eReserve Ticketing Blog

Selling tickets forward

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Phil H

June 2017–Everyone knows it is good practice to sell tickets before your event. But how about selling football season tickets two seasons forward, before your stadium is even completed?

Dripping Springs (TX) high school’s new athletics stadium.

That’s what Dripping Springs ISD is doing. Their brand new stadium is due to open this fall, but starting last summer they have been using eReserve Ticketing to sell season tickets through 2018.

“It was more of a financial option to go ahead and sell those seats early,” explained Pam Schuh, Accounting Manager. “We wanted to see if we could get them sold so we don’t have to sell them in the future.”

The public reaction was positive, with well more than a thousand stadium seats reserved.

“Yes, they did buy tickets,” Schuh said. “Consider that it was something different, we did have a good response. We probably sold more than half of those seats for the two year time frame.”

The district will open tickets sales for the current season again this summer, then sell unsold seats at the gate.

The accelerated sales schedule holds several benefits for both the school and the fans. The fans were assured reserved seating for a first look at the new facility. The school experienced new efficiencies.

“It was much more efficient from the finance side,” Schuh said. “We didn’t have to wait for people to write up deposit slips and tab sheets, so the money was credited directly to the school checking account. The money was there right away, so there wasn’t that lag in time.”

Dripping Springs is also using eReserve Ticketing for shows at their Performing Arts Center. The same benefits apply there.

Immediate credit at the bank
Cutting the amount of cash at the box office
Not needing a big startup drawer

More and more schools are looking at creative ways to make ticketing more efficient both for their accounting offices and for their families.

“I am having to think differently,” Schuh agreed. “Our students and parents are younger, and they think digitally, they want to use the internet and mobile phone options, and to make payments online. You have to be thinking about the end user. They don’t write checks anymore!”

Get in touch with us to discover other ways the “think differently” about your ticketing solutions.
Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Client Feedback, Event Tickets, Marketing, School Tickets | Comments Off

No more dancing in the aisles

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Phil H

Ticketing is now “painless”

June 2017–Sometimes the dancing at Cindy’s School of Dance recitals wasn’t limited to the stage. The way the Allen, Texas, dance studio used to handle ticketing lead to some confusion in the aisles.

“We used to used general admission seating, and it was first come, first served,” said Tanya Casey, a self-described “dance mom” who has been in charge of tickets for the past six years. That method led to some “hassles,” such as people “saving” entire rows of seats, or families not being able to sit together.

So Casey pressed for a better seating system and came up with eReserve Ticketing. It totally changed the way the studio handles ticketing.

“It’s painless,” Casey said. “We give out the link, and people go online and print their own tickets. At the performance, there are no ‘ifs, ands, or buts.’ This is the seat you have and this is where you are sitting!”

The studio uses the auditorium at Lovejoy High School near the Metroplex, so they were familiar with eticketing. But eReserve Ticketing provided added benefits. Not only does it help the studio keep better track of attendance, the convenience has meant better numbers than previously as it is easier to purchase tickets online.

“This definitely works out better,” Casey said. “Once it’s set up, it’s painless. I don’t have to do anything! It is totally worth it.”

To choreograph your ticketing process, give us a call!
Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, Client Feedback, Event Tickets, How To, Theater | Comments Off

Dancing With YOUR Stars

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Phil H

Raising funds can be fun using eReserve Ticketing.

Mark Halvorson, Performing Arts Center Manager at Alexandria High School in Alexandria, MN, hosted a Dancing With The Stars event. It was a takeoff on the popular television series, using local “celebrities.”

“We paired local business people with students and put them on stage,” Halvorson said. “It was essentially a fundraiser for us and it worked out well for a first event.”

A twist Halvorson came up with was to use eReserve Ticketing to “sell” votes on each contestant before the contest. People could visit the web site and “vote” for their favorites at $1 per vote. It not only raised funds for community education and marching band, it raised awareness, as a fun way to get the school and community involved in a good cause. The creative approach helped build buzz and garner extra publicity from the local newspaper and radio station.

The school uses eReserve Ticketing for events held in its Performing Arts Center. The 1000-seat PAC is heavily used in this “very active” arts community, regularly selling out musicals, concerts, plays, plus shows by local theater groups. Halvorson appreciates how eReserve Ticketing handles both reserved and general advanced seating, and how the reporting helps him keep organized.

