Live Entertainment events are a critical component of the marketing calendar, both for attracting valuable new customers to your property and as special events for current players. Improving advance ticket sales can lock in customers no only to the event itself, but also to hotel rooms, food and beverage sales, and time on the floor. In this session, we will show how innovations in ticket pricing and technology can drastically increase advance ticket sales to your live events.

1. How to Fill the House for your Live Entertainment Events

2. What we’ll cover: Why are advance sales so important? The wrong – and right – way to discount tickets To Fee or not to Fee? Social Media Marketing (how to build an army of promoters, instantly) Fishing where the fish are (which websites are worth listing your events on) Ticketing practices to avoid at all cost

3. The Advance Ticket Sale =

4. The Discount Dance When is the right time to discount tickets? Common Approach: Discount tickets when sales are slow. Result: Customers learn to wait for discounts.

5. Discount Smarter A Better Approach: Discount early, and for a short period of time. But – WHY?

6. Case Study: A Recent Festival on-Sale Tickets On sale at 10 am with exploding discount Almost $200k within 3 hours! + 200% “likes” on FacebookOver 5k “shares” Significant, Immediate Social Media BUZZ, Continued sales Over 2k “tweets” about the show

7. Key Learning: Exploding discounts can supercharge on-sales and “seed” ongoing sales.

8. Discount Smarter Reward or Recognition-Based Discounts

9. Discount Smarter: ScoreBig What is it?“The Priceline of Entertainment”. They sell unsold inventory without cannibalizing full price tickets. How do they do it? Opaque process, very smart tech. Learn More:www.scorebig.com

10. Fees

11. Fee Facts and Myths Myth: People hate ticket fees. Fact: They hate excessive ticket fees. Myth: My ticketing system doesn’t cost me anything. Fact: A fee paid by your customer is the same as a cost, if that fee doesn’t go to you. Myth: Customers like to see fees broken out. Fact: The “All-in Price” concept is gaining in popularity, and can generate good will – and more advance sales.

12. “All-In Price” What is it?A single set of ticket prices – customers pay the same whether they buy online, over the phone, or in person. Why does it work? Convenience, Free Buzz factor More advance sales

13. Key Learning: You need control and flexibility with your ticket fees.

14. Social Media Tools Facebook Facts: 500 MILLION + Registered users 250 MILLION+ Log On Daily 26% of ticket sales, on average, are referred by Facebook Each “share” is worth approximately $2.53* It’s FREE to set up and use. Twitter Facts: 100 MILLION + Registered users 1.8 million tweets per HOUR 12% of ticket sales, on average, are referred by Twitter Each “share” is worth approximately $1.78* It’s FREE to set up and use.

15. Facebook Best Practices Use the EVENTS app on your page to create your event on Facebook.

16. Facebook Best Practices Post helpful info, contests, and event info to nurture the conversation and grow your fans.

17. Facebook Best Practices Sell Tickets DIRECTLY from your Facebook page!

18. Twitter Best Practices Tweet Consistently around your events Always include Links

19. Key Learning: If you’re not on Facebook and Twitter, YOU SHOULD BE. -and- Let technology do the redundant stuff.

20. Websites you should know about www.eventful.com (2.2 Million monthly visitors)

21. Websites you should know about (~1 Million monthly visitors and rising)

22. Others: www.jambase.com www.sonicliving.com www.bandsintown.com www.deadfrog.com www.zvents.com

23. Key Learning: There are a lot of free websites for event promotion. Use them.

24. Online Ticketing Worst Practices 90% #1: *#%& FEES!

25. Online Ticketing Worst Practices #2: Kidnapping YOUR traffic.

26. Online Ticketing Worst Practices #3: Ugly and uninformative pages.

27. Online Ticketing Worst Practices Too Many Steps: Hear Promotion Go to Computer Open Browser Type in URL /Visit Site Find Event Click Buy Tickets Go to another website Re-enter search criteria Enter Captcha Info Complain about crazy fees Fumble for Credit Card Anyway Enter Personal Information See ANOTHER SURPRISE CHARGE Enter Credit Card Info Re-Enter Billing Info Verify Info Print Tickets #4: Making it tough to buy

28. Key Takeaways Discount Smarter: Exploding discounts Reward/Recognition Based Opaque outlets Control Fees and Consider All-In Pricing. Social Media Sells Tickets Use Free Event Websites Align incentives with your ticketing partner