When is the last time you reviewed your ticketing partner or technology? Does the platform help your team streamline their work, or are you still jumping between different programmes? Is it actually helping you grow your business, or is it just keeping the lights on?

Whether you rely on an in-house system or a third-party solution, if you are working with outdated tech, you may be wasting your time — and money.

Clunky, static platforms can slow your operations, drain your resources, and reflect poorly on your brand. But even if you feel you are ready for something new, the choices can be overwhelming. After all, the global event management software market will grow by over 8% by the year 2020. With so many options at your fingertips, how do you determine which partner is right for you?

Start by looking for crucial features that drive long-term revenue and stability for your business. At the bare minimum, you need to know that your attendee information is secure and you will get the support you need. Beyond that, look for a partner with an open-door approach to innovation, and the ability to help you meet your revenue goals. Here are four questions to help you when considering a new technology partner.

1. Will my attendees trust this platform with their information?

To build your business, you need to build trust with consumers. The fourth biggest reason people abandon a purchase is due to doubts about payment security. These doubts account for 12% of drop-offs during checkout.

Eventbrite is an established brand that your buyers already trust, processing over 150 million tickets in 180 countries in the last year alone. Our platform is PCI-compliant and uses strong encryption methods to protect sensitive information. Additionally, with an entire team dedicated to trust and safety, you and your buyers can rest assured that your information is safe.

If security is a top priority for your buyers, it should be a priority for you, too. Choose a platform that has already earned your attendees’ trust to avoid losing sales.

2. Will I get the support I need?

When you are running a large, complex event, you need more than a helpline to call — you need on-the-ground professional support. Eventbrite’s experienced team of Field Operations experts have seen it all. This dedicated team can troubleshoot any connectivity issue and even set up entry points on the spot.
Their support goes beyond the day of your event as the best on-site strategies involve comprehensive, long-term planning. As any seasoned event organiser knows, planning smooth on-site operations is a huge undertaking — don’t go it alone.

Beyond on-site support, your platform should come with event professionals you can consult with all year round. With expertise in a wide variety of events, Eventbrite’s account management team is at the forefront of innovation across industries. From email marketing and search optimisation to entry management and RFID, your account manager can give you the insight you need to grow your events.

So when you’re looking for the right ticketing or registration platform, ask yourself: am I getting software, or a partner dedicated to my business’s success?

3. Will I have access to the best tools — or will I get stuck with a “complete” solution?

Even with great support and air-tight data security, your platform needs to be flexible to stand the test of time. To stay competitive, you need a partner who can scale with your business and adapt to your event’s changing needs.

Many platforms that claim to be “complete” are anything but — because they don’t play well with other technology, you’ll be stuck with their limitations. Eventbrite has an open API (or Application Programming Interface) which means the platform integrates with a wide variety of applications. Much like an iPhone, you can pick and choose between the applications you need so you can build a completely customised solution. Our 170+ best-in-class integrations cover a broad scope of event-specific needs, including CRMs like Salesforce and marketing software like Hubspot.

To avoid limiting the scope of your team’s work, partner with an open platform that directly integrates with the best-in-class applications.

4. Will my partner just keep me afloat – or actually help me grow?

Does your event management software help you grow your revenue? To maximise your sales, your event tech should promote your event where your attendees are already spending time — like on their phones, for instance.

Mobile usage surpassed desktop in 2016, meaning people are increasingly likely to discover your event and buy tickets on their phones. Eventbrite takes a mobile-first approach, building every new feature on mobile before formatting it to desktop. This process ensures that event-goers have a great discovery and purchase experience, no matter what device they’re using.

You can also dramatically boost your sales through distributed commerce, which involves selling tickets to your event directly from popular discovery sites. Eventbrite recently partnered with Facebook to allow people to buy tickets to your event without having to leave the platform. The result? A 2X lift in ticket sales. In fact, distributed commerce could potentially source 20% or more of your sales in the coming years. So if you want to continue to scale your business, look for a partner who is dedicated to extending your reach — and boosting your sales.

Don’t let clunky, static event management software hold your business back. If you want to learn more about how Eventbrite’s innovative technology contact us here.