“I like the reporting in eReserve Ticketing a lot,” he said. “Especially the summary report. It’s real easy to use and you can export it into Excel, so it works out well. I also like the reasonable fee and the fact we only pay when we use it.”

Halvorson plans to repeat the Dancing event next year and try to do more advertising to boost the attendance even more. Any advice for others trying a similar event?

“I would say give it a shot,” he said. “And be sure to get a choreographer. That’s smart and helps the dancers look somewhat prepared. Let’s face it, not everyone is a dancer!”

Get on our dance card and we’ll start getting you set up today!

Phil Houseal, Sales
830-456-6849
phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, Client Feedback, Event Tickets, Marketing, School Tickets | Comments Off

Tickets for schools!? Let’s count the ways…

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Phil H

When our new clients at Hockinson School District in Vancouver WA asked us for a list of ways to use eReserve Ticketing, even we were surprised at the number we came up with!

Many of our school partners (and non-school partners) approach eReserve Ticketing with one ticket application in mind, such as football or theater. Soon, however, they start coming up with other ways to take advantage of eReserve Ticketing’s ability to add convenience, shorten lines, increase revenue, and make better reports. Some of these are quite creative!

Here is a partial list:

Sports
eReserve Ticketing works equally well for football and soccer stadiums, basketball gyms, wrestling rooms, and natatoriums. Wherever you find organized sports, you can use our system for general and reserved seating.

Season Tickets
For sports or theater, why not give your ticket holders the option to lock in season tickets. We have an easy 3-step process to do that, and ways to allow seatholders to self-renew going forward.

Fine Arts
Whether plays, concerts, or any kind of performance, eReserve Ticketing can turn your ticket sales and box office into a smooth-running operation. Many of our schools discover they can have a large percentage of their revenues in the bank before the night of the first performance!

Proms
One of our clients wanted a way for students attending prom to pay for their tickets online while reserving a seat on a bus transporting them to the dance. We came up with a custom layout that let students choose their bus seats and pay, all online, all in advance!

Graduations
Often there is limited seating for graduation ceremonies, especially when moved indoors for weather or other reasons. Schools can use eReserve Ticketing to limit the number of seats available to families and guests. The system works equally well for events such as these that are “free” to the public.

Parking Spaces
Another creative way to streamline the process is moving the reserving of parking spaces online. Over the summer, students can log on and pay for their space. Then during school registration it is a simple matter to present their ticket and pick up their permit.

BONUS! One school gives students the option to pay a premium for the privilege of decorating their own parking space. The extra fee goes to a school activity fund, and eReserve Ticketing helps keep it all organized.

Meets & Tournaments
With our option for using wristbands, schools can harness eReserve Ticketing to sell tickets for multi-day events. One nonprofit uses it to control access to rocket launches at a remote site. NOTE: You can require ticket holders to agree to terms & conditions, as a way to adhere to insurance and FERPA guidelines.

Summer Camps
eReserve Ticketing is a handy way to let parents sign their children up online for participation in summer and holiday camps. They pay and reserve online, then you generate a roster for the instructor.

Yearbook Sales
With our online “store,” it is a simple matter to set up a place online to collect advance sales for school yearbooks and similar items. Takes all those lines of students and piles of cash out of the office.

Testing Fees
One school finds eReserve Ticketing the perfect solution for students to schedule and pay for a variety of tests, such as college prep, advanced placement, and so on. One less thing for an already busy office or counseling staff to handle.

Product Sales
Many clients don’t realize eReserve Ticketing offers an online “store” where they are able to post and sell a limited number of spirit items. The process for buying store items is the same as the process for reserving tickets.

Donations
It is a simple matter to add a “Donate” button to a school web site. People wanting to support a scholarship, fundraiser, or good cause can simply click on the button and choose their level of donation.

Fundraisers & Festivals
Many elementary schools sponsor carnivals, dinners, and festivals to raise funds for buying “extras” for their campus. Instead of sending kids door to door, move ticket sales online. This is not only safer and more convenient, it gives schools and parent organizations a way to keep track of funds and avoid having children handle large sums of money.

Foundations
Every school has some type of foundation. eReserve Ticketing works just as well for their galas, dinners, fundraisers, and scholarships.

