies 
• Prepare for check-in and on-site registration (name badges, ticket readers, etc)
• Invite media – issue media release 
• Close sales or run last minute promotions if needed

The Calm Before the Storm: 1 Day Before the Event

Today is the culmination of all of your preparation, when all the pieces come together to show the exact potential of the event you’ve been planning. During set-up, work closely with your event stylists to create a cohesive and visually appealing atmosphere that matches the theme and purpose of your event. Pay attention to details like table settings, lighting, signage, and seating arrangements to enhance the overall experience.

To prepare:

• Communicate last-minute needs and expectations with planning committee, volunteers and staff 
• Set-up physical space 
• Hang/display signage 
• Ensure you have copies of important materials 
• Test technology and ensure you have a back-up plans in place in case of loss of power, internet,etc

It’s Showtime: the Day of the Event

Take a deep breath. The day you’ve been preparing for is finally here. And because of your careful planning, you’re ready for it. On the day of the event, coordinate with your team and vendors to ensure everything runs smoothly. Assign someone to manage logistics, oversee the schedule, and handle any unexpected issues that may arise. Be prepared to adapt and make quick decisions as needed.

• Arrive early (ask partners, volunteers, committee members to do the same) 
• Greet all partners, sponsors, vendors, volunteers
• Distribute copies of run-of-show to volunteers, vendors, speakers, etc
• Keep calm 

Follow-Up: 1 Week After the Event

After the event, be sure to show gratitude to all of your attendees, partners and vendors while the experience is still fresh in their minds. This is important to preserve trusting, working relationships. Use your follow-up as an opportunity to gather feedback from everyone involved. This information will help you evaluate the success of your event, identify areas for improvement, and allow you to make informed decisions for future events.

Within the a week of your event, consider the following:

• Send thank you email to all attendees, along with a short survey about the event
• Send thank you to venue/vendors/entertainers and request any feedback about the partnership or the event itself
• Send personal handwritten thank you cards to sponsors, entertainers or major partners
• Post any highlights from event to website and social media – consider sharing these moments in your thank you letters and emails as well
• Review spending and revenue

Post-Event Analysis: 1 Month After the Event

After you’ve had some time to decompress, take time to look back on the experience, measure your success and identify any lessons learned. What you determine in this phase will go towards improving events for years to come. 

During your post-event analysis, be sure to: 

• Send survey reminders and review responses from those who attended your event
• Meet with planning committee to debrief and discuss successes and failures
• Evaluate event’s success (financial, attendance, experience), measured against KPIs set in the initial budget 

Planning a successful event requires careful preparation, attention to detail, and effective teamwork. By following this comprehensive guide, you can create an event that not only meets its objectives but leaves a lasting impression on your attendees. 

Remember that flexibility and adaptability are key, as unexpected challenges are a part of event planning. But through dedication, trusting partnerships and the right planning strategies, you can host a memorable and successful event.

The post A Complete Event Planning Checklist appeared first on Ticketbud.

Enter timed-access ticketing, a feature on Ticketbud that enables event organizers to allow entry to a specific number of ticket holders during allocated time slots. This prevents everyone from showing up at once, which can cause issues with capacity restrictions, create long delays and lead to having to ask attendees to come back at another time. It also ensures the entire event runs more smoothly, creating a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

Benefits of timed access for attendees:

• Convenience. Attendees get to choose a time and day that works for them. 
• Peace of mind. Knowing their time is secured allows attendees to calmly arrive for their booking at the designated time. 
• Easy entry. Attendees don’t have to waste time lining up early.
• Enhanced experience. Because there are limits on bookings per time slot, attendees get to have a better event experience without the overcrowding that can happen at popular times.

