Buying an arts ticketing and CRM system

Spektrix compared with Patron Management

The benefits of a stable, single-platform solution that's focused on your success

Everything you could ask in a complete package

A unified system

Every feature of Spektrix is built and maintained in-house - so you're using one system, not two

Created for you

Built by and for arts professionals, Spektrix is committed to your long-term success

All-inclusive

Never any additional charges or caps: from support to seat maps, everything's included

The complete solution for marketing, ticketing, fundraising, and CRM

Patron Management (formerly Patron Manager) is built as an add-on to Salesforce, providing event ticketing and donation tools on top of a separate customer relationship management system. That provides access to powerful underlying technology - but creates a weak point in the system, as updates or infrastructure changes can easily break the connection.

In Spektrix, all of your business-critical tools are built within a single platform, designed around the needs of arts and entertainment organizations and managed in-house to the highest standards. That creates a solution that's intuitive to learn, constantly developing, and almost completely reliable.

a desktop showcasing the purchase path on Spektrix user Two River Theater's website

Streamlined sales, loyalty, and reattendance

In Spektrix, inspire reattendance and regular giving, with a choice of website solutions designed to drive success.

Whether you choose a branded, white label site or a fully integrated purchase pathway, you'll give customers the confidence to select seats, buy and redeem subscriptions, or pre-order concessions. Personalized upsell prompts, a choice of multibuys and packages, and tailored incentives give you all the tools you need to drive revenue online and at your box office counter.

a report builder in Spektrix with a mouse dragging different criteria in to seamlessly access useful insights

At-a-glance insights, at your fingertips

Whatever you need to know about spending patterns, audience behaviors, or sales trends, it's easy to report on in Spektrix.

On top of a standard suite of 40+ reports, drag-and-drop filters make it simple to segment data and dig deep into reports. And if you need more, get in touch. We'll work with you to design and build custom reports, at no additional cost.

a dotdigital email with two different options for dynamic content based on different customer tags

Fully branded, connected communications

Through Spektrix, dynamic email marketing is part of the solution - meaning you can tag and segment patrons, build lists and send personalized, high-impact emails from a single, supported interface. 

Create your own templates and email designs with a simple, drag-and-drop editor, centering your creative brand with no html required.

a timeline with different donation prompts converting a lapsed donor into an active donor based on their customer tag

Fundraising tools designed for non-profits

In Spektrix, a dedicated fundraising interface gives development teams all the tools they need to manage low-level donors, major supporters, legacies, and grants. 

View giving history alongside purchasing patterns and engagement data, to enjoy a complete view of patron behavior. And with a CRM designed for non-profits, and not for commercial sales, you can be confident in a partner that understands your needs.

Always up, always updated

Eight engineering teams work side by side to keep Spektrix live and up to date, developing new features, system improvements, and the underlying architecture that keeps the system stable and secure.

With every element of the software built and managed in-house, there's almost no system downtime, and users receive updates and releases almost every day - with no disturbance to teams or audiences. 

 

a strong bridge representing stability and reliability laid over a rising bar graph to represent growth for Spektrix users

Make the most of every feature

There's little value in having great features if you don't know how to make the most of them. Spektrix users love the intuitive tools, single-screen sales interface, and drag-and-drop reporting, making it easier for every team member to achieve more.

And if you do need guidance, expert support is available quickly and at no extra charge. Comprehensive online resources, bespoke training, practical support, and strategic consultancy are all part of our commitment to sector success.

a watering can surrounded by different icons representing different aspects of the Spektrix product pouring water on a ticket plant to symbolize growth

SPEKTRIX - PATRON MANAGEMENT

The key differences, at a glance

Spektrix is more than a complete software platform; it's a unified solution, in which support, training, and industry expertise are just as important as technology. Since day one, it's been committed to serving the unique needs of the arts and entertainment sector, giving users confidence that new features, opportunities, and business decisions will focus on the priorities of theaters, arts centers, and event venues like their own.

Patron Management has had a more fragmented story. Salesforce is a big name in business CRM, trusted by hundreds of commercial companies and major industry players. By building a ticketing system on top of that existing infrastructure, the system connects with powerful reporting tools and a huge range of potential tech partners. However, that capacity comes at a cost - everything hinges on the integration with Salesforce, creating weak points in both the technical infrastructure and support. 

