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On March 15, the Mary Louis Academy held its annual Spirit Night. The Mary Louis Academy is an all girls Catholic Academy in Jamaica Plains, New York. Spirit Night is “One of TMLA’s oldest traditions…dating back to 1940 when it was known as Sports Night.” All four class years join together in a variety of competitions. The 2012 Spirit Night Theme was “Hollywood Movie Studios.” The Student Council Coordinator, Beth, explained, “It is a school competition used to bring unity among the grades.”

Something to Look Forward to

Many organizations such as The Mary Louis Academy host annual recurring events. Annual events are a traditional way to bring members of the organization together, raise awareness for a cause, or bring in funds for projects that exist outside the regular organizational budget. While all events have similarities, there are special expectations for ones that reoccur.

Annual events build community and loyalty among attendees. Some families look forward to attending the same cultural festival each year. A proud alumni might looks forward to returning to her alma mater for the homecoming celebration. Traditions build around the tradition.

Tradition and Success

Annual events rely on wisdom and tradition.  Often there are elements that absolutely must be included, an opening dinner in honor of a Provost or a Sadie Hawkins dance. Some are formal, some are strange, like MIT’s annual Piano Drop. Whatever the tradition, it is an important feature of the event.

Each year, organizations and planners learn from the past year’s event, so they’re able to host more effectively and more efficiently the next year.  Organizations can learn what worked and what didn’t. By reviewing the event when it’s over, the committee can come up with ways to make the following event more enjoyable and memorable to everyone.

Marketing Annual Events

While it’s true, annual events will have more built in buzz than one time gatherings, organizers shouldn’t rely solely on word or mouth or loyalty to ensure attendees. For even the most established recurring events, it pays to look at different ways to advertise in order to keep bringing in new folks.

Traditional print media is great. Posters, flyers, and bill boards will get the message on the streets, but if the budget is tight, events can benefit from plenty of free advertising. It’s simple and quick to build Facebook and Google+ pages where information about the upcoming event can be posted and shared. A Twitter account dedicated to the event can be used to share small snippets of information. A more traditional website, even a simple one, can help keep folks informed. For organizers who aren’t comfortable with technology, it might help to arrange an interview on the local radio or news station or with the local newspaper. There are many ways to share information about the event.

Have Fun!

The event at the Mary Louis Academy was run by the school. “Students sold tickets and got the student body excited about the event,” Beth explained. For her the best parts of the event were the “students dances and cheer and the general vibe in the gymnasium.”

The most important part of hosting an annual event is the outcome. Have fun and enjoy your tradition.

Event of the Week: Mary Louis Academy Spirit Night is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

TicketPrinting.com gave us the ability to be professional, and offered us the tools we needed to make our event into a great one! Thank you for making our event a success!

~Charlotte Dunn, Co-Founder and President of Fighting For Damion

Just five months old, Damion Antonio Carbello has already touched countless lives. Born in May 2011, Damion was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), “a genetic disorder that is carried by 1 in 90 people and affects 1 in 2000. SMA is the number one genetic killer of toddlers and infants in the world.”

“Fighting For Damion is completely not for profit, and our sole goal is to help this little family with medical bills, and Damion’s needs, to make things just a little easier,” Charlotte Dunn, Co-founder and President of Fighting for Damion explained to me. She founded the organization with Vice President and Co-Founder Rachel Kessleski when they learned their dear friend’s son had been diagnosed with the disorder.

The organization’s most recent event was a benefit get together sponsored by Scale’s Grill and Deck Bar to raise money for Damion and also raise awareness of SMA. The group “held a Chinese auction, a 50/50 raffle, featured live entertainment and a dinner buffet. One hundred percent of the proceeds went to a secure account strictly for baby Damion.”

For the event, the organization chose the Blue and White General Admission Ticket, a simple but professional ticket with plenty of room for event information. The event ticket featured the details of the event on the front, as well as a logo and slogan on the back. The tickets were individually numbered and featured a detachable stub, which can be used to track attendees and keep account of the raffle.

“Because we are just starting out, we have set our goal very small and I am pleased to say we greatly exceeded it.” Charlotte told me.

To get the word out, Charlotte and her team relied heavily on Internet and radio advertising, “We advertised greatly on all social networks, and local radio stations. We also pre-sold the tickets that your company printed, which [were] a big hit! We also list every event and detail on our website, www.fightingfordamion.com.”

Some event planners choose to focus only on one method of advertising, which means they may reach only one audience. By using more than one channel of communication and reaching out to an online audience, as well as one that might hear about the event from a more traditional route, the team maximized its message and reached more potential attendees.

Another effective method that helped with ticket sales is offering a presale discount.  “We offered our tickets to anyone who would listen for $10 presale or $15 at the door. We advertised them the same way we advertised our event,” Charlotte said. “It worked very well in my opinion. If you can get the word out there on as many sources as you can, your event will sell itself.”

Though the weather didn’t cooperate, the event was still a success. “For me, the best part of the event was seeing everyone who came out having a good time for a great cause. Most of these people have no idea who this family is that they are helping, and yet they still come out to support and donate. It is truly amazing to see people put aside their busy life and help someone in need. ”

When you’re planning a fundraising event, a strong advertising and sales strategy will bring out many people who were unaware of your cause. You may find allies who come to believe just as passionately in your message as you do.

For those planning a similar event, Charlotte has this advice, “Plan ahead! Make sure all loose ends are tied a week prior to your event; it saves a lot of time and money. And remember to have lots of helping hands to help set up and break down!! That is truly the hardest part of any event.”

To donate to Fight For Damion visit FightingforDamion.com.

Event of the Week: Fighting for Damion is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

“The tickets always show up promptly and add a touch of professionalism to the event. For most people maybe just a detail, but for me indicates a little added effort.”

~ David Reynolds, Blue Heron Productions

On September 16, The Crooked Still performed at the Hotel Colorado. The team behind this event was Blue Heron Productions, Inc. “a small company dedicated to the promotion of bluegrass, folk and other forms of acoustic music. Intimate concerts with outstanding artists,” Dave Reynolds explained to me. “This is not main stream music you hear much on TV or radio, and I have always felt it is underserved in the media and especially in the concert format. The Company really is just me. My wife handles the door, and I usually bribe my friends to become roadies and help. It is not a one person job. This is a sideline pursuit, as I am CPA in my real life.”

Blue Heron Productions, Inc. is dedicated to producing intimate concerts with outstanding artists. While it is not affiliated with the Hotel Colorado, many of the concerts take place at this beautiful venue. For the Crooked Still Event, “I used a room at the venue I have never used for the concert. It wonderfully small and intimate, but acoustically challenging. I went for audience sight line and gave up a little in the sound department, but it went very well all things considered. I prefer the high ceilings and ambiance of the Ballroom. The Hotel Colorado is on the National Historical Register.”

For Dave, “The sound quality is job number one, followed by a comfortable venue. I want the band to sound as good as it can, and I am very particular about it. These musicians are very talented and deserve being treated like the aspiring pros they are or will become.” You can visit YouTube for a taste of Crooked Still’s music.

For this event, Dave chose the All Purpose General Admission ticket, a simple but professional ticket that prominently features the band’s name as well as event information. The ticket is individually numbered and features a detachable stub, which allows organizers to keep track of attendees.

“To market the event,” Dave says, “I use posters, newspaper, radio, social media and email contacts, and anything else that I can think, given a limited budget. I am always looking for a more targeted approach. The younger bands see the benefit of Internet marketing and are generally better at it themselves too, which helps.” Bands are featured on the Blue Heron Productions, Inc. Website. They are also touted on the Facebook page for the venue. The bands themselves do their own promotion work as well.

Event of the Week: The Crooked Still at the Hotel Colorado is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

“Our ticketprinting.com experience was very good. I was impressed by the quality, speed, and ease of ordering… We got several compliments from the venue, other bands, and guests by the quality and professional look of the printed materials. It definitely made us look legit and like we knew what we were doing even though we didn’t.”

~Austin Jansen

On Saturday, July 16, Vacaville’s First Country Music Festival was held at The Elmira Cabin in Elmira California. Acts included  48 Straight, the Jesse Woodside Band, the Taryn Cross, and the Amber Snider Band. Free mechanical bull rides , dancing lessons, catered barbecue and drink specials were a part of the night’s festivities.

To promote Country at the Cabin, the organizers chose collateral from the Natural Riffs collection on Ticketprinting.com. The design features an acoustic guitar against a sepia background with stage lights, invoking the feeling of a country music venue. Natural Riffs collateral has space for logos and photos of performers and the text is customizable.

I recently caught up with Austin Jansen, promoter for the event and drummer for the Jesse Woodside Band.

I asked Austin about the role his organization played in organizing Country at the Cabin. “My organization is an event promotion company. We organize/plan music, fundraising, and special events based around music. The particular event we ordered products from you was a first (hopefully) annual country music festival held locally to our organization.”

