Halloween kicks off the end of year holiday spree. It’s also a big party event where customers are looking for a way to celebrate. Here’s how you can make sure you capture the most revenue on Halloween weekend, whether you sell tickets to your party or operate as an extra-spooky non-ticketed venue.
If You’re a Ticketed Party
1. Set up a pre-sale ticketing strategy
Pre-sale revenue is the best way to pay for your event before it even happens. The best way to pre-sell revenue is to create and manage an online event page, sell tickets to consumers right through the page, integrate the event with a mobile app for promoters to sell tickets directly from their device, and sync the events with a Facebook widget to sell tickets directly through your Facebook page and Facebook ads.
2. Use a night-of yielding strategy to increase prices
Encourage people to pre-purchase their tickets by showing that the price will increase on the night of the event, and then follow through with that. Have the ability to sell tickets at the door for an increased fee. You can even set tickets to increase price by the hour to encourage people to arrive early. This is your yielding strategy. As the night arrives and as more people are in the party, the demand gets higher and you can charge more for your tickets.
3. Get all your staff up and running on the right system for smooth operations
Door operations are a huge component for an enjoyable night. Get all of your staff up and running on the same system or same strategy. The best way is to use a system that works with your ticketing system. That way, you can scan tickets in through the device, sell tickets from that same device, and be able to track arrivals and other important guest information along the way. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s clear with your staff on how the night is going to run and that they’re fully set up on the process.
4. Optimize your lines for speed of night
Many events use one line for everyone, which increases wait time, puts extra stress on your staff, and ultimately boggs down the speed of the night. Instead, create a different line for a different type of customer, such as a line for your pre-sale customers and a line for customers paying at the door. This is another way to encourage pre-sale, and allows your staff handling pre-sale checkin to only focus on that task and increase line speed. On the other hand, it allows your staff selling tickets at the door to only handle that task, aiding in the long waits for door sales. The more organized your lines are, the faster your speed of night will be, the happier your customers will be, and the faster they’re your door to spend money on drinks.
5. Analyze results for a bigger return next year
Getting access to your data gives you the opportunity to truly understand how your venue and events are performing. Make sure you use a system, like Vēmos, that gives you full access to your data and doesn’t re-sell it to your competitors. This data is what will help you understand what did and didn’t work, and how you can set yourself for even more success for your next event.
For Non-Ticketed Parties
1. Use a system to capture guest list, general admission, and table reservations
You don’t have to sell tickets to have pre-sales. You can pre-sell guest list entries or table reservations. Use a system that integrates with your website and social pages to handle these pre-sale inquiries. A system like Vēmos does this and also allows you to easily handle check-ins for guest list parties, reservation parties, and general admission walk-ups all from one device. It also takes cover payments and automates your speed of night. Plus, when all of this is tied together, you’re able to collect information about each guest no matter how they came in through your door, which in turn allows you to better market to your guests in the future.
2. Promote your promotions
Identify the promotions you’re going to run to bring people into your Halloween event, without limiting yourself to discounting your drinks. Sure, fun Halloween drink specials are a great way to drive guests, but so are other fun promotions such as a costume contest, hiring live music, hosting drinking games or being a part of a Halloween pub crawl. Once you’ve identified your promotions, it’s time to promote them. Turn to social media to target your followers. Run a Facebook ad to a very targeted demographic. Send email and text message campaigns to your loyal guests. Choose different options from different channels to make your message have the most bandwidth.
3. Provide personalized experience
Experience is everything. Your customers chose to spend their Halloween with you, and they deserve your gratitude and personalization. Use personalized messaging when promoting your event. Greet guests in line and upsell them based on past habits. This is what’s going to drive them to be loyal beyond your Halloween event. And with New Year’s Eve right around the corner — bringing more parties and more competition — you’re going to want to leave a lasting impression now.
