RAC Arena discovers the ticket to effective customer engagement

The Problem

The event ticketing challenge

Entertainment venues need to cooperate with promoters to sell tickets and they also need to manage the operational logistics of the event. RAC Arena’s marketing communications falls into two categories – event ticket promotions and pre-event information, including links to important entry conditions.

“Events require a high level of pre-event communication. We need to work with organisers to sell as many tickets as possible. As we host various events, we have to consider the number of times we contact our database with promotional emails. SMS is part of the multi-channel marketing communication strategy and it boosts customer reach. The 100% deliverability to carriers, high open rate, and easy-to-use SMS interface, makes SMS a high value and simple tool.” says Marika Bailey, Marketing Manager.

Venues with specific conditions of entry, can benefit from effective customer communication prior to the event day to inform ticket holders of the entry requirements. This can include restrictions on items permitted in the venue, bag inspections and ticket scanning — and importantly the show needs to start on time. It can be a high pressure environment and it makes it easier for operational teams and a smoother day for all, when the crowd knows what to expect beforehand with SMS alerts.

Communicating with all ticket holders via email for events can also be challenging, as there is only one email linked to each ticket transaction. Often one transaction consists of multiple tickets for friends and family. The ticket holder may not open the emails or forward the event information to their friends. So, RAC Arena on average may only reach approximately 50-70% of their attending audience via email.