An Important Note about Phishing Attempts Using the Ticketbud Name

Calling All Event Lovers!

Based on the feedback of event attendees worldwide, we’ve redesigned Ticketbud to make finding an event and buying tickets easier and more intuitive. Take a look at some of the ways we've made attending an event better than ever!

Attending a Ticketbud event just got better.

Discover events in your area!

Ticketbud has 1,000+ events that you can attend worldwide everyday. Enjoy a beer festival, discover a new band, volunteer for a local non-profit, push your limits in a 5k race. There are new events popping up on Ticketbud every day; which ones will you attend?

Paying for your tickets is a breeze!

You asked for a faster checkout process and we've listened. Find the tickets you want and have them in your inbox in minutes with our improved checkout process. Screen Shot 2013-09-25 at 6.50.56 PM

Never lose your tickets again!

Misplace your tickets? Delete them from your inbox? Not a problem! Our "Print Tickets" tab allows you to use your email address to retrieve your tickets and even store them in your account on Ticketbud. Screen Shot 2013-09-24 at 12.43.26 PM
photo credit: marfis75 via photopin cc
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Fostering Family Time: Events The Whole Family Will Love

Amazing and Popular Events: We're ticketing awesome family activities that will make your quality time just that more extra special! Ticketbud Corn MaizesCorn Mazes: Where getting  lost as a family is just half the fun! Ticketbud tickets several amazing corn mazes that offer your family a day of fun activities! With crazy  corn maizes, petting zoo, tractor train, pig races, amazing food  and so much more! medium_9541472176Air Shows: Air shows are the perfect opportunity for you and your family to watch the precision and training of military  and civilian fliers provide an up and close view of some of the world's most advanced flying machines.   medium_4773446192Rodeos: Saddle up cowboys and cowgirls! Round up the family for some amazing bull riding, barrel racing, roping events and some amazing Texas BBQ! Rodeos are perfect for you and your family to put on those cowboy boots and have a hog killing good time! medium_6248062955 Comic Convention: Why not share your own childhood memories with your kids. This a great opportunity to show your kids the guys you grew up with and share a super hero hobby.     medium_5881510238Music: From festivals to intimate live concerts. We have it all for you and your family. Just because the summer has officially ended does not mean you can't have some time for some live music. Here you will find a variety of music festivals.       Join us for a wide variety of family fun events! There are so many to choose from! Check out "Find Events" page to search for local family friendly events in your area!   photo credit: cafemama via photopin cc photo credit: Greg Lilly Photos via photopin cc photo credit: marythom via photopin cc photo credit: John Drake Flickr via photopin cc photo credit: edwick via photopin cc photo credit: mjwilliams27 via photopin cc photo credit: kevin dooley via photopin cc]]]]> ]]>

Why Your #Event Needs A Hashtag

If you don't use social media much or just never gave it a chance in the first place, then you're probably wondering what a "hashtag" is. Have no fear, I'm here to help you! The # symbol, called a hashtag, is basically used to mark keywords or topics when you're on Twitter, tweeting. It was created by Twitter as a way to categorize messages or to search for a message by simply searching for the hashtag.

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Here's an example. Your friend is organizing a yoga event. You know the hashtag of the event is #yogaland2013, but you're not exactly sure of the event name itself. Simply search for the hashtag #yogaland2013 and voilà!, you've not only found your friends event, but now you can continue the hashtagging. Not only can hashtags be searched for, they also have the ability to promote and gain some buzz for your event. One strategy that is recommended to keep the buzz going around your event is "live tweeting" or encouraging attendees to hashtag while the event is taking place.

Kristen Morado from Intelligent Lighting Design says, "It is crucial that event organizers integrate social media into their events. It will result in more attendance that will in return create more social media buzz. Think of it as free promotion"!

twitter-new-hashtag-pages-are-for-events-not-brands-c8320d8342When enough Twitter users hashtag any phrase, it has the potential of becoming what is called a "trending topic." The reason your event should contain a hashtag is because it has the potential of becoming a trending topic on Twitter, as well as creating buzz around the social media world. That way, your event invitation extends out to more people than your circle of friends. In fact, hashtags have become so popular that Facebook has integrated them. Morado says, "Facebook is the most important platform for event organizers. With the highest number of following, Facebook allows the organizer to create events and can be synced to other social media outlets. With Facebook’s option of promoting post and advertisements, the organizer can also decide the number of people reached that posts will receive".
"It is crucial that event organizers integrate social media into their events. It will result in more attendance that will in return create more social media buzz. Think of it as free promotion"!
Live tweeting with hashtags is only one of many strategies that can be used to build buzz and promote your event. Also, if you're an organizer and not on Facebook, it is highly recommended! The next event that you organize, consider using some of these strategies and creating hashtags. That's all we have for you today. If you still have questions, feel free to contact us on Facebook or tweet us! Ticketbud is always here to help. photo credit: romana klee via photopin cc]]]]> ]]>

