Best Way to Create Tickets for a Nonprofit Season

[piedmontsingers]

Hello,

I'm trying to figure out the best way to create tickets for a noprofit arts season. It's for a chorus that does four concerts a year. We have three price points: Adult, Senior, Student.

Would it make sense to have each concert set up as a Item with the price points within it? E.g. Fall Concert Item (Adult, Senior, Student Prices). And put all the Concert Items under a 2016-2017 Season Category?

Thank you.

[Kpay]

@RCT, I thought you might have some good ideas to help out @piedmontsingers with their set up. Thoughts? 

@piedmontsingers - thanks for coming to the community to check in. I'm hoping your fellow sellers will be able to help you out here! 

[RCT]

sorry, didn't see this until now.  Someone at the kickoff party for the art festival last weekend must have been sick and myself and a few others caught the flue.  Just getting back to somewhat normalcy.

My one question would be, are all ticket prices for the 4 concerts the same for each Adult and Senior and Student?

If you are going to have 4 concerts every year, then you would be adding categories every year which seems extra work that won't get you any real info.

Your prices for this year, may be lower than say 2 years from now.   Just like my prices for my art will go up possibly next year compared to this year.

I just go in and change the prices when I decide to raise them but keep the same product within the proper category.

No real need to create a category for each year, because Square creates reports by the time frames you designate.

Is each concert held say Spring of 2016, the same type concert held Spring 2017, 2018 etc?

The one thing I think I would do is create a modifier group with 3 options: Adult, Senior, Student since I am guessing those prices will be the same throughout a full year no matter if its the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th concert for that year.

I'm thinking Spring etc Concerts wouldn't need to know such detailed attendance as would a group selling ticket for plays or movies.

You could always create a test to see if it seems logical for your purpose.

[piedmontsingers]

Hi RCT,

Thank you for responding, I'll try to answer your questions!

>My one question would be, are all ticket prices for the 4 concerts the same for each Adult and Senior and Student?

Yes, they are. (It's just three ticketed concerts, and one free.) But that doesn't mean they wouldn't change in future seasons as they have in the past. I don't see any immediate change coming, though. 

The setup I've gone with right now is a 2016-2017 Season Category with a Fall Concert Item (Adult, Senior, Student Prices), Holiday Concert Item (Adult, Senior, Student Prices), etc.

>Is each concert held say Spring of 2016, the same type concert held Spring 2017, 2018 etc?

Yes, the concerts are ususally held around the same time, but are not on the same dates and not the same type as they have different programs of music. But, there's usually one in the fall, one in winter, one in spring.

>The one thing I think I would do is create a modifier group with 3 options: Adult, Senior, Student since I am guessing those prices will be the same throughout a full year no matter if its the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th concert for that year.

Now this is something I'm unfamiliar with. I'll have to look at what modifier groups are and how to use them to see if it would be a good fit.

>I'm thinking Spring etc Concerts wouldn't need to know such detailed attendance as would a group selling ticket for plays or movies.

Unfortunately or fortunately, as a nonprofit, the more detail the better!

It seems like you're talking about selling pieces of art? When perhaps I more apt analogy would be a movie theater or theater season. I'm not sure. 

Thank you for all your responses and thoughts.

[piedmontsingers]

Hi Kpay,

Thank you for helping!

I think I got a great response from RCT, but I may still be looking for what another nonprofit theater or music ensemble does.

Thank you.

[Kpay]

Totally hear ya, @piedmontsingers. I'll keep an eye out for other music ensembles or theaters.

Even though @RCT isn't a musician (that I know of!) she always has great ideas around setting up Register. Also, if you want to read more about modifiers, this support center article may be helpful for youto get an overview before jumping in and trying out a few setups. 

[RCT]

you are correct @Kpay, although I have played both the piano and guitar and still own both, I don't do it professionally 🙂

But... it all works the same no matter what someone is selling, just have to think of what the outcome needs to be.

