Tickets to events are down and promoters and venues are scratching their heads on what to do. One of the answers might be right in front of them: group sales.
Group sales have been a part of events and entertainment forever. I believe they have not always received the respect they deserve. Depending on the event, they have been a priority or a stepchild.
Several years ago I was involved with a group sales dot com. The response we received depended on who we were pitching. If we pitched family shows or amusement parks, we were well received. If we talked to concert promoters, not so much. To this day, I still don’t understand the mentality of some concert promoters. If your shows are selling out, great! But not every show or tour does. Why would you not want a group sales program in place to move tickets?
Think about what group sales can do for your event. It puts large quantities of butts in seats. What is more important to you, moving single tickets or a bus load? Yes, you do have to offer a package to groups. Usually this is done with a discount. If you buy anything in bulk you expect a price break, right?
Group sales should be moved to the fore front of event and entertainment marketing for 2010. Move marketing budget to groups. This may involve putting more sales people on the streets. This may include offering a little deeper discount for groups. If you are not pitching bus companies and tour operators you need to start. Many have sales departments. They can become your extended sales force.
Group sales today are more then school kids and seniors. Every one of us is in a group of some kind. What is your event target market? What groups fit into it? The opportunities are endless and you might fill some cold empty seats.
Tags: family show, group sales, bus companies, amusement parks, tour operators, concert promoters, buying tickets in bulk, event target market