Benefits of timed access for event organizers:

• Sell more tickets early. Attendees will buy sooner to ensure they secure their desired time/day. Capacity constraints at different entry times triggers a scarcity motive, which may influence people to buy in fear that space is running out. 
• Maximize sales. As spots sell out, bookings will spill over to available times. This is much less likely to happen at events without timed access because people can’t see that limits have been reached until it’s too late.  
• No overcrowding. Timed access helps organize the flow of people, particularly at larger events and festivals that have multiple attractions, reducing congestion, wait times, and potential risks.
• Predictable staffing. You don’t have to worry about understaffing and overwhelming staff when you know exactly the number of people to plan for.
• Guarantee a positive experience. The success of an event can impact an organization’s reputation. Overcrowding or long wait times can lead to chaos, accidents, or negative incidents that may harm an event’s image, result in legal liability, or deter future attendees. Timed-access ticketing limits these risks and ensures a smoother customer experience.
• Customize communication. This is useful if you have to close the event for a period of time for an unexpected reason, or need to share alternative access or preparation information. This also gives organizers a mechanism for tracing exactly who was at their event and when in case organizers needed to contact attendees that attended during a certain time period.

“The Ticketbud team was a great support helping us create timed access ticket programming with scheduled drive-thru times. By limiting the number of vehicles able to enter each hour, attendees could secure their time and plan their evening without everyone turning up at once. This new programming helps us distribute and maximize tickets over our five-week event.”  

Teri Smart, VP of Marketing at Forefront Networks, which produces the Austin Trail of Lights.

Below you can see an example event pages offering multiple time slots for events. Check out this video for a more detailed view on how organizers can set up their profiles and events with timed-access ticketing.

Ticketbud’s event page calendar makes multi-day timed-entry ticketing much easier for ticket buyers to navigate to find the convenient date and time they need.

To learn more about working with Ticketbud visit the How It Works page.

The post Minimize Lines and Maximize Ticket Sales with Timed-Access Event Ticketing appeared first on Ticketbud.

According to Bizzabo, most marketing professionals (95%) recognize the value events hold for creating in-person connections. An Eventtrack industry study also found that 74% of attendees had a more positive opinion about a company, brand or product after a great event. 

“Event marketing facilitates customer engagement with brands in a meaningful and multi-sensory way, building a strong, memorable emotional connection between brands and audiences,” says Gabrielle Mratinez, Managing Partner of the agencyEA. “Additionally, live experiences are invaluable opportunities for content generation and data collection to inform future campaigns.”

To help stay engaged with your audiences this autumn, consider the hosting a fall-inspired event like those outlined below:

Community Events

Tis the season for gathering. So consider hosting family-friendly events that bring together the community, such as a pumpkin carving contest or a movie night. 

A pumpkin carving contest could offer a range of prizes – think, “most creative,” “funniest,” “scariest” or “best overall.” Just be sure to come prepared with carving tools or paint, stencils, and trash cans for all the pumpkin guts. 

A movie night also offers a fun and relaxing way for families to get out of the house and meet each other. To really get into the fall spirit, consider hosting the event in a park with a projector screen and offering popcorn or even hot chocolate if it’s a little chilly outside. But have a back-up plan in case the weather doesn’t cooperate with your event. 

Get Started

Create a free event website with Ticketbud and upload your entire community contact list. Then, send invitations to your contacts directly from the site. 

School Events

With school back in session, fall is buzzing with dozens of exciting social and sporting events. So consider ways you can enhance regularly scheduled events with fall touches. 

Turn your homecoming game day into a fall festival, with a parade, games, booths, and more. Make it an event alumni and families will want to flock to by getting the entire school involved. Student organizations can be in charge of creating their own parade floats or game-day activities to raise funds for their organizations. 

Get Started

With a day or a weekend full of events, it’s expected that some people may not be able to attend every activity you put on. So use the breakdown of events as an opportunity to raise more money. With the Ticketbud ticket editor, create multiple ticket types so people can purchase festival, game or homecoming dance tickets all in one spot.  

Fundraiser Events

The holidays always bring about a giving spirit. So, consider hosting a fundraising event to round out the year. How about a Thanksgiving Turkey trot? Or a pumpkin-spiced bake sale? 

When hosting a fundraising event, make sure your audience knows who the benefactors will be. Include any sponsoring or partnering organizations within the branding and descriptions of the event and offer a brief background on any organizations receiving funds from the ticket sales. These details help influence people to buy. 

