When your New York event client wants you to curate a ticketed event, one of your primary goals as the dedicated event planner is to sell out and pack the house. So, while you’re busy organizing the event details, choosing a theme, booking the vendors, and strategizing the marketing, you’re also going to need a way to sell all those tickets. No matter how great your event is - if there are tickets left unsold, your client will see that as a setback.
So, what can you do as an event planner to improve how you sell tickets and market your event? Keep reading. We’re highlighting all kinds of great methods for selling out every time. Prepare to pack the house and dazzle your clients!
1. Make Tickets Available Everywhere
You can inspire all the ticket buyers, but if the process of buying tickets is complicated or hard to find, you’ll lose interest. Make sure before promoting event tickets that you leverage every platform to sell them. This includes links on your site, within your event app, and on mobile devices. It has to be convenient and easy to secure tickets for everyone if you expect to sell to everyone.
2. Create Exclusivity and Scarcity
When promoting your upcoming event, build every message around timelines, deadlines, and exclusivity. Remind your audience that tickets are limited and sales end soon. Guests will be more attracted to an event that feels hard to get into and exclusive. It’s the fear of missing out (FOMO) that inspires impulse ticket sales.
3. Incentives and Discounts
Start selling event tickets well in advance of your event date. And create incentives and discounts for those who want to take advantage of early-bird specials. Make it cost-effective and impossible to ignore with all the value packed into the deal. Be sure to tap into FOMO by making these discounts time-sensitive, too.
4. Appeal to VIP Clientele with VIP Experiences
Don’t just sell tickets when you can tier and offer various ticketed experiences! Create VIP-level offerings that appeal to an elevated clientele. Maybe early access, special VIP lounge access, or meet and greets are included in your package. As an alternative to general admission, you can sell more tickets to meet upscale guest preferences.
5. Tap Into Your Referral Network
Reach out to your own network of friends, family, colleagues, and vendors with the news of your event. Invite them, but more importantly, ask them to help you spread the word about ticket availability. Deputize as many as you can and expand your reach for more ticket sales.
6. Press Release Your Event Details
Part of your event marketing plan should include press releases. These more “official” statements can lend credibility to your New York event, conference, or fundraiser. And it’s a great asset to share across your online channels for boosted visibility. Use the press release to share major event element announcements, like speakers and entertainers.
7. Dominate Social Media with Excitement
Whatever you’re offering as a discount and whatever you're promoting about your event - do it BIG on social media. Create countdowns to your event to build excitement. Post separately about keynote speaker announcements, gourmet menu options, and behind-the-scenes prep work. Dominate your channels with high-energy content about your event and limited ticket availability.
8. Upsell Existing Ticket Holders
Go back through your attendee list of existing ticket holders. Create an email campaign to reach out with discounts or incentives for additional ticket purchases. Maybe they can bring their colleagues and staff. Or ask them to bring a friend “for less.” These campaigns are always good for a few more tickets sold.
FAQs About Selling Event Tickets
Learn more about selling tickets for all your New York events with this quick roster of Q&A.
What are the best sites for selling event tickets?
Some of the best websites for event ticket sales include Eventbrite, Eventzilla, and Ticketbud.
Can influencer marketing sell more event tickets?
Yes! Find online influencers who have an existing audience or fan base that aligns with your event guest personas. Influencers can reach broader audiences and sell your event with a megaphone.
Do you need paid ads to sell tickets?
You don’t need paid ads to sell out an event. But they do work great for promoting incentives, deadline discounts, and ticketing specials.
Discover the Best Event Strategies at The Expo
Start selling out all of your New York events and winning over your event clients with these tips and insights. And remember, there is always more to learn, especially at The Event Planner Expo! It’s the events industry’s premier conference for high-energy networking, business-boosting opportunities, and growth! Get on the waitlist and be the first to know big announcements as they happen. Trust us. You don’t want to miss what we have in store for 2024.