How did Austin and the other organizers promote the event?  They relied on more than one method to get the word  out. ” We distributed our tickets between the bands, the venue, our Facebook page, a radio ad, an online tickets sales site, and several local businesses. We pre-sold most of our tickets through our bands and the majority of our tickets were sold at the door the night of the event.” Austin explained. ” We started selling our tickets 2 weeks before the event and started our radio ad 1 week prior due to budget limitations.”

What might he do differently next time, and what advice would he offer to others hosting similar events? ” If I could do it again I would start the radio ad 1 month prior as well as selling tickets earlier. Next year we hope to have a larger headliner and charge more for the event.”

What was the highlight of Country at the Cabin? ” The highlight of our event was how busy it got. We were concerned with low pre-sale figures that event attendance might be low,  but we packed the house!

“My band had the largest crowd, and they were completely involved and loved us! My band also played the best we have ever played. Everything actually went pretty smooth.”

Country at the Cabin sounds like it turned out to be a great event! We definitely look forward to hearing about it when it comes around again next year!

Event of the Week: Country at the Cabin is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

We live in a twenty-four hour society. Is it reasonable for your patrons to expect you to maintain a twenty-four hour box office? Well, yes! You may already be selling theater tickets online, or you may be wondering how to add that functionality to your website, or whether the return on such an investment would be worth it.

Wherever you are in the process, there’s an easy way to add another portal to your sales arsenal. Ticket River is a new Internet-based service that lets you create a page for your upcoming show and sell tickets right from the website. You don’t need to know anything about creating web pages. It takes literally five minutes to fill out your event information. This site does the rest!

Not only does Ticket River create a page for your event and sell tickets for you while you sleep, it doesn’t cost anything to join or add an event. The only cost is a small, three percent surcharge per ticket sold. You can cover it yourself, split it with your customers, or add it to the cost of their ticket. Most theatergoers don’t mind paying an extra dollar or so for the convenience of purchasing event tickets from the comfort of their own homes. You have the added convenience of being able to accept all major credit cards as well as PayPal.

Whatever your ticketing needs, Ticket River’s got it covered. Create seating charts of your venue and sell reserved seats. Offer different pricing for students, seniors, or advance buyers. You can even use Ticket River to link to TicketPrinting.com, where you can print real paper tickets! In fact, users of this site get a great twenty percent discount on ticket printing.

Ticket River also helps you promote your event with email marketing, embeddable buttons, and easy access to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. This site even provides all the tools you need to track sales with charts, reports, and search functions. And if you need to offer a refund, or cancel a show, the site makes it a snap.

Ready to move your theater forward into a bold new year? Take Ticket River for a test drive!

Net Total is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

When summer is on its way, it’s time for festival season. With the sun shining down and the weather warming up, folks are ready to get out and gather.  Planning your own Woodstock? How about a street food fair? Do you have a renaissance faire in the works? Or, do you plan on inviting a group of artists to take over your community for a few days. Any multiday event can benefit from wristbands.

Tickets and Event Wristbands

Whether you are welcoming a gaggle of modern day lords and ladies or your guests are navigating a thoroughfare of taco trucks full of street food and slow food, event tickets and wristbands will help you manage the crowd.

When an event spans several days, admission tickets can get lost or dog-eared, causing anxiety for both guests and staff. When you sell tickets in advance and exchange them for Tyvek wristbands at the gate, crowd management becomes much easier.

These custom printed wristbands are made of Tyvek, a material that is somewhere between paper and plastic.  DuPont Tyvek wristbands are strong, waterproof, and non-transferable. Once staff members place them around guests’ wrists, they will remain in place until they are cut off at the end of the event.

Because they are durable, event wristbands can be worn for the several days spanning the events relieving worries about lost or damaged tickets. Guests need only present their wrists as the gate to be let inside.

Custom event wristbands allow guests a great freedom of movement, so they can wander through the festival grounds or get out and dance with the crowd once the band gets started.

Who’s Who?

At a multi-day event folks will quickly need to be able to distinguish between attendees, volunteers and staff members. By choosing colored wristbands for individuals who have different roles at your big event, you make your venue friendlier and safer. When guests are lost or in need of help, they can easily identify the folks who can help them.

Tyvek wristbands also allow you to manage special events within your multi-day affair. Do you have guests you want to invite back stage or to a party within the party. Colored wristbands allow you to keep sort out your VIPs from the rest of the crowd.

If you are serving alcohol at your festival, wristbands of different colors can make your barkeep’s jobs much easier.

Reduce the Impact

Big events, especially ones that span several days, can have a big impact on the environment. When you’re planning your affair, you want to find ways to reduce the footprint of your event as much as possible. You will feel great about it. Your guests will appreciate it and so will the planet. You can start by choosing recyclable materials for your event collateral.

Tyvek wristbands are functional, and they are also recyclable. Your guests can wear them throughout the multi-day event and then turn them in for recycling when it is over.

Three Days of Anything You Like! is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Even with hundreds of ticket templates to choose from, you’ve got your heart set on that special image or unique layout. Printing your own tickets online can help you make your dream a reality. You’re not limited by the whims of a printer or by someone else’s designs: just create the perfect event ticket with a do-it-yourself online ticket maker: a DYO tool.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• All the event details
• Your background image
• Logos or thumbnails
• A vision
• A DYO tool like the one at TicketPrinting.com

Have all the elements in order? You’re ready to go. The website can provide all the information you need to create and print the event tickets you want, with digital help available whenever you find yourself stuck.

DYO Event Ticket Printing allows you to choose the perfect colors and the perfect layout. Further, it lets you add special details that can make your life easier, like multiple perforations or numbering in several places on the ticket. Whatever’s in your mind, that’s what you’ll see printed on your ticket.

When you lay out your ticket, determine which details you’ll need to include. This will help you figure out how many lines of text you’ll need to add. Common bits of information would be:

• The event name
• The hosting organization’s name
• The sponsor’s name
• The location of the event
• The time of the event
• The cost of the event ticket

Additional details that may be of use:

• Activities, speakers, or music
• The name of the group that will benefit from any fundraising
• Seat number (if there is to be reserved seating)
• Dress code
• Dinner menu
• Open or cash bar
• URL of a website where more details are available
• Contact person’s phone number

Basically, if it’s information that might be useful or of interest to your guests, and you can fit it on the event ticket while maintaining your vision for the ticket’s overall look, consider adding it. Be sure to duplicate important information, such as reserved seating and ticket number, on the stub as well as the body of the ticket.

Now, put it all together. Upload your visual background, use the DYO tool to add the boxes where you will upload your logo, and the lines where you will enter your text. Position the perforation and the ticket numbers. When you’ve got it all together, preview your proof.

The proof preview is a really important part of printing event tickets. If you don’t proofread, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself! Plus, the proof will alert you if your text isn’t fitting correctly into the available space.

On the plus side, digital proofs really speed the process along. Once you approve your proof and submit billing and shipping details, your event tickets will start printing almost immediately! Within twenty-four hours, they should be created in all their full-color glory and shipped off via UPS straight to your home or office.

Simple enough, right?

Well, if this all seems overwhelming, fear not! There’s another option. You can still get the exact tickets your heart desires without mucking about with all these layout options. For just a little more money, you can order custom tickets. Yes, this is still an online service, and the rates are still quite reasonable. The only difference is that you can tell a design professional what you want and let them worry about how to make it happen.

Either way, your perfect event deserves a perfect event ticket. Whether you do it yourself or hire a dedicated artist to do it for you, online event ticket printing has never been easier!

Do It Yourself: Print Event Tickets Online is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

In the present, I’ve learned that the best ticket printing is done online. Online ticket printing is:

• Convenient: set it up any time, day or night, from the comfort of your own desk
• Fast: easy-to-use ticket templates, online checkout, and multiple delivery options speed the process along
• Affordable: a streamlined process means a pared down pricetag

Besides that, I can still get exactly what I want, whether I’m just searching for general admission event tickets, or need an entire event kit, complete with all my event collateral, like posters, raffle tickets, and VIP passes. Most people don’t realize all the options available when they print their own tickets online:

• Free ticket templates—hundreds to choose from mean you’re more likely to find the perfect design for your event
• Personalization—customize each template with all your event details; some templates even let you upload one or more custom images
• Custom Tickets—using a DYO tool or spending a little extra for a professional designer, you can create unique tickets to suit your needs

Of course, I still get all the necessary features like individual, security numbering and perforated, detachable ticket stubs. I can even choose extras like booklet stapling, reserved seating, or thermal security paper, for just a small additional fee.

Undoubtedly, my favorite feature is the custom image upload. I can take any image file from my computer and add to a ticket template. If my organization wants to brand the event with their own logo, it’s a cinch. Or, if we’d rather provide our sponsors with some extra publicity, we can ask them for a high-quality, high-resolution copy of that image. Or, I might choose to add another photograph, such as a head shot of a popular speaker whose presence will help boost ticket sales. Whatever image I choose to add, image upload is a great way to turn a free ticket template into a unique event ticket.

