Ticketing & Sales

Selling tickets should be boring (in a good way). Set a fair price, share a link that looks like you, get paid quickly, and move on with your day.

For Indie Producers: Branding matters. Your checkout should feel like your vibe — not like you’re renting space on a marketplace.

Pricing That Works (Without Math Headaches)

Pick a simple approach and commit. Three reliable options:

• Cost‑Plus: (hard costs + time value) / seats + buffer → round to a clean number.
• Value‑Based: Price the transformation, not the minutes. If the outcome is worth $100 to your attendee, $29–$49 can be a steal.
• Market Anchor: Look at comparable local events, then choose a confident, simple price.

Two quick scenarios:

• Craft workshop: costs $120, 20 seats. Cost‑plus says breakeven at $6; charge $25–$35 to pay yourself and fund the next one.
• Intimate dinner: costs $450, 14 seats. If the experience is “special night out,” $45–$75 makes sense more than $29.

Fees: Flat Beats Percent (Here’s Why)

Percent fees punish success and chew slim margins. Flat fees are predictable.

Example: 20 tickets at $25 each

• Percent‑fee model (7% + $1 per ticket): 20 × (25×0.07 + 1) = 20 × (1.75 + 1) = $55 in fees.
• Flat $1 per ticket: 20 × 1 = $20 in fees.

Same event, wildly different take‑home. For small events, predictability matters.

Smart Tiers & Discounts

• Keep it simple: Early Bird, General, Supporter. Example: 10 early bird, rest general, 5 supporter seats.
• Discounts with purpose: partners, alumni, or last‑minute fill. Cap usage so you don’t erase margin.
• Waitlist: When sold out, collect interest and offer any released seats automatically.

Checkout Best Practices (Conversion Cheats)

• Fewer fields = more sales. Name, email, payment. That’s it.
• Mobile‑first. Test the whole flow on your phone.
• Clear refund policy in one sentence.
• Friendly microcopy: “Got a friend coming? Add a seat in one tap.”
• Calendar add and clear confirmation page. No mystery.
• Payments: offer fast, secure options (Apple/Google Pay where available).

For Growth Marketers: Use UTM links. Add a pixel if you must, but keep it respectful. Export buyers to your email list with consent.

Payouts & Cash Flow

Fast, secure payouts matter. It’s how you buy ingredients, pay the band, or book the next room without floating costs on your personal card. Favor platforms that move money quickly and transparently.

Refunds, Transfers, and No‑Shows

• Post a plain‑English policy: refund window, transfer rules, day‑of expectations.
• Default kind. Offer transfers over refunds when possible; it keeps goodwill and revenue.
• No‑shows happen. A waitlist helps you backfill.

Fraud & Oversell Guardrails

• Watch for multiple high‑value orders from the same card/IP.
• Cap per‑order quantity if your events are small.
• Keep an eye on chargeback patterns and have a simple dispute process.

Data & Integrations (Keep It Light)

• Track sources with UTM parameters.
• Export attendee CSVs and tag by event in your email tool.
• If you’re running ads, verify conversions — but don’t let tracking run your life.

Day‑One vs. Next‑Level

• Day‑One: one price, one page, simple checkout, fast payouts, clear refund policy.
• Next‑Level: early‑bird + general + supporter, waitlist, partner codes, branded checkout, automated confirmations, post‑event survey.

Quick Checklist

• [ ] Price chosen with enough margin
• [ ] Simple tiers or early‑bird (optional)
• [ ] Branded checkout with minimal fields
• [ ] Clear refund/transfer policy
• [ ] Fast, secure payouts confirmed
• [ ] UTM links and basic export set up

Common Pitfalls

• Racing to “dynamic pricing” instead of nailing the basics.
• Hiding fees until the last step (buyers hate surprises).
• Collecting more data than you need (lowers conversion, adds risk).

For Ops Captains: Practice the check‑in flow. QR + name search + manual override. Backups matter more than bells and whistles.