Get Started

Create a free event registration page using Ticketbud. In addition to allowing users to set up multiple ticket types, event organizer’s can also create a donation button for the registration page. This will allow those who want to give a little extra or donate in lieu of their participation a chance to do so. Ticketbud can also help organizers manage any race day needs with easy mobile check-in and race bib assignments. 

Pop-up Events

Pop-up events are an exciting way to draw in new audience members and get a brand in front of new customers. If you’re thinking about hosting a fall pop-up, why not stick to the theme?

Host a haunted house. These events are temporary in nature and always hosted in a unique location. To make it a success, recruit some helping hands. Consider hiring theater actors from a local high school or university to play the scary parts and get ideas from your contacts on their best haunted house experiences. 

Get Started

Set-up an account page for your organization using Ticketbud to keep track and showcase multiple events to the public. Customize each individual event page’s set-up so that other events in the series are promoted on each event’s page. 

Conferences and Trade Shows

Spruce up your conference or expo with fall-centric foods, activities, swag and recommendations. 

If people are traveling from out of town to your conference, provide a list of area recommendations of where they could find fun fall activities or good eats outside of conference times within your printed or online program. Hosting a day-long or multi-day event? Pick a fall harvest inspired menu to make your attendees feel at home during their visit. 

Get Started

Since conferences and trade shows draw in attendees from around the world, get ahead of event marketing. Create a cohesive brand for your event that is recognizable across all the platforms your audience might learn about your event – website, social media, email. Use the design to develop your own custom banner for your event ticketing page. Here’s a template to help get started. 

Chamber of Commerce

As businesses wrap up and evaluate the activities of the entire year, their leaders must use that data to prospect for the year ahead. Give local businesses the resources they need to be successful in the year ahead by introducing them to others leaders in the area through a fall mixer. 

Networking events provide ample opportunities for people to make meaningful connections with others who can support their business pursuits. Plus, the event itself makes for a great opportunity for a chamber of commerce to get the word out about the organization and recruit new members. 

Get Started

Utilize the power and influence of your current audience to create buzz, excitement and ticket sales for your event. Set up special promotions for event registration, offering discounts to members of your organizations or special discount codes they can pass on to their contacts who they’d like to join the networking event.

Virtual Events

Stay engaged with audiences throughout the busiest travel season by hosting virtual events, such as a series of mixology, baking or cooking events. 

Mix up the next online event with some audience participation and invite guests to recreate a drink or food recipe together from the comfort of their own home or travel destination. The recipes could be suited for fall, such as mulled wine or pumpkin pie. Just make sure the guests are prepared with the appropriate ingredients ahead of time. 

Get Started

Build the cost of the ingredients and shipping into your budget, and plan out how to get the recipe packages to the audience ahead of time. If using Ticketbud, utilize the custom questions tool to ask audiences for their shipping address. That way, everyone is ready to make the recipe as soon as they click “join meeting.”

Private Events

Get into the Halloween spirit at your next private event. 

Hosting a costume party? Special themes have a way of getting people excited and talking about an event as they plan out how they’re going to dress the part. Give guests ideas for how to dress the part or offer prizes for those who go above and beyond. 

Or, lean into the spooky season by planning a murder mystery party designed around the interests of your entire group, such as the Roaring 20s, the Wild West, or Harry Potter. Take extra time to plan out the details so the decor, food and even your guest’s characters are all on theme. 

Get Started

The devil is in the details when hosting themed events. To ensure your guests are in the know about what to expect and how to prepare, create an event website with a detailed description of contests or game play. Ticketbud makes creating and editing an event website easy with its intuitive page editor, which allows you to customize your event details and see how they appear to your guests in real time. 

The post Ideas for Fall Festivals and Events appeared first on Ticketbud.

Below, we showcase five examples of epic event failures and lessons learned, from serving fast food at a national championship dinner to leaving high-paying festival attendees stranded on a remote beach. Though these mistakes may seem obvious, they happen when proper planning and risk assessments are not at the forefront of the event organizing process. 