After image upload, my next favorite feature is the matching event kits I can purchase along with my event tickets, in particular, the matching raffle tickets. An allied prize draw is simply the best way to turn an event into a successful fundraiser. Printing raffle tickets and having them shipped well in advance let me start making money even before I start selling event tickets.

Finally, I know some people worry about the loss of human contact. They don’t trust computers and they worry that they won’t be able to talk to a human being if there’s a problem. Not with my ticket printing company! In addition to extensive FAQs, answering practically any question I’ve ever had, they also offer toll-free customer support, so I know that I can talk to a qualified service representative if I need to.

That’s why I’ve decided that, whenever I need to print up some event tickets for my organization, I’ll save time, money, and frustration by choosing an online event ticket printer!

The Perfect Event Ticket is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Increasingly, we live in a twenty-four hour society, and increasingly, our patrons find that they’d rather deal with a computer on their own terms than have to go out and wait in line, or even on the telephone, to speak to a real human being. If I can spend two minutes on the Internet and save twenty minutes of my life, I’ll chose ecommerce every time.

There are a few options for those who want to help their guests and supporters purchase tickets on their own schedules, at their own convenience, online.

• Hire a web designer to build the perfect checkout for your website, allowing customers to purchase tickets to your event right from your homepage. You’ll get exactly what you want, and make it easy for your guests to check out, but this is an expensive option, and may take some time to develop.
• Build a virtual store using a site such as Shopify.com, Flyingcart.com, or Highwire.com. These sites allow you to add events, collect payment, and track sales. However, you will have to spend some time setting them up, and maintaining them can be costly. There may be monthly fees, or a cost for adding new items for purchase.
• Use an online ticket sales site, such as Ticket River, where you can create a page for your event in a minute or two and start selling event tickets immediately. You’ll be able to accept all major credit cards, plus PayPal payments, and it won’t cost you anything!

The online ticket sales site is really your best value. You don’t have to host anything, or pay for anything. You’ll never lose money if sales are down. At Ticket River, the only cost is a 3% service charge added to each transaction, pretty much the lowest surcharge in the industry. Compare that to a markup that could exceed 58% from a company like TicketMaster! Most customers don’t mind paying a tiny fee for the convenience of doing business on their own terms (e.g. at 3 a.m. in pajamas and bunny slippers).

Creating a page for your event helps you sell more tickets, since it’s easy to paste the URL wherever you think people might be interested to know about your event. Customize your event page with a photograph and all the details about your event and your organization and put that page to work for you.

Once you start selling event tickets, a good online ticket sales site, such as Ticket River, will collect names and addresses for your mailing list and even help you track sales by generating charts and graphs! You’ll be able to sell e-tickets, which can be printed out at home, or you can send paper tickets out through the mail, or hold tickets at will call. Whatever makes sense to you: selling tickets through an online ticket sales website is a flexible way to create the sales you want.

How to Sell Event Tickets is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Sure, it’s easy to rip the stub off a perforated general admission ticket and drop one half into a bin, while your guests jam the other half into the pocket of their jeans, where it is destined to take an all-expenses paid trip through the washing machine. Or, you could start to look at the tickets to your upcoming event in an entirely different way.

Your event’s tickets can take on a life of their own when you breath new purpose into them. Printing tickets can open doors for your organization. Those tickets are pretty versatile!

Print your event tickets with an eye for creativity, and they will serve you well.

• Advertisement

With an eye-catching design and your organization’s logo printed right on the body of the ticket, your tickets can serve you well from the moment they leave the box office or the sales teams’ hands. Handsome, well-designed general admission tickets have a tendency to hang around on corkboards or refrigerators, where they help generate interest in your event and your mission.

• Souvenir

Event Tickets don’t have to be ticket-sized. Think differently. If you find an image you love, one that really represents you, why not make it a little bigger? A larger format VIP Pass, Invitation, or a Poster or a Flyer, can work as a ticket, and such a ticket can live on after the event as a frameable souvenir. You can even create inexpensive frames to pass out to your guests.

• Raffle Ticket

High quality Event Tickets should be printed with sequential numbering on the body and the stub, and what more do you need to hold a prize draw? A Raffle Ticket that comes with the price of admission is a value-added reward for your guests, and helps to boost ticket sales. Just remind your guests to hold on to their ticket stubs. You can drop the body of the ticket into a hat, from which you’ll draw the winning number.

• Game Piece

Print a few different designs, and let each Event Ticket stand as a game piece for some activity at your event. You might use them to divide guests into groups, or to lead them to other parts of the event. The image might be a clue in a game, or a picture of an item in a scavenger hunt. Uploading your own image to a ticket with a space for that purpose really allows you to customize the event. Make it whatever you want.

• Security

Don’t worry about gatecrashers. Using Event Tickets, or even Event Badges, helps you keep the venue secure. You can restrict access to certain areas, or quickly double check if someone has paid for a ticket. Printing different tickets, or adding VIP Passes, lets you scale your security: certain tickets provide certain levels of mobility. No ticket, no access.

You’ve got to have tickets for most events, just to serve as proof of purchase. And if you’re already printing your own Event Tickets online, why not spend a little extra time putting those tickets to work for you?

Event Tickets Out of the Box is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

• Book the venue
• Hire caterers
• Hire bartenders
• Book the entertainment

Seems simple enough, but each of these steps requires more forethought. Don’t just sign the first contract that comes along. When booking the venue, consider your needs. How many people can you reasonably expect to show up? How many can the venue accommodate? Don’t forget the unmentionable basics: will there be enough restrooms for all the guests? How about easy access to the outdoors for smokers? The fanciest ballroom in town will still flop if partygoers are packed in shoulder to shoulder with no room to move.

As for caterers and bartenders, be certain that you understand the terms of their contract. While you may be impressed by the quality of the food, it will do you little good if you didn’t realize that you were supposed to provide your own plates. The caterer may be happy to bring their own tables and chairs, or these may be provided by the venue, but if nobody brings tables and chairs, that can lead to disaster. Some party planners are chagrined to find that their very expensive caterer provides only plastic flatware. Communication is key. If you think your guests may find the bartender’s tip jar a little tacky, assure him or her that you will be tipping generously at the end of the night. Ask for what you want. Negotiate up front.

Discuss your expectations with the entertainment as well. Will the band be willing to play an extra set if the party runs long? If that’s a possibility, you probably want to set up the terms in advance. If you’re hiring a Santa Claus impersonator, be sure to get some references. It’s important to know that you’re truly hiring a professional who won’t let you, or your young guests, down.

Once you’ve settled on the basics, printing event tickets is a breeze. With the knowledge that your venue, food, drinks, and entertainment are planned, you can easily add the event’s highlights to a ticket template and begin selling with confidence: confidence that the entire night is well in hand.

Cold Nights, Hot Event Tickets: Your Holiday Benefit is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Here’s what you’ll need to know:

• All the event details

Date, time, and location are imperative details, which you’ll need to have settled before you print your event tickets. You’ll probably want to include the name of the event, perhaps in a large or fancy font at the top of the ticket. The name of the host organization and the names of any major sponsors are also important. Special details, such as whether the event is black tie, the bar is cash, or attendees should bring a white elephant gift, can be included as well. Don’t forget to add the price of the ticket. If you’ll offer reserve seating, you’ll want to print special tickets with this information.

• Your vision

Perhaps you have an idea of what your event tickets should look like, but you might not. Either way, you’ll want to browse a design gallery to find the perfect ticket template. Consider the type of party and the type of organization. Should you go for fancy, fun, frivolous? What kind of imagery will impress your guests? You can use search terms to find just the right design and choose a really lovely ticket.

• Additional imagery

Some companies offer you the option of uploading your own custom image onto a stock template. If your organization or sponsor has a recognizable logo, use it! You may also choose a head shot of a speaker or some other figure who will be in attendance. Be prepared: make sure the picture you wish to include is cropped into a perfect square, and saved in a common file format, such as a JPG or GIF,

• The paper

Most folks don’t spend much time thinking about card stock, but when you print your own event tickets online, you will have to make a choice. The heavier the card stock, the more impressive the ticket will appear and feel, but heavier paper is more expensive. You may also have the option of choosing a glossier finish. What about color? Often, you can pay a little extra for colored paper, but you’ll only want to consider this option if your design is to be black and white.

• Shipping

When do you need these tickets? If you plan well in advance, you can save a lot of money by having your order shipped ground. If you are in a bit of a hurry, you may choose to spend a little extra to expedite processing and send your shipment overnight air. You may even have an in-between option, with middle-of-the-road pricing, that will be slower than next-day, but faster than ground.

• Billing

As with anything you order online, you’ll need to have your credit card handy. Most companies won’t process your order without payment details.

Use these bullet points as a checklist, collect all the information you need, and you’ll make the process of printing your own event tickets online even faster and easier than it already is!

Event Tickets Online: What to Print When You’re Printing Event Tickets is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

You’ll need:

• A crew of eager volunteers
• Games of chance (call a local party supply company for rentals)
• A passel of donated prizes
• A venue of sufficient size
• Flashy print publicity
• Some event ticket printing

If your organization supports it, a cash bar will truly make the night successful. You can boost bar sales with Drink Tickets. Remember: inebriated gamblers are your most profitable gamblers.

