Companies like Tessitura are creating more mobile tools for venue managers and promoters, not just fans. (Photo by Tessitura)
With ticketing relying so heavily on ever-changing technology, the next best thing is always evolving. Mobile continues to reign, lending its techniques to make changes in fan engagement, ticket sales, ease of experience and new tools for both fans and promoters. Consumers now have more ways than ever to find out about events, and it’s more important than ever to recognize loyal fans. Some of the game-changers in the industry talked to Venues Today about the most current trends and what you need to know.
Mobile Transactions
“If mobile is not core to what you’re doing in your business, you’re behind on the times,” said Dennis Scanlon, Etix VP, sales. “Mobile is making it almost antiquated to buy tickets online.”
Mobile continues to transform a whole host of industries, with total mobile commerce for 2014 projected at $25 billion. About 19 percent of all Etix transactions occur on mobile devices. TicketFly’s mobile business continues to grow, with mobile traffic accounting for about 50 percent of total visits, and nearly 40 percent of ticket transactions occurring via mobile devices.
“Our percentage of box office sales is plummeting. Even cost-conscious consumers are recognizing that there’s opportunity cost,” said TicketFly Co-founder and CEO Andrew Dreskin, who added that consumers may be ‘saving’ a few dollars in fees, but still have to use gasoline and take the time to drive to the venue.
Mobile Engagement
Just a few years ago, mobile existed as a place to see basic information. “Now, it’s about how that information can be even more helpful, can be tailored to fit the screen with responsive or adaptive sites, and then create that engagement with links and interaction,” said Tessitura President Jack Rubin. ”Engaging content could be an image, a video clip, interview with the director or even reviews.” Tessitura also offers apps that feature in-app posting to social media accounts.
With so many people on different devices, Scanlon said that it’s important that ticketing companies make content agnostic, or able to be seen and correctly sized on any device.
Mark Fowlie, CEO at AudienceView said that mobile devices allow patrons to interact with venues “all the way through the event itself, both preshow and postshow,” adding that interaction could be as simple as fans participating in a three-second survey to rate the show as they leave.
Beacon technology is creating new engagement opportunities for fans who bring their mobile phones or devices into the venue. TicketFly recently bought WillCall, proximity technology company, and has introduced BarTab at six of its venues. Through beacons, the application identifies when an individual enters the venue, allows them to open a tab on their mobile device and order drinks all night with the bartending just by giving their name. The person’s tab is updated on their phone in real time and, at the end of the night, they can manually close it or just leave and it will automatically close.
“There are all kinds of other interesting things to do with beacons, from pushing information to consumers like if one bar is less crowded than another, or rewarding a rabid fan that’s been at the front of the stage for a couple of hours with a push discount on merchandise or concessions,” said Dreskin. “The phone is going to provide interesting technology options that otherwise patrons won’t be able to participate in at a venue, like BarTab, push notifications, tipping the band and having paperless tickets.”
Mobile and Data Tools
In addition to providing benefits to the fans, mobile tools related to the ticketing space are becoming more prevalent for promoters. A new TicketFly product called Pulse allows venues and promoters to get real-time stats on counts, watching onsales in real time on a mobile device.
“During the evening they’re in the venue, not sitting in front of a computer,” said Dreskin. Pulse allows promoters and venues to add additional shows immediately if sales are going well, or shift marketing focus and dollars if a show isn’t selling as well.
Tessitura has a tool that brings the CRM system to a sales rep’s fingertips, giving them the opportunity to check customer or donor information on the go. Vendini is launching a new app called Patron Connect, a CRM system designed for live events that customers can use to find out which VIPs will be attending, get notifications upon arrival, and make notes and set reminders about specific patrons.
Data is also being streamlined to create tools and interpretations that are actionable.
“Not only do we show our customers the data, but we teach them what it means and help mentor them on how to use it to increase sales,” said Scanlon, who added that Etix data shows what time of day customers are buying.
Instead of just giving raw data, Tacchi said Vendini will work to give its customers ‘baked cakes instead of just the raw flour,’ “fully baked with insights into what data means to help them deliver incredible event experiences.”
Qcue’s Barry Kahn said that gathering information is simple, but that “having the tools to analyze and find trends in the data is much harder and where we focus.”
Fowlie agrees that big data might be just too big for some clients, who should focus on ‘small data’ about single customers and look to create actionable results. He believes that data will lead the charge against the secondary market by changing the idea of dynamic pricing. Instead of manipulating price, he said, companies should focus on manipulating demand in a positive way through the use of data.
“A lot of dynamic pricing is based on what price the ticket will sell at, but you’re focusing on the wrong lever with the price,” he said. “If you can use the data to drive an increase in demand, you have more opportunity to get that higher price.”
“If there’s a softness in the market, don’t increase the price, increase the demand,” he added.
Dreskin said that better tools will enable venues and promoters to understand the true value of a ticket and how it should be priced, which will inherently diminish the impact of the secondary market. If this process — or actually changing the price dynamically as a ticket is for sale — is automated with technology, things become even easier.
“The key is to be able to have the system make the decision as to when the prices should be modified,” said Vince Rieger of Shubert Ticketing.
It’s also important to identify and communicate with patrons that may be repeat customers, but aren’t necessarily season ticket members.
“What a lot of organizations miss is the person who comes to a show at their venue six times a year but never buys a season ticket because they’re interested in flexibility,” said Lynne King Smith of TicketForce. “Finding out who those customers are and marketing to them really comes from owning your data.”
The Growing Communication Cycle
It’s not enough to just sell a ticket. Touch points before, during and after an event make fans feel more catered to, and the type of outreach also makes a difference. Tessitura has been focusing on reaching out to customers via the channel they prefer for certain types of communication.
“Everyone has one or more email addresses and one or more phones, so some communication should still go to a household address or preference and others should go to individuals,” said Rubin. The household model allows individuals to have different preferences. One member of a family may be interested in receiving promotional material about the classical series via traditional mail, while another may want information about a contemporary series via email. “By communicating effectively at every level, whether a transaction, email, snail mail or phone call, that individual is more likely to come back and also support that organization.”
Mark Fowlie, CEO at AudienceView said that it’s important to “find the appropriate form of communication across the spectrum of pre-event, in-event, and postevent — and do it well so that it leads to the next event.”
Etix introduced thank-you emails in 2014 with the goal of extending the event cycle and what Scanlon calls the afterglow. The following morning after an attendee scans their ticket, they may get an email that thanks them for coming and also includes information about upcoming shows.
“We are seeing two times the email opens and 10-times the email click-through rates on these emails,” said Scanlon. “It’s information that has value to the customer and optimizes the experience for the guest. Not only does it better manage the event life cycle, but increases sponsor value.”
Interviewed for this story: Andrew Dreskin, (952) 240-4012; Mark Fowlie, (416) 489-0092; Barry Kahn, (512) 693-7685; Mark Tacchi, (415) 693-9463 x714; Vince Rieger, (800) 938-8587; Jack Rubin, (888) 643-5778; Dennis Scanlon, (919) 780-8086; Lynne Smith, (480) 726-3581