Advertising
While this is not an “event,” eReserve Ticketing allows schools and booster organizations to solicit and sell advertising space on every ticket and checkout screen. This extra revenue goes straight to the organization, with no handling fee from eReserve Ticketing.

Remember, ALL of these uses are included when you sign the agreement with eReserve Ticketing. We have NO LIMITS-NO MINIMUMS-NO MAXIMUMS on number of events, number of tickets, number of users, or number of computers.

P.S. Send us your creative and successful ideas for uses of eReserve Ticketing. We’ll share with our growing number of users.

Phil Houseal, Sales
830 456 6849
phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, Client Feedback, Event Tickets, School Tickets, Theater | Comments Off

Our Tickets are HOT!

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Phil H

The SystemsGo rocket program uses eReserve Ticketing to collect information that helps them procure funding.

Jan 2017–In this case HOT stands for “hotel motel funds.” Many communities earmark tax revenues from hotel and motel stays to underwrite local nonprofits and events that draw in visitors.

It is an intense review process. In Fredericksburg, Texas, for example, the requests from 36 entities add up to double the amount of funds available. So it becomes important that organizations are able to document the number of visits and overnight stays they create.

That is where eReserve Ticketing comes in.

We offer powerful tools that can make the difference between receiving funds and being ignored.

The first tool is the basic data you collect from anyone making a ticket transaction. You receive their name, home address, town, zip code, and phone and email. From this you can track where they are from. (Out of town visitors are the ones that count in this case.)

Additionally, you can include a short questionnaire for ticket purchasers to complete. Common questions might be:

How did you hear about this event?

How many are in your party?

How many nights are you staying?

The information you collect is encompassed in one of our 17 detailed reports, which you are able to print as a pdf or download into a spreadsheet.

Here are two scenarios how organizations use eReserve Ticketing to solicit HOT funds:

Fredericksburg Theater Company

This successful award-winning theater company regularly receives $25,000 from city HOT funds. As a user of eReserve Ticketing from the beginning, they understand how to pull out pertinent data. At the most recent presentation to the City Council, for example, Director Steve Reily was able to quote attendance and growth figures over the past three years. He informed the council that

attendance was up 33%
more than 50% of ticket buyers were from outside our two-county area

“We use the questionnaire option,” Reily said. “With eReserve Ticketing, I can break it out by zip code, state, and county. That’s why I am able to state that we draw from 111 Texas counties and 29 different states.”

Those are amazing numbers for a community theater in a town of 10,300.

SystemsGo

Another nonprofit uses HOT funds to publicize their once-a-year event, a launch of more than 100 rockets by high school students from across Texas. Unlike the theater tickets, admission to the launch is free. However, SystemsGo requires anyone entering the launch grounds to have reserved a ticket through eReserve Ticketing. This has two purposes: 1) requires the purchaser to acknowledge the risk of entering the site, and 2) collects data for use in requesting HOT funds.

(This is a perfect illustration of the question we often get asked about continuing to sell tickets for cash without entering them into the system. Our reply is that one of the true values of eReserve Ticketing is capturing valuable data to use for future marketing and funding.)

In the case of rockets, they were able to report to the council that their event drew more than 1800 out-of-town visitors who reserved 244 rooms.

This level of feedback has not escaped the attention of council members, who have publicly commended these organizations for the detailed and accurate reports. Many nonprofits have to resort to volunteers with clipboards at the gates or other less accurate methods to collect this data. With eReserve Ticketing, it is part of the package, that in these two cases more than justified the small ticket fee.

As a bonus, the demographic information you collect helps you target your advertising buys for your next event–an additional savings.

Find out how you can put the power of eReserve Ticketing to work creating stronger reports and safer transactions at www.highschooltickets.com.

Contact Phil Houseal at phil@adweb-ereserve.com or 830-456-6849.

Posted in Client Feedback, Event Tickets, How To, Marketing, Reports | Comments Off

Football is over! Only 8 months to kickoff!

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Phil H

Dec 2016–When it comes to ticketing for your high school football games, NOW is the time to start setting it up for next season.

Why so soon?

So you will have all the ticketing in place well before you need it.