Start by determining whether there is interest in this night among your group. Once you have enough support, you can start rounding up the volunteers. Take some time to ascertain which skills each volunteer possesses, and then dole out the tasks. Events flow more efficiently if everyone has their own job. Decide whether your volunteers will work the game tables—many party supply companies will also supply the croupiers and dealers.

Meet regularly with your team to check on progress. This will help you see, in advance, if you’ve assigned the proper tasks to the right people. Make a schedule: who will book the venue, and when? How will you distribute event tickets? If there is to be live entertainment, that must also be arranged. Of course, it wouldn’t be a casino night without fabulous prizes.

Your best bet is to start early and look for impressive donations. However, even if nobody has the courtesy to offer you a speedboat or a big screen HDTV, don’t despair. Keep asking. Ask local business owners if they would be willing to make a donation in exchange for extra publicity (you can mention them as sponsors on your event tickets, in the event program, and in other forums, wherever you promote the event). If you get a lot of great donations, amp up your fundraising ability by adding a prize draw to the event. Then you can start selling raffle tickets well in advance, and add another fun component to the night as you announce the winners.

When you print up your event tickets, you can create matching event collateral at the same time: flyers and posters, invitation and raffle tickets. Printing event tickets and matching event kits really helps you get your publicity going. Announce your casino fundraising event:

• In your print or email newsletter
• To your mailing list, using printed invitation
• On your website and allied forums
• Via a press release, sent to all local news outlets

Then, start selling event tickets!

Your Casino Fundraiser Night: Every Chance in the World is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

From small gatherings held in local parks attracting a limited number of ground pounders, to the fanciest, arena-style car show where dreams seem to roll off the assembly line and into your desires, you can make an event ticket to your automotive show the hottest ticket in town. I’ve seen small clubs forging their own way: a Buick club that held their show in conjunction with a local high school homecoming, a low rider show that took advantage of closed streets downtown during an annual cultural festival. The more exposure for your automotive club, the better.

If your show is to be small and informal, you may not want to sell tickets, and if your club is participating in a much larger event, with corporate sponsorship and a lot of organization, you may not need to sell tickets yourself. However, if you are selling tickets, make your show a success by selling the maximum number of tickets! How will you get the word out? Try advertising in some of these venues:

• Email newsletter
• Internet forum
• Car magazine
• Local entertainment paper
• Bulletin board at family-run parts shop or garage
• Word of mouth

Consider what kinds of tickets will sell. Perhaps you won’t charge for admission, but will require an event ticket to exhibit a car. Or, with a large show, you might offer varying levels of access: one event ticket gets visitors into the main exhibit, but VIP passes are required to enter certain rooms. I’ve also seen shows where entrance was free, and anyone could exhibit, but organizers sold tickets for the privilege of entering cars to be judged.

If you want to add a contest aspect to your show, how will you award prizes? You can do a “best of breed” competition, if it’s to be a large show. Or, you can open up the field. Consider these subjective categories:

• Most authentic restoration of a classic car
• Prettiest car
• Best craftsmanship
• Most originality in a custom car
• Best precision in workmanship

You can even add to your own profits by adding a prize draw to the event and selling raffle tickets. Just be sure to choose the perfect prizes for the raffle as well as for the contest.

• A year’s membership to your automotive club
• Subscription to a popular car magazine
• Cash
• Gift certificates to a parts catalog or store
• A set of new tires

Printing and selling event tickets is a great way to motivate your group to really plan out the details of the show. Once you have them in hand, the excitement level becomes palpable, and you know it’s really time to get the show on the road!

Automotive Event Tickets: Honk If You Love Wheels! is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Tyvek ® Wristbands for the Win!

You're preparing for a big crowd, and you want to manage it effectively. Event tickets get your guests through the turnstiles, but you want to make sure you can keep your attendees organized once they're at your venue. For this purpose, Tyvek ® wristbands are the perfect tool.

What is Tyvek ®?

Tyvek ® is a non-woven, synthetic material, with qualities of both plastic and paper, manufactured by Dupont ™. It can be printed on like paper, but it's durable like plastic, resisting folding, bending and tearing. It's strong, but lightweight and comfortable. Guests wearing admission wristbands made of this material may be surprised to learn that it is also waterproof, so your event can go on whether it rains or shines.

Tyvek ® is not only used for event wristbands. It  can be found in construction materials,  car and boat covers, advertising banners and posters, shipping envelopes, packaging for medical equipment and protective clothing. It has even been used by some designers as a material for fashion collections.

Tyvek ® Can be Upcycled and Recycled

One of the big draws of this material is that it can be reused and recycled. The material has found a strong following among crafters and "upcyclers" (individuals who creatively repurpose used materials).  One need only do a quick search on the internet to find a myriad of Tyvek ® reuse projects on DIY websites. From durable wallets made from reclaimed envelopes, to ponchos, purses, tents, and kites, Tyvek ® can be reused in countless creative ways.

Another benefit of this material is that it is recyclable. When you use wristbands at your big event, you can ask guests to return them at the end of the day. Made of polyethylene, similar to the material that plastic bottles are made from, this product is fully recyclable. Both you and your guests will feel better knowing that your event wristbands will be put to good reuse. You can find out more about how to recycle Tyvek ® by visiting the Dupont ™ website

Keeping Your Event Secure With Tyvek ® Wristbands

Wristbands can be found in a variety of colors, so that you can organize particular groups of guests. Whether you want to keep your underage attendees from sidling up to the bar or get your VIP guests into a backstage gathering, the brightly colored event wristbands can be used to quickly and effectively discern who should be where.

If you want to brand this material with a particular logo or text, brand away. Tyvek ® wristbands are best suited to inkjet printing which will not smear or rub. So when you decide to print event wristbands, you can submit your unique graphic to be included in their design. You can also order custom security wristbands that feature sequential numbering and unique holographic foils for quick visual checks. This  helps prevent imposters from entering your venue without paying.

Tyvek ® wristbands make use of a tamper-proof adhesive when fitted to an attendee's wrist. They can be attached securely and snugly. Because they resist tearing, they cannot be removed without destroying the wristband, so individuals can't exchange one band for another or pass a used wristband on to a friend.

A Unique Material for a Unique Event

When you're ready to ensure the security of a big event design, print and buy Tyvek ® wristbands. Made of a unique material, they are both cost effective and secure. You can order and print cheap custom wristbands online using your own custom logos and text.  Your event is special, and it takes a special material to help manage it!

Why Tyvek ® Wristbands? is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Wristband Reminders

Consider the Event Wristband, a thin Tyvek thread that connects your organization and your supporters. When your annual fundraising event is over, how do you stay connected with your attendees? You want to keep your cause on their radar throughout the year, and you want them to return with enthusiasm when the time comes to host your event again. You may stay in contact with your guests through personal interactions, direct mailers, newsletters and email updates, but these are only effective if you've done the work to build goodwill with your patrons from the beginning.

How do your patrons stay connected with your cause? Do they remember the reason for the event once the last band has left the stage and the kettle corn has gone cold? Does your event or cause come up in casual conversation? Are your patrons left with positive reminders of the big day that they can turn to once it's done? Will they keep their Event Wristbands to remind themselves of the wonderful time they had at your past event?

While planning the actual event is important, it's just as important to consider what happens afterward. Helping your guests create positive memories is necessary to growing your event over time, and your Event Wristbands can be part of those memories.

Start with your Event

What keeps your guests buying event tickets year after year? First and foremost, you know how to put on a great occasion! It's well-planned and well-executed, for a worthy cause, and provides your guests with the opportunity to create memories will last forever. 

Guests who return have strong associations with your event.  It's already special to them. Perhaps a married couple wearing your carnival wristbands at this year's celebration met on your midway at a past one, and they return to reclaim the happy feeling of that day, and to collect a new wristband to add to their memory book. Maybe your neighborhood picnic has become someone's family tradition or your annual art fair has become a festive occasion the whole community looks forward to and plans around. Last year's wristband may remind them to buy this year's tickets.

New attendees are experiencing your annual fundraising event for the first time. They may already feel strongly about your cause, but it's just as likely they were drawn to your event not by the cause but by the activities you have to offer.  Maybe they don't know much about the women's shelter you're fundraiser is benefiting, but you've booked a band they really want to see. Your goal is to show them a great time that they will connect with your charity in the years that follow. From the moment they don their admission wristbands and walk through the gates, you have their attention. Make good use of it!

Provide Opportunities for Memories

Don't miss any opportunity to help your guests create strong, lasting memories.  From the moment you plan your promotion through the day of your event, you can lay the groundwork to keep your cause in your guest's hearts and minds through the months and years to come. Every time and in every way you interact with your patrons you sculpt how they perceive your cause.