Spektrix


A complete software and support solution, focused on your long-term success

  • Founder-owned and managed, Spektrix is a purpose-driven business and certified B Corp, focused on supporting the cultural sector and its audiences.
  • Market-leading features include a dedicated fundraising interface and loyalty programs such as season subscriptions and multibuy packages, driving reattendance and ever-closer relationships.
  • All-inclusive service fees include training, support, email marketing, and payment gateways, as well as unlimited users and all new features and upgrades.
  • Choose from a range of approaches to build great online sales journeys, and a wide network of integrated partner products selected to meet arts organizations' needs.
  • Users love the ease of use, access to support, and unified tools - driving powerful data and personalized communications from a single system.

Patron Management

A ticketing add-on to big business CRM

  • A subsidiary of Leap Event Technology, Patron Management relies on Leap and Salesforce to maintain software, integrations, and support.
  • Baseline tools for ticketing and online donations work well, but there are few opportunities to drive loyalty, build relationships, or manage a connected fundraising pipeline.
  • Most services are included, but there are often additional charges for email marketing, seating plans, or additional system users.
  • The Salesforce App Exchange offers hundreds of potential integrations, many of them focused on e-commerce and major industries.
  • Users like the simplicity of core tools and access to Salesforce dashboards, but can feel limited by the lack of subscriptions, packages, and integrated engagement data.

A GROWING COMMUNITY

Who's made the switch from Patron Management to Spektrix?

Chicago Opera Theater, a text logo in white and purple on black The Carnegie Gallery Education Theatre Oberlin College and Conservatory, logo in serif font with dark red accents Woodstock Arts, a text logo fading from light font to heavy Geva Theatre logo, in dark red serif font Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF Transcendence Theatre Company logo, featuring a phoenix-like bird drawn in trailing orange flames Theatre Silco, white text against a sky blue quadrilateral Chattanooga Symphony & Opera logo, illustrated with stylized initials in dark red Chicago Sinfonietta, in orange in a contemporary font The word Juilliard, in light white font, against a deep blue square Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, written in modern black capitals Orpheus Chamber Orchestra logo New Village Arts logo, a circle containing angular shapes in blues and grays, reminiscent of mountains and of the organization's initials

USER REVIEWS

What do arts professionals say about Spektrix?

“Hands down this is the BEST ticketing system I have ever used. Best support, best functionality, best people, everything."
Dane Granholm, Elgin Community College
"It’s not just the ease of donation for people, it’s also, from our point of view, the ease of knowing who donated when and at what point point in their customer journey. We’ve been able to start segmenting our audience massively on that information. It’s been invaluable in that sense."
Abbi Roberts, Mercury Theatre
“I think this rate of membership sales is by virtue of it just being incorporated a bit more smoothly into the purchase path, there's a nice website, Spektrix having it all integrated matters quite a bit. Before it was several steps, and those steps were not necessarily clear.”
Brian Glass, Performing Arts Houston

Partnerships built around your needs

Salesforce is a powerhouse of CRM technology, driving corporate growth with hundreds of powerful integrations. For organizations with the right skills and capacity, it can support real business transformation.

Most of the arts organizations we speak to are looking for a balance of reliable, relevant technology with great support and ease of use. IT support may be limited, teams are often stretched, and it's hard to find the time to learn new things.

That's why Spektrix prioritizes the partnerships that can offer a relevant, affordable service to the organizations we work with. Where companies have less experience of how theaters or arts centers work, we spend time with them helping curate their offer to your needs. And we work closely with our users and partners to support new integrations, helping you find the right fit and ensuring everything's up and running on time. 

From web developers to dynamic pricing, classes and courses to concessions, our network of partners provides everything you need to curate Spektrix around the unique needs of your patrons and team.

a word cloud with different features that Spektrix users can access via our partner integrations like dynamic pricing, kiosks and dashboards

Ready to find out how Spektrix could help your arts organization work better?

Give us a few details, and we'll get in touch to learn what you need from your CRM software.

Choose the best arts ticketing software for your organization

Explore our step-by-step guide to identifying your needs, comparing features and pricing, and making the right choice for your team and audience.

How to choose a ticketing system

identifying access tags in Spektrix system