Here are some things that eReserve Ticketing can help to put in place:

1) Establishing the inventory of general seats offered

2) Mapping out the reserved seating chart, both Home and Visitor sides

3) Determining the type/number of scanners and printers needed (if you choose to scan)

4) Ordering equipment and ticket stock

5) Training staff (this is critical for best practices)

6) Testing card scanners and wifi availability

7) Selling Season Tickets
It is best to have everything in place for selling those season tickets as early as spring. The first season requires some setup (which we will help you do), but once in place, your season ticket holders can go online and renew or change their reservations by themselves. Just imagine how convenient that will be for them and how it will free up your staff’s time from having to handle all those phone calls and office visits.

8) Informing the public
Most important, the earlier you look at this, the earlier you can start on an often overlooked component of any change in the way of doing things–letting the public know! Ticketing upgrades work most smoothly when you get the word out to the public. Other schools have success with press releases, school newsletters and bulletins, notices on web sites, etc. One school used a billboard to announce ticket sales, to great success!

Don’t worry. That sounds like a lot to do, but we will be with you every step of the way, guiding and training your team to make sure everything is in place. All you’ll need to do is cheer on your team!

BONUS REASON!
Another benefit of using eReserve Ticketing is that we provide schools 3 ways to generate revenue for your programs: 1) ads on tickets, 2) links on checkout pages, 3) online “store” to sell spirit items, even donations. The longer lead time you build in, the more time your booster clubs have to solicit businesses to take advantage of this opportunity.

P.S. Not just football
Of course all those reasons we give for football also apply to every other sport and program, from fine arts to proms and galas. The earlier you start, the better the results.

Contact us for more details on how eReserve Ticketing can boost your sales process. But don’t wait! Next season will be here before you know it!

Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

See you at Texas TASBO in Austin on Feb 28-Mar 1!

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Phil H

Exhibit Times:
Tuesday, February 28 | 3-6pm
Wednesday, March 1 | 10:30am – 5pm

This conference is the place to network and learn about best practices for school finance and operations. We love it because we get a chance to meet you and talk to you about your ticketing needs and ways the eReserve Ticketing can help.

Conference details at www.tasbocon.org
eReserve Ticketing information at www.highschooltickets.com

Hope to see you there!

Call to set up your tour of eReserve Ticketing so you can see the benefits for your organization today!

Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, School Tickets | Tagged austin, finance, school, tasbo, texas, tickets | Comments Off

Lots of Parking!

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Phil H

Oct 2016–We love when clients come up with creative uses for eReserve Ticketing, in addition to using it for sports and fine arts. Lately we’ve been seeing more and more schools use it to make parking easier.

For high schools, meting out parking slots for student drivers can be a complicated process. Often there are carefully choreographed steps for allocating limited spaces to students by class or location. Even when there is ample parking, schools need controls. Add in the fact it happens over summer when students are off campus and you can understand the need for a simpler procedure.

Here is where eReserve Ticketing can be invaluable.

Using the very same interface and process used for seating at any event, eReserve Ticketing moves the entire process online. Students can log in from home, select their spots, pay, and download or print their receipt. Then it’s a simple matter of picking up their tags at the school.

Here are two real world examples of schools using eReserve Ticketing to improve the parking procedure.

Watch the money roll in!

Humble ISD in Texas has put a little twist on parking that both builds school spirit and raises extra funds for Project Graduation. In addition to reserving the conventional parking slot, students have the option to pay a bit more for the privilege of decorating their slot with acrylic paint!

“It’s back by popular demand,” said Kathy Fontenot, Financial Services. “The parents wanted it, and are willing to pay $100 per spot for their child to paint it.”

The students must submit a design for approval before painting. At the end of the school year, all the designs are power washed away so the incoming class can create their own new designs.

Having eReserve Ticketing set up at Humble made this possible.

“Our staff saved quite a bit of time,” she said, noting that the previous process required students standing in line, staff handing out paper receipts, and bookkeeping creating tabulation sheets for deposits. “With eReserve Ticketing and RevTrak we could streamline that process. Plus we have such better control doing it all online. Parents don’t want to send cash to school with kids. So now the campus doesn’t really have to do anything but watch the money roll in!”

The parking program worked so well, the district is looking at setting it up at Humble’s four other high schools.

One of the main reasons is convenience

Out west at Legend High School (Colorado), Assistant Principal Mike Ackerman uses eReserve Ticketing to handle all student parking reservations. The challenge at Legend is that the school has three different lots, with over 700 spaces, so there are a lot of choices.