Q&A Panel Series Part 2

Panel 2 New

3 Experts Share Their Experiences To A Successful Event

Amazing events just don't happen! There is so much planning and organizing that takes into place. We've asked 3 leading experts to share their tips and experiences from within the event planning industry. After their expert advice, be sure to join the conversation in the comments. From your experiences, what are the top three things to do or consider to make an event successful? Liz King @lizkingevents:
  1. People attend events for education, networking and fun. Many people forget the fun. If your event looks like everyone else’s, you aren’t going to keep attention. Innovate regularly and make fun a critical component of your event.
  2. You also need to consider your audience and meet them where they are. If you want to integrate technology in your event, you have to take into consideration the habits of your attendees. Same with any other aspect of your event.
  3. Finally, be willing to pay for success. Invest in marketing and promotional giveaways. Think about the ultimate experience and be willing to invest in that vision.
Liz King started her first company in 2010 in the midst of the down economy. By sharing content on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog, she gained expertise in the event planning industry and has become a leader and influencer. Named one of the 40 Under 40 Up-and-Coming Event Planners in 2011 by Connect Magazine and awarded the #Eventprofs Most Thought Provoking Blog and People’s Choice Award created a platform for Liz to build her business and strong brand even further. Working with clients on events like Green Drinks NYC and S.H.E. Summit Week, Liz helps entrepreneurs integrate technology into their events to better engage their attendees. In addition, she also hosts her own events. As the founder of The Planner Collective and co-founder of PlannerTech, Liz is dedicated to educating her fellow event professionals as well on how technology can enhance events.
 

Jessica Young @volunteerSpot :

  1. Volunteer Management: Volunteer coordination in a timely and convenient manner gets more people involved to help your event be a success. Free online sign up sheets & automated reminders fromVolunteerSpot are your go-to solution for event volunteer management.
  2. Social Media: Reaching out to potential participants and donors via social media is a must-do tactic to throwing a successful event. Facebook and twitter for networking, publicizing, and recruiting volunteers is a must.
  3. Volunteer Appreciation: Even before your event, thanking the important people who are helping put it on gives your whole event an even more positive vibe, increases the loyalty of your volunteers and donors, and makes folks more likely to stay engaged with your organization.
Jessica Young is the Community Manager for VolunteerSpot.com, the leading free online signup and volunteer scheduling tool. She gets to engage with a community of do-gooders on Facebook and Twitter while providing expertise on recruiting and engaging volunteers and fundraisers with content marketing and social media.
  Kristen Morado @ildlighting:
  1. Consider your target market that you’re reaching out to and think of all the sources and media outlets that can attract that specific audience to your event.
  2. There has to be a motive to get people to attend your event. Ask yourself what the purpose of the event is and go from there.
  3. There MUST be a itinerary set to make sure the overflow runs smoothly. All details must be considered including time frames, areas within the venues that have electrical outlets nearby, areas that won’t cause traffic jams, etc.
Kristen Morado is a graduate from the University of Texas at Austin obtaining a Bachelors in Journalism in 2011. With experience in journalism, public relations, and marketing, she is now the Marketing & PR Director for Intelligent Lighting Design. Follow Intelligent Lighting Design on Facebook and Twitter.
  Have any advice or comments to add to the  conversation? Don't be shy! Leave it in the comment section and stay tuned for more  Q&A Panel Series! To read part one of our Panel Series, click here!]]]]> ]]>

