Outdoor Events & Advance Ticket Sales

Have you ever thought to yourself, “When should I start marketing my event?” It’s one of the quintessential questions event organizers constantly ask.  In many cases the mere question causes great mental stress and agony to the person pondering. Event organizers try to think up of ideal time frames and ideal methods to get their message out. The best time frame to promote your event is as early as possible.

You Still Need to Advertise
Regardless of how reputable your event, don’t wait to advertise.  In 2005 I provided online ticketing service to a very big recurring event.  Their radio, television, and print advertising didn’t start until 10 days before the event. The organizer thought since the event was well known that “we didn’t need to advertise early or with as much volume.” The attendance and online ticketing numbers showed the outcome of the decision. Attendance was down significantly and online ticket sales dropped over 50% from the prior year’s event. Regardless of how big or reputable your event you need to advertise early.    

The Movie Industry
Take into consideration the movie industry. They release trailers for upcoming movies months in advance. In some cases potential blockbusters get trailers released almost a year in advance. There is tremendous benefit to creating an early buzz about your event. If you can get people talking about your event early you can enjoy the benefit of word of mouth advertising. If you have videos or other information, people might spread your event information around using social media.    

Recurring Events
If you have a recurring event, start advertising your next event at your current event. Consider selling tickets for your next event for your current event.  The people most likely to buy from you are those people who have already bought. Even if you offer a big discount, it’s still money in your bank account.  If you don’t know concrete details about your next event, don’t let them leave without knowing your web address. Encourage people to visit your web site for details about your next event.

As a general rule of thumb I recommend promoting your event at least 90-180 days in advance. You need to decide what’s most appropriate for your event. One important thing to do is build your advertising and event marketing campaign from the time of announcement. Don’t just announce your event and wait a few months until you release additional information or advertising. Don’t let people forget. What starts a trickle should turn into a steady stream of information and advertising about your event. Just like sales, the fortune is in the follow up.

Want to get more great info? Check out the articles below:

• P.T. Barnum on Advertising
• Online Marketing Like P.T. Barnum (Part I)
• Online Marketing Like P.T. Barnum (Part II)
• Why Well Planned Events Fail
• How to Get Them To Your Event
• Getting Them to Buy Tickets Early
• Turn Your Event Into an Experience