Better to learn from the mistakes of others, than make them ourselves. Read more below about how to prepare for and avoid common event failures, including how Ticketbud can assist in your event success.

FAIL 1 – Not Living Up to the Brand 

In January 2019, the Clemson University football team was scheduled to be honored with dinner at the White House after their National Championship win against The University of Alabama. But instead of a 5-star, multi-course meal plated and served, the champs were met with a buffet of “everyone’s favorite fast foods.” 

The assumption was presumably that college-aged men would like popular fast foods, or more likely there was a catering fail that led to a last-minute fix. Regardless, the honorary meal was subject to criticism from a national audience, many of whom believed the winners deserved better. What was delivered did not meet the expectations for what the White House brand represents, and the brand took a PR hit because of this. 

How to avoid this epic fail:

When planning your event, it’s important to be clear about your brand positioning, who you’re planning the event for and why. Whether you promote yourself as a luxury brand or a family-friendly brand, your event needs to reflect that. Revisit these ideas throughout your planning process to ensure each decision aligns with your brand, event goals and audience. 

Ask yourself: What is the purpose of the event? What are we hoping to achieve? How does our brand align with that? 

If you choose to use Ticketbud as your ticketing or registration provider, you can create a custom webpage from an easy to use template. Add all your event details, graphics (artwork, photos, videos and maps), ticketing information and clear terms and conditions to ensure attendees get a clear picture of the event experience.

FAIL 2 – Busting the Budget

Financial shortfalls are sure to cause event failures, which is why defining a clear budget should be one of the first steps in your event planning process. Not every event needs to offer a swanky, over-the-top experience. But if you promote a premium experience, you need to build a budget for it with a firm understanding on how expenses and revenue streams (vendors, tickets and sponsorships) might make or break your bottom line.

Take it from the organizers of DashCon, a convention hosted for Tumblr fans in 2014. Marketing for the event touted celebrity guests, top-level speakers and a highly anticipated ball pit. When the reality of the costs to achieve what was promoted was realized, the organizers did not have the funds to cover what was promised. 

The only way organizers avoided canceling the highly-anticipated event was by asking attendees to fork up $17,000 to the hotel venue – by midnight! Somehow, they were able to crowdfund the debt; but then, speakers who were left unpaid began to drop from the conference. Those who stayed and assisted with the unexpected payments were rewarded with raffle tickets for extra time in the ballpit, which turned out to be a half-deflated kiddy pool (and the butt of the biggest meme of the year).

While some found humor in the crisis, most participants got angry. Organizers were forced to refund registrants who paid through PayPal, but those who paid cash were out of luck.

How to avoid this epic fail:

To avoid repeating a massive financial mistake like this, you need to create a comprehensive budget and balance sheet. Know your upfront costs, from the venue to construction, lighting, sound, security and catering, as well as speakers and entertainment. Take into account hidden costs like permits, production costs, extra security and safety requirements.

Review and understand your budget and costs from the beginning, so you are clear about how you will cover expenses  and make a profit.

It’s ok to expect to cover some upfront costs with ticket revenue. If you need that early cash flow from ticket sales, you will want a ticketing provider that ensures early payouts, so you’re not scrambling close to billing deadlines. 

Ticketbud offers daily, weekly and monthly payouts, so you can access those funds before your event.

FAIL 3 – Overpromising and Under Delivering 

We couldn’t talk about the ultimate event failures without mentioning the infamous Fyre Festival, an overhyped, luxury music festival set to take place in the Bahamas in May 2017. With endorsements from the likes of Kylie Jenner and Ja Rule, the festival promised beachfront parties, gourmet food, private jets, and performances from Migas and Blink 182. 

This was a classic case of big dreams and no follow through. The organizers were inexperienced with grand ideas but no practical execution plans. Attendees paid between $500 and $1,500 for day tickets, with VIP packages that included flights and accommodation costing around $12k for the once-in-a-lifetime event. In the end, the high price tag got them stranded on an island, fed FEMA sandwiches, and set up in shabby tents. The event was a failure of epic proportions and organizers faced jail time for fraud and $26 million in fines.

