Performing Humor and Smart Comedy on Stage

According to his website, robertmac.com, “Robert Mac is a comedy creator, collaborator, connoisseur, and critic,” as well as “the thinking man’s non-thinking man.” A rare breed, he is a stand-up comedian who doesn’t resort to profanity, misogyny, or chest-beating, and still made the Entertainment Business Journal’s list of top one hundred comedians. How does he define his act? That’s “the hardest part of the job,” he says. “How can I tell you what my act is when I can only see it through me-colored glasses? Other people say it’s smart, clever, silly, cerebral.”

He readily admits that he’s chosen a difficult path in life, or, as he puts it, “stand-up is a tough racket.” Still, Mac has been able to find success in his chosen field, performing not only at comedy clubs around the country, but also private and corporate gigs, along with the much-coveted television appearance.

Daily, he battles the dichotomy of the life of an intelligent stand-up performer. “I put a lot of thought into my material,” he says. One the one hand, while “it’s easy to make people laugh…it’s much more rewarding to make them think and keep them guessing.” On the other hand, his experience is that his job involves, “mostly performing for drunks.” The club scene seems to be about “free comedy and expensive drinks, which devalues the comedy. It’s really backward in many ways. The club owners make their money on booze, so they offer cheap or free comedy to get drinkers into the clubs.”

But Mac is committed to this life, and has been for some time. He remembers, as a child, listening to a Steve Martin routine and thinking, “Do people do that as a job?” His first foray into stand-up took place around 1992. He provided some written material for a friend to perform at a local club’s open mic night. “When he did my material on stage, and got laughs, I felt betrayed in a way,” Mac remembers. “I wanted those laughs. After much cajoling, he finally pushed me onstage and my first set was a hit. I was hooked.”

Almost twenty years later, he performs regularly, an iconoclast in an industry where many performers are seeking to reach an audience that is “there to do shots and whoop it up.” By contrast, Mac plays well to a “bright and attentive” audience. Where is his base? He reports, “I do well with people with glasses,” and that he can judge how successful his set has been by how well he feels when he’s done. “If I’m having fun,” he says, “they’re having fun.” His favorite shows, naturally, are “the ones where they are in the palm of my hand the whole time and they let me run the show.”

What else could a comedian ask for? Reportedly, “a few more television appearances.” But he’d settle for the ability to “make a comfortable living as a comedian . . . and I’m making my way toward that.”

Mac uses social networks to share the news about upcoming performances, including Facebook to direct his fans to hyperlinks where they can purchase tickets or make reservations for upcoming shows. Fans can watch clips of his performances on his YouTube channel. He sells CDs and digital downloads online (and hopes to offer more merchandise in the near future), and even writes an occasional blog called Comedy DNA, discussing humor. In terms of weird publicity stunts, however, he rates this article as “probably the unusualest,” thing he has ever done.

Humor, of course, is subjective. “There’s funny in everything,” Mac says, “but it takes a lot to make me laugh. I think I need to be caught off-guard. Today I laughed out loud, literally, watching my friend Myq Kaplan perform on Letterman—funny, smart stuff.”

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QR Code Posters for Fast, Easy, Online Ticket Sales

What if your publicity posters could sell theater tickets for you?

I don’t mean in a metaphorical way: of course, great PR helps you sell tickets. I mean, what if the posters literally sold the tickets, to people who saw them, while they were standing there admiring the posters? What if the moment your patrons saw your advertisement, one feature of that ad was that it would instantly allow them to buy tickets to your upcoming show?

That’s what QR Code Posters from TicketPrinting.com do.

QR codes, those little black and white squares that appear more and more often in our visual environment, allow users to connect directly to websites. Anyone with a smart phone can instantly scan the code and be taken to a page where further information awaits them.

Box Office Bliss

But our QR Code Posters go even further. They don’t just take your patrons to any website; they direct them to your performance’s actual event page at TicketRiver, our online box office. With just a few clicks, your audience can purchase tickets to the upcoming show, without having to walk away from your advertisement, without the possibility that their desire to attend will slip their minds. It’s an instant-gratification ticket sales.

Setting up your event on TicketRiver is fast and easy; the process takes about five minutes and is as simple as entering data into a webform. As long as you have a title and description for your event, along with the time, the location, and the ticket prices, you can get started. The website does the rest: sells seats and collects payments.

Getting your QR Code Posters is even simpler, because our Customer Support staff and talented designers do the work for you. All you have to do is place your order by calling 888.771.0809. You can send us any design you’d like, or let our graphic artists create a custom design for you. We’ll generate the QR code that links to your show and send you a proof for your approval before we start printing.

