Production Show Shirts, Dues, and More!
The show has been cast, you’ve had your first read-thru, you’ve started blocking… now the work begins. Blocking alone is time consuming, but you have so many more tasks to do and it feels like there is never enough time in the day to complete them. Let your Hometown Box Office do some of the production organization heavy lifting for you! Did you know that you can utilize your Box Office to: Collect t-shirt sales for the cast and crew? Manage all of your orders in one place by sending out a link to your cast and crew for them to order t-shirts through a private event*. You’ll get real-time reporting, the money will go directly to the school, and you do not have to worry about collecting info or cash by hand. Plus, you still get to work with your school-approved vendor. Collect thespian or production dues? Similar to collecting t-shirt information, you’ll send out a link to your cast and crew for them to pay their dues through the private event* feature. You’ll have access real-time reporting to see who has and hasn’t paid, the money goes directly to the school, and you do not have to worry about collecting cash by hand. Sell program ads? When you create an event to sell ads for your program, you can ask for custom information* at checkout. For example, you can collect how they would like their name to appear or what their shoutout message should say. After checkout is complete, all of this information is available to be exported so you can simply copy and paste it into your program. Wondering how to make it happen? Reach out to your Client Success Manager to learn how to set this up. Not a HomeTown school, but would like more information? Please schedule time with our performing arts experts to get started today. *HomeTown’s in-house platform has many unique features including creating private events that are not visible to the public and custom questions to gather information. There are seemingly endless ways to use your HomeTown Box Office.
Strike Up The Band
Strike Up The Band – For Battle! Drum roll please…it is time for the annual Battle of the Bands competitions to happen throughout the United States. As you start to prepare for your show and the competition(s) that you might be participating in, we wanted to highlight a few things on how HomeTown can help make planning and organizing this year’s competition easier than ever before. Tickets You can streamline all ticket purchases online so that every school participating can encourage their parents to purchase tickets in advance. You also can sell tickets at the gate the day of the competition. By creating multiple ticket levels, you could have a ticket level dedicated to each participating program and then with our reporting, you can share with each school how many tickets were sold for their program. Band Merch Have some awesome band merchandise that your band and band parents will love? Stay organized with these sales by sending out a link to your families for them to order their gear through a private event* set up in your box office. You then get real-time reporting, the money will go directly to the school and you do not have to worry about collecting info or cash. Plus, you still get to work with your school-approved vendor. Concessions* Do you sell concessions to raise more money for your program? The HomeTown platform allows you to sell concessions through our point of sale system. This allows you to take credit card payments or cash as well as have real-time reporting to know exactly how much you sold at the end of the day. Plus, the school can receive a direct payment for those funds. Feel free to reach out to your dedicated Client Success Manager to learn more on how to set this up. Not a HomeTown school, but would like more information? Please schedule time with our performing arts experts to get started today. *HomeTown’s in-house platform has many unique features including creating private events that are not visible to the public and concessions. There are seemingly endless ways to use your HomeTown box office.
HomeTown and Box Out Sports Announce New Capabilities to Integrate Digital Ticketing and Social Media Graphics
COLUMBUS, OH – March 7, 2023For Immediate Release HomeTown Ticketing, Inc., and Box Out Sports, two of the leading companies in the K–12 and collegiate sports, events, and activities industry, have announced a one-of-a-kind capability and new connected experience between the two platforms. The strategic partnership and technical integration will bring together HomeTown’s industry-leading digital ticketing solution and Box Out’s social media marketing tools to help schools better engage communities, build stronger brands, and drive more ticket sales than ever before. The HomeTown and Box Out experience will introduce brand new automations to generate uniquely crafted professional graphics and automated social media campaigns that leverage the industry’s marketing best practices — along with extensive input from the most experienced and successful event organizers and school administrators in the industry. “This connection is unlike anything else in the industry today,” said Box Out Sports co-founder Robbie Lightfoot. “There has never been a better or easier way for schools to drive social engagement and create excitement for their events and activities.” The companies announced that the new integration will be going live this summer, with the onboarding and setup process beginning immediately for new school signups on both platforms. “We are so excited to offer school districts and organizations this one-of-a-kind solution for their ticketing and marketing needs,” said HomeTown CEO Matt Davis. “With HomeTown’s platform synced with Box Out’s marketing tools — schools and organizations will now completely automate their marketing efforts and reach their communities that much more effectively. It’s going to be a massive win for everyone involved.” About HomeTown As the leading digital ticketing provider in K-12 and collegiate spaces, HomeTown Ticketing empowers schools, districts, conferences, and associations to seamlessly manage events. Our professional-grade platform enables easy ticket sales, swift attendee scanning, and expedited revenue access. From schools and districts to colleges and universities, HomeTown Ticketing transforms student athletics, arts, and community programs across the United States. With our headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, we prioritize around the clock customer support to enhance game-day experiences for students, families, and fans nationwide. Learn more about HomeTown at hometownticketing.com or follow HomeTown Ticketing on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. About Box Out Sports Box Out is a cutting-edge technology designed to help sports teams, organizations, and events of all sizes better communicate and engage with their audience. While helping administrators create pro-level graphics in seconds — Box Out streamlines marketing and design in an effort to help communities stay connected to their events. Our platform provides a range of features, including a customizable content library, image and video editing tools, and a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of creating and publishing engaging content. Whether you’re a high school coach, district administrator, or college marketing person, Box Out can help you take your social media marketing to the next level. Contact us today to learn more about our platform and how we can help you save time and increase your brand presence.