Q & A Panel Series- Event Tips From the Pros

Q&A Panel Names

5 Experts Share Their Experiences To A Successful Event

Planning and managing an event can be tedious. So much goes into it, but what are the most important aspects of a successful event?  I asked leading event industry experts to share their tips and experiences from within the event planning industry. After their expert advice, be sure to join the conversation in the comments. _____________________________________________________________________ Q: From your experiences, what are the top three things to do or consider to make an event successful? Julius Solaris @EventMB:
  1. I’ll start with an observation that most events I attend get wrong, the details. The devil is indeed in the details. An event professional's primary concern should be to surprise guests with incredible attention to details.
  2. Secondly, I would pay attention to the technology that we choose. It should really match our audience needs, not what we think may be cool.
  3. In conclusion, I would stress the importance of keeping everyone happy while making sure the event is on budget and profitable for the business. Too many times I’ve seen event organizers losing money because of poor budgeting.
Julius is the editor of Event Manager Blog. Started in 2007, Event Manager Blog is the number one blog worldwide for event professionals, covering topics such as event planning, social media and events, event technology, event trends, event inspiration and marketing.  Before becoming a 100% dedicated blogger and speaker, he has been working as Social Media Consultant for FTSE250 companies in the UK. His last campaign with RS Components won Econsultancy's The Digitals for Best Multichannel Marketing Campaign.
 

Cindy Y. Lo @RedVelvetEvents :

  1. Ask the client for measurements of success (i.e., number of attendees, staying within budget, attendees' experience, etc).
  2. Work backwards in triple checking that the budget you've been allotted matches to what you have promised the client…you ALWAYS want to over deliver and under promise.  This is probably the hardest part of it all as a client will (and should have the right) to demand changes that will cause unexpected expenses and cause you to rethink your plan the umpteenth time.
  3. Educate yourself on what others have done previously so you don't make the same mistake twice; you can also call this asking for help from your co-workers.  Yes, you can put on a great event solo but for larger scale events, having a team divide and conquer is much more beneficial to the overall event success.
Cindy Lo is the proud Owner of Red Velvet Events which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary serving their clients in the special events industry. You are welcome to connect with Red Velvet Events via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
  Camille Styles @Camillestyles:
  1. Get creative. When I start planning any event, I step back and take time to think about a creative concept - one that hasn't been done a million times before. Infusing something new into an event keeps it feeling fresh and delivers the element of surprise that will make a lasting impression in guests' minds.
  2. Create a concept and stick to it. Once you've locked on the big picture idea, think about how to carry it through every single element of the party from start to finish. Even the smallest details like flatware on the table and signage at the front send a message, and a truly cohesive theme will make a party unforgettable.
  3. Hire a great team. You're only as good as the rest of your team, and an event planner's best asset is a little black book of the most talented and dependable people in the industry. From the floral designer to the janitorial service, every person plays a key role in an event's success.
Camille Styles is the founder and creative director of popular lifestyle blog camillestyles.com, where she shares the creative entertaining ideas that inspire her parties and her life. Camille is also a regular lifestyle contributor to media outlets like HGTV, Cooking Channel and DIY Network, and does styling work for national fashion and lifestyle brands. Her modern aesthetic and eye for detail come together to create parties that are simply chic and all about fun. 
  Elizabeth Quintanilla @equintanilla:
  1. Plan: A good event needs to be well thought out .. most people don't think of the details - but that is where you can "WOW" your audience.  Plan a "WOW".
  2. Promote:  People like to be with the A-Players .. promote your event so the A-Players come and bring their friends with them.
  3. Prepare for Contingencies: Nothing goes to plan .. so be okay with it and have your back-up ready.  Also, a simple - "I'm sorry" will work most of the time.
Elizabeth is a positive, people-oriented, performance-driven Marketing Gunslinger, consultant, and speaker who focuses on understanding the customer perspective. She consults on: market research, messaging, channel strategies, understanding the impact of emerging business trends, web technologies and strategies, social, and product marketing.  Elizabeth actively serves as a Vice-Chair on the Austin Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission.
  Julia Damon @JuliaDamon:
  1. To make an event successful, I would say 3 of the top things to consider are first and foremost making the guests happy. If the guests are happy then the client will be happy too. This could mean knowing details about each guest or simply making sure everyone has a great first impression.
  2. Another thing to consider when planning is in including an interactive element. Guests and clients don’t want to attend a boring event with nothing to do. It’s critical to include things like social media walls and innovative activities like graffiti walls.
  3. One final thing to consider is the overall event layout. You want to have peace of mind the day of the event that all of furniture will fit and that the guests will be comfortable.
Julia Damon works in Marketing Communications at Social Tables where she has managed their social media strategy from nearly the beginning. She also manages the Social Tables Blog sharing tips on event planning, hospitality trends and event technology. You can connect with her and Social Tables on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. 
__________________________________________________ Have any advice or comments to add to the  conversation? Don't be shy! Leave it in the comment section and stay tuned for Part 2 of the Q&A Panel Series!  ]]]]> ]]>

Ticketbud Interviews: Dougie Do of Hip-Hop Band Magna Carda

Magna Carda have been making waves in the music community of Austin, Texas. From opening for Austin favorite Bob Schneider to snagging a coveted spot in the lineup for UTOPiAfest 2013, Magna Carda has enjoyed a strong calendar year and only look to continue the trend.

