If you’ve never printed your own event tickets online, don’t despair. It’s fast, simple, and convenient. Your online ticket printing company will provide you with an easy-to-use ticket template and hundreds of designs to fit any budget, suit any organization, or create the perfect impression for any event. Still, it doesn’t hurt to plan in advance.
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.
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!
When you’re printing event tickets for your upcoming car show, you’ve got to be ready rev up the right message. A group of Fiat enthusiasts who spend every weekend replacing spark plugs and polishing air filters has a different focus than a bunch of rat rods who just want to get their vehicles on the road. Whoever you are and whatever you drive, if you enjoy gathering together to admire your favorite vehicles, you’re probably pretty excited about organizing your group’s next car show. Now, it’s time to get your audience excited as well.
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!
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!
Buying event tickets has never been easier. From the Internet to overnight delivery, you can offer your audience multiple possibilities for purchasing tickets. Selling event tickets? Provide as many options to your potential audience as possible. The more user friendly you are, the more tickets you’ll sell.
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.
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!