“One of the main reasons we went to eReserve Ticketing is convenience,” said Ackerman, who is in his third year at this position. “It has grown so hard to keep up with. We used to do it by hand, with the students having to pay, make out their receipt, and get their paperwork. Now they’re able to do it all online. Plus, we can track the number of spaces so we don’t oversell.”

Let us know how you are using eReserve Ticketing to reduce cash, increase convenience, save staff time, and create better reports. The possibilities continue to grow!

Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Client Feedback, How To, Marketing, School Tickets | Comments Off

Admission for Animals?

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Phil H

It might surprise you to learn that not all of our clients use eReserve Ticketing to admit people to their events. Some have discovered it is a convenient way to enter sheep, cattle, and hogs.

We’re talking about our exclusive Livestock Entry software. It came about when the Gillespie County Agrilife Extension Service looked at our ticketing system and asked if it would work for exhibitors entering their livestock in stock shows and fairs.

With a little tweaking, our programmers were able to do just that. The result is a simple, easy-to-use, online way to enter and pay for entries into shows.

Of course it would work with similar events, such as entries to pet shows, horse shows, beauty pageants, and all sorts of contests.

According to Agent Brad Roeder, using our Livestock Entry form has saved him precious time, cut down the number of calls to the office, and allowed exhibitors to sign up and pay online anytime before each event. He especially values the downloadable spreadsheets that allow him to sort and share the data.

It’s just another example of how we get some of our best ideas from our family of clients. They have used eReserve Ticketing for reserving RV camping spots, high school student parking spaces, and tables and booths at community expos.

What do you need eReserve Ticketing to do to make your next event more convenient, more efficient, and more successful?

Ask us about it!

Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, Client Feedback, Event Tickets, How To, Marketing | Comments Off

To Scan or Not To Scan?

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Phil H

Scanning has many benefits for your event.

“Why do we need to scan tickets at the gate?”

This question often comes up during our presentations to potential clients. We can give you many reasons. Here are some benefits of scanning:

Scanning is the best way to collect useful information
Know who actually attends, what time they check in, where they traveled from, etc. That information helps guide your future marketing and is valuable feedback for reports and grant requests.
Scanning prevents fraud
One scenario is someone duplicating a ticket and giving it to friends, or using it to get in then slipping it out under the fence to a friend to reuse. In all cases, once that ticket code has been scanned into the system, any subsequent attempt to use that same ticket gets redlined in real time.
Scanning prevents attempts at fraud
When attendees see you are using scanning at the gate, it reduces their desire to even try to scam the system. In our 15 years of experience using eReserve Ticketing, the number of times people even attempt to subvert the system are extremely rare. It is always best to prevent issues rather than try to fix issues.
Scanning is easy
Using the handheld scanner or the free app, it is a simple matter of pointing the scanner at the ticket. It’s so simple, we see students and volunteers helping with this all the time.

With eReserve Ticketing, you can choose different formats, including several options of theater-style tickets.

Does scanning require additional equipment?
Yes, but cost is minimal, and we can point you to several options. We recommend low-cost USB models that plug into existing laptops, scan quickly, and are user friendly. We also offer free downloadable phone apps on both iOS and Android platforms that you may prefer for scanning where wi-fi connectivity is not available.

Ask us about all the ways eReserve Ticketing can help you save money and time, reduce cash and fraud, and increase convenience at your next smash event!

Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Event Tickets, How To, Marketing, School Tickets, Theater, Uncategorized | Comments Off

10 Tips for Generating Ticket Sales

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Phil H

Once you have eReserve Ticketing in place, you need to let the world know about it! After all, all the tickets in the world are no good unless you get them into the hands of users!

Since some people are new to buying tickets online, several of our schools have come up with short, clever “How To” tutorials to walk first-time users through the process.

John Reiels, Director of Technology at Nicolet High School, created a thorough and easy-to-follow sheet that is worth looking at.

Mukwonago Area School District created a similar page, with a list of helpful ticketing FAQs.

Here are 10 more tips designed to boost your sales:

10 Publicity Tips

Generate a Press Release to all area media (we can send you a template)
Include a photo of a teacher, student, principal, coach, director, or superintendent purchasing or scanning a ticket
Post the ticket link at the top of your web page (especially feature it prominently on the web page of the event being ticketed)
Always include the ticket link on your Facebook page and other social media
Create Signage, Flyers, and Banners and post at the venue
Distribute Flyers in the cafeteria and at all related events
Place the news in organization newsletters and announcements (encourage booster groups to do the same)
Do a demonstration on school television channels (if available)
Do live interview on local radio stations
Use the “advertising space” on each event ticket to announce upcoming events
Include the ticketing announcement on event calendars and other advertising specialties

Add your ideas and share them with us!