Similarly, organizers of the New York City Pizza Festival, also held in 2017, created a recipe for hanger with its promise of “a day-long celebration for the dough, cheese, tasty sauces and delicious toppings.” The event was dubbed the “Fyre Festival of NYC Food Events,” when attendees showed up to a parking lot with mostly empty booths with small samples of cold pizza. This was nowhere near the expected value of the $75 ticket price.  

In both cases, trust was shattered between the organizers and their audience, as well as everyone witnessing this unfold in the media. The lawsuits and documentaries that followed not only damaged the reputations of those involved, it also made the general public extra cautious about events that could be a scam.  

How to avoid this epic fail:

If you promise something, know exactly how you are going to deliver on that promise. Know how it will be funded and executed. It’s ok to be vague on some elements of your event until you have fine tuned the details, but don’t make promises you can’t keep. 

Also, don’t scam people, it’s not nice! 

FAIL 4 – Being Reactive Instead of Proactive

No matter how much time and effort you put into planning your event, something is bound to go off-course. However, failing to have any backup plans in place, especially for common issues such as weather, is just setting yourself up for unnecessary stress.  

Need convincing? Take TomorrowWorld 2015 for example. It was meant to be the perfect event: a weekend of music set on 8,000-acres of Georgia farmland. But what the organizers didn’t account for was rain, and lots of it. 

The rural resort quickly transformed into a vast mud pit. And because organizers closed off transportation access to the festival grounds, attendees were trapped and “left to rot like the walking dead,” as one festival goer put it. Many who set off to find rides outside of the festival grounds were forced to pay high-surging rates for rideshares, while others spent the night on the side of the road.

How to avoid this epic fail:

While being adaptable to the unexpected is a useful skill of event organizers, an even better skill is being able to put contingency plans in place. Avoiding another TomorrowWorld is reason enough for you to complete risk assessments on all aspects of your event beforehand. 

When things get out of hand and there is no back-up plan for your back–up plan, you may have to cancel or close your event. If mother nature or something outside your control takes place, it helps if your contingency planning includes coverage for your ticket revenue. Ticketbud has integrated event cancellation protection through Event Protect. So in the instance of a qualifying event cancellation, the organizer can claim ticket revenue back through the coverage, saving funds to help cover sunk expenses. 

FAIL 5 – Mispricing Tickets or Registration 

In 2009, two young blokes in Australia were sick of high-priced tickets and drinks at events and decided to take matters into their own hands by creating their own music festival. Thus, Blueprint Festival was born, promising the best three days and nights you could get in Victoria without breaking the bank. 

Marketing was a huge success, attracting 5,000 attendees looking for fun on a budget. But the 23- and 20-year-old organizers with no event experience ran out of money before paying the performers, vendors and the venue. They claimed they expected to make more money from food and drink sales than they did. But perhaps setting a higher ticket price could have also helped. In the end, the organizers faced bankruptcy and even death threats. And their performers, vendors and venue were left thousands of dollars out of pocket . 

How to avoid this epic fail:

We are back to proper budgeting. While it might seem that a low- or no-cost ticket would be popular with attendees and make your event a sell out, it cannot be at the expense of your event partners. Determining the right pricing strategy is critical to an event’s success. 

If you have a diverse audience, and want to limit barriers to entry, consider offering multiple ticket options or tiered pricing for your event (think: General Admission, Gold and VIP). Ticketbud makes it easy to create multiple ticket types for your event, or create ticket packages that include drinks, catering and other experiences. 

This allows you to offer different pricing levels and experiences to your various audiences. It also gives you opportunities to work with sponsors or partners to design branded, exclusive experiences that can bring in extra cash flow if people are willing to pay.

Additionally, Ticketbud helps you host and schedule ticket promotions or sales, further limiting barriers to entry for those within your customer base that are more price sensitive. The further out from your event you can see revenue the better. Consider hosting an early–bird special with lower ticket prices to get people excited and engaged early-on in your event planning, or schedule a limited-time sale with a holiday to boost interest and sales.

