Create the Ticket Types You Want to Sell
Shows you how to create ticket types by defining when and where they will be sold, how many people will be admitted using the ticket, the cost and number of tickets available for sale.
Important: Ticket Types should be created for Bidding/Admission tickets only. Each Admission ticket will generate a bidder number and the software will prevent multiple tickets from being issued to the same person (matching name and email) so non-bidding tickets such as raffle and pre/post event party tickets must be set up as items, available as add on purchases during the registration process.
To manage ticket types:
Go to Admin > Site Settings > Ticket Sales > Ticket Types
Define Variables for Each Ticket Type:
1. Ticket Name to display on Ticket Menu
2. Price
3. FMV - Fair Market Value (Required) FMV is the consideration (value) received, generally considered to be the value of the meal/refreshments plus any "goodies" provided to ticket holders. If the price of a ticket exceeds FMV, the excess is generally considered a tax-deductible contribution. Example: Sponsorship is deductible for amount exceeding the FMV.
4. Guests - The number of guests who will gain admission to the event with this ticket type. Each guest on the ticket will be issued their own bidder number unless the Share bidder number? box is checked below
5. Quantity - How many of this type of ticket do you want to sell?
6. How many of this type of ticket can someone purchase in a single transaction (max = 20). The first step of the ticket purchase process is to select the quantity of a ticket to buy. This number determines the choices in the dropdown menu.
7. Check to link all bidders on this ticket to a shared bidder number.
- Tip #1: Include a message in the description field as shown above with instructions for couples who want their own bidder number.
- Tip #2: If you price a couples ticket at a lower price than buying 2 single tickets, friends will buy couples tickets then ask for their own bidder numbers at check-in, creating extra work and confusion. Add a Pairs ticket type with the same price but separate bidder numbers.
8. All ticket types are available for your team to sell/enter internally (from Tickets > Sell a Ticket). You must designate tickets to appear on the Online Ticket menu if desired.
9. These fields display only when the Sell Online box is checked. Leave the fields blank to allow sales anytime or Set the date/time you want this ticket to appear and disappear from the online ticket form.
10. All ticket types are available for your team to sell/enter internally (from Tickets > Sell a Ticket). You must designate tickets to appear on the Sell Ticket menu on the check-in screen.
11. Optional field: enter desired ticket details/description and check box to display on the Ticket Menu at Admin > Site Settings > Ticket Sales > Customize Registration Forms.
12. Internal notes
13. Save your changes.
Repeat for each Ticket Type you wish to sell.
Examples of commonly used ticket types:
Your site has the most common ticket types set up as default entries which you can edit or delete as desired. Described below are some additional common types (only the variations and atypical settings are noted).
Early Bird: Encourage guests to buy tickets in a timely fashion by setting up ticket types with prices that escalate as event nears.
For example:
- $40 Early Bird (ends 30 days prior to event)
- $50 Regular
- $75 Tickets at Door
In addition to getting guests to commit early, the early money can be used to cover event costs, and "early" attendees can help sell their neighbors on the idea of coming to your event.
- Priced at a discount
- Specify an end date for selling the discounted tickets. It's also a good idea to edit the regular tickets' dates to start selling only once the Early Bird options have expired.
Sponsorships: the best way to record/sell sponsorships that include comp tickets.
- Create a Ticket Name that refers to the sponsor level eg: Bronze Sponsor
- Price = cost of sponsorship level
- FMV = FMV of tickets and any Ad Sales included in the package.
- Guests = number of comp tickets provided at that level.
- Description - detail all the perqs included in a Sponsorship at that level.
Sponsor a Teacher:
1. We recommend setting these up as Items for sale during ticket purchase rather than as an admission ticket.
2. Advantages of selling as an item:
- Ticket orders (and thus tickets) have buyer information embedded in the record. Since your goal is to offset the cost of teacher tickets, selling as items allows you to collect the revenue in an anonymous (to the teacher) manner.
- Avoids the expectation that someone is sponsoring a particular teacher.
- Allows you to create and assign the number and type of tickets you need for attending teachers (and their guests) rather than searching for sponsor tickets that must be edited to assign.
3. See How to Sponsor a Teacher Ticket.
Wrist Bands/Activity Passes/Raffle Tickets etc:
- Be aware that Ticket Types are designed for admission and will issue a bidder number for each guest on a ticket. If bidder numbers are irrelevant to your event, then you can set up tickets for whatever you wish to sell and simply ignore the bidder numbers. If you will be using bidder numbers for an auction component, then create Ticket Types for admission/bidder tickets only and sell all other "add-on" tickets as Sellable Items available during registration and/or check-in instead.