Ticketing software proposal 2013

Ticketing Software Proposal Swift Creek Mill Theatre December 2013

What is Ticketing Software?

The computer program/software that:

 Enables ticket sales in the office and online  Stores sales data and patron data paperlessly and securely

 Provides tickets, gift certificates, DONATIONS,

SUBSCRIPTIONS and possibly merchandise sales

 Many ticketing software providers are available, creating a competitive environment and robust options for every type of user

Why Do We Use Ticketing Software?  To facilitate and potentially increase ticket sales  To save time and money (and trees)  To make record keeping easer  To offer a better customer experience  To make reporting easier (for sales, accounting, grants, etc.)

 To offer online sales  To be competitive with other venues

Why Do We Use Ticketing Software?

Moving forward, two imperatives for having good ticketing technology are:

1. To increase revenue 2. To allow quality reporting for internal analyses and grant funding

Stewardship A good ticketing system enables the organization to use resources and time more wisely. One that no longer “fits� does the opposite.

Stewardship  The theatre has maintained the current ticketing software for over six years.

 The typical lifespan of computer technology is 5 years, depending on its usefulness and ability to be upgraded and integrated with other necessary components.

 The current system is no longer upgradable and requires replacement.

Current System Background  Purchased in 2007  Custom built locally as a software solution by a DBA, a web developer and a website host

 Fulfilled the technology needs at that time  Platform on which the software is built has

performed according to its original design, but as now reached is limit in scalability and flexibility

Current System – Pro’s:  Organized workflow for ticket sales and will-call  Transitioned The Mill to competitive ticket and gift certificate sales methods

 Owned outright by The Mill – only ongoing costs are hosting, support and upgrades

 Reservations staff is trained on the current system  Allows for reporting  Makes online ticket sales possible

Current System – Con’s:  Requires intensive training  Not intuitive or “user-friendly”  Unable to print tickets directly from software – tickets must be manually printed, stocked and organized by employees

 Unable to edit orders (i.e. for group sales and for

exchanges) – order must be deleted and recreated, or payments noted into separate “Check-In” module

 Unable to accept multiple coupons/gift certificates in one transaction

Current System – Con’s:  Booking subscribers is a difficult, multi-step process  Subscriptions cannot be purchased online  Loading shows or events is a time-consuming process  Generating certain reports can be complicated  Patrons have complained about the online experience  No password reset feature for online patrons – must call  Gift certificates purchased online are unattractive and can be mistaken as a receipt

 Double bookings have occurred more than once

What Do the Proposed Options Offer?  Ease of use  Fast training and ongoing training  Easy and quick show/event loading  Multiple staff user settings  Editable orders – WILL BE USED FREQUENTLY  Donation processing and donor tracking  Email marketing

What Do the Proposed Options Offer?  Track patrons within groups or organizations  Create custom groups, such as “Donor”, “VIP” or “Sponsor”

 Renewable donations and subscriptions  Sell multiple subscription types ONLINE – no multistep process for reservationists to book a sub!

 Reserved AND general admission seating

What Do the Proposed Options Offer?  Unlimited customer service included – like having additional employees

 Print at home tickets  Office can print directly to paper or ticket stock or thermal

 Scanning option or manual check-in – SCANNING WILL REDUCE LINES AT DOOR

 Invoicing for group sales  Gift Certificates AND passes

How Do We Pay for This?  $2.00 service charge is already in place, can be

increased, if necessary, in subsequent seasons; whatever fee structure can be easily implemented

 If in the future we use a fee structure of $3.00,

which will cover the cost of ALL the ticket system fees, AND the cost to print out the paper tickets, not to mention the convenience patrons will have to print their own tickets, if desired. (Note: Hanover Tavern charges $40 per theatre ticket plus $4.50 fee for “Standard” seating.)

But Wait… There’s More!  Anticipated in 2014: Existing ticket price increase

from 2013-2014 will increase revenue by $50,000, + $50,000 from Chesterfield, + up to $100,000 from VCA, + other grants and increased donor base = elimination of deficit and investment back into The Mill

 SO, there is a real possibility that by waiting to

adjust the fees, we can implement the software improvements with NO costs passed on to the patrons!

EFFICIENCY AND ACCURACY Satisfied patrons are the best source of revenue growth‌ and that marketing is 100% free.