Box Office Systems
For many audience members, the box office experience might be the only interaction they have with your company. You want to make sure your box office is set up in a welcoming and efficient manner. Consider the community you are trying to reach and what way of purchasing tickets makes the most sense for them.
Know your Inventory
This is the number of tickets you have available to sell. Remember to hold back any comp tickets and media seats.
If you have tickets at different price points, allocate according to your budget goals (for example, in your revenues you might have a goal of selling 25% of your tickets at an Arts Worker rate, and 75% at the Regular rate) and adjust your inventory along the way as necessary.
Also take into consideration if there are group or reduced rates for the accessible performances (ASL performances, Audio Described, etc.).
Online Sales
As with most anything, people now often purchase their tickets to performances and events online in advance. There are many ticketing services available to independent producers that can handle your advance box office needs. Some of them can also integrate easily into your door sales. They usually charge a nominal fee that you can absorb into the ticket price or it can be passed on to your attendee, applied on top of the ticket price.
Plan time to set-up and do a dry-run of your ticketing system before your ticket sales go live so you can troubleshoot any issues.
Compare Service Providers
| Service Provider | Costs/Ticket | Online Notes | Door Notes | Reporting | Getting Paid | Other | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theatre Wire | $2 for tickets $15 and up. $1.50 for tickets $15 and below or small festivals |
They set-up; Coupon codes | iPad provided for inventory and credit card process; Check-in on paper | Max 2x/week; plus daily for each show, Will Call must be printed off | Cheque within 2 weeks with full sales report | Vancouver-based project of the Fringe; Provide you with float and iPad for credit card sales and inventory | February 17 2021 |
| Square Online | 2.9% + 30¢ (swiped) | Self set-up; Coupon codes | Credit card; Inventory tracking; Check-in on paper | As needed | Immediate deposit | Smartphone (iOS and Android) or tablet required to process payment | May 29 2024 |
| Zeffy (previously SimplyK) | No transaction fees | Self set-up | Electronic scannable tickets available | As needed | Deposited to your Stripe account within 7 days | New Montreal-based company, very responsive to questions and customization requests, specifically for non-profits | February 17 2021 |
| Eventbrite | Organizers Pay | Self set-up; Coupon codes | Credit card; Inventory tracking; Check-in integrated | As needed | Direct deposit required | You can choose to pass along the fees to your customer or absorb the fees in the ticket cost | February 17 2021 |
Also checkout:
Showpass (Calgary)
Tickets Tonight (Vancouver)
What's On Tonight (Toronto)
Creative connectors
Door Sales
Be clear in your marketing if tickets will be available at the door on the performance date(s). If you are selling tickets at the door, you will need a Box Office Attendant. That person will require:
a cash float
a box office sales tracking sheet or access to the online ticket system
In-Person Sales
Having physical tickets to sell is still a great way to get an audience because it requires reaching out into the community. You can have a local business sell tickets for you for a percentage of each ticket sold. You can set up a booth at local events like farmers' markets and community fairs. You can also allot tickets to members of your team for selling. This method requires advance coordination with third parties and regular maintenance to ensure your inventory numbers are up to date.
Other considerations to make
If this is an accessible performance, i.e. ASL, audio description, or other accommodations, are being offered, ensure the directions clear, once a ticket is purchased, on how to reserve and pick up a receiver? Do you have signage at your box office that indicates accessibility information, ie. if the venue is accessible, if the box office representatives speak ASL or any other languages that are suitable for the performance? Are washroom signs clear?