We sat down with Magna Carda member Dougie Do recently to discuss the future of the group, playing in Austin and what a company like Ticketbud can do to help musicians organize their shows for less.

  Ticketbud: How did you guys meet? Dougie Do: We met up my Junior year, which was Megz' Freshmen year. I needed a rapper for the St. Edwards’ event Hip Hop on the Hilltop. Through a mutual friend, I met Megan and have been making music with her ever since. As far as playing with a live band goes we met Quentin Walker (bass) through our a friend & Eric Nikolaides (guitar) and Joe Layton (Drums) after a local performance. Its been history ever since, Megz & I are very blessed to have crossed paths with these guys. TB: You guys recently released some new music. How has the response been to that and what are your plans moving forward?
 DD: We did! The response has been great, we really didn't expect anything to happen out of it, but it turned out really well. Well, we actually just started our EP so everyone can expect that for the Fall release. Megz and I are wrapping up our tape, which will still be under Magna Carda, but it's a tape we started before the whole band came together so we're finishing it up to close the chapter.
 
TB: You guys were recently selected to play at this year's UTOPiAfest. How did that come about and what are you most looking forward to at the event?
 
1173897_10151561547656994_23653546_nDD: It was pretty exciting to see our name on it after watching the lineup for a couple years - We're playing the Silent Disco on Saturday night during the festival. Our drummer, Joe "Beautiful Joe" Layton, actually connected with a person working UTOPiAfest that mentioned the Silent Disco so that's how that came about. We're looking forward to actually attending the event as I don't think any of us have ever actually been. The Silent Disco as well, I also can't wait to see Blackalicious! He's been a favorite artist of mine for awhile - as well as Galactic.
 
TB: You guys have really started to make waves in the Austin music scene. What has been your favorite experience so far playing in Austin?
 
DD: Yeah, it's still crazy to us that it's actually happening. We're just glad to have a city behind us that's excited to see what happens! I'm not sure about the other guys, but I have tons of favorites. Everything from opening for Chali 2na and watching Megz rap on stage with him, to playing Antone's and opening for Bob Schneider. It's just awesome to be around a group of people that love doing this.
 
TB: Ticketbud focuses on helping event organizers, especially musicians, be in total control of theirevent. In your opinion, what role does that level of control give musicians to help them get their music out there through concerts, house parties and other events? [caption id="attachment_16001" align="alignright" width="324"] (Photo by: Shelby Knowles)[/caption]
 
I think Ticketbud plays a huge role that musicians shouldtake advantage of more. You literally have the power to throwa concert or house party ANYWHERE, and for cheap. No offense to anyone that books, but Ticketbud takes away the hassle of dealing with bookers - you can throw the event yourself. Since there's so many bands in Austin, booking people have a hard time responding to all of their emails. Ticketbud allows bands to get some profit and invite their fans/friends/family to the show!
TB: Thanks for your time Dougie Do, we wish the best to you and the rest of Magna Carda! DD: Always a pleasure. Best of luck to you guys, and we look forward to using Ticketbud!]]]]> ]]>

Fantasy Sports Made Simple: Collect Payments & Registration For Your League

it's fantasy time! Whether you cruised to a league championship last year or crashed and burned on that "sleeper pick" strategy that just didn't pan out, a new year is another chance at repeat glory or redemption, respectively. large_7952592872But wait! As any fantasy leaguer out there knows, much of the drama can happen way before the picks are made and the season starts. From rounding up a full league to collecting payments from "forgetful" members, getting the people and money together to actually start your league can often times be the most dramatic part! Don't worry though; Ticketbud is here to help! Rather than having to constantly explain how and where to join your league or run around bothering league members to pay up, Ticketbud gives you your own personal webpage to direct potential members. On your event page, you can include details about the league and draft, customize the colors and fonts and even set the date and time of the draft! Best of all, you can setup your page to collect payments or registrations from members! Using one of our payment options, you can easily allow your league members to pay their league fee online with a credit card or simply RSVP for free that they would like to join the league, saving you time, energy and lots of hair-pulling trying to track down "that person" that never pays. Using event registration software used for full-scale music festivals, races, airshows and more, Ticketbud was designed to help your manage It's free to sign-up and start creating an event webpage so take Ticketbud for a spin and add some style and organization to your fantasy league! photo credit: Derek Bridges via photopin cc]]]]> ]]>