Phil Houseal, Sales Manager
phil@adweb-ereserve.com, 830.456.6849

Posted in Client Feedback, How To, Marketing, School Tickets, Theater | Comments Off

Ticket Restrictions… UNrestricted by eReserve Ticketing

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Phil H

We just learned of an unexpected reason for using eReserve Ticketing for your next theater production.

We have heard from two sources that in some cases the licensing companies (who provide scripts and permission to community theaters and schools for producing plays) have discouraged community theaters from using the large ticketing companies to sell tickets online, when the local shows might coincide with a major revival of the same production. This is based on the idea it might confuse the buying public to have two shows with the same titles.

But in one case, they specifically “OKed” the use of eReserve Ticketing to provide tickets for a school production of a show that was also being revived in road companies and on Broadway. They figure that since we don’t sell tickets to Broadway productions (at least not yet!) there would be no conflict on the part of the buying public.

Just another reason to consider eReserve Ticketing for your next Broadway-caliber show!

Contact us for more information on eReserve Ticketing for your plays, sports, and events. Phil Houseal, Sales Manager
phil@adweb-ereserve.com, 830.456.6849

Posted in Client Feedback, School Tickets, Theater | Comments Off

CASH–The “never-ending” headache

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Phil H

On his Canby Comments TASBO Forum, Thomas D. Canby, Jr. shared some tips on how to address one “never-ending headache” for school administrators–CASH!

Cash may be king but it’s also a never-ending headache for school district administrators. Ticket sales for a multitude of events occur across nearly all campuses and the reconciliation process can be tedious, especially if ticket stock is randomly pulled from a cabinet. The answer is to ensure the control of pre-numbered ticket stock follows a well-organized process. The first and last numbers of tickets need to be recorded each time tickets are distributed. After each event two individuals should be involved in counting cash and preparing a Reconciliation Form. On the Reconciliation Form the individuals will (1.) Record cash collected; (2.) Record beginning and ending ticket numbers, and pre-numbered tickets that were spoiled; (3.) Record the calculated dollar sales based on ticket sales; (4.) Record the variances between the actual and calculated dollar sales; and (5.) Both individuals sign the Reconciliation Form. In the business office the reconciliation form should be matched up with the amounts recorded on the deposit slip copies.

Administration should consider an electronic payment system. This is recommended for nearly all transactions, such as the campus cafeterias and not just special event ticket sales. This will help minimize risks connected to cash receipts to the lowest levels possible across all campuses.
——————————
Thomas Canby, Associate Executive Director for Governmental Relations
TASBO

Good thoughts worth sharing!

eReserve Ticketing will be at the TASBO Conference in Dallas. Stop by our booth to discuss solutions to your ticketing challenges.

Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, Event Tickets, School Tickets | Comments Off

Just had another ticketing success!

Posted on January 27, 2016 by eReserveBlogMaster

First day sales for one client’s event exceeded 50% of all tickets available! They were very pleased on several levels:

“We had another successful day with ticket sales. We just had a few human errors! This completes our first year and it has been wonderful to track all our ticket sales. Not to mention how much time we have saved. Thank you both so much! Looking forward to many more years!” CP

You’re welcome, CP! Contact us to see how we can deliver the same savings in time and increases in results!

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, Client Feedback, Event Tickets | Comments Off

NEW! Sneak Peek at our Short Videos

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Phil H

We are adding short (under one minute) video clips to let you see at a glance more about how eReserve Ticketing can work for your events. Try it! And watch for more informational and instructional clips.

See “Why Ticketing?” video here:
Why Ticketing? video

For a full demo, call to set up your tour of eReserve Ticketing so you can see its benefits for your organization today!

Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, How To | Comments Off

Learn about School Ticketing at TASBO!

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Phil H

eReserve Ticketing will be exhibiting at the 70th TASBO Conference–in Dallas Feb 29-Mar 4, 2016.

