Advance ticket sales
Advance ticket sales exist so that you know roughly how many people are coming while there is still time to do something about it.
Advance ticket sales means selling places before the day of the event itself, usually online and often at a lower rate than at the entrance. The value is as much in the information as in the money: a count a fortnight out tells you how much to cook, how many staff to book and whether to promote harder.
Why selling early is worth a discount
An early rate buys you certainty. Someone who has paid is far more likely to turn up than someone who has said they might, and knowing the number two weeks out is what lets a kitchen order food and a club night book the right number of staff.
A presale also spreads the work. Selling eight hundred places in the last hour puts every one of those transactions in front of a volunteer at the busiest moment of the evening, which is precisely when mistakes get made.
The traps in early rates
The first is leaving the cheap rate open too long. If the early price is still available on the day, nobody had a reason to commit early, and you gave away the margin without buying any certainty in return.
The second is overselling against a room you have not measured. Advance sales feel like free money until the fire officer counts the seats. Set the number of places from the room, not from the demand, and close the sale when it is reached.
Advance sales with Passavo
Each price can have its own start and end date, so an early price ends by itself without anyone remembering to switch it off. The regular price then takes over automatically, and the change is visible in the shop.
Numbers sold so far are visible per ticket type, which is the figure you actually want when deciding whether to promote again. With time slots, places left are counted against the capacity you set, so a slot closes itself when it is full.
Also searched for as
- presale
- early bird tickets
- pre-booked tickets
- selling in advance
Common questions
Can we close advance sales the day before?
Yes. An online price can end on the date you choose, and you can take a ticket type off sale by hand at any moment. Many organisers close online sales the day before so the door list is final before anyone travels to the venue.
Can the desk price differ from the online price?
Yes. A ticket type can have one price online and another at the desk, so buying in advance can be cheaper than paying at the door.