Start by choosing collateral appropriate to your audience. The right images and language can draw the attention of your patrons and sustain it for a long time. Before your fundraiser, you can advertise using well-designed posters and flyers or direct mailers such as invitations and postcards.  During your event maintain the same branding on your tickets, admission wristbands, and other collateral.

Custom tickets work well for crowd management, but custom event wristbands are also quite useful. Patrons wear these from the moment they walk through your gate until after they leave. Different color wristbands can help you quickly discern the ages of guests for drink concessions or tell who has access to which activities. Most importantly they serve as constant reminders for the guest themselves. They need only to catch a glimpse of their wrists to remember the reason for the day. When they leave the event, admission wristbands can also be the cause of conversation and questions helping you drum up interest in your cause by word of mouth.

Something to Hold Onto

After your fundraising event, your guests will be left with many strong memories of the time they spent there. The collateral they take with them can help serve as a reminder of your day. Along with the pictures they might take, your guests will also have your branded tickets and event wristbands to help evoke a sense of nostalgia. When these are branded with the design of your event, they become souvenirs of the wonderful time they had and reminders of the cause you hope to promote.

A Moment Passes, but a Memory Lasts Forever is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

It’s possible to look toward selling merchandise and refreshments during your event for a return on your investment, but those sales are hard to estimate and impossible to accurately predict beforehand. Event tickets sold at the door are easier to predict, but can still vary, and can be influenced by something as arbitrary as the weather.

Advanced event ticket sales can mean the difference between being able to enjoy the event you put on and spending the entire time worrying if you’ll even break even.

The Tried and True

Money is a great motivator. One of the standard techniques for convincing your audience to purchase event tickets in advanced as opposed to waiting to by them at the door is to set them at different prices. Most events list two prices: “advanced” and “at the door,” with the latter always being more expensive.

Another standard practice is to create a sense of urgency through promotion. Phrases like “Event will sell out” are fairly commonplace, to the point that it’s becoming something of a “boy who cried wolf” scenario. If money is the great motivator, hyperbole is a poor one.

Drawing a Line

A bold move to decrease day-of-event ticket sales, and in theory increase advanced ticket sales, is to disable online purchasing the day of the event. This method is a gamble, as more and more people look to the Internet to buy their event tickets. You are basically removing the most convenient way for them to buy tickets.

But, if you give enough advance warning, it can also push them to place their orders sooner. If they know their only other option is to risk buying event tickets at the door, they might choose to order them sooner.

Creating Incentives

One great way of encouraging your audience to buy their event tickets in advance is by giving them some kind of added bonus. For example, tickets purchased by a certain date can be entered into a raffle for prizes related to the event. If it’s a regularly scheduled event, the prize could be free tickets to the next one.

Depending upon how far out you’re going to sell event tickets, consider staggering the incentives by time and degree. Those who buy first would be eligible for greater prizes.  This way you’re not just encouraging your audience to purchase their event tickets in advance, but giving them a reason to buy them right away.

Tickets bought in advance also have one, clear cut difference between tickets bought the day of the show: they can be mailed out. Day-of tickets are either printed at home or purchased at the door. Consider including something in envelope with those tickets that were bought in advance, such as a sticker featuring a fun design and your website’s URL. You might even want to keep that extra gift a surprise as a way of rewarding that ticket buyer; it might stay with them the next time they purchase event tickets.

VIP Section

Make sure to consider what part your venue might play when promoting advanced event ticket sales. Some places have drastically more desirable seats that are usually the first to go and should be promoted as such. 

Will there be a line to get into the event? Theme parks have “front of the line” options for their rides, so why can’t an event? With a little advanced planning, you can change that ticket from “advanced” to “VIP.”

A few, simple steps can help you sell more advanced tickets and allow you to relax and enjoy all your hard work!

No Questions: Advanced Ticket Sales is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Consider these three aspects when figuring out how you’re going to sell your tickets:

·      Where – Physical sales may have decreased with the rise of the internet, but it’s still important to have a real world presence

·      How – Can your audience buy online? Over the phone? In local businesses? At the box office the day of the show?

·      Why – Determine the reasons your audience are buying these tickets so you can cater to them more efficiently

Location, Location, Location

No matter how great your event, people won’t always come to you. You have to go to the people. When dealing with the virtual world, it’s important to advertise on web sites that target your audience demographic. The Internet is a great way to attract attention, but you want to make sure it’s the kind of attention that’s going to help you sell more event tickets. You don’t want to waste time or money spreading the word to those who won’t listen, or risk losing patrons by advertising on the wrong sites.

The same can be said for real world locations as well. Your marketing plan should be backed by research that tells you exactly where your audience spends their time. If your event features a local attraction, consider making your tickets available for purchase at locally owned businesses instead of the chain stores. If it’s a concert, make sure you have a presence at music stores.

Make sure you cover all the bases, no matter how obvious. Say you’re putting on a performance by an Indian musician. Consider some way of making your event tickets available through Indian restaurants or markets that cater to ethnic food. Even if you can’t sell the tickets themselves, you can at least provide the information necessary for your audience to purchase them, like a phone number to call or a web site address. 

Options

The “how” aspect of selling event tickets would seem pretty simple, particularly these days.  Armed with a credit or debit card, your audience goes online, picks up the phone, or stands in line to get their tickets. But there are other options out there, and all of them will make it that easier for your customer.

Systems such as Paypal allow users to use their own online transaction service for their purchases. People often prefer to use such a service, as opposed to having to send their credit card information out over the Internet.

E-checks are also becoming more and more popular. Customers simply provide their routing and account numbers and the transactions works just like a check.

Consider the Reasons

It’s important to consider why someone is buying your event tickets and use that information to make their experience easier.

If your event is family oriented or your demographic includes people who buy multiple tickets at one time, consider offering group rates. Not only will this appeal to your audience, but it might encourage those single ticket buyers to invite their friends! Another good tactic for family events is reduced rates for children, with free admission for babies.

Group rates can be used for more than just multiple ticket orders; they’re also great for frequent events. If you plan on having a series of events on a regular basis, then selling event tickets for multiple dates at a discounted price can be a great incentive for your audience, and helps with advanced ticket sales.

Finally, nothing helps you stay connected with your potential audience like starting a mailing list. Both email lists and physical mailing lists let you stay in contact with those who are interested in your event, allowing you to let them know when the event tickets are going to be on sale well in advance.

Making the purchasing experience as user friendly as possible can be the key in making your event a success.

User Friendly Ticket Sales is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

            Aside from being fairly easy to implement, social media marketing is also extremely inexpensive.  No matter the cost, though, you want to get a return on your investment, be it money or time. Here are a few aspects to focus on when using social media marketing to sell your event tickets:

·      Frequency

·      Interaction

·      Quantity vs. Quality

·      Integration

These four items are key to being successful as you jump into the world of social media.

Like Clockwork

            Part of the appeal of using social media platforms for marketing is the frequency with which you can send out your message. Web users are constantly looking for new information, and sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter allow you to give them that information. You need to mention your event tickets as frequently as possible, so your promotion doesn’t get lost in the constant information stream.

            Remember, all news is important in the social media world.  If you’ve just designed your event tickets, mention it online. Even if you’ve just started considering what your event tickets should look like, bring that up. Frequent updates engage your audience and make the process more personal, no matter how tiny the detail might be.           

A Part of the Team

            The internet allows you to interact with your audience like no other medium and social media sites take this to the next level.  That germ of an idea for the design of your event tickets? See what your audience thinks. Invite them into the process. You don’t have to listen to their suggestions; you just have to ask for them. The simple act of listening to your audience will draw them in.

            Get them talking. Allow comments on your posts on sites like Blogger and WordPress. Create a posting board. Encourage discussion on every aspect of your event, from the aforementioned event tickets to reviews afterwards. Getting them to come back for updates is great, but getting them to come back because they want to interact is even better.

Playing the Odds

            When promoting your event tickets online, try to cast as wide of a net as possible. Networking can spread like wildfire, as one connections links you to another who links you to another and so on. Your target demographic for event tickets is simply your first audience, but they are certainly not your last. Once you connect with them, you can expect your message to spread.

            If you’re creating compelling content about your event tickets, your updates will get passed along from person to person, and suddenly a link to your site is popping up everywhere. This makes up your expanded audience, those who end up visiting your site and investigating your event tickets because they saw a link somewhere.

            It’s the grapevine of the 21^st century!

Headquarters

            It is absolutely essential that, while promoting your event tickets, you have all of your online interactions point back to your web site. Your latest status update may be interesting enough to gain you new fans, but unless they are following you back to your web site, it won’t translate into event ticket sales.

            The process works both ways. It easier than ever to imbed your social media updates into your web site. You want to make sure that anyone who comes to your site directly can also follow you through other sites. Once they add you as a friend or a follower, they indirectly become a part of your marketing team!

            Social media marketing is a cost effective, high traffic way of selling more of your event tickets. With just a little bit of time and effort, you can receive a big return on your small investment!