Choosing the Right Ticket Passes for Your School
Season passes are one of the most common ways that schools use Hometown Box Office’s pass feature, but which of these additional passes might benefit your programs? Here’s a look at a few ways schools use passes to drive ticket sales and offer their students, their families, and fans the options they really want. What are Passes? Passes provide an easy way for fans to purchase entry to multiple events at one time, while providing fans with flexible options. Select the events your school wants to sell a pass for, most commonly this is used to provide a single digital pass that grants access to an athletic season’s events. Then, fans receive one QR code via email or the Hometown Fan App that can be scanned for entry. Multi-Sport Passes With a multi-sport pass, the passholder can access events beyond a single sport and athletic season. With one purchase, you can create a simple way for your most loyal fans to attend sporting events within the same season. This option can be especially useful for parents who have student athletes in multiple sports, for example a family who has a basketball player and a wrestler, may opt for multi-sport passes to access both of these winter sports. Related post: Benefits of Season Passes and Season Tickets for your Sports Season Student and Parent Passes Some schools opt to offer an exclusive and convenient way for students and parents to access multiple events with passes. Using our built-in passcodes feature, student ID numbers or a unique code can be given to each eligible person to unlock passes with a particular set of events or at a special rate. Family Passes Family passes can be set up to allow one pass to earn entry for multiple people in a family. Settings allow you to set a pass from one valid scan per event to multiple entry scans per event. Family passes can offer a set number of scans per event, allowing a family to attend events without worrying about purchasing single game tickets. Related post: Why Choose Hometown Box Office? Want to learn more about using Hometown Box Office to sell passes and single tickets to your events? Set up a time to talk with our team to gather the information you need and get started with our digital ticketing solution.
Benefits of Season Passes and Season Tickets for your Sports Season
Want to make it fast and easy for your most loyal fans to get into every game? HomeTown has the built-in option to sell season passes and season ticket packages to your events. Which one is right for your programs? Related post: 4 Tips for using Digital Ticketing for Event Planning Season Passes Passes provide an easy way for fans to purchase entry to multiple events at one time, while providing you with flexible options. Select the events within your season that you want to sell a pass for. When fans purchase their season pass, they will receive one QR code that can be scanned for entry. The QR code will be valid for one entry to each event within the season and can be stored on a mobile device or printed at home. Season Ticket Packages Season ticket packages allow your fans to purchase entry to each game of an athletic season for one price. Season tickets can be sent digitally, with individual tickets for each game that are easily scanned upon entry to ensure each ticket is valid for the correct date. Related post: Set Up Your School for a Sell-Out Crowd with Digital Ticketing Season tickets also allow fans to choose a reserved seat within your venue and keep their seat for the entire season. For example, you may have fans who want to sit on the 50-yard line for the entire football season or want to be near center court in your gym. When it comes time to renew your fans’ yearly ticket package, you will work directly with your Client Success Manager to send out automated renewal information. Why Do Schools Sell Season Passes and Season Tickets? Both season passes and season ticket packages drive early ticket sales for your events, increase event attendance across the season, and provide an easy alternative to buying single game tickets. They also provide a lower fee option for fans when compared to purchasing tickets individually, rewarding your loyal fans with savings. Ready to get started selling your season passes and single game tickets with HomeTown? Schedule a call with our team to get the answers to your questions and get set-up with your own HomeTown Box Office.
