The event industry is booming. As a result, the market for event ticketing software is as competitive as ever. If you’re looking for an event management solution or a way to make online ticket sales, it’s important to make sure that the platform you choose has all the features you need to run successful events
Ticketing software for events can be a powerful tool, but it is not a one-size-fits-all type of technology. Event organisers need to be sure they choose the right solution for their event, but it’s not always easy to find the right provider.
So to make it easier for event planners, we’ve put together eight must-have features to look for when it comes to choosing a ticketing solution for your events.
1. Streamlined Event Setup
An efficient event setup gives you more time to focus on the things that matter. The last thing you want to happen is a delay in setting up for an event.
A powerful solution only works when its tools can be easily used and executed by the user. Your online ticketing system should help you create and sell tickets to your events quickly and easily.
Look out for a solution that’s packed with features but has a simple-to-navigate, user-friendly dashboard. You should have a clear overview of your event, so you can identify and manage issues straight away.
A simple interface and guided setup will help to streamline the entire event and ticket management process.
Key features to look out for:
2. White Label Ticketing and Customisation
White Label Ticketing means you can add your own logo to the software so that you can have complete control over your tickets, your brand and your customers. If you’ve got an established brand and loyal customer base, then you’ll want to take a close look at the benefits of white label ticketing.
Using white label ticketing software allows you to sell event tickets online whilst keeping your own branding. You’re able to customise the process to sell tickets through your own event website.
The branded box office is embedded onto your site, and you’re able to sell tickets without redirecting customers to external web addresses. This gives you the opportunity to avoid third-party sites (like Eventbrite) exposing your customers to competitor events.
Key features to look out for:
3. Multiple Payment Gateways
In the past, businesses were limited to accepting payments through credit cards or debit cards. But digital wallet and mobile payments are on the rise, and brands are taking notice. Since the introduction of convenient payment processing options like Google Pay, Stripe and PayPal, online customers now have different payment method preferences.
Today, brands need to support as many popular traditional and mobile payment options (for both Android and iOS) as they can on their site. Your event ticketing software should have existing integrations with multiple payment providers so you can avoid losing customers at the final stage of checkout.
Advanced event ticketing systems even integrate with more local and lesser-known payment providers so you can accept payments globally. You should pick a solution that offers secure, convenient and buyer-centric payment options.
Key features to look out for:
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Convenient payment gateways
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Existing payment integrations
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International transaction options
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Seamless checkout experience
4. Event Check-In
A quick and seamless check-in process makes a massive difference to the event experience. Without check-in measures in place, attendees can waste time standing in line on arrival.
A solution that bridges the gap between ticket sales with event check-in can help you speed up the verification and even prevent fraud. Look out for a ticketing system that comes integrated with a QR ticket scanning app, which makes event check-in easier than ever.
Scanning a ticket from a smartphone couldn’t be easier. Attendees receive tickets direct from their devices, and venues just scan a QR code on arrival for automatic validation. An integrated system keeps everything in sync so you can prevent attendees from re-using the same ticket – helping to keep you free of fraudulent and duplicate sales.
Key features to look out for:
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Ticket scanning app
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Offline Scanning
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Guestlist capabilities
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Attendee reporting
5. Analytics and reporting
To make the most of your event, it's important to keep the momentum going even after it’s over. Reporting and analytics can provide a pulse on the performance of your event, and unearth opportunities to improve future events.
At times, the amount of data about attendees and the event can seem overwhelming. With the right event ticketing platform, you can access available data in a way that’s most meaningful to you.
Event platforms with ready to go reporting tools can help do all the hard work for you. It’s much easier to gain insight into sales, attendance and payment reports when you're not drowning in spreadsheets.
Managing your events and data in one platform can help you stay on top of your most important analytics. Link your entire event overview from pre-sale, real-time, and post-event action from one dashboard to make smarter decisions.
Key features to look out for:
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Custom reports
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Visual dashboard
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Export functionality
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Real-time data sync
6. Email Marketing
The live events industry loves email marketing. 40% of event marketers believe email marketing is the most effective channel for promoting an event. Email solutions have gotten smarter, more flexible, and easier to use.
It’s important that platforms integrate with email marketing tools so that event organisers can manage live campaigns in one place. With the help of this function, you can keep your customer database updated, and avoid having to re-upload your list for every new campaign.
Emails are a great way to strengthen your brand recognition, ensuring better engagement with existing fans and luring in new customers. Having the ability to design custom emails can help you to stay on your target audience's mind even after the event has ended.
Key features to look out for:
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Custom email builder
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Email automation
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Mailing list management
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Campaign statistics
8. Fees customisation
Online ticketing fees are rising and are becoming a source of friction between event owners, attendees and platforms. Event owners hate this, but some ticketing providers force organisers to pay ticketing fees with every ticket sold.
However, the tide is changing and some ticketing providers are offering a choice of who pays those fees. Event organisers can pass the fee to buyers’ tickets as a surcharge on the ticket price.
Look out for ticketing systems that have this feature already available, so you enable or disable your fee preferences from event to event.
Key features:
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Fee flexibility
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Absorb or pass on fees
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Low pricing
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No hidden fees
The best event ticketing software you’ll find
At MyCityTickets, we believe that event organisers deserve a full-service experience when they’re managing their events. That’s why we offer the most complete event management software on the market. We believe in keeping our prices low and providing the best customer service to go with it.
No matter what ticket types you’re selling, whether it’s an in-person festival, virtual event, or hybrid event, you’ll benefit from a proper online event ticketing system. Whether a corporate festival or non-profit fundraiser, you’ll want a platform with smart workflows and timely payouts. Even running free events can be streamlined when you switch from paper tickets to e-tickets in a mobile app, for example.
Before you get started, it’s highly recommended that you do your research, and that’s why we’re happy to provide you with these helpful tips in achieving the best results. But we do have to recommend MyCityTickets as the best possible solution for your ticketing needs.
Why not talk to our customer support team to find out how we can revolutionise your next event?