How to Make Virtual Friends and Influence People is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

They say the best things in life are free, and they might be right, particularly when it comes to generating interest in an event.  Strictly from a business standpoint, giving away your product could seem counterproductive.  But giving away your event tickets can actually increase your sales, if handled correctly.

            There are three, basic ways to look at giveaways:

·      Free event tickets on their own

·      Free event tickets paired with products

·      Free event tickets in addition to purchased event tickets

All three of these options offer challenges, but they also offer opportunities which can result in unique moments for promotion.

Confidence Sells

            In general, giving away event tickets on their own proves most beneficial if you’re planning a series of events.  The idea is that getting potential audience members to come to one event will be enough to convince them to come back again, this time at full admission price.

            Make sure you consider how you’re going to give away free event tickets.  This is a promotion, after all, so you want to reach your target demographic.  If you’re holding a celebrity softball game, then give away those event tickets at something like the local minor league baseball game.  Finding a connection between your event and the venue for your ticket giveaway allows you the greatest chance of success.

            Remember, giving away your event tickets is all about confidence.  You are tell your audience that you feel strongly enough about the quality of your product to give them the first event for free.  It’s important to tell them that.  Consider promotional slogans along the line of “you’ll love it so much, you’ll come back again!”  You need to plant the return business seed into their heads right off the bat, because that’s what event ticket giveaways is all about.

A Match Made In Heaven

There are two types of giveaways connected to products: broad and focused.  Broad giveaways involve products that regularly sell in large quantities and are readily available to the average consumer.  Focused giveaways involve specific products that relate either to your event or to the audience you’re trying to capture.

Which method to choose?  Well, that depends on your event.  If you’re planning something with broad appeal, than attaching event ticket giveaways to a high visibility product can be successful.  If your event falls into a smaller niche, then target specific products.  For example, if you’re holding a concert for a group whose audience is primarily children, attach the event ticket giveaway to products aimed at parents.

Make sure you choose your product partner carefully.  Your event is going to become synonymous with the product you choose, so make sure it’s a name you want to be associated with.

Bring a Friend

            Perhaps the most common type of event ticket giveaway is the ubiquitous “Buy one, get one free!”  Similar to the straightforward giveaway, this method is less costly and more targeted.

            With free ticket giveaways, you run the risk of giving event tickets to people who might not even use them.  But by pairing free tickets with purchased tickets, you increase the chances that the free ticket will actually get used.

            This method also gives you the added advantage of having a built in marketing person to help you: the individual who paid for a ticket.  In many cases, the free event ticket is going to someone who isn’t familiar with your event, but is going with someone who is.  This strengthens the promotion from the start, as it gives you a theoretical advocate for your potential new audience.

The Price Is Right

            Regardless of which of these different options you choose from, it’s clear that giving away tickets isn’t as counterproductive as it might seem.  Considering all the money you can invest into different marketing avenues, giving away event tickets can ultimately save you money, and generate a greater return on your investment.

            If there’s one thing that will get people’s interest, it’s the word “free!”

It’s Not Crazy: Giving Away Event Tickets is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Yes, it’s sad that federal, state, and local governments can no longer afford the full cost of public schooling for every child in the nation, but empowered parents aren’t dwelling on those deficits. They’re hitting the streets and selling tickets to make up the difference.

Elementary

The youngest children clamor for all kinds of extracurricular activities and don’t need much advance notice to get excited for a fair or carnival. Some organization may have the cash to hire a professional carnival with a midway and rides, but others will find they get the same results with a home-grown event. Ask older kids and teens to work the games and sell treats. You can sell event tickets in advance or at the door, and you can offer different levels of event tickets, offering a certain number of games or snacks with each level of contribution.

Other kid-friendly party events are skating nights (your local rink will work with you to create the perfect fundraiser), book fairs (ask a local author to speak), sports days (organize childrens’ games or work with a local minor league to create a fundraising night), art parties, bicycle races, walk-a-thons, or musical events. Event Tickets for these events will go fast if you advertise properly. Getting popular teachers and parents to act as chaperons is another draw.

Middle School

Older kids, tweens, and younger teens like to do things for themselves, and events for this middle-aged group should be tailored to their new skills. You’ll sell more event tickets if you can organize something that allows them to feel like they’re taking charge of the party. Talent shows are an especially good choice for this age group, as it allows them to showcase their skills in music, acting, and other interests they may be gaining mastery over. Those who don’t wish to perform may be flattered to serve as stage managers or backstage coordinators. Kids will help you create programs, set up the venue, and sell event tickets if they or their friends are performing.

This is also a good age group for day trips. Factor in the cost of transportation, food, and other expenses and calculate how much money you would need to earn to make the trip worth your while as an organizer. A weekend trip to the beach is inexpensive, but generates high interest. Many museums offer free days or student discounts. If you live near a big city, a simple sightseeing bus tour is a huge draw for kids who crave their independence but still need adult supervision. You can sell event tickets to these events well in advance: get a few kids interested and everyone will want a ticket.

High School

As children approach adulthood, they’ll be interested in more grown-up activities. The formal or semi-formal dance is a big deal for teenagers. Especially armed with the knowledge that the profit from every event ticket they buy will go back into their education, most teenagers anticipate such events and plan for them eagerly. Even an informal dance with a DJ or live band will help you sell event tickets and earn more money.

If there is a lot of musical talent in your school, a Battle of the Bands event is another great way to generate interest and sell event tickets. However, most teens aren’t too old for many children’s events. Try to run your own haunted house around Halloween, or hold a field day in the spring with silly events like a sack race or an egg roll. Your best bet is to ask students what kind of events they would prefer.

Teenagers can also take enough interest in their school finances to plan, organize, and execute their own fundraisers: washing cars or selling candy bars to pay for trips and other educational extras. The truly ambitious can learn about business while they earn more money. Some teens will go that extra mile and make baked goods or crafts that they can sell on their own, or in conjunction with other fundraising events.

Ready, Set, Print

Every age group can help you meet your fundraising goals. All you need to do it gauge your students. What event will inspire them to show up? How much can they afford to pay for an event ticket? Once you’ve figured out what, when, where, and how much, you can fill out a free ticket template, print out inexpensive event tickets with colorful designs, and start selling out your educational fundraising event.

Be True to Your School: Education Fundraising Events is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

            I don’t know who it was that originally taught me to do it.  I’m not even sure I was aware of the tradition until I’d already been to a few shows and disregarded what was left of my concert tickets.  But at some point, I realized those stubs had value, and that they were part of a long standing concert going tradition, a tradition that’s important to keep in mind when printing event tickets of your own.

CD Display Case

            The stub from a concert ticket is a piece of personal history and, as such, needs a place to be put on display, a way of cherishing and remembering that concert for years to come.  The advent of CDs, or more specifically CD cases, gave people the perfect place to put those event tickets.

            The idea is a simple one: take a CD by the musical act you just saw, and place the ticket from that show in front of the CD insert.  If you see a musical act multiple times, then follow the same routine with multiple albums.  In some ways it becomes motivation to go to more shows in an effort to get a ticket stub for every album.  The ticket stubs serve to promote the next show without even trying!

The Digital Revolution

            A few years ago, I decided to make the big switch from CDs to a digital only music library.  I spent hours a day ripping my CDs into media files and then getting those CDs ready to sell.  But I had forgotten about one thing: my concert tickets!

            Without my convenient display cases, what was I supposed to do with all the concert tickets I’d accumulated over the years?  I couldn’t just get rid of them, not have all this time!

            It was then that I realized just how important custom concert tickets were.

The New Frontier of Stub Collecting

            Concert tickets are like snapshots of moments in life, so I figured I should treat them just like I would pictures and give them their own album or, better yet, incorporate them into my pre-existing photo albums.

            Putting them on display by themselves, though, really underscored how important the look of a concert ticket is.  A generic event ticket is fine for conveying information and still manages to induce nostalgia for shows gone by, but a custom printed ticket really stands out and makes those memories flood back even more vividly.

Make Your Tickets Memorable

This is essential when considering custom printed event tickets: make them memorable! With a wide variety of event ticket templates to choose from and the ability to personalize your event tickets, you can make sure that even the left over stubs are able to keep the memory of your event fresh in your audience’s memory.

            In the end, memorable event tickets can mean repeat business, and repeat business is good news!

The Second Life of Ticket Stubs is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Online marketing helps you reach a wider audience, share details and market event tickets. Buzz generated by friends, family and fans is  great for grassroots marketing, and physical collateral gives your event a real world presence. These promotional materials, especially event tickets, can be the most powerful tools in your marketing plan.

More than Just an Event Ticket

Take a moment to consider event tickets. Obviously, you'll need admission tickets to get folks through the turnstiles, but that's not their only use. Custom printed tickets can serve several important functions at your event.

Marketing Tools—When you design event tickets for your occasion, you have a choice. If you're thinking only of function, any tickets will do. However, the admission ticket may be your attendees first point of contact with your event. So much more can be included than a simple "admit one." Imagine how including formal branding and event details can raise profile of your event.