Fundraising 2.0: Boosting Profits & Turnout With Social Media

Jessica Young, Community Manager at VolunteerSpot.com, gave Ticketbud a few tips on how to use social media platforms to boost fundraiser profits and turnout. medium_7632338498"Fundraising is like a ball game,” says Young, “and a guaranteed way to hit it out of the ball park and reach your goals is with social media engagement. Facebook and Twitter are your dugouts - your players are already hanging out there on their computers, smart phones and tablets. Now all you have to do is get them to step up to the plate." With the surge of social media platforms, nonprofits are reaching wider and wider audiences with less effort. Facebook and Twitter have been big key players in this digital marketing world. To keep it in the baseball theme, they're the two teams playing at the World Series. Using these two social media platforms effectively can help you meet your goal. It’s simple, quick and Free! 3 Top Tips for Boosting Fundraiser Profits & Turnouts with Social Media:

  1. Plan ahead! Have a clear roadmap to help track your progress and promote your event online in a timely manner. Start tweeting and posting about your fundraiser 3 to 6 weeks prior to your event. Young says, "Be specific with dates, location, times and activities. If you have a hashtag for your event, share that as well. Tagging your fundraiser with a hashtag (like #SummerFest13 or #BlueGala) gives your social friends and followers alternative ways of finding out about your event. If recruiting volunteers for your big day, post links to your online signup sheets and allow volunteers to signup at their convenience from their computer or smartphone.”
  2. Grow your community and create buzz. Networking is an important task of any organization, and the ability to build community is essential! Connect with like organizations and other groups with similar causes in your area by liking, following, and messaging them on social media. Young explains, “Social media is about creating buzz about your event and the impact your fundraiser will have (where the proceeds will go to). Make sure your audience knows you have a social presence by sharing your Facebook and Twitter addresses on your webpage, in eNewsletters and mailings, on banners, flyers, promotional materials, etc. Encourage your professional and nonprofit network to follow you.”
  3. Engage on many levels. What is Multi-level engagement? Using all available channels to start a conversation about your cause, from posting a blog article, to tweeting, facebooking, sending out eNewsletters and more. Young describes, “When you post a great image on Facebook, tweet a link to that image. Incorporate Facebook and twitter news feeds into the interface of your website, and embrace your volunteers & donors with special shouts of appreciation via social media, on your blog and on your website! Recognition and appreciation are top ways to retain a loyal donor and volunteer community so get creative! Post 'thank you' videos, slideshows or art on Facebook, twitter and a special section of your webpage. Announce milestones and 'goals reached' this way too.”
It's time to step up to the plate, will your event strike out or make a grand slam? Find more ideas for boosting fundraising profits and turnout with social media on VolunteerSpot's blog, click HERE For more information on why your event needs a #hashtag, click Here Jessica YoungJessica Young is the Community Manager for VolunteerSpot.com, the leading free online signup and volunteer scheduling tool. She gets to engage with a community of do-gooders on facebook and twitter while providing expertise on recruiting and engaging volunteers and fundraisers with content marketing and social media.   VolunteerSpot LogoVolunteerSpot.com's free online signup tool makes signing up volunteers and organizing events & fundraisers a breeze! With simple online scheduling of volunteer needs and donations, 24/7 access to signups from computers & mobile devices, and automated reminders - VolunteerSpot saves tons of time (and stress) in doing GOOD! baseball photo credit: Nathan Congleton via photopin cc]]]]> ]]>

Quick & Easy Finger Food Appetizers For Any Event!

Cold Roast Beef, Blue Cheese & Grapes:

[caption id="attachment_17085" align="alignleft" width="238"]Cold Roast Beef, Blue Cheese and Grapes Photo by: Georgia Glynn Smith
Via Oprah.com[/caption]   Directions: Stack a thin slice of rare roast beef on top of a chunk of blue cheese and a grape. Spike it with the skewer and enjoy! Make as many as you would like!  

