If Event Hub isn't part of your operations yet, we'd love to show you how it works - reach out if you would like a demo!
In this article, we'll walk you through your customers' online Event Hub experience. Event Hub streamlines the customer experience by making it easier to pre-order drinks, snacks, and other add-ons before an event. Instead of waiting in long queues, customers can arrive knowing their purchases are ready, giving them more time to enjoy the atmosphere. This not only enhances their experience but also boosts your secondary revenue.
Event Hub in the Customer Journey
Customers can access Event Hub at multiple touchpoints:
- Online Checkout: Event Hub add-ons can be sold online whilst customers orders their tickets. This appears as a 'Suggestion' step during the checkout journey.
- Box Office Sales: Event Hub add-ons are available at the Box Office when selling event tickets. Read our guide on Selling Event Hub items at the Box Office for more info.
- Pre-Event Alert Email: A link to Event Hub is included in the customer's Pre-Event Alert Email, allowing customers to access the Event Hub experience, where everything they need is in one place - including their digital tickets, event information & FAQs, venue map, and placing pre-orders.
- In Testing Pre-Event Alert SMS: An event reminder including an Event Hub link is sent out via text, giving customers two pre-event reminders (email and SMS). This is currently in testing, please contact us to learn more!
Event Hub in the Online Checkout
Event Hub is a 'Suggestions' step in the online checkout journey on your Ticketsolve website. This means customers booking their tickets online can also pre-order their event add-ons at the same time. This option is especially handy for add-ons customers might want to purchase in advance and at the time of booking, such as pre-show dining, car parking or VIP packages.
The layout of Event Hub preordering in the online checkout is the same as preordering in the Event Hub Experience. The customer can see the contexts and categories of products, add products to their carts and amend quantities before continuing to checkout.
Customers can remove a product within the add-ons step by clicking the product quantity and selecting 0. Alternatively, they can go back to review the cart and click the bin icon next to the product or amend the quantity.
If a customer removes the tickets for an event in their cart, any add-ons will also be removed from the cart.
When reviewing the cart, add-ons are organised underneath their linked event. For example, if a customer buys tickets to multiple events, and has Event Hub add-ons for both events, the customer will see:
- Event 1 tickets
- Event 1 add-ons
- Event 2 tickets
- Event 2 add-ons
Each add-on will also have its context stamp for clarity.
For example:
Start times on Contexts don’t apply when selling through Event Hub at the Box Office or Online Checkout.
This means customers can purchase any available Contexts for an event - like programmes, merchandise or upgrades - as soon as tickets go on sale. That way, you can boost secondary revenue from the moment ticket sales begin. Start times for Contexts only apply when customers are accessing their Event Hub experience and placing pre-orders from their Pre-Event Alert email.
End times on Contexts apply Online, and don't apply at the Box Office.
Event Hub at the Box Office
To learn more about how Event Hub works when selling tickets at the Box Office, read our guide on Selling Event Hub items at the Box Office. A customer who purchases through the Box Office will also still engage with Event Hub when they receive their Pre-Event Alert.
Event Hub in Pre-Event Alerts
Currently, Event Hub can be embedded within the Pre-Event Alert email and SMS. This displays as a block within the email that lets the customer know they can access their digital tickets, event info, map and pre-ordering by clicking through to the Event Hub experience.
The pre-event SMS is shorter in message, reminding customers of the show name, event date and time, venue, and a link to Event Hub.
We're now in Alpha Testing with a pre-event text Automation. SMS is quick, direct, and gets attention fast - in our first Alpha test, engagement was three times higher than pre-event emails. SMS is free during Alpha testing, with pricing to follow once the service goes live.
If you would be interested in trialling this new automation, please let us know!
The Event Hub experience
When customers access Event Hub from their pre-event alert, they'll be taken to the Event Hub experience, where everything they need is in one place - including their digital tickets, event information & FAQs, venue map, and the option to place pre-orders.
Let's explore each tab within the Event Hub experience:
My Items
- All the customer's tickets and products purchased for that event, including pre-orders with a label indicating their chosen context.
- Scannable QR codes.
- Option to add all items to Google/Apple Wallet.
Preorder
- Pre-order items are based on availability at the time of purchase, whether for pre-show, interval, or post-show, and across all categories, including soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and merchandise.
- Customers can add items to their cart and complete the purchase within Event Hub, with everything seamlessly linked to their event. Since their Event Hub experience is connected to their customer record and order, there's no need to re-enter billing details - making checkout quick and hassle-free.
Preorder confirmation email
- After placing an order via Event Hub, the customer receives a message on the order confirmation screen with pickup instructions for their items (set in the "event hub pickup instructions" setting). They'll also receive a confirmation email with their order details and the pickup instructions.
Event Information
- Important information about the event, such as venue information, travel instructions, venue opening times, event warnings and FAQs. This information is pulled from the "event hub event information" setting.
Map
- Embedded map with drop pin on venue location. To set your venue location, go to Manage > Venues > select your venue > move the drop pin on the map to the desired location.
Share
- Share the link to Event Hub, including tickets and pre-ordering with the other people in the customer's party attending.
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