<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
PR disaster or ticketing triumph? The importance of smooth onsales<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
The biggest events in your season can make or break customers\u2019 experience. Yet the irony for box office teams is that the smoother the onsale, the less attention they receive. <\/p>\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/hubfs\/totoro-onsale-tweets-anonymised.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
When it goes well, customers barely notice the ticket buying experience. They\u2019ve got tickets in their hands, they\u2019ve added the most sought-after merchandise, they\u2019ve received an email telling them where to be and when. Everything feels easy, and they\u2019re focused on the big show!<\/p>\n
When it goes badly, on the other hand, everyone seems to know about it – from executive suite to social media, the conversation can quickly turn negative. That\u2019s unpleasant for box office ticketing teams, especially when there\u2019s little to be done about it in the moment – a surge in incoming ticket requests can quickly overwhelm outdated or flimsy ticketing systems, leading to long queues, frustrated customers, and potential revenue loss. For teams juggling all the pressures of pricing tiers, seating preferences, promotional offers, and presales, even the best laid plans can go quickly awry if your box office software and purchase pathway simply aren\u2019t up to the task.<\/p>\n
And the impact on your reputation shouldn\u2019t be underestimated – loyal attendees are left feeling like venues or promoters don\u2019t care, whilst newer customers can form a snap judgement based on a single negative interaction.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ever-growing onsale capacity<\/h2>\nFigures from a recent Spektrix onsale at The Barbican in London, Europe’s largest arts centre:<\/span><\/h4>\n\n- \n
3,600 <\/strong>transactions confirmed within 30 minutes – two sales every second!<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n- \n
At its peak, 226 transactions <\/strong>were confirmed in single minute – four sales every second!<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n- \n
A queue of 4,236 people<\/span> progressed smoothly and cleared within 25 minutes of sales going live.<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/strong><\/p>\nEvery year, as the Spektrix client base grows, we test the onsale capacity of our system a little bit further. And we haven\u2019t found our limit yet!<\/p>\n
In an approach that\u2019s unique within the arts sector<\/a>, our servers draw on the infinite, adaptable capacity of Microsoft Azure\u2019s elastic pools – allowing us to scale our usage based on demand and make downtime a thing of the past.<\/p>\n\n\u201cSpektrix has revolutionised our approach to ticketing, memberships, and donations. We’ve noticed a significant decrease in complaints regarding the online purchasing process compared to our previous system and we no longer worry about system crashes during onsales. With Spektrix, we’ve elevated our game, transforming challenges into triumphs, complaints into compliments, and revenue streams into rivers of success. It’s simply outstanding.\u201d<\/span> Saratoga Performing Arts Center, New York<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n
What customers want from a smooth ticketing onsale<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
Customers\u2019 expectations seem simple – they want to get hold of tickets, fast, at a price they\u2019re able to pay. But as every box office manager knows, it\u2019s not quite that easy. Ask someone about a good ticketing experience, and they won\u2019t have much to say. Ask them about a bad one, and prepare yourself for the tirade.<\/p>\n
\n- Tickets! <\/strong>Ideally, let customers choose their own seats from a plan – but if your system struggles with onsale overload, you might choose to offer them Best Available seats at their chosen price point.<\/li>\n
- A good queueing experience.<\/strong> Holding people in a queue can speed up live transactions, and even create its own buzz. Spektrix has queueing built in at no extra charge, providing customers with live updates on their position and – critically – moving them securely from website to purchase pathway, with no risk of losing their place in line.<\/li>\n
- Reliable VIP access.<\/strong> Your members are often your biggest spenders and donors. Access to priority onsales is granted in Spektrix the moment an eligible customer logs in – creating a smooth, secure experience for existing members, and upselling VIP access within the purchase pathway to enable instant premium benefits.<\/li>\n
- Trustworthy pricing.<\/strong> Legislation\u2019s rolling out internationally to clamp down on junk fees and hidden charges<\/a>. Whatever the law says for your area, it\u2019s good practice to advertise prices openly and upfront, ensuring visitors aren\u2019t hit with unanticipated add-ons at the end of the purchase path.<\/li>\n
- Accessibility as standard.<\/strong> Disabled customers have the right – legally and ethically – to buy tickets online in the same way as everyone else. Invite people to register their needs in advance using automated tags in Spektrix or integrated national schemes like the the Nimbus Access Card<\/a>, ensuring they can find and purchase tickets that meet their needs – for example, with automatic access to wheelchair spaces, hearing loops, companion seats or other provision.<\/li>\n