Waiting in the Wings?

If you’ve been toying with the idea of updating your box office, transitioning to online ticket sales, or just want to add another convenient way for your patrons to get their seats, these QR Code Posters really pull their own weight. They do all the work of your ordinary print publicity, with the powerful bonus of actually selling those seats for you.

It just doesn’t get any simpler than this. Purchase Posters. Sell tickets.

 

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QR Code Posters for Music Event Ticket Sales

Your fans love your music.

Your fans want to see you perform live.

Your fans have smart phones.

Your fans have lives.

Do you love your fans? Show them a little love by making their lives a little bit easier. How? Make it simple for them to get tickets to your upcoming show the moment they see your print publicity. You can make the experience totally hassle-free for you and your fans with QR Code Posters advertising the gig. They actually sell tickets for you, so your fans don’t need to search around for the right link, stand in line at a ticket counter, or deal with any exorbitant ticket broker fees.

It’s So Easy

We’ve streamlined the process. First, we created an online box office at TicketRiver.com. In five minutes, you can register your show and set up an event page where your fans can find all your event details and purchase tickets. You can even sell different kinds of tickets—VIP Passes, 18-over, ½ price, whatever you like—to the same event. It’s fast and easy to create your page, complete with its own unique URL.

A Little Help from Your Friends

But that’s not all we’ve done for you. We’ll get your fans to the link in no time at all with a custom QR Code Poster. Whether you’ve got a design in mind or need one of our graphic artists to create an image that suits your particular needs, all you’ve got to do it is call our customer support at 888.771.0809. They’ll help get your order going. We’ll design your posters, generate your QR code, and send out a proof for your approval. We never print until you’re satisfied you’re getting exactly the Poster or Flyer you need.

Waiting Here for You

Wherever you hang your high-resolution QR Code Posters, your fans can scan the code with their smart phones. It will take them right to your TicketRiver event page where they can buy tickets right away.

TicketRiver sends users print-at-home tickets to save you time and money, but, if you still want to use paper tickets, you can order those too (at a discount for TicketRiver users) and mail them out, or hold them at will call.

It’s that easy! QR Code Posters are there for you, selling tickets night and day, from the moment you hang them until you sell out your event.

It’s just one more way to show your love to the people who support your music.

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Giddy Up to a Great Event!

Ticketprinting.com “gave us a quality ticket with our logo on the back making it look really official. People buying the tickets really seemed to like that.”

~ Michael Cooper, FBCYRA

On August 6^th, the Fort Bend County Youth Rodeo Association (FBCYRA) held its Summer Series Raffle. Cash prizes were handed out to participants. First Prize was three hundred dollars. Second Prize was two hundred dollars and Third prize was one hundred dollars.

The organization chose the All Purpose Raffle Ticket design. The ticket is printed on high quality stock in black and white. It features the essential raffle information and number on the front side, and the FBCYRA logo on its reverse. The ticket has a corresponding detachable stub for participants to write down their contact information.

“We are a youth rodeo organization,” Michael shared with me. The organization’s website further describes FBCRYA’s purpose, as “a Junior Rodeo Association for kids up to 19 years of age. We provide a safe place for Fort Bend County’s Youth to have fun and experience the great sport of Rodeo.” The FBCYRA is dedicated to helping young people. As well as providing a rodeo experience for youths and young adults, the organization is committed to supporting scholarship by providing awards for those young people who compete in the Junior Rodeo.

“We have a raffle each year in conjunction with our summer rodeo series and end of the summer rodeo to help pay for the over $30,000 in prizes we give away.” Michael explained to me. The Summer Series Raffle is a fundraiser for the organization.

How does FBCYRA promote its raffle and sell its tickets? The young people who participate in the Summer Series and wish to participate in the autumn rodeo are required to sell raffle tickets. “Each contestant is required to sale $75.  We target local businesses, family members and other within the community.” If FBCYRA members don’t sell the required amount of raffle tickets, they must secure an equal amount of outside sponsoring in order to be eligible for rodeo competition prizes.

Raffle sales are not only required but also competitive, which brings a spirit of fun to the process. The member who sells the most tickets wins a belt buckle at the end of the sales cycle.

Information about the raffle and the summer series was also available on the organization’s site and its Facebook page.