We would really like to meet with you to discuss ticketing opportunities for your school events, sports, and fine arts! So please email us at phil@adweb-ereserve.com to let us know who from your school will be there.

TASBO – Texas Association of School Business Offices

70th Annual TASBO Conference
February 29-Mar 4, 2016

Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center
The conference is the place to network and learn about best practices for school finance and operations. Attendees get to interact with peers who share the same issues and need many of the same solutions.
Conference details at www.tasbocon.org
eReserve Ticketing information at www.highschooltickets.com
Hope to see you there!

Call to set up your tour of eReserve Ticketing so you can see its benefits for your organization today!
Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve | Comments Off

Us vs Them: 7 Ways eReserve Ticketing is BETTER!

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Phil H

Here are 8 ways eReserve Ticketing differs from other ticketing companies.

1) Faster Access to Funds
eReserve Ticketing: Funds are deposited directly, quickly into your account
Some Companies: Hold your funds, then pay you after your event
Result? You get your money sooner, helps your cash flow

2) Unlimited Events
eReserve Ticketing: Unlimited number of events
Some Companies: Have restrictions on types and quantities of events, and charge additional fees
Result? No additional charges or minimums

3) Flexible Reports
eReserve Ticketing: Complete, flexible, exportable reports
Some Companies: Limited financial reports, and in many cases data cannot be exported
Result? Reports allow you to download data for your files and formats

4) Data You Can Use
eReserve Ticketing: Collects useful demographic data/ALL DATA EXPORTABLE
Some Companies: Do not always make all this data easily available
Result? Use data to fine tune your future marketing, create email lists, etc.

5)Added Revenue
eReserve Ticketing: Sponsorship/ad space on tickets and active links on your ticket site
Some Companies: Place your event on a 3rd-party web site and keep that ad revenue
Result? All revenues from these sales go to you

6) Season Tickets
eReserve Ticketing: Allows season tickets, with quick, easy management process by both office staff and season ticket holders
Some Companies: Do not offer season ticket option
Result? Convenient for customers; time saver for staff

7) Unlimited Users
eReserve Ticketing: Unlimited number of users
Some Companies: Charge fees for added users
Result? Allows use by multiple departments

8) Simple Pricing
eReserve Ticketing: One low cost per ticket
Some Companies: Have higher, hidden, and additional fees
Result? eReserve Ticketing has one low fee per ticket- easier to predict expenses, save money (merchant account fees separate and depend on your processor)

There are many more!

Call to set up your tour of eReserve Ticketing so you can see its benefits for your organization today!

Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, School Tickets | Comments Off

The Dreaded “E” Word (Embezzlement)

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Phil H

Today we’re going to talk about something no school (or any organization) is comfortable discussing: Embezzlement.

Some scary situations are happening across the country:

CALIFORNIA– An accountant embezzled at least $1.8 million in student lunch money by stuffing wads of cash into her bra. She had worked for the School District for 25 years.

TEXAS–A former School District secretary accused of embezzling football game revenues was sentenced to eight years in prison Thursday, despite a last-minute attempt to spread blame to the district’s controversial ex-athletic director.

Need more examples?

SOUTH CAROLINA–A woman accused of embezzling $4,340 from the school where she worked as a secretary and bookkeeper, including more than $3,000 in gate receipts from ticket sales for events at the school, has been arrested and is no longer employed with the district.

CALIFORNIA—A former elementary teacher pleaded no contest to embezzlement charges Thursday morning. The employee was alleged late last year to have embezzled $25,000 from Parent Teacher Organization.

MICHIGAN–The one-time treasurer of a High School booster club, which raises money for the student theater and choir, was charged with stealing more than $10,000 from the organization. Boosters raise money through special events and concession stand sales.

We could fill pages, but the message is obvious. An administrator from one of those schools said it best:

“Putting school teachers with no training in charge of lots of money is not appropriate. School districts need to stop operating in an unsafe manner.”

As much as administrators hate the “E” word, the facts show that embezzlement happens. The largest risk lies in cash-based activity and enterprise funds.

These include well-meaning but hard-to-control areas such as:
-Campus fundraisers
-Parking permits
-Athletic event admissions
-Fine arts event tickets
-Summer camp payments
-Sales from booster clubs and parent organizations

These “undigitized” transactions–although a small percentage of the overall budget–account for a large proportion of headaches.