Set Up Your School for a Sell-Out Crowd with Digital Ticketing
With the fall season in full swing, high schools around the country have been kicking off their big games in front of huge crowds. Football games bring the community together through school spirit and pride. What can you do when you are expecting a sell out for the big rivalry game and want to make the process as smooth as possible? Sell out more events Through digital ticketing, schools can monitor ticket sales in real-time. They can communicate with their fanbase via social media when they reach certain thresholds that an event is nearly sold-out. The best examples of posts like these inform fans of the large expected crowds, urge people to buy their tickets early, and provide the link to their box office in the post. Related post: Increase Ticket Sales by Using Social Media Use reporting tools to be proactive If a large crowd is expected for your event, it’s important to have fans purchase their tickets as early as possible. This prevents your gate workers from feeling overwhelmed with ticket purchasers at the gate, and fans can easily get into the game. Tracking attendance in real-time as game day approaches allows you to be proactive by opening up additional entrance gates, adding staff members or volunteers, and even increasing concession stand inventory. Use your seat map to show available seats If you’re using reserved seating or seat maps provided by HomeTown, you can show which seats are still available. Take a screenshot of the seatmap in your box office and post a message such as, “Seats at the 50 yard line are selling out fast!” or “Get your general admission seats before they’re gone!” Related post: 5 Ways to Promote Your Events Be proud and create some hype It’s also important to let fans know on social media when a game is officially sold out. Not only does this inform your fans that tickets are no longer available, but it also creates hype and excitement for the big game. It can even create urgency for fans to purchase tickets early for future games as well. Related post: 4 Tips for using Digital Ticketing for Event Planning
Hometown Acquires Ticket Spicket to Accelerate Modernization of Event Ticketing
Strategic combination, backed by Nexa Equity, creates the leading community-focused ticketing and event management platform supporting more than 16,500 K–12 schools, community organizations, associations, and conferences. COLUMBUS, OH – October 20, 2022For Immediate Release Hometown, the leading provider of digital ticketing for schools, districts, conferences, and associations, and a Nexa Equity portfolio company, announced today it has completed the acquisition of Ticket Spicket, a Virginia-based digital ticketing platform focused on the K-12 market. The acquisition expands Hometown’s capabilities and broadens the company’s geographic presence across the United States. The combined company will serve more than 300,000 events annually and 40 million fans in all 50 states. The move to digital payments has transformed the way K-12 schools, colleges, athletic conferences, and associations conduct business at events and tournaments. Further, the adoption of virtual ticketing and payment solutions allows athletic directors and school administrators to more efficiently manage, promote, staff, and execute events and extracurricular activities than ever before. Hometown’s acquisition of Ticket Spicket will enable even more schools and associations to take advantage of the benefits of digital-first ticketing solutions, including increased time savings, more automated processes, and real-time data reporting and communication tools. “We are thrilled that Ticket Spicket is joining the Hometown family,” said Ryan Hart, Chairman of Hometown.“The acquisition brings together the two fastest-growing leaders in the virtual ticketing space under one roof and translates to immediate value for our customers as a result of an even more robust and feature-rich platform.” Both Hometown and Ticket Spicket customers will benefit from near-term product enhancements, future innovation, and improved customer service, with no disruption to their service or offerings. Together, Hometown and Ticket Spicket will have 250 employees dedicated to more than 16,500 K-12 schools, community organizations, associations, and conferences across the country. Ticket Spicket Co-Founders Russell Hertzberg and Donnie Schemetti, who will join Hometown and continue to support the Ticket Spicket platform, said, “We’re excited to partner with Hometown Ticketing, a fast-growing company that shares our values and commitment to customer service. We look forward to continuing our mission with expanded resources as part of the broader Hometown team.” Ticket Spicket is Hometown’s first acquisition since Nexa Equity, a private equity firm focused on rapidly scaling software and fintech companies, invested in the company earlier this year. Vlad Besprozvany, Managing Partner at Nexa Equity, said, “We are thrilled to support both Hometown and its management team in the strategic acquisition of Ticket Spicket.” Todd Cramer, Principal at Nexa Equity, added, “This acquisition enables both teams to further execute on their combined goals of bringing digital-first solutions to schools and organizations.” About HometownHometown is the leading digital ticketing provider in both K-12 and collegiate spaces, serving schools, districts, conferences, and associations. A professional-level and fully automated ticketing solution, Hometown’s in-house developed, proprietary ticketing platform