For Michael, the highlight of the Summer Series Raffle goes far beyond that one event. “The best part is just seeing how the kids grow through the summer and how their riding skills improve. It is neat to watch them compete however great to see the sportsmanship they show in helping one another out and cheer each other on.”

 

 

 

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Fast, Easy, Economical Online Ticket Sales

If you want to make music, you can do that in your garage, on a subway train, or out in the woods. If you want to sell tickets to your upcoming performance, there’s a little more work involved. Big symphonies have their own box offices, but what about you? Even if you can sell tickets through a box office, can you sell them at 2 o’clock in the morning? Can you serve patrons in the middle of a blizzard, or when you’re short staffed?

Wouldn’t you rather give your fans the option of purchasing concert tickets online?

You don’t need an expensive shopping engine built into your website, and you don’t need to pay a third-party company big bucks to help you advertise and sell your next gig. All you need is a simple application like Ticket River.

It’s the fastest, easiest, most economical way to sell tickets online, providing you with maximum versatility for ticket sales. Whether you’re selling tickets for multiple dates, multiple venues, or multiple levels of access, it’s simple for you to set up your event, create your own page, and start selling tickets. You can even sell tickets for reserved seating events, and choose whether your patrons will print their tickets out at home, or pick them up at will call.

Best of all, this service is free!

It costs nothing to create a page for your concert. The only fee is a 3% surcharge on each ticket sold. You can pay it yourself, pass the cost on to your fans, or split the cost with them. Compared to markups of 50% or greater with online ticket sites like TicketMaster, that’s not much.

Performing a free concert? You can still use Ticket River to ask your guests to check in online, so you know how many to expect. If your part of a nonprofit group, you can even collect donations on the site.

All you have to do is log in, enter your event details, trick out your page with a background and a photo of your choice (if you want) and you’re ready to start selling. Ticket River provides you with links to send to potential guests, tracks all your sales, and handles payments from PayPal and all major credit cards.

You can use this service in conjunction with any other method you’re using to sell tickets, so you’ve got nothing to lose. Help the music-lovers of the world find even more to love about your music: simple, online concert ticket sales.

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State by State: Raffle Law in America

Raffle Law and State’s Rights

When our forefathers outlined our American rights in the US Constitution over two hundred years ago, they specifically stated that those topics not covered in that document were reserved for the individual states to decide: state’s rights. This term often brings to mind some of the most controversial issues in our culture.

Raffles and lotteries, technically a form of gambling, fall squarely into this category. Raffle laws vary from state to state, with prize draws of any kind being completely outlawed in some places, and generally embraced in others.

Fundraisers Beware: Illegal Raffles

In some states, games of chance featuring prizes and requiring purchase are strictly prohibited whether you are a private individual, incorporated business, or not-for-profit charitable organization. In Alabama, the state constitution includes language to “prohibit the sale…of…tickets in any scheme in the nature of a lottery.” According to the Attorney General, raffle tickets are a type of lottery, and therefore illegal. In the state of Utah, “The Legislature shall not authorize any game of chance, lottery or gift enterprise under any pretense or for any purpose,” including any kind of raffle or prize draw.

Hawaii also prohibits any type of raffle in which tickets are sold. However, it is legal to distribute tickets without charging for them, so you can still have the fun of a prize draw as long as you don’t earn any money from it. The same holds true in Kansas, where exchanging money for games of chance is strictly illegal, but the District Attorney’s office suggests that such rules can be circumventing by making the contribution voluntary. To comply with state regulations, make it clear that “Individuals are under no obligation to make a contribution and may not be barred from participation if they choose not to make any donation.”

Changing Nation, Changing Laws

In general, raffle law seems to be relaxing in America. As stated in part I of this article, many states that forbid any raffle ticket sales in the past have recently passed legislation allowing such games of chance. Oklahoma is one that state that previously banned any raffle-based fundraising, then relaxed restrictions in 2003, allowing charitable organizations to conduct raffles. Even Washington, DC has its own Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board, responsible for licensing Bingo, Monte Carlo/casino nights, and, of course, raffles.

The trend seems to be toward greater tolerance of raffle ticket sales, and printing raffle tickets is useful in the majority of the US. However, private individual should be aware that many states, such as Wyoming, strictly prohibit selling raffle tickets for personal gain: only bona fide charitable organizations are legally allowed to run raffles in many places. If you are unfamiliar with your local laws, it’s best to find a local expert who can provide up-to-date information.