- Secure transactions.<\/strong> If customers are buying tickets for your organisation, it\u2019s best for everybody if they purchase through your organisation directly. Big centralised ticket agencies are viewed with increasing suspicion, as stories about excess fees, software failure, data breaches, and ticket touts fill the media. By keeping audiences on your own site throughout ticket purchase and payment, you\u2019ll build their confidence in the process – and shave vital seconds off every transaction with rapid payment options like Google Pay and Apple Pay<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
What venues and promoters want from a smooth ticketing onsale<\/h2>\n
The goals of the box office team may not be all that different from those of your customers. With the right technology, onsale day should be exciting – a moment to enjoy the buzz that surrounds your programme, and to see revenue pouring in.<\/p>\n
\n- Reliable<\/strong> software.<\/strong> If you can\u2019t rely on your ticketing software, any onsale feels daunting. And reliability means many things – a stable platform, a smooth integration with your website, secure transactions, and accurate reporting. With ever-growing capacity, Spektrix provides speed, stability, and security, as well as reconciliations that line up to the penny.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Responsive support.<\/strong> You shouldn\u2019t feel alone in preparing for a big onsale or programme launch. At Spektrix, members of the Client Success team will work with you to plan and deliver a successful season launch, often joining you on a dedicated live chat to share results, respond to questions, or address concerns throughout the day. <\/span><\/li>\n
- Increased revenue.<\/strong> Slow transactions mean lost or delayed revenue. Poor customer experience reduces the chance of repeat visits. And agency sales limit your ability to communicate with your own audience with crucial pre-visit information, upsells, or asks. With evidence that your ticketing system is fast and reliable, it\u2019s easier to convince promoters to keep the bulk of the allocation in-house.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Efficient setup.<\/strong> No matter how complex your seating plans, presales, locks, or price tiers, it should be easy to set up your season. A layered approach to event building means Spektrix users never have to build the same element twice – choose and combine maps, layers, offers, and more, so everything\u2019s ready ahead of time.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Flexible allocations.<\/strong> If part of your inventory\u2019s allocated to high-profile agents like Ticketmaster, See, or TodayTix, they can sell directly from a shared seating plan through the Spektrix API – maximising sales whilst maintaining visibility and control over your inventory.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
With the right ticketing technology in place to do the heavy lifting, you\u2019ll be free to focus on customer experience, with creative campaigns and human touchpoints by phone and at the box office counter.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Power up your ticketing with unlimited server capacity<\/h2>\n
The success or failure of your high volume ticketing onsales depends, above all, on the capability of your ticketing platform. Many arts organisations still rely on technology partners offering a traditional approach to cloud-based software – ring-fenced capacity, still managed by their onsite team. A few may even rely on old-fashioned onsite servers, running from a cupboard in the box office – placing all the effort of maintenance and uptime on you and your team. <\/p>\n
With Spektrix, you benefit from a platform that\u2019s designed to offer reliability, scale, and the most current updates to every user – without any risk, cost, or downtime. In 2020, we undertook a transformative move to host the system using a platform as a service (PaaS) approach. Rather than maintaining our own servers, Spektrix now runs from Microsoft\u2019s serverless Azure database. Azure\u2019s infinite capacity allows us to scale up and down our usage in seconds, giving us all the computing power we need when things get busy, without paying for it when it\u2019s not required. That approach is unique in the world of arts ticketing software, and it\u2019s a solution that benefits everyone: from our users, to their audiences, and to the planet.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Improve the onsale experience for audiences and box office teams<\/h3>\n
If your ticketing technology\u2019s struggling to handle capacity, or creating a negative onsale experience for teams and audience members, it may be time to consider a change. Here are a few questions to ask when you\u2019re assessing current or potential providers.<\/p>\n
Onsale capacity<\/h4>\n\n- How quickly could this system process 1,000 transactions in a seated venue, with customers choosing their own seats?<\/li>\n
- How would you support us before and during a major onsale to ensure its success?<\/li>\n
- If our inventory\u2019s split across multiple promoters, what visibility or control do I have over allocations?<\/li>\n
- Are there any add-on costs to increase server capacity, access support, or manage allocations?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Customer experience<\/h4>\n\n- How are VIP access and presales managed, and what does that purchase pathway look like for customers?<\/span><\/li>\n
- How will your system help us to offer an positive, accessible ticket buying experience to disabled customers?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nBox Office team experience<\/h4>\n\n- How long does it take, on average, to set up a seated event with multiple price tiers and a VIP onsale?<\/li>\n
