1. Distribution of Event Tickets -Notes What We Need to Know About It Basics Part 1.

2. Source: Karen A. Smith, The Distribution of Event Tickets, Event Management (2007) Vol. 10, pp.185-196.

3. What is ticket distribution? It involves the booking and purchasing mechanisms that link the event and the attendees.

4. What do we know about ticket buying behaviour? Advance ticket buying behaviour dominates with tickets mainly purchased through ticketing agents. In-person-booking is preferred, followed by telephone, mail, Internet, and fax channels. Tickets are also distributed direct to members & there is some bundling of packages through tourism intermediaries.

5. What are attendees’ preferences for different distribution channels influenced by? Convenience Availability Membership relationships Personal service Location

6. What does distribution mean? Distribution is “what makes the product available” by creating the link between the supplier (the event organiser) and the consumer (the event attendee).

7. What does “place” mean in the marketing mix? Place in the marketing mix has a dual meaning referring to both the event venue or location and the distribution of tickets.

8. What are the tickets? A token allowing access to an event. They give the holder the right to occupy a certain seat at a certain time, and can act as a receipt for payment.

9. What does ticketing mean for the event consumer or for the event organizer? For the event consumer ticketing can be an integral part of their satisfaction with the event experience. For the event organizer ticketing is an income generation, logistical, and distribution issue.

10. The importance of ticketing! Ticketing is often the first contact between the customer and the event organizers, or their representatives, and for event attendees the ticketing process can be fraught with difficulties. Problems with ticketing can impact on both the event image and sales! “By better understanding the purchasing behaviour of attendees, event organisers can be more effective in planning and executing a strategy for maximising ticket sales and yield or increasing the attendance by particular target markets.”

11. What are the roles of ticketing? income generation (including advance ticket sales) visitor management (including capacity and safety) facilitating collaboration between partners (eg. packages covering different venues within a festival, or joint transport-and-events tickets) relationship building (including advance ticket sales to certain audience groups, such as friends/members) marketing planning and relationship marketing (through data capture opportunities for eg. mail-list) yield management (through managing advance sales, price variations or modifications to the marketing mix in response to demand) customer relationship management.

12. Why are ticket sales important? “Ticket sales influence not only the financial success, or failure, of an event, but also its image and the relationship between the event and its community.”

13. What are the advantages of advance tickets? They provide cash-flow for the event! Can reduce the effects of external forces, such as weather, on walk-up demand. They also reduce the logistical & security problems of at-the-gate sales.

14. What are the free-admission tickets? Free admission events advance tickets can be a useful reminder of the date and time. May be required when site capacity is an issue.

15. Distribution... Effective and efficient distribution of tickets is crucial! Supovitz (2005) “it is essential to make it easy and convenient for potential buyers to purchase their tickets and encourage them to act immediately.”