One of the best ways to control transactions is through ticketing software such as eReserve Ticketing. By moving those transactions online, you accomplish several objectives:
-Reduce amount of untracked cash
-Create detailed reports for auditing and marketing
-Place funds into proper budget codes
-Reduce time lag from receiving funds to depositing funds

In addition, using eReserve Ticketing adds these advantages:
-Increased customer convenience
-Time savings for staff and volunteers
-New revenue opportunities

Find out more about how eReserve Ticketing works… BEFORE your school ends up in headlines like these.
Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Data You Can Really USE!

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Phil H

What good is data if you can’t easily access it?

It has been our experience that many ticketing companies allow you to input information but prevent or make it very difficult for you to get the information you want to use for marketing, email blasts etc. eReserve Ticketing gives you total control to use the data any way you like.

Here are three things you should know about data:

1. Exporting Data from eReserve Ticketing

A huge benefit from using eReserve Ticketing is that all data within the ticketing system can be exported easily with just two clicks. It is exported into a Comma Separated Values file (CSV) or Excel file and can be manipulated any way you like.

2. Credit and debit card security

No credit/debit card information is stored with eReserve Ticketing. Each transaction is passed through securely to the merchant provider for payment to your bank account. To get an idea how the basic process works you may like to read a previous posting:

eReserve Ticketing Now an Authorize.net Reseller!

3. Report Filters

You have over 16 different ways to filter data within eReserve Ticketing. This makes the data searching both easy and very specific to most people’s needs. Apart from the reports you would expect–such as event and revenue reports–other specific reports are available:

Season Tickets Diagram: Used by Athletic Secretaries see the purchaser of specific seats for the entire season

Ticket Scanning: This report shows not just the total number of scans at an event, but also shows graphically
– the volume of scans at a given time at an event
– scans by purchase and comp level
– scanning volume by gate

In addition, if any tickets were scanned twice, it shows you what time they were scanned and by whom.

You can do all this through eReserve Ticketing. Contact us to find out more!
Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in How To | Comments Off

4-H fundraiser extends reach with ticketing

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Phil H

Lindsey uses eReserve Ticketing to reach out and touch people who don’t live around the corner.

June 2015–Not everyone who wants to come to your event lives around the corner! But when they use eReserve Ticketing, getting that ticket is only a hop, step, and a click away.

That’s what the Kerr County (Texas) 4-H office realized when they approached us about helping sell tickets for their popular Wild Game Dinner.

“We figured we have a bigger base outside of Kerr County than what we had thought,” said Lindsey Forster, Office Manager. “We wanted them to be able to get tickets without having to coming to Kerrville.”

In the previous seven years of the event, anyone wanting a reservation had to buy it in person. That meant coming in during office hours, or waiting to get tickets at the door. That raised other issues.

“Sometimes we would sell out and people would show up expecting to buy a ticket, and be upset,” Forster said.

So eReserve Ticketing came in and set up the online and gate ticketing for the dinner. It worked like a charm.

“We had lot of great feedback from customers who did buy online,” Forster said. “They didn’t have any problems.”

Being able to track inventory also meant there was no danger of people showing up after a sell-out. The staff knew at all times precisely how many seats were sold and how many remained.

Since they also sell tickets at several stores around the community, they took advantage of eReserve Ticketing’s ability to set up affiliate sales. In years past they photocopied tickets, hard to track for both office staff and shopkeepers. This year they pulled preprinted tickets out of the system, that were sequentially numbered, so they knew exactly who sold what.

Going forward, Forster already has plans to take advantage of other functions built in to eReserve Ticketing. She’ll be looking closely at the demographic information gleaned from the first event, so she will “know which areas to market in.”

“We’ll do pretty much the same this year,” she said. “I feel like we just learned the basics last year. I’d like to get a little more comfortable with the ins and outs of it. I know it can do a lot more than what I was doing with it!”

The Kerr 4-H Wild Game dinner is an annual event which about 800 supporters attend for a feast of wild game, delicious sides, with a large auction and many prizes. Funds raised help support many local 4-H programs, including the various camps.

Contact us to find out more about how eReserve Ticketing can reach more of YOUR customers!
Phil Houseal, Sales • (830) 456-6849 • phil@adweb-ereserve.com

Posted in Adweb-eReserve, Client Feedback, Event Tickets, How To, Marketing, Uncategorized | Comments Off

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