Tuna Cucumber Snack

[caption id="attachment_17086" align="alignleft" width="242"]Cucumber Tuna Snack Photo From: Pattylkinsella.com[/caption] Directions: First start off by peeling the cucumbers. Once you have done that cut them about 1 inch think. Scoop out the middle seed part of the cucumber. Be sure you leave the bottom layer in. That is where you are going to place your tuna with peas of corn. Once you have finished that start by mixing the tuna, mayonnaise, and peas or corn. Scoop the mix into the middle of the cucumber. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper. And there you have it! Enjoy!  

Goat Cheese With Pistachios and Cranberries

[caption id="attachment_17087" align="alignleft" width="270"]Goat Cheese with pistachios and cranberries Photo By: Jose Picayo
Via: Realsimple.com[/caption] * Serves 8 Directions: Combine the pistachios and cranberries on a large plate. Roll the goat cheese in the fruit and nut mixture to coat. You can serve this with crackers or bread. Enjoy!  

Shrimp With Tarragon Aïoli

  [caption id="attachment_17088" align="alignleft" width="282"]Shrimp with t Photo By: Jose Picayo
Via: Realsimple.com[/caption] * Serves 8 Directions: Combine the mayonnaise, pickles, tarragon, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper. Serve with the shrimp and cocktail sauce in a small bowl.  

Pears With Blue Cheese and Prosciutto

[caption id="attachment_17089" align="alignleft" width="257"]pears with blue cheese Photo By: Mikkel Vang
Via: Realsimple.com[/caption] * Serves 8 Directions: In a large bowl, toss the pears and lemon juice. Layer a slice of pear, an arugula leaf, and a piece of cheese on a piece of prosciutto and roll up.  

Cheese Crisps

[caption id="attachment_17090" align="alignleft" width="274"]Cheese Crisps Photo By: Maura McEvoy
Via: Realsimple.com[/caption] * Makes about 60 crisps Directions: Heat oven to 375° F. Place the bread on baking sheets. Lightly brush the tops with the oil then sprinkle lightly and evenly with the cheese. Bake until crisp and golden. Roughly that will take about 15 minutes. Break each slice into large pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.         header photo credit: timsackton via photopin cc]]]]> ]]>

SPOTLIGHT: The Joshua Tree - Part 2

The Joshua Tree hosts a variety of events every year, ranging from coffee mornings and cake bakes to their annual 2.5k Silly Socks Fun Run. The charity also actively encourages people to organize their own events in aid of The Joshua Tree! In the second & final part of our two-part interview with Joshua Tree Charity Manager Jo Pritchard, we discuss the logistics behind the charity's events, tips for organizing your own events and how a little savings can have a big impact. As part of our Cancer Commitment, Ticketbud is proud to waive fees for all Joshua Tree events and to help save them administrative time and money that could be put to much better use elsewhere.

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Ticketbud: What is it like to organize an event for an organization like The Joshua Tree? What tips do you have for organizers out there trying to put together an event to benefit cancer research or cancer relief? Jo Pritchard: Events are hectic, long and pedantic to prepare, tied up in legislation and administration but so fulfilling when all the planning,agonizing and traumas fade as it all comes together on the day to support our Families.  Advice – ‘Just Do It’ I believe is the expression and Aim Big.  Have a plan B and C and D at least!  Take the time to enjoy the moment even the “candle at both ends” emergencies at the last minute – all part of life’s rich tapestry!  Use Ticketbud for all your registration as the admin time it saves is fantastic – autoreplies, records and reports are easy to manipulate and obtainable from any connected device with the relevant login and password TB: A lot of our readers are event throwers on a much smaller scale. What are some “insider” tips you’ve discovered that you can share with our organizers about throwing a successful event? JP: Whatever you are planning it is hard to say how successful it will be.  With detailed research of your market and product, planning, contingency plans and plenty of enthusiasm most events will be 28614_10150201609775578_8378396_nsuccessful.  The first one is a steep learning curve but do it, learn from it and build on it until you find your winning formula.  No need to reinvent the wheel, and share ideas and equipment where you can.  DO NOT GIVE UP and with a little luck it will all be good TB: Is ticket cost a big factor when considering ticket sales? What benefits have you found from using an online ticketing company like Ticketbud? JP: Ticket cost is critical – know your market and competition.  Check you can do the event for that price taking ALL your costs into consideration, including ticketing – all costs come out of the profits so they have to  make it worthwhile.  Ticketbud has saved us admin time and therefore made us money as it has released our volunteers onto other things.  It all comes out of and goes into the same pot in the end.  Anything that reduces the strain on our resources and helps to support our Families is brilliant – so glad we discovered Ticketbud! ____________________________________________________________ For information on how to organize your own events, donate to the charity and more, please visit http://www.thejoshuatree.org.uk/Home.aspx]]]]> ]]>

