Event wristbands can denote the VIP status of your visitors, verify their ages, or simply affirm that they’ve paid the price of admission. They're ideal for increasing event security. Creative minds can think of dozens of inventive uses for these versatile paper bracelets. Why not save money and add some extra excitement to the proceedings by turning your functional Event Wristbands into exciting Raffle Tickets?
*Designing Your Raffle Wristband: In addition to the information and logo of your event, a wristband may also include a set of secure, individual numbers that can facilitate a giveaway throughout your event. You can choose prizes that spotlight your organization or business’s services or products, thereby adding a marketing edge to your event. Since people will be coming and going at your event, you may choose to have prize draws every hour or so during the event. This, along with the event wristbands, will create a buzz about the services or products your event endorses.
*Choosing Appropriate Raffles: If your event is a local music festival, raffles can include CDs of the bands playing the event, as well as merchandise like T-shirts and posters. If your event is more focused on a business, you may raffle gift certificates and gift baskets that highlight your products.
*The Advantage of Raffle Wristbands Over Tickets: Put simply, small tickets become lost at events, but wristbands will remain on the wrists of those at your event. Wristband raffles add some efficient flair to your event that puts the focus back onto your organization or business through the products and services raffled.
*Charging More for Raffle Wristbands: To raise even more money at your event, charge more for admission for visitors to be given a raffle wristband. As long as the price is reasonable, most supporters will pay an extra couple of dollars for a chance to win something during your event. This can also help deflect costs of the event as well as the prizes being awarded.
The advantages to having event wristbands that double as raffle tickets will give your event a uniqueness as well, making your event stand out among others. This will also be a draw to your event in the coming years: some people will come to your event simply because of the added excitement of leaving with prizes. Previous winners and their friends will be strong supporters in this group!
Your business or organization gains instant exposure and your raffle Event Wristbands instantly become a great way to advertise and market your business or organization. The ease of use and your ability to design customized event wristbands give you a lot of control over the marketing aspects of your event and what it signifies for your organization at large. Going yet another level for marketing, the prizes can even possess the logo of your event and organization, continuing to provide added exposure even after your event comes to an end.
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!
