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Live Events Checklist

Events

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June 24, 2020

Have a live event coming up? Make sure things go smoothly with our events checklist! Below, we detail best practices to execute in advance that will ensure everything goes smoothly at your event from start to finish. 

Live events checklist

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Inform ticket buyers

Even if you have your own website or social media page, keep information on your live event’s social media and page as up-to-date as possible. This is very helpful for multi-day events and festivals with entertainment scheduled for different days and time slots. Another, more proactive way of keeping in touch with attendees is communicating via text. That way you aren’t waiting for them to check your site or having to make announcements. This (along with mobile ticketing and more) can be accomplished via our ticketing platform‘s integration with Twilio! 

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Confirm ticket types for check-in

When publishing your event on Eventgroove, you are able to select ticket fulfillment options. This determines how you’ll check in guests at your event.

  • Print-at-home tickets are attached to the email as a PDF document. Guests print out the tickets and bring them to the event. You can scan the ticket barcode, or “tap” to check in these tickets.
  • Mobile tickets display ticket information and a barcode right in the email. There’s no need to print anything; guests can just show you the ticket on their phones. You can scan the ticket barcodes, or “tap” to check in these tickets.
  • Will-Call doesn’t send the guest a ticket at all. You have a guest list, they show up with ID, you take it from there… There are no barcodes, so you’ll either need to “tap” to check in from the mobile dashboard or use a printed list.

 

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Check-in guests

Before you begin checking in guests, make sure you have these covered:
  • Special guests – have you issued complimentary tickets to performers and their crews, vendors, the press, and whomever else has special access.
  • Mobile devices – do you have one for each check-in station?
  • Chargers and cords – especially for events in remote locations, will you be able to recharge all your devices when you need to?
Once you start checking in, you have several options:
  • Mobile Dashboard – works on any mobile device with a browser. After signing in, access the guest list and check-in guests as they show their tickets. With an Android or Apple device, you can use the camera to scan the barcode on the ticket or “tap” to check-in. On iOS devices, you can scan tickets only from Apple’s Safari browser or manually check-in guests from other browsers.
  • Ticket Scanner – works on Android or iOS with Safari browser. For larger events that may have several stations to admit guests and may use volunteers to do that, this page supports only the scan and check-in features of the Mobile Dashboard. The Ticket Scanner page does not require a user login. Just enter an Event ID and a PIN to use it. Then you don’t have to worry about exposing any of the other data about your event.
  • Printed Guest List – if you prefer, there’s always the print option. The mobile dashboard offers several formats for guestlists. Pick the one you prefer and send it to your inbox to print in advance.
  • Wristbands – If you are issuing event wristbands to guests as they check-in, make sure you have enough for all your advance-sale guests, plus day-of-show sales, plus performers, vendors, press, etc.
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Check your mobile connection

This is a big one for events held off the beaten track, such as music festivals! Be sure to verify the availability and quality of your mobile carrier’s service well in advance. If you don’t have good service, you may need to resort to printed guest lists for check-in. Also remember that once a good portion of your guests arrive, they will be using their phones, and the quality of your service may degrade as the local cell tower gets maxed out.
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Authorize volunteers & assistants

If you plan to have multiple check-in stations, you may need some assistants to handle it all. You can use our Multi-User Access features to set up an account authorized to check in guests from the Mobile Dashboard (or even better – use the Ticket Scanner mobile page which requires no user account, only a PIN). If you do choose to set up an account, do that well in advance, and test it to make sure it has only the capabilities and access you intended.
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Sell tickets at the door

If you want to sell tickets at the door of the event, you have a few options:

  • Normal online sales with mobile ticketing fulfillment. This allows buyers to purchase from your event page as normal. The mobile ticket will arrive in their inbox, and they can show their phone to gain entry. You can set this up in the Event Wizard in the TICKETING section.
  • The purchase-at-door option for your event allows you to run the mobile “pay station”, and either take cash or enter credit card details from last-minute ticket buyers as they arrive. You can set this up in the Event Wizard in the PAYMENTS section.
  • Printed tickets are another great option for this. Order a print run to match your needs. They can be sold both in advance and at the door. You can set this up in the Event Wizard in the EXTRAS section (desktop only).
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Let us help!