The post Fighting Fyre: Epic Event Fails and How to Avoid Them appeared first on Ticketbud.

And why wouldn’t it be? Event Coordinators have to plan and execute the experience, juggle vendor, sponsor and attendee management, all while sticking to a tight budget and managing unforeseen circumstances. Event organizers have to be ready for something that doesn’t go according to plan, so they depend on reliable tools to make the job easier. 

We’ve compiled a list of nine helpful apps, tools, and technologies that will save our overworked event organizers time and effort:

1. ScanGuru

ScanGuru turns your phone into a portable scanner. With it, you can scan any typed or handwritten document, converting it to an editable file with no internet needed. Easily turn your meeting notes or run-of-show drafts into typed, editable documents you can share with your team via email or as PDF or JPEG files. The technology also allows you to add your signature to scanned documents, so vendor contracts have never been easier to share, sign and send. 

2. Tweek Calendar 

Managing weekly to-do lists for your event becomes a breeze with Tweek. The easy-to-use interface allows you to add and rearrange tasks and provides a snapshot to help you prioritize throughout the week. Tweek is free for up to three users. The app allows you to share calendars, to-do lists and tasks and collaborate with teammates. Plus, you can download a printable calendar to take with you to meetings or onsite at your event. 

3. OpenConf

Hosting an educational or research event? OpenConf is a trusted technology widely used by scholarly events and journals across industries in more than 100 countries. It can help manage abstract submissions and reviews. Easily assign reviewers, monitor scoring and progress, and provide emailed updates to applicants. 

4. Eventpedia

No designer or budget to print a program? No problem. Eventpedia is an interactive event app organizers and attendees can use to manage event schedules and information. Use it to develop and share profiles on speakers, sponsors or exhibitors, and create opportunities to monetize through sponsored advertisements. Through real-time push notifications and social media integration, the app can also enhance the attendee experience and provides a platform for group chats, polls, surveys and networking.

5. Notion

Never lose a planning document or waste time digging through emails or notes again. Notion compiles your entire workflow into one workspace. Event organizers can use it to manage projects, create tasks lists, set due dates and store information for one person or the entire team. The display of the data is completely customizable, with everything accessible in just a few clicks. Need help organizing? Notion has a range of customizable pages and templates designed to help event organizers plan and market their event. 

6. Slack

Slack is a popular resource for team communication that can also be used for attendee engagement during events. The live chat technology allows administrators to create topical channels for organized communication. With more than 2,600 app integrations, the instant messenger technology has the power to bring together all the people, tools and partners of your event and transform your planning workflow. 

7. Canva

Canva is a free and widely used online graphic design platform. Event organizers love Canva because it’s so easy to use, with no design skills required. You can use its tool suite to create engaging graphics and video for social media, email, posters, and more. The site hosts thousands of free-use and premium-rate templates, filters, images, video and fonts to help you design any creative you need for your event. Canva has become so popular it now generates more than 3,000 designs a minute. Learn how to get started creating your event marketing with Canva. 

8. Hootsuite

Once you have designed marketing assets to promote your event, you can use Hootsuite to manage your social media calendars across Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, WordPress and LinkedIn. The software allows you to easily schedule and monitor your social media accounts. View trending conversations and topics making it easier to create relevant content and drive interest to your event.

9. Monday.com

Event organizers need a project management tool they can rely on. Monday.com is just that. Designed with marketers and creatives in mind, it provides a single space to plan, track and organize entire teams and projects, keeping your event organized from start to finish. The site hosts special tools and templates for organizers hosting one or more events. You can capture and track tasks and projects for an entire event calendar, or dive into the finer details of single events. The site allows you to create and share forms, compile contact lists, communicate with team members, and share updates with event partners and vendors.

And, one more for luck – Ticketbud

Create an event website and start selling tickets in less than 5 minutes with Ticketbud. Ticketbud is a user-friendly ticketing platform with all-inclusive pricing and customer support. Organizers are in control with flexible payout options providing early access to funds. We provide great tools and integrations for managing, promoting and selling tickets for your event, with comprehensive event data and reporting. 