Pay When You're Ready With Ticketbud's New "Free Trial" Feature

Free Trial events! Many of our users would rather wait to buy their events until they're ready to start selling tickets, and they really want to see how the event will look and how the ticket purchase process will look before they purchase it. Now you can! Screen Shot 2013-09-06 at 11.01.33 AM Starting today, after you set up your event, you'll be given the option to try a free trial of the event instead of buying the event now. Just fill in your credit card information, and we'll save it for when you're ready to start selling tickets.  When you do sell your first ticket, we'll bill your credit card for our one-time setup charge. You don't have to do anything extra! What do you think? Let us know your thoughts! photo credit: Hryck. via photopin cc]]]]> ]]>

SPOTLIGHT: The Joshua Tree - Part 1

If you needed further proof that hope & inspiration can come from the darkest of places, just look to UK-based charity, The Joshua Tree. Born the from the personal experience of it's founders, The Joshua Tree provides support to families who are going through a traumatic time caring for a child suffering from a condition that seriously affects their immune system (commonly childhood cancers), giving them a place to spend quality time together away from the hospital routine. In the first part of our two-part interview, we sat down with Joshua Tree Charity Manager Jo Pritchard to talk about her experiences at The Joshua Tree and their latest event, "The Annual Fun Run".  

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Ticketbud: Tell us a little more about The Joshua Tree! What does the organization do to raise money, awareness and support for children suffering from conditions that seriously affects the immune system, namely childhood cancer? Jo Pritchard: The Joshua Tree Holiday House and Support Centre for Courageous kids and their Families is a small charity founded to relieve the unbelievable stress and strain put on all members of families trying to cope with a child with cancer or other immune suppressing condition.The aim is to reduce the fear and isolation brought by diagnosis and subsequent treatment, which is often onerous, invasive and usually lengthy, especially in the case of leukaemias. We are raising funds to build a holiday house for up to 4 families in similar situations at a time, to have a free short break away from the confines of the hospital and their home, often the only two places a child with very low immunity will see.  It will enable the family members to spend time together to rebuild their bonds and to share with other families, often the only chance a sibling or working parent may have.  We will also soon be offering an outreach family worker to help support families until the House is built, providing holistic practical and emotional support. TB: How did you get involved with The Joshua Tree? What is your favorite part about working with the organization? JP: I became involved when my own child was in hospital on treatment for Leukaemia, at the same time as the founders’ son.  Listening to other families talking in the waiting and treatment rooms underlined the depth of need for our support and hence The 163546_10152786965245578_893325226_nJoshua Tree was born.  My favourite part is the variety each day brings and meeting so many new people.  For every heart wrenching case that needs support there is a wonderful volunteer or donor somewhere, and there is so much pleasure to be had in bringing this together and making it happen, with fun events in fab places with lovely people TB: In April, The Joshua Tree hosted its "Annual Fun Run". Tell us a little about the event! What is your favorite part of the event? JP: 7 years ago the event started as a small fundraiser added onto the more serious sprints for Vale Royal Athletics Club.  Now it is its own event, drawing people nationally from all over the UK, with over 360 entrants.  I think I have two joint favorite parts – the look on the costume winners faces when they receive their prizes and the determination visible in the start of the 2.5km runners as they all line up at the start – fantastic buzz _______________________________________________________________ The Joshua Tree actively encourages people to organize their own events in aid of the charity and events can be as big or as small as people wish, ranging from raffles and sponsored headshaves to musical evenings and plant sales. Fundraising materials including posters, balloons, sponsorship forms and safety advice are all available to help you plan your event as well. For information on how to organize your own events, donate to the charity and more, please visit http://www.thejoshuatree.org.uk/Home.aspx Stay tuned for part 2 of our interview coming tomorrow!  ]]]]> ]]>