At a recent conference, I recently had the chance to share a presentation with studio owners on producing a profitable dance recital. I wanted to share it here; hopefully it will be of value to our blog readers as well! The major points of the dance conference presentation are below. Let us know if you’d like more detail on any of this information.

1. Three BIG Ideas to Make Your Recital More Profitable

2. Recital Fee vs. Online Sales

   Many studio owners ask: “Should I charge a recital fee or just do ticket sales?” The answer is BOTH. The recital fee allows you to capture revenue at the beginning of the dance year, but a ticket sale presents an opportunity later in the year to maximize your profits in ways that add value to the experience your performers and attendees.

   And that leads us to BIG Idea #1…

3. Big Idea #1: Bundle and Sell Online

   Consumers spend more when they use a credit card than when they make purchases with cash. You can present merchandise purchase options with your ticket sales and customers will be more likely to buy, especially if they perceive that there is a bundle.

4. Big Idea #1: Bundle and Sell Online, cont’d.

   All of our clients who sell merchandise online in advance report higher merchandise sales, with some reporting a 2x increase over previous years when they would accept cash only at the event. In addition, online sales enable you to more closely approximate the amount of merchandise you need to have on hand, so you have less inventory that goes unsold.

5. Big Idea #2: Inventory Management/Reserved Seating

   Recognize that your seats are your inventory, and sell them in the most appropriate way to make more money. Seats in the front are worth more than seats in the back. If ticket buyers complain about a change in prices this year, explain that prices for the seats in the back are the same, but seats in the front are worth more, and therefore cost more.

   So, why should you price seats according to their value?

   1. Better experience for the ticket buyer = higher perceived value.
   2. Offer perks for more loyal families.
   3. Increases urgency to get the ticket = you get the money in hand sooner.

6. 2016 Per Ticket Data

   Reserved seating is a type of seating setup in which the ticket buyer can choose specific seats they want to sit in. Now, why is this important?

   The average price paid in 2016 for a general admission ticket to a dance recital nationwide was $10.80, vs. $14.03 for a reserved ticket! That’s a 30% difference!

7. 2016 Per Ticket Data, cont’d.

   Moreover, the average gross per event with general admission seating was $1,715, while the average gross per event with reserved seating was $5,370! Don’t leave money on the table!

8. Big Idea #3: Generate Leads

   Owners put forth an inordinate amount of effort into producing a recital, and most of the time, the only people exposed are the ones who already know how great their studio is! That’s such a waste! Your RECITAL is a prime opportunity to SHOWCASE your studio to prospective families and the community.

   1. Invite “warm” prospects to your recital
   2. Donate tickets to community charities
   3. Leverage local schools / end of year activities

9. Recap

   1. BUNDLE and sell online
   2. Manage your INVENTORY wisely
   3. Use your recital to GENERATE LEADS

   So you want to sell tickets and merchandise online—now what?

10. TutuTix: The Easiest Way to Sell and Distribute Tickets to Your Dance Performances

11. How It Works: Step 1 – You Sign Up Online

    It’s easy to get started with our easy online sign-up form. We just need some basic information in order to set up your events, including:

    1. Your event info
    2. The ticket prices
    3. The date you want your tickets to go on sale
    4. Your seating chart (if you plan on using assigned seating)

    Your dedicated relationship manager will walk you through the process and help you fill in the blanks, and answer any questions you may have. After we have your information, our staff sets up your event, and you’ll get a final opportunity to review your event before we make tickets available to the public.

12. How It Works: Step 1 – You Sign Up Online, cont’d.

    Codes? Comps? No Problem! With more than 1,200 clients nationwide, chances are, we’ve done every kind of presale setup there is. We can do:

    1. Reserved seating, general admission and mixed reserved/general seating.
    2. Promo codes, discount codes and comps.
    3. Password-protected onsales.
    4. Shopping cart for multiple performances or merchandise sales.

13. How It Works: Step 2 – Patrons Buy Tickets

    When your tickets go on sale, your patrons can buy them:

    1. Online at tututix.com/yourstudioname
    2. On their mobile devices
    3. On your Facebook page
    4. From our toll-free call center

14. How It Works: Step 2 – Patrons Buy Tickets, cont’d.

    For reserved seating, online ticket buyers can select their own seats with our easy-to-use seatPower seat selector.

15. How It Works: Step 2 – We Deliver Tickets

    1. To Your Patrons – Your patrons can choose to get tickets delivered instantly to their email or smartphone, or to have souvenir tickets mailed to them. Tickets are mailed out immediately, and usually arrive within one week of purchase.
    2. And to You – A few days before the event, we print any unsold tickets on the same keepsake ticket stock and ship them directly to you for FREE as part of our Door Ticket Kit so that you can have tickets on hand for door sales.

16. You Get Paid Weekly

    We deposit ticket proceeds into your account weekly, giving you the flexibility to use those funds when you need them.

17. Souvenir Tickets

    Your patrons can choose to have full-color, foil-embossed barcoded keepsake tickets mailed to them. We even print the dancer’s name directly on the tickets! Tickets are mailed out immediately, and usually arrive within one week of purchase.

18. Customizable Print-at-Home Tickets

    Our print-at home tickets are customizable! You can promote upcoming classes, workshops or performances, or even sell advertising to your event sponsors!

19. Door Ticket Kit

    Our FREE door ticket kit makes it easy to sell any remaining tickets on the day of your event.

20. iPhone and Android Scanner Apps

    Need an easy way to scan tickets at the door? Our free scanner apps are available for iPhone and Android.

21. Want to Learn More?

    Send us your questions at tututix.com/contact-us. If you’re ready to get started, simply fill out our easy online sign-up form.