Crowd Management and Tracking Tools—Secure, numbered tickets with perforated stubs can be useful in the management of people into and out of your event and at particular venues within it. Custom tickets allow you to maintain the integrity of your event. Secure numbering and detachable stubs allows you to track the flow of guests into the gates. Selling Drink Tickets and custom passes, such as VIP passes, before the event allow you to manage concessions and activities quickly and safely. They allow you to keep cash exchanges more centralized and secure.

Raffle Management—A well designed ticket is essential for the management of a fundraising raffle.  It's important for your raffle tickets to not only contain important details, but they should also have secure numbering, detachable stubs and room for the guests' details, as well. These tickets aren't just meant to get guests through the gate. They're used to manage the entire lifecycle of the raffle. Event organizers can track ticket buyers through the numbering system, and the stubs are used for the raffle draw.

Door Prizes—Much like raffle tickets, a well designed admission ticket can be used to manage door prizes. Ticket sellers can hold onto stubs when guests come through the gate and announce winners throughout the event. This encourages folks to hold onto their custom event tickets throughout the occasion.

Memory Management—A great ticket might be the only souvenir a guest takes away from the occasion. Why not make it memorable? Strong imagery and branding will help the memory of your event to remain with your guests far into the future.

Beyond “Admit One”: Different Uses for Event Tickets is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Call it like it is: Your team moniker

Roller Derby teams need clever names. Puns reflecting your punk third-wave feminist roots are a sure draw for crowds and fans: the Sandra Day O’Clobbers, the Shevil Knevils, the Beauty School Knockouts, and the Rushin’ Rollettes. Be as violent as you like! Or, choose two words, say an adjective and a noun, that best encompass your team, like the Zany Fembots. Just make sure your name is intriguing and your fans feel like they’re in on the joke.

High noon: When to meet

When you’re ready to brawl, contact other roller derby teams in your area and decide which one your team will battle. You may be able to join a league and schedule a series of derbies. Can’t decide whom to meet first? Create your own raffle tickets and draw a name from a hat. Once you’ve decided upon whom, you need to figure out when. Pick a date and a time for your event. Consider days and times that would work best for the audience you are trying to attract. Audiences for roller derbies are diverse: from families to hipsters to teens, so your breadth should be vast, but conscious about your target audience. Families prefer daytime, weekend event. Teens may be available in the afternoon, after school, and twenty-somethings like to stay out late.

Meet me in the parking lot: Choose your venue:

If your city doesn’t already have a dedicated roller derby rink, you will to find need a venue that can satisfy the inherent needs of the sport. True roller derby typically requires a sports arena or a gymnasium, but you could also convert a large gallery or performance space. If you know of a space that often exhibits artwork or avant garde performance, you may persuade them to host your derby as a way to further the venue’s original intent. Perhaps a very large gallery that could accommodate a derby may choose to have your team battle another team in their space while highlighting related artwork such as photographs of Derby girls alongside your event. If the venue already has a box office or a way of handling ticket sales, that’s a bonus for you, as it makes it easier to sell event tickets.

Shout it out: Event promotion

Get your artists on the job. Your general promotion should be creative and intriguing. Collage-style designs featuring your team portrait or other relevant images can be distributed as postcards. Include the date and time, the venue, the ticket price, the names of the both teams, and information on where to get the tickets (don’t forget to include any relevant URLs). Take it to the streets and pass out the postcards in your derby garb to attract some attention. Hang posters in book shops, record stores, college campuses, and other local businesses. In addition to this, use your website and other networking tools such as Facebook to promote the event.

At the door: Get your event tickets right here

Have fun with these! Use your original promotional designs to create a unique custom ticket, or choose an online event ticket template. These can be printed on demand and are a good way to create the tickets for your event. Remember to include the same pertinent information you used on your postcard or promotional flyer: who, what, when, where, how much. Don’t forget web addresses or phone numbers where people can get more information. Consider creative ways to make those tickets your own! In designing your event tickets, you may include the logo for both teams or photos of the two teams. Individually numbered event tickets with perforated stubs help you keep track of attendance, control the venue, and increase security. Selling event tickets helps you realize some profit for your event, giving your team even more passion to have a great and memorable roller derby battle!

Roller Derby: The Sport of Queens is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

It was a controversial decision, but they chose to handle their own ticket sales, including designing and printing their own event tickets online. That part was easy, since anyone can find an online ticket printer, choose a relevant design, and fill out a ticket template. The template even reminded them to add all the important details: who, what, when, and where. Some readers may be interested in their process:

When and Where

As with any event, they needed to consider the best time and place to have the concert, limited, of course, by the number of suitable local venues and available nights for shows. You must consider times and places that would give your band the best exposure and best turnout. If there is a festival or fair in the area where your concert will be, decide whether this would add or detract from your event ticket sales. Sometimes other events can assist you in securing a large turnout, or they may hinder turnout; these are factors that must be considered in choosing a time and a venue.

Printable: Your Customized Event Tickets

Once they chose the time and place and booked the space, they began to design event tickets for the concert. As I said, they used online event ticket templates to create their own unique custom tickets. You may want to add your band logo to the ticket in addition to the information about the concert, and many ticket templates let you upload an image right from your hard drive. You can also choose a design that signifies your musical genre: a saxophone for a jazz quartet, an electric guitar for a rock band. After the tickets are designed, you should be able to generate a ticket proof. Some companies will send you free samples of their tickets so you can check out the quality, but for the most part, the proof should show you exactly what your ticket will look like.

Price of Admission

You’ve got to take into account what concert tickets cost in your area, and my friends considered all their expenses in deciding on a ticket price, including factoring the cost of printing the tickets, reserving the venue, and the venue’s minimum bar guarantee (some clubs will ask you to pay extra if your fans do not spend a certain amount on drinks!). One the one hand, you’re an artist and you want to create something beautiful, but on the other hand, you need to make profit from the concert. The exposure you receive is important, but if you don’t break even, you can’t repay your investors or promote another show, so consider a reasonable amount for the tickets that will also result in a profit for the band. Selling merchandise—T-shirts, posters, and CDs—at the show should earn you money, too.

Distribution: Get the Tickets Out

Gather your friends, family, and fans and get the word-of-mouth network going. You can sell face to face, but you should also consider an online ticket sales application. My friends had great success with a new site called TicketRiver.com, where they could sell e-tickets at no cost to themselves. Use all your networking tools to advertise: website, email lists, Facebook and Myspace, music forums, newsletters, and blogs to promote your concert. Make sure everything knows where they can get the tickets to your concert. Distributing tickets via a local radio station along with local and indie record stores will also help you to reach out and attract the audience who most desire to attend your concert.

Let’s Put on a Show: Selling Concert Tickets is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Unite your community, listen to great local musicians, sell more tickets, raise funds for a cause, and share prizes. From beginning to end, picking a venue, guests judges, and prizes and even choosing and printing event tickets, a battle of the bands can take a lot of preparation. Many elements must be considered when planning this type of event, but the final product is well worth the effort.

Plan a safe and fun event for everyone—If you want to have a good time and raise funds for your cause, make sure you appeal to a broad audience. Plan a family friendly, safe event that everyone can enjoy. You'll want to print event tickets that reflect this and help to manage the flow of people into and out of your venue.

Create a clear set of rules for participants—Make sure the rules of the battle are clear beforehand. Let acts know what kind of music you would like to showcase. Will the winners be picked by judges or the audience? Will bands play one song or a short set? What prizes are winners eligible for?

Choose judges from the community—If you plan on having judges choose the winners, consider recruiting popular figures from the local music scene. When printing event tickets and other promotional materials, make sure to include this information, so you can further peak  attendee interest.

What kinds of prizes will you offer?—Will you simply offer winners bragging rights or something more tangible like cash or other coveted rewards?

Will you rely on sponsors to help?—Sponsors can be a great resource when organizing your battle of the bands. They can help provide funding for equipment or the venue, advertise for your event or defray the cost of event ticket printing. If you're fundraising for a special cause like providing money for local school music programs, you may find sponsors lining up to help. You can add their logos to your event tickets for greater publicity.

Pick an appropriate venue—Once you're ready to host a battle of the bands, you'll want to choose a venue for your event. Make sure the space is the right size and will accommodate your equipment. Check to make sure that you have the right permits to host the event, if you need them.

Plan your promotion—Promote, promote, promote! With your initial planning done, it's time to get the word out, so that you can get your attendees together to rock out! The internet is a great resource for free promotion. Social networking and event planning sites help you to advertise and sell more tickets. Contact local radio stations about your cause and get your sponsors involved.

Pick promotional collateral and print event tickets that are well designed and reflect the nature of your event. Using an online event ticket printing site can make this easy. You can choose the type of collateral you would like to use, choose your designs and customize them using an event ticket template. Professional y printed event tickets can really raise the profile of your battle of the bands.

Battle of the Bands is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Holidays provide the perfect occasion to host events. They give you a reason to gather folks together to celebrate. With a central theme to plan around, it's easy to come up with event ideas. Not only do holiday events and fundraisers help bring members of your organization together, they give individuals reason to pause and remember, get down and just have fun, or feel charitable and open their pockets. There are plenty to celebrate, so you'll never run out of reasons to host an event.