- What training or support is available to us as we prepare for a major announcement or season launch?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How to ensure your box office software can handle high volume ticketing onsales and maintain great customer experience with supported, powerful technology<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[120],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sector-insights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=757"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":943428,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757\/revisions\/943428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- \n
- \n
3,600 <\/strong>transactions confirmed within 30 minutes – two sales every second!<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
At its peak, 226 transactions <\/strong>were confirmed in single minute – four sales every second!<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
A queue of 4,236 people<\/span> progressed smoothly and cleared within 25 minutes of sales going live.<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n
Every year, as the Spektrix client base grows, we test the onsale capacity of our system a little bit further. And we haven\u2019t found our limit yet!<\/p>\n
In an approach that\u2019s unique within the arts sector<\/a>, our servers draw on the infinite, adaptable capacity of Microsoft Azure\u2019s elastic pools – allowing us to scale our usage based on demand and make downtime a thing of the past.<\/p>\n
\n
\u201cSpektrix has revolutionised our approach to ticketing, memberships, and donations. We’ve noticed a significant decrease in complaints regarding the online purchasing process compared to our previous system and we no longer worry about system crashes during onsales. With Spektrix, we’ve elevated our game, transforming challenges into triumphs, complaints into compliments, and revenue streams into rivers of success. It’s simply outstanding.\u201d<\/span> Saratoga Performing Arts Center, New York<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
What customers want from a smooth ticketing onsale<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
Customers\u2019 expectations seem simple – they want to get hold of tickets, fast, at a price they\u2019re able to pay. But as every box office manager knows, it\u2019s not quite that easy. Ask someone about a good ticketing experience, and they won\u2019t have much to say. Ask them about a bad one, and prepare yourself for the tirade.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Tickets! <\/strong>Ideally, let customers choose their own seats from a plan – but if your system struggles with onsale overload, you might choose to offer them Best Available seats at their chosen price point.<\/li>\n
- A good queueing experience.<\/strong> Holding people in a queue can speed up live transactions, and even create its own buzz. Spektrix has queueing built in at no extra charge, providing customers with live updates on their position and – critically – moving them securely from website to purchase pathway, with no risk of losing their place in line.<\/li>\n
- Reliable VIP access.<\/strong> Your members are often your biggest spenders and donors. Access to priority onsales is granted in Spektrix the moment an eligible customer logs in – creating a smooth, secure experience for existing members, and upselling VIP access within the purchase pathway to enable instant premium benefits.<\/li>\n
- Trustworthy pricing.<\/strong> Legislation\u2019s rolling out internationally to clamp down on junk fees and hidden charges<\/a>. Whatever the law says for your area, it\u2019s good practice to advertise prices openly and upfront, ensuring visitors aren\u2019t hit with unanticipated add-ons at the end of the purchase path.<\/li>\n
- Accessibility as standard.<\/strong> Disabled customers have the right – legally and ethically – to buy tickets online in the same way as everyone else. Invite people to register their needs in advance using automated tags in Spektrix or integrated national schemes like the the Nimbus Access Card<\/a>, ensuring they can find and purchase tickets that meet their needs – for example, with automatic access to wheelchair spaces, hearing loops, companion seats or other provision.<\/li>\n
- Secure transactions.<\/strong> If customers are buying tickets for your organisation, it\u2019s best for everybody if they purchase through your organisation directly. Big centralised ticket agencies are viewed with increasing suspicion, as stories about excess fees, software failure, data breaches, and ticket touts fill the media. By keeping audiences on your own site throughout ticket purchase and payment, you\u2019ll build their confidence in the process – and shave vital seconds off every transaction with rapid payment options like Google Pay and Apple Pay<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
What venues and promoters want from a smooth ticketing onsale<\/h2>\n
The goals of the box office team may not be all that different from those of your customers. With the right technology, onsale day should be exciting – a moment to enjoy the buzz that surrounds your programme, and to see revenue pouring in.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Reliable<\/strong> software.<\/strong> If you can\u2019t rely on your ticketing software, any onsale feels daunting. And reliability means many things – a stable platform, a smooth integration with your website, secure transactions, and accurate reporting. With ever-growing capacity, Spektrix provides speed, stability, and security, as well as reconciliations that line up to the penny.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Responsive support.<\/strong> You shouldn\u2019t feel alone in preparing for a big onsale or programme launch. At Spektrix, members of the Client Success team will work with you to plan and deliver a successful season launch, often joining you on a dedicated live chat to share results, respond to questions, or address concerns throughout the day. <\/span><\/li>\n