offers unmatched value with easy-to-use purchasing and redemption options, custom box-offices, event and fan specific reporting tools and secure financial management features. Intuitive and easy-to-use for both event organizers and ticket buyers, Hometown never touches the event organizer’s funds. Learn more about Hometown at hometown.com or follow Hometown on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. About Ticket Spicket Ticket Spicket’s pro-level digital ticketing platform has changed the game for high school athletic departments and student activities programs since launching in early 2016. As the official ticket partner of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), Ticket Spicket is proud to be working together with customers in nearly 50 states across the U.S. For more information, visit ticketspicket.com or follow Ticket Spicket on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. About Nexa Equity Nexa Equity is a San Francisco, California based private equity firm that partners with founder-led, rapidly scaling SaaS and fintech companies that address markets underserved by technology to create enduring value for the benefit of its investors and portfolio companies. The firm has more than $250 million in private equity capital under management and is focused on continuing to grow its portfolio of companies. The Nexa Equity team brings substantial investing and operational experience to the table and helps management teams professionalize and scale their businesses and drive long-term sustainable growth. For more information, please visit nexaequity.com. Media ContactAmy Christieamy.christie@hometownticketing.com
HomeTown Ticketing Announces Partnership With Aktivate
COLUMBUS, OH – September 27, 2022For Immediate Release HomeTown Ticketing, Inc. is proud to announce a new partnership with Aktivate. Like HomeTown, Aktivate is a leader in the K–12 industry, simplifying the way athletic programs are managed and organized by providing athletic directors with scheduling, management, and compliance tools to streamline and simplify their everyday tasks. This partnership highlights the increasingly positive advantages that technology provides in the school and athletics spaces. Working in the same spaces, both companies align in their goals to support athletic departments in creating stronger, larger programs while making it easier to manage all that comes with the sports and events. HomeTown’s previous experience with integrating scheduling systems into the HomeTown platform opens the door to explore similar solutions with Aktivate and allow fast, easy imports of athletics schedules to sell tickets to the events. “Day in and day out, Aktivate is focused on providing Athletic Directors with technology that makes their jobs easier and more efficient,” said Hesky Kutscher, Co-Founder and CEO of Aktivate. “So we felt a natural synergy with the HomeTown Ticketing team who aims to do the same. We are always open to working with partners that enable school communities to save time, energy and resources.” HomeTown’s Chairman and CEO, Ryan Hart also shared his thoughts on the partnership: “HomeTown is looking forward to our new partnership with Aktivate as we work together to advance our mutual goals of creating easy-to-use solutions for schools. By simplifying the athletics scheduling process, Aktivate shows the benefits that technology can offer and aligns with HomeTown’s goals of providing easy-to-use, time-saving solutions. We are excited for the new opportunities this relationship will bring to all of those who use Aktivate and HomeTown for their events!” ABOUT HOMETOWN TICKETINGHomeTown Ticketing is the leading digital ticketing provider in both K–12 and collegiate spaces, serving schools, districts, conferences, and associations. A professional-level and fully automated ticketing solution, HomeTown’s in-house developed, proprietary ticketing platform is tailored specifically to the needs of schools and governing bodies. Benefits of the HomeTown system include unmatched value through easy-to-use purchasing and redemption options, custom box-offices, event and fan specific reporting tools, and secure financial management features to streamline operations and increase financial transparency. Intuitive and easy-to-use for both event organizers and ticket buyers, HomeTown never touches the event organizer’s funds. Learn more about HomeTown at www.hometownticketing.com | @hometowntix ABOUT AKTIVATEAktivate is a scholastic sports technology solution that streamlines the process of student-athlete management. Aktivate works with schools and districts across 30 states, and offers technology to manage registration and clearance, coach certifications, payment collection, injury management, scheduling management, and a mobile app for team communications. https://www.aktivate.com/company
HomeTown Ticketing named Official Ticketing Partner of NJ’s Super Football Conference