Deck the Halls!

Planning a promotional strategy for a holiday event can be a fun occasion for your entire organization. Your group has a chance to be creative and choose collateral that really fits the occasion. For big holidays like Christmas, Hanukah, Thanksgiving and Easter, you can print event tickets with the iconic images of the season. Deck your posters with boughs of holly, your flyers with dancing dreidels, your invitations with turkeys and maple leaves and your event tickets with bunnies and springtime blossoms.  Just choosing and printing event tickets is enough to get your group in a festive mood and let that spirit of the holiday carry through to the whole event.

Smaller holidays like New Year's, Halloween and the Fourth of July are excellent days to hold big events, as well. They are fun and festive and party throwers and goers alike are in the mood to have a great time. For these kinds of celebrations you can print event tickets that are designed to up the celebratory mood of your guests and let them remember the occasion for years to come.

Seize the Day!

Sometimes you plan events to celebrate a certain holiday, and sometimes holidays give you a reason to celebrate. When you want to organize an event or fundraiser, seize the opportunity to plan it around a special day. There are many smaller holidays all year round. Choose one and go with it! Consider Cinco De Mayo, Super Bowl Sunday, Earth Day and St. Patrick's Day. All provide great themes to plan a party around. You can choose matching designs when you print event tickets and promotional materials  for your event, and at the same time you can raise awareness about your organization.

Days to Remember

Of course, some holidays provide us all with reasons to reflect. You may gather your community together  on Memorial Day or Pearl Harbor Day to pay homage to fallen soldiers. Or, you might host an event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to remember and discuss diversity. When printing event tickets for these occasions, you may choose a design with a more somber or understated theme.

Planning the Right Promotion

One great thing about planning holiday themed events is that they already have a built in theme. You don't have to go too far to find ideas. You can plan your event promotion and manage your event ticket printing online. It's easy to customize your materials using an event ticket template. Simply choose the design, fill in your details and print your event tickets. You'll be on your way to the perfect promotion and the perfect holiday event.

Reasons to Celebrate is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Even huge events focusing on large issue such as hunger relief or cancer research can benefit from an active grassroots movement to aid a larger, national cause. It’s time to gather your local grassroots community! If you are starting such a community from scratch, call a town meeting that will give you an opportunity to gauge the importance of your movement within your community, as well as find volunteers who can help you get the ball rolling.

*  You Got Your Goodwill Army, So Now What? Now that you have the support and muscle of people in your community, your grassroots effort may begin. With these people, begin to plan and create a fundraiser. Let them tell you what the community wants. Sell tickets to the event to raise money. Sell raffle tickets to generate even more money for your cause.

*  Get Local Exposure: Utilize local media such as newspapers and radio stations to raise awareness of your cause and your event. Be sure to tell people in the community how they can attain a ticket to your fundraising event. Take notes to ensure that you say all that needs to be said via the media to get the word out about your cause and your fundraiser. Use statistics, even local statistics if you can get them, to further the cause. For example, if you are raising awareness about Diabetes and aim to have a fundraiser about it, be sure to cite stats such as how many people in the country have the disease, as well as a stat of how many people in your community are afflicted. The reality of statistics will give your grassroots movement a solid foundation and awake the cause within your community. 

*  You Got the Exposure, Begin Planning the Event: Much of the preliminary details such as where and when must be decided before you speak to the media. But there’s more to planning and implementing the details: food, entertainment, or speakers. Continuing to use the example of a grassroots movement for Diabetes, an appropriate speaker could be a local doctor or an artist or musician in the community. Often local authorities and celebrities will donate their time for a fundraiser. Put out calls in the community for appropriate speakers to perform or speak at your event.

*  Event Tickets for Your Fundraiser: Research event ticket designs: choose the perfect ticket template and create your own tickets online for speed and convenience. After your tickets have been designed and printed, begin selling within your community. In addition to selling your event tickets to your friends, neighbors, and coworkers, pound the pavement and do some selling door to door. Continue to promote the event, reminding potential guests about to get tickets. Use poster, flyers, Internet forums, microblogging, social networks, and your website. It is easy to create a simple website that can be exclusive to your cause with news and a schedule of events at this fundraiser and others to come. The website can also function as a way to educate the community about your cause as well as keep a running tally on the money that has been raised.

*  Don’t Stop When the Party’s Over: Your successful grassroots campaign has created a mobile army for your cause. Keep them mobilized. Encourage them to bring new and creative ideas to the table and run with them.

Grassroots Organization: Act Locally is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Your promotional materials are the first word in a discussion between you and your guests, and your event tickets are part of the publicity. Tickets should contain any and all information you desire your participants to know: What, Where, When, and even a Why will not only help to attract your participants, but will function as a reminder to them to attend the event.

*  Event Ticket Design and Ticket Templates: Research event ticket designs and use an online ticket template to make your idea a reality. If your event has a logo, include it on the template, or use your sponsor’s logo. Don’t forget any pertinent information, such as your website or phone number, in addition to What, Where, When, and Why.

*  Creative Uses of Event Tickets: Depending on your event, you may or may not want to charge for the tickets. Free souvenir tickets may merely be a way to add a special dimension to your event and serve as a reminder to participants. Either way, event tickets add an element of exclusivity. Whether the ticket is purchased, raffled, or given away, you can’t get in without one.

*  Proofread Again and Again: The last thing you want is to design, create, print, and distribute your tickets only to find an error after the fact. When you receive your proof, proofread diligently. Check for typos, misspellings, or wrong dates, and times. It is most helpful if more than one person is proofreading.

*  Distribution of Event Tickets: Again, the way in which you distribute your tickets depends on the event itself. If it is a fundraiser, you will want to charge for the tickets. If your intent is to attract a large volume of participants, even if the tickets are free, you still need to pay attention to distribution. If your event is to raise awareness about a problem in your community and sheer numbers will help to make change happen, pound the pavement and distribute tickets all around the community. If the event requires paid tickets for entry, decide where you can most effectively sell them. If your event is to raise money for a larger cause such as hunger in America, visit places that attract people who have money to donate as well as money to buy the tickets to the event.

*  To Raffle or Not to Raffle:  You can print separate raffle tickets, or the event tickets can also function as raffle tickets for door prizes at the actual event. The best event tickets are individually numbered on the body and stub of the ticket, so it’s easy to keep track.

You’ve put plenty of effort into publicity and promotion. Don’t overlook the role of the humble event ticket in your efforts to attract guests to your gathering!

Event Ticket Essentials: Getting the Most Out of Your Event Tickets is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog

Say your event has become a tradition in your community. You can count on your base to buy event tickets and show up, but your basic audience has not changed in years. How do you increase your roster from the traditional and convince new people to buy tickets to your event? By altering even small aspects of a tried and true event, you can attract new audiences: From revising publicity materials and punching up promotional event tickets to adding a trendy spin or a popular attraction, open yourself to possibilities and watch your ticket sales soar.

*  Get Out of the Box: Sometimes the best way to move beyond routine is to observe your standard operating procedure with a fresh set of eyes. Take inventory of what you have done over the years. Which elements have contributed to the success of the event? Is it the design used on event tickets and promotional materials? The entertainment? The venue? Then, consider how to use your old ideas in new ways, or update those options. Having trouble seeing with fresh eyes? Ask creative friends and guests for their opinion.

*  Answers Into Action: After taking this inventory of what has worked and deciding how you’ll revise the event to attract a new audience, get started. Don’t wait! Spring into action as long before the event as you can. Allowing yourself plenty of planning time help ticket sales go smoothly and guards against mistakes that would detract, not attract, guests in the future.

*  What Kind of Audience: Decide what type of audience you want and cater to their needs. If you want more children and young adults at your event, consider something like a Make a Sundae stand for your fundraiser. Teen volunteers can man the stand to help the young children. Many teens are looking for community service hours for their own extracurriculars, like the National Honors Society, and local teens are always a good resource to pull in a new audience. Often teens will buy Event Tickets if they know their friends will be there.

*  Ho Hum to Electrifying: Small changes can add a great new dimension to your traditional event. Customizing an event ticket can be the first step in customizing an event. Other elements such as entertainment or food and drink being served at your event can further your success in attracting new audiences. If you have always had a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, try something just a little different, such as a Lasagna Dinner, adding a catchy title that ties the fundraiser to the organization being funded. Research trends and find out what foods people want to try and what music they want to hear.

*  Spread the Word in Fresh Places: If you desire more elderly patrons to come to your event, print custom event tickets that can be raffled off at a local senior center. For more youthful participants advertise online, and at local high schools and colleges. A diverse audience will always give you a new audience, so cater your promotional materials and tickets to all facets of your community. Spreading a wide net in a variety of places will assist your event in attracting many different people to your event and make it a true and new success.

Beyond Tradition: Thinking Outside the Box to Draw New Audiences to An Event is a post from: TicketPrinting.com Blog