- Increased revenue.<\/strong> Slow transactions mean lost or delayed revenue. Poor customer experience reduces the chance of repeat visits. And agency sales limit your ability to communicate with your own audience with crucial pre-visit information, upsells, or asks. With evidence that your ticketing system is fast and reliable, it\u2019s easier to convince promoters to keep the bulk of the allocation in-house.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Efficient setup.<\/strong> No matter how complex your seating plans, presales, locks, or price tiers, it should be easy to set up your season. A layered approach to event building means Spektrix users never have to build the same element twice – choose and combine maps, layers, offers, and more, so everything\u2019s ready ahead of time.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Flexible allocations.<\/strong> If part of your inventory\u2019s allocated to high-profile agents like Ticketmaster, See, or TodayTix, they can sell directly from a shared seating plan through the Spektrix API – maximising sales whilst maintaining visibility and control over your inventory.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
With the right ticketing technology in place to do the heavy lifting, you\u2019ll be free to focus on customer experience, with creative campaigns and human touchpoints by phone and at the box office counter.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Power up your ticketing with unlimited server capacity<\/h2>\n
The success or failure of your high volume ticketing onsales depends, above all, on the capability of your ticketing platform. Many arts organisations still rely on technology partners offering a traditional approach to cloud-based software – ring-fenced capacity, still managed by their onsite team. A few may even rely on old-fashioned onsite servers, running from a cupboard in the box office – placing all the effort of maintenance and uptime on you and your team. <\/p>\n
With Spektrix, you benefit from a platform that\u2019s designed to offer reliability, scale, and the most current updates to every user – without any risk, cost, or downtime. In 2020, we undertook a transformative move to host the system using a platform as a service (PaaS) approach. Rather than maintaining our own servers, Spektrix now runs from Microsoft\u2019s serverless Azure database. Azure\u2019s infinite capacity allows us to scale up and down our usage in seconds, giving us all the computing power we need when things get busy, without paying for it when it\u2019s not required. That approach is unique in the world of arts ticketing software, and it\u2019s a solution that benefits everyone: from our users, to their audiences, and to the planet.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Improve the onsale experience for audiences and box office teams<\/h3>\n
If your ticketing technology\u2019s struggling to handle capacity, or creating a negative onsale experience for teams and audience members, it may be time to consider a change. Here are a few questions to ask when you\u2019re assessing current or potential providers.<\/p>\n
Onsale capacity<\/h4>\n
- \n
- How quickly could this system process 1,000 transactions in a seated venue, with customers choosing their own seats?<\/li>\n
- How would you support us before and during a major onsale to ensure its success?<\/li>\n
- If our inventory\u2019s split across multiple promoters, what visibility or control do I have over allocations?<\/li>\n
- Are there any add-on costs to increase server capacity, access support, or manage allocations?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Customer experience<\/h4>\n
- \n
- How are VIP access and presales managed, and what does that purchase pathway look like for customers?<\/span><\/li>\n
- How will your system help us to offer an positive, accessible ticket buying experience to disabled customers?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
Box Office team experience<\/h4>\n
- \n
- How long does it take, on average, to set up a seated event with multiple price tiers and a VIP onsale?<\/li>\n
- What training or support is available to us as we prepare for a major announcement or season launch?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How to ensure your box office software can handle high volume ticketing onsales and maintain great customer experience with supported, powerful technology<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[120],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sector-insights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=757"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":943428,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757\/revisions\/943428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spektrix.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- How will your system help us to offer an positive, accessible ticket buying experience to disabled customers?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- How are VIP access and presales managed, and what does that purchase pathway look like for customers?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Responsive support.<\/strong> You shouldn\u2019t feel alone in preparing for a big onsale or programme launch. At Spektrix, members of the Client Success team will work with you to plan and deliver a successful season launch, often joining you on a dedicated live chat to share results, respond to questions, or address concerns throughout the day. <\/span><\/li>\n
- A good queueing experience.<\/strong> Holding people in a queue can speed up live transactions, and even create its own buzz. Spektrix has queueing built in at no extra charge, providing customers with live updates on their position and – critically – moving them securely from website to purchase pathway, with no risk of losing their place in line.<\/li>\n
- \n