Where to sell tickets for your event

If you work in events, one thing’s for sure: you’re going to need to sell tickets. No longer does this mean printing and sending out paper tickets; these days, there’s an amazing array of online ticketing platforms for you to choose from. (And if you’re looking for an event planner, check out our round up of the best UK event management companies).

We’ve rounded up some of the best online ticketing platforms to help you sell tickets. In some ways they’re all quite similar, but there are subtle differences. When deciding which one to go for there are two important things to consider.

1. Audience insight – different platforms offer different analytics tools, where you can get a better understanding of who’s coming to your events, and to adapt your approach for future outings. Some are more intuitive than others, so it’s worth trialling them to see what works for you.
2. The price – fees and pricing structures can vary, which is something to bear in mind when you’re doing your budgeting – even a small percentage cut from each sale can result in less profit.

With that in mind, let’s run through the best places to sell tickets online, whether you’re organising a concert, a festival, a conference or a workshop.

Eventcube

Offering you total control over how you organise your event, Eventcube is a “white label” service which allows organisers to set their own booking fee and collect money direct from attendees as they purchase tickets – so no waiting until after the event to receive your money. Instead, they charge a monthly percentage. Plus, it’s free to put on free events and they offer discounts for charities. However, you want them to deal with customer service you’ll have to pay for the premium package.

ThunderTix

For those with merch to sell, ThunderTix could be the one for you, with integration for – amongst other things – t-shirt and merchandise. Plus, they charge no ticket fees but allow you to add a fee and retain 100% of ticket sales. If you’d prefer customer support over the phone, however, it’s worth bearing in mind that ThunderTix primarily offer support online.

TicketSource

TicketSource don’t charge for organising free events either, and their fees for paid ones are reasonable. The site is straightforward and easy to use, too, and they offer several options for ticketing on the door. They can provide old school lists or, if you’re running a major event where logistics are key, can provide loans of professional scanning kits.

Eventbrite

Eventbrite is one of the most recognisable names in the business, and apart from anything else, running your event through them means that potential attendees may feel assured that it’s legit. Plus, the pages are SEO friendly, making it easy for people to find. One downside, however, is that fees are a bit higher than elsewhere.

TicketTailor

TicketTailor are flexible in the way they price their service. You can either pay a fee per ticket sold, or choose a monthly package with a flat monthly rate, with the rates starting at £19 for 50 ticket sales a month. If you’re running your events on a steady, regular basis, this model could be a good fit. There have been complaints, however, that the platform has crashed in the past in times of heavy traffic.

Brown Paper Tickets

If you’re looking to avoid any upfront costs as the event producer, then Brown Paper Tickets could be the platform for you. Plus, they offer 24/7 customer service in three languages and are an independent alternative to some of the bigger platforms. However, there have been reports of attendees unhappy with their service.

Thinking about printing merch for your event? At ICON Printing we offer fast turnaround printing with an extensive catalogue from t-shirts to caps to bags. Get a quote in 2 minutes online.