I still say the best deal is to create a modifier set for Adult, Senior and Student.

Then create your event ticket and in the description, you could probably type the name of the event.

You create the modifier, then under it create 3 options and put the price for each.

I do that same thing for my art, but instead, my options are framed with glass versus floater frames.

Exact same idea but different uses.

I've designed databases since at least 1990 and understand a lot about working around what a system can do and how to use it to benefit different businesses I have worked 🙂

[RCT]

oh, and since you are new at creating modifier sets, once you create the ticket, be sure to check what modifier you want to use for that ticket.  @piedmontsingers @Kpay

I think I have 3-4 modifiers in my system, but not all apply to every item I sell.  I also sell calendars, so I wouldn't need the option for the customer to frame or put my calendar on canvas 😄  so I don't need modifiers for that item.

[piedmontsingers]

Hello again,

I appreciate the follow-up response, but it isn't making sense to me. How would this work?

Would I create a Fall Concert Tickets (Item), with what as Price? and check the modifiers for the newly created Adult, Senior, and Student prices? When I tried this with a blank ticket price, and put it in the online store it just said it was out of stock and wasn't functional.

I think I'm going to have to stick to what I've set up for now until I better understand how the modifiers work. I would still like to hear from other theaters or arts organizations as well.

Here's our store as it is right now: https://squareup.com/store/piedmont-chamber-singers

Thank you!

[RCT]

ok, i think that may be one thing I don't remember you mentioning, that you were creating an online store 🙂

I thought you were running the credit cards right there and not online.From what I saw

From what I saw for online stores with Square, you can't have $0 for an amount.

oh, wait a second, you have to add an inventory amount to track it.  Since you don't list inventory amount, the online store could think there is no more stock to be sold. I would think I would use the amount of seats you can't sell past.

Once you tell it to track inventory and choose your seat amount, and the amount to alert you when seats are almost sold, then maybe it would work?

I have my own website, so I haven't really promoted my Square online store yet.

I'll check back on your link to see if it works after you set the inventory.

[RCT]

I included a screen shot of my inventory for my calendar and what I checked off so you can see it.

You can also see the modifier sets I have set for mine, so for yours, you would have the option of the different prices of Adult, Senior and Student.

Do you mail out the tickets?  or do they print their receipt and bring it with them to the event?

If you want to create events for each season, so 4 new ones each year, maybe make the item Fall....  etc.

Then in the area of more detailed description, add the title of the event that probably changes each year so it prints out on the receipt, and you also have a record of it later

[piedmontsingers]

I believe I figured it out the best I could, based on what you've written. However, it operates a little strangely for tickets.

I believe the above is what you're leading me to (I set the inventory at 200), but when selecting a ticket the "Add to Cart" price doesn't update until you actually press "Add to Cart." That may be confusing to some of our buyers. Rather than just selecting a ticket, seeing the immediate price update, then clicking "Add to Cart." 

However, I may have set it up wrong. I think what you're describing could be very useful, but I don't think I'm quite there yet with the knowledge and comfortability to implement it. Unfortunately (or fortunately), for this season, I'll think I'll be sticking to what is up there on the store now.

Thank you for all your continued help. And perhaps I'll be able to update this in the future with a "Eurkea" message.

[piedmontsingers]

Yes, sorry. We sell tickets online through the store as well as at the venue at the time of the event.

Also, you're right. I didn't think to set the inventory for this! I'll respond to your other reply as well. Thank you for your continued follow-up.

[JDC]

Hi Peidmontsingers!

I am contemplating a small theater to host events, especially seasonal series, and just posted a Feature Request for this situation.  Please read, comment and share so we can get some traction on the feature being implemented.

Good luck with your series ...  especially during these times...

JDC

https://www.sellercommunity.com/t5/General-Discussion/Feature-Recommendation-Theater-Show-Tickets-Ti...