We’re here to answer your questions and help you make your event a success – but don’t wait until the last minute to call! If you need help, call early and avoid the stress of dealing with problems while your guests are starting to arrive.

How Selling Prom Tickets Online Works

Creating a ticket sales page takes no time, and you can customize it so it matches your prom theme and school branding. Here’s the shape of it:
  1. Create the event. Name (Enchanted Forest Prom, 2026), date, venue, capacity, dress code, anything else students should know.
  2. Set ticket types and prices. Most committees do one student ticket plus one guest or date. Some add an early bird ticket tier at a $10 discount for the first two weeks.
  3. Grab a shareable link. Drop it in the school newsletter, add it to a QR code on your prom posters, then drop it into the school’s socials and the committee group chat so everyone can share within their networks, and the principal’s morning announcements.
  4. Collect the money. Card and digital wallet payments flow straight into your account, whether someone pays in person at school or at the door on prom night.
  5. Scan tickets at the door. Each student arrives with their printed prom tickets or a digital version. A volunteer scams them using their phone.

6 Things to Look For in a Prom Ticketing Service

Not every ticketing platform is set up for school events. Three things that matter:
  1. Real-Time Data: Student planners and faculty advisors need to monitor sales and revenue, and access updated attendee reports.
  2. Clear Fees: Every platform makes its money through fees. These fees can be passed on to buyers or absorbed by the school. In addition, when credit cards are involved, processing fees always apply but may not be included in your free ticketing platform’s service. When these are not included in the platform price, you’ll need to organize online payments separately, which can result in a much higher per-ticket cost on your end.
  3. Online and physical tickets: Printing prom tickets is something many schools do – they’re a great memento of the night, and make the experience more special. Make sure your platform’s capabilities include tracking and scanning both printed and digital tickets.
  4. Easy attendee check-in: Look for a platform that lets you scan without an app or special equipment. When faculty can scan tickets using their mobile phone‘s browser, getting up to speed takes less time.
  5. Attendee management: You’ll want to track students as they enter, leave, and return. Ensure your service can support this.
  6. Ticketing adaptability: Creating ticket bundles, reserved seating, and comp codes for VIPS means your chosen platform needs to be flexible.

What to Charge For Tickets To Prom and When to Sell

On average, a prom ticket costs between $55–$125. The exact number depends on the venue, what the night includes (DJ, photos, dinner, flowers, and the like).

Pre-prom ticket sales strategies

  • Early Bird discount. Knock $10–$15 off the standard price for the first 2–3 weeks of sales. An early bird ticket strategy rewards students who buy first, builds momentum, and gives your committee how the night is tracking weeks before prom.
  • Group bundles. Offer a small discount for friend groups buying 4 or 6 tickets together. Ticket bundling speeds up sales and they nudge friend groups to commit early.
  • Reserved tables. If you want groups to sit together, set up your ticketing with reserved seating and sell whole tables as a single package.
  • Day-of door pricing. Charge $10–$15 more at the door than online to  encourages families to pre-buy.

When to sell tickets

Open sales 6–8 weeks before prom, switch from early bird to standard pricing 2–3 weeks in, and close online sales 24–48 hours before the dance so you can finalize the catering count.

A note on the platform side: Eventgroove’s setup is free, and the service fee on paid tickets is small (2% + $0.75 per ticket). You can pass that fee on to ticket buyers, and for free events, there are no fees at all.

If you’re looking for an efficent and easy way to sell school dance tickets and manage your attendees, we’d love it if you gave Eventgroove a try. Our ticketing platform is free for organizers, with low ticket-buyer fees, no hidden charges, and no contracts. Plus, we’re also online printers, so you order custom prom tickets, VIP  badges, and flyers all in one place.

Want to see Eventgroove in action?

We’d love to show you! Schedule a one-on-one demo with our expert sales team.

Request a Demo

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