It’s free to get started and we make ticketing easy so you can focus on your event. Use our intuitive event page template to plug-in all your event information; create and sell multiple ticket types on your automated schedule with our ticket editor; and connect to a trusted payment processor of your choosing to begin collecting funds. With the flexibility to customize (including white-label solutions), event organizers worldwide trust Ticketbud.

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Ticketbud can help by providing a simple website to host and manage all aspects of your event registration. Use it to digitize tedious processes, while collating and preserving valuable insights that will help you understand your audience and plan for your event. 

How do I create an event registration page?

Whether you’re hosting a free or paid event, you can create a free online registration page with Ticketbud. It costs nothing and can be up and running in minutes. 

Sign up now to get started.

The site’s page editor gives you an easy-to-use template to create your own event page with your  images, event descriptions, and event partner logos. 

Take a load off your event-planning plate by setting up your event registration with Ticketbud’s ticket editor. You can create multiple ticket types varying in cost and quantity, as well as automate sales timelines.

How can I create a free registration form?

Limited technical skills? That’s ok, you don’t need to start from scratch or understand coding and web design to build your event registration form. With Ticketbud, you can create an online event registration form through the custom questions tool. It’s as simple as a click of a button — in this case, one that says “Add Question.”

After creating your ticket types for your event (such as Show Only and Dinner + Show), you have the option to create and assign questions to any ticket type. If you’re hosting a business event, you may ask about the attendee’s job title or place of work. If hosting a dinner event, you may ask about meal preferences or dietary restrictions. The questions can be required or optional, and can be applied to specific ticket types or all tickets.

Watch this tutorial video to learn how to build your registration form with custom questions:

What should be included in a registration form for an event?

A well-thought-out registration form can help you to tailor your event for your audience and meet specific business objectives. The custom questions on your registration form will help you gather vital information to improve your attendee event experience, as well as provide valuable insights for your marketing, products and services. 

A word to the wise, don’t overdo it. Most people don’t want to fill out an entire survey before purchasing an event ticket. The more complicated the registration process is, the less likely someone is to complete it. So, it’s important to find balance between data collection and a seamless sign-up. 

First, consider what details might help you improve the attendee experience:

• Are you hosting a business event? Ask about your attendees job title or seniority level so you plan appropriate content and discussions. 
• Will there be food and beverage at your event? Ask for individual’s dietary restrictions.
• Is your event online or live-streamed? Ask attendees if they wish to receive a recording. 
• Will any attendees need accessibility accommodations? Think: wheelchair ramps, interpreters, etc. 
• Are there going to be speakers or special discussions at your event? Ask attendees to submit questions early to help tailor the discussions. 

Beyond helping plan your event, your custom questions or registration form can be used to collect valuable marketing data and pinpoint future opportunities. For example, you may consider asking your audience how they heard about your event, or give them the option to receive newsletters or other information from your organization. 

Do your best to keep your questions short, clear and concise so you can gain an understanding of your attendees’ preferences and build a future contact base. 

Once an attendee has signed up, you can send them a pre or post event survey if you want to learn more. Ticketbud integrates with Survey Monkey, and you can email a follow up at any time to your database with Ticketbud.

The post Go Digital – Easily Create an Online Event Registration Form appeared first on Ticketbud.

To help you find a ticketing solution that works best for your upcoming event, we’ve compiled answers to some of the most common questions on event ticketing below: 

What is an event ticketing platform?

An event ticketing platform is a cloud-based system that takes the labor out of selling tickets and registering people for events and activities. From ticket creation and payment processing to ticket delivery and check-in, a ticketing system should handle the entire sale process with limited technical knowledge required from the event planner or attendee.

For example, Ticketbud is a free, online event registration tool that allows event organizers to create free event websites and sell tickets to events. While the platform is free to organizers, a small fee is passed along to the attendee during payment processing – with discounts available for non-profits. 

The online ticketing platform enables organizers to create custom tickets, allowing them to build a multi-tiered ticketing strategy or offer exclusive event discounts to important stakeholders. Ticketbud also helps event managers get paid fast to help cover early event costs. It provides organizers with real–time sales performance data and communication tools to reach their audiences.