COLUMBUS, OH – Aug. 16, 2022For Immediate Release HomeTown Ticketing Inc. has been named the Official Ticketing Partner of New Jersey’s Super Football Conference (SFC), the largest high school football conference in the United States, with 113 public and non-public teams in seven counties. This partnership will provide convenient, online ticketing options for consumers, as well as additional security and reporting capabilities for SFC member schools. “We’re thrilled to announce this partnership,” said SFC President Denis Nelson. “Members may now offerfans contactless ticketing, and schools will benefit from improved event management, crowd control, and financial oversight versus cumbersome cash and coin. NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) established a similar partnership last year and, by all accounts, it’s been a success.” Dan Romano, athletic director at James Caldwell High School, said: “We began using HomeTown Ticketing two years ago, and we’re glad we did. The ease of selling tickets without dealing with cash makes it invaluable. Being able to pre-sell and have control over the number of tickets sold is another highlight. The HomeTown Ticketing support staff makes the entire process simple. I would recommend HomeTown Ticketing to any high school.” Ned Panfile, coordinator of athletics and student activities at SFC member West Morris Mendham HighSchool, noted: “Our school uses HomeTown Ticketing for all its athletic events that involve ticketing, bothfor individual events and season family passes. Because of the pandemic, and based on ease-of-use, wehave abandoned any exchange of money. HomeTown Ticketing has an easy-to-read dashboard with user-friendly ticket-building, guest lists, and easy-to-develop and read-purchase reports. HomeTown Tickeing’s representative met with me to develop our ticket look and get the tickets ready before each season. I am very happy with HomeTown Ticketing, and its approach to digital ticketing.” HomeTown Ticketing Chairman and CEO Ryan Hart added: “HomeTown Ticketing is happy to bring aprofessional level ticketing experience to the fans, schools, and communities within the SFC. HomeTownTicketing will provide a platform that is simple and easy-to-use for fans of all ages when attending selectSFC games and events.” About HomeTown TicketingHomeTown Ticketing is the trusted leader in digital ticketing providing K–12 schools, districts, conferences, associations, collegiate spaces, and community organizations with a secure and flexible platform. A professional-level and fully automated ticketing solution, HomeTown’s in-house developed, proprietary ticketing platform is tailored specifically to the needs of schools and governing bodies. Benefits of the HomeTown system include unmatched value through easy-to-use purchasing and redemption options, custom box-offices, event and fan specific reporting tools, and secure financial management features to streamline operations and increase financial transparency. Intuitive and easy-to-use for both event organizers and ticket buyers, HomeTown never touches the event organizer’s funds. Learn more aboutHomeTown at www.hometownticketing.com | @hometowntix About the Super Football ConferenceEstablished in 2016, New Jersey’s Super Football Conference (SFC) is the largest high school footballconference in the United States, with 113 public and non-public teams in seven counties. Members include some of the nation’s premier academic institutions and perennial football powerhouses. SFC’s mission is to improve performance, promote academic excellence, and create opportunities for student-athletes.
State of Digital Ticketing Talks with the MSHSAA
Organizing for high school events has changed over the past decade. As schools, districts, and state associations have embraced technology to save time, stay organized, and simplify processes, digital ticketing has become a major part of day-to-day operations. Through the HomeTown platform, state associations like the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) have found a comprehensive digital ticketing solution that simplifies events while offering the flexible options desired to meet the needs of every fan. Related post: Going Digital: The Benefits of Digital Ticketing Platforms Recently, HomeTown’s Connor Thinnes, Vice President of Marketing, was joined by Craig Long, the Chief Financial Officer of the MSHSAA, and Stacey Slaughter, the Accounting Manager for the MSHSAA, to discuss how the association uses digital ticketing for their events. In their conversation, they shared how the world of high school athletic events has changed over time and why they require digital ticketing for their post-season events. You can check out their conversation and hear firsthand why they advocate for the benefits of digital ticketing. https://vimeo.com/723421826 HomeTown thanks Craig and Stacey for sharing their thoughts and experiences in using the HomeTown platform for MSHSAA events. We greatly appreciate their insights on how digital ticketing works at state association and school levels. We are proud to be a part of the MSHSAA’s continued success and to support the association’s administrators and student-athletes. About HomeTown Ticketing HomeTown Ticketing is the leading digital ticketing provider in both K–12 and collegiate spaces, serving schools, districts, conferences, and associations. A professional-level and fully automated ticketing solution, HomeTown’s in-house developed, proprietary ticketing platform is tailored specifically to the needs of schools and governing bodies. Benefits of the HomeTown system include unmatched value through easy-to-use purchasing and redemption options, custom box-offices, event and fan specific reporting tools, and secure financial management features to streamline operations and increase financial transparency. Intuitive and easy-to-use for both event organizers and ticket buyers, HomeTown never touches the event organizer’s funds. Learn more about HomeTown at www.hometownticketing.com | @hometowntix Want to learn more about how digital ticketing can play a role in your 2022–2023 athletic events? Schedule a call with our team today!