Paperwork in Order

Registering with the state is often a requirement, and in some cases, the state must approve your proposal. In Arizona, raffles fall under the umbrella of “Amusement Gambling” and must be approved on a case-by-case basis. You can fill out a form to register. In the state of Delaware, the cost of applying for your raffle license is $15 (the same price to apply for a license to hold a Texas Hold’em tournament), which is non-refundable if your application is denied. Timing is important! Applications are considered at board meetings, and applicants are advised to submit, “no later than 4:30 PM ten full working days before the meeting date.”

Florida is another state where raffles are highly regulated. The state wishes to protect its citizens from fraudulent or illegal raffles, but, more importantly, to prevent competition with its state lottery, which is an educational one: that is to say, proceeds fund the state’s schools. North Dakota maintains a list of downloadable forms required for a legal prize draw to be held in that state. Interested parties should pay careful attention, for record-keeping is important, and these forms make it simpler to keep track of details.

Next: Taxes and Other Little Details

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TicketPrinting.com is please to announced our new, improved resource for local raffle laws.

While states’ rights may be hotly disputed when it comes to some controversial issues, they’re alive and well in the realm of prize draws. Every state in the union (along with Washington, D.C.) has its own particular laws governing the sale of raffle tickets and games of chance. Depending on where you live, selling raffle tickets may be a free-for-all, a carefully governed option for certain non-profit organizations under the strict auspices of the state gaming commission, or just downright illegal. (And even then, at least one DA has written up guidelines for circumventing these rules.)

We recognize that our customers are working hard to earn more money for their particular causes. The last thing you need is a legal hassle. That’s why we’ve compiled links to help direct you to the statutes for your area, and, in some cases, the downloadable PDF files that you’ll need to fill out to get your permit and start selling raffle tickets!

Printing raffle tickets is easy at TicketPrinting.com, and our state raffle law resource helps makes your job even easier.

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Host the Most Successful Fundraiser Ever With Custom Event Wristbands

How many times has your organization found itself in need of fundraising? When your operating budget is simply more than you are bringing in or you want to make sure there will be money for next year’s initiatives, you may consider hosting an event to bring in a much needed cash infusion. An event paired with an auction or raffle can be a great way to have fun, rally your stakeholders, raise awareness, and fill your coffers. Event collateral including tickets and custom printed wristbands are essential for this type of fundraising.

Get them at the door

You’ve planned a big event. Your campaign was successful, and you expect a lot of guests. Whether you are hosting a charity gala, auction, dinner or concert, you can manage your attendees with event wristbands. Make sure to slip a Dupont Tyvek wristband around the wrists of your invited or paying folks as they enter your venue.

These wristbands will help to keep your event secure, by indicating in an easily identifiable way that individuals are supposed to be there. If you are serving alcohol at your event, colored wristbands will also help you serve the right folks. You’ll have one less thing to worry about and can focus even more on your cause.

For an event open to the public, you might consider placing special wristbands on individuals who have donated to your cause or charity. Different colored wristbands or ones with varying designs can indicate different levels of donors. Individuals at the event will be inspired to donate, and hopefully donate more, when they see others wearing these event wristbands.

Have a Wristband Raffle

Consider generating an even bigger buzz around your fundraiser with a wristband raffle. If all of your guests received event wristbands, you can hand out door prizes or have a raffle as part of the big event.

You might consider upping the ante and making the raffle itself the main event! You can easily sell wristbands as raffle tickets. Your attendees will be able to show off the fact that they donated to your cause, and they will have a chance to win a big prize, too.

Securely numbered wristbands are an excellent choice for this purpose because they remain with the wearer. They are non-transferable.  The winner needs only to show up and show off his or her wrist to claim the prize.

Durable and resilient, Tyvek wristbands can be printed on, so you can also show off the logo and information of your charity. Because they are wearing the wristband, your guests will be exposed to the branding of your organization throughout the event, making it something they won’t soon forget.

Win with Wristbands

Make event wristbands a central part of your fundraising event.  From crowd management to event security, getting your organization’s brand in front of your guests, to being a central part of the event itself, custom printed wristbands help to ensure the success of your next big fundraiser.

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How do you sell event tickets? Most theaters have their own box office, with set hours when patrons can come and purchase seats to upcoming performances. But what if you’re not a theater? What if you only hold one or two events a year? Sometimes, companies will let your organization sell its own tickets out of their box office, even if you’re not affiliated with the theater or selling tickets for a show. Or, you might have a team of dedicated sales professionals, or dedicated sales volunteers, or an office manager who can deal with the numbers. But there are other options.

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.

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Event Tickets can do more that just admit one.

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?

 

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