The 3 ticketing classifications for event types 

Event ticketing can be described in different ways for various event types. Ticket sales define events geared at generating revenue, while bookings or registrations may describe sign-ups for free or sometimes paid events. 

The requirements for event types and their respective ticketing can vary. Events requiring registration, such as professional conferences or charity races, may need a comprehensive event registration form to gather important participant information or request donations. 

Other multifaceted events may require bookings so attendees can schedule specific sessions or time slots over the course of multiple days, events or locations. Whatever specifications your event entails, all can be managed with a reliable ticketing provider, such as Ticketbud.

How do event ticketing systems work?

Online event ticketing systems will vary, but ideally your event registration platform should enable you to: 

1. Create an event page with your ticket types
2. Promote and sell event tickets
3. Check-in attendees on event day by validating tickets
4. Report on all your event and attendee data
5. Access funds generated from ticket sales whenever needed

What are the benefits of ticketing?

Event planning is consistently ranked as one of the most stressful jobs in America, but utilizing tried and tested ticketing technology, such as Ticketbud, offers peace of mind and efficiency. 

A reliable online ticketing system will help you sell tickets around the clock. Attendees are easily able to securely purchase their own tickets online 24/7. And, many event registration platforms allow attendees to opt into event insurance to protect their payment if the event is canceled. 

Ticketing systems, such as Ticketbud, also offer organizers a central management and communication center for their event. These platforms can also assist with event marketing support through email and social media tools, such as Ticketbud’s Ad Engine. 

Ticketing systems also provide day-of support, to smooth check-in and event registration on site. Encouraging online registration or selling tickets for an event ahead of time eliminates the need to process sales at the door. Instead, attendees come with a scannable ticket for easy and efficient check-in. 

Plus, if it’s your first time using an online ticketing system, you can set your mind at ease. Ticketing platforms like Ticketbd come equipped with responsive customer and technical support. 

What is the process of ticketing?

Partnering with an online event ticket seller streamlines the registration for the event planner, especially those who are managing large volumes of transactions and revenue. An online registration tool, such as Ticketbud, automatically tracks ticket sales to help organizers manage, market and grow events. 

Making sure you have reliable secure transactions as part of the ticketing process is key when selling tickets to an event. Ticketbud’s ticketing platform integrates with well-known and secure payment providers to ensure ticket revenue is managed appropriately and efficiently.

Ticketbud doesn’t hold on to the organizer’s money either. Instead, event managers are able to easily track ticket sales and cash in on existing sales ahead of the event. Organizers can also access trackable reporting to see exactly how and when that revenue was generated.  

Which software is best for ticket booking and registrations? 

The best software for your event will depend on your event requirements. However it generally comes down to three key elements: reliability, features and cost.  

To assess reliability you can look at reviews and customer testimonials. You can also request a customized walkthrough to experience how the platform would work for your specific event. When evaluating features, you want to ensure the ticketing software you’re considering can accommodate your needs – whether that’s reserved seating, accepting donations, merchandise sales, event promotion, event discounts or others.     

While many online ticketing platforms can provide many features not all are included in the base price. Many providers will quote low costs that don’t include the features you need. Be careful that your needs don’t require add-on fees.

Here are 11 things to look for when choosing an online ticketing platform. 

What are the features of a ticketing system?

Beyond registration and ticketing, your event registration platform should simplify planning around other aspects of your event. When considering platforms, assess features that support event marketing and communications, event check-in, event management, reporting and analytics. 

Ticketbud for example offers a wide range of ticketing features that can:

• help you create an event and customize ticket sales to suit your needs (reserved seating, group tickets, donations, merchandise sales, timed access, etc.);
• create a winning event registration strategy with the flexibility of unlimited ticket types;
• assist with event marketing;
• allow the monitoring of ticket sales and promotions in real time;
• manage your event and communication with attendees;
• check-in attendees with a free app with easy to scan or search capabilities;
• provide detailed reporting of sales and attendance.

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