bringing your box office into the 21st century
DESCRIPTION
With lean budgets, staff members that are spread thin, and only so many hours in the day, efficiency and control in the Box Office and back office are key. Organizations of all shapes and sizes wrestle with the same challenge…how can we do more with limited time, budget, and staff? In this session, we cover ways that you can leverage technology to bring your Box Office into the 21st century. Box Offices of all sizes can rework outdated and cumbersome processes to make things easier and more pleasant for your staff, and your customers.TRANSCRIPT
Bringing your box office into the 21st century
Keith Goldberg VP Marketing, Vendini
Russell ThompsonBox Office Manager & Event Coordinator, State University of New York at New Paltz
Introductions
Box Office Manager & Event Coordinator
Deep rooted love for music and the arts
Strong business sense
Passion for mentoring students
Russell Thompson
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY New Paltz
Vendini Founder, President and CEO
Mark Tacchi
VP Marketing, Vendini
Software career
Penn alum
Backstage and front of house part-time
Keith Goldberg
Vendini makes the business of live events simple.
Vendini
Vendini makes the business of live events simple.
Vendini
Current state of affairs
Age of Now
Today’s patron
Connected
Empowered
Distracted
The human brand
What patrons want vs. what we can deliver
But … my plate is full
Technology
Tech·nol'·o·gy:the use of science to invent useful things or solve problems
What’s in it for me?
Accessible 24/7
Automate manual work
Improve patron happiness
Time for a game plan
The SUNY New Paltz game plan
The starting point
Inefficient internal systems and procedures
Limited patron experience
Not scalable, confined future growth
Manual data collection and reporting
Pain points
Modernize and exude professionalism
Mobile box office
Enhance patron experience
Improve data collection and reporting
Lay a foundation for long-term growth
Goals
Staff and patron feedback
Quantity of patron complaints and inquiries
Training time
Amount of manual work
Accessibility of and visibility into data
Success factors
Implementation doesn’t have to be scary
Take inventory
Repurpose when possible
Start small
Invest wisely
Get creative
Keep goals in sight
Making it happen
Outcome
GOALS
Modernize and exude professionalism
Mobile Box Office
Enhance patron experience
Improve data collection and reporting
Foundation for long-term growth
Measuring up
RESULTS
Affirmed via staff and patron feedback
Reduced patron complaints and questions
Freed up staff time for new initiatives
Shared access better internal communication
Shorter training cycles
Up-to-date reporting, increased accuracy, better visibility into data
Repurposed hardware to stay on-budget
No increase in university or patron fees
Measuring up
Accessible, web-based system
Modern technology to support staff and patrons at the box office and events
Consistent experience online and in-person
Affirmed through patron feedback
Modernize and exude professionalism
Leverage existing hardware for additional sales
Portable sales and ticket scanning
Seize additional sales opportunities
Off-site sales
Line busting pre-event
Cash free to prevent fraud
Mobile Box Office
More staff time to focus on patrons
Decrease in patron questions, complaints
Special treatment for VIP patrons
Added convenience for tech savvy patrons
Shorter lines
Faster service
Peace of mind for disabled patrons
Better patron experience
Data collection and reporting Improved accuracy
Easier tracking
Improved efficiency
Collect data in one place
Automated reporting, less manual work
Saved staff time
Streamline ops and set stage for growth Web-based system
is accessible 24/7
Control over updates
Empower staff and volunteers to solve problems
Improved internal communication
Shorter training cycles
Integrated patron database
Scalable system and processes for future
Stay on-budget Leveraged existing hardware
Additional technology investments over time
No increase to university spend
No changes to patron fees
It’s just the beginning
What’s next?
Real-time communicationLocation and proximity detection (e.g. iBeacon)
Mobile phone notifications
RFIDRadio-frequency identification and near-field communication.
Augmented RealityGoogle Glass
Other wearables & mobile devices
New payment methodsMobile payments: Paypal, Google Wallet, Apple Passbook?
Virtual currencies:Bitcoin, etc.
The Cliffs Notes recap1 We live in the age of now!
Empowered patrons. Staff and volunteers with too much on their plates.
2 Accessible, smartly implemented tech can help.
3 Agile communication and collaboration in real time help accomplish more, better serve patrons, online and in-person.
4 Don’t forget, in-person matters too.
Go forth and deliver remarkable experiences
Questions and discussion
Keep in touchKeith Goldberg
VP Marketing
Vendini, Inc.
Russell Thompson
Box Office Manager & Event Coordinator
State University of New York at New Paltz
Thank you
Sources and photo creditsSlide 4 SUNY New Paltz
Slide 8 Forrester Research Blog “The era of now and the age of the customer – why resiliency is more critical than ever.” Now is right now photo by Flickr user kraftfolio.
Slide 10 The Human Brand by Chris Malone and Susan T. Fiske. Photo courtesy of SUNY New Paltz Facebook.
Slide 11 Mind the gap photo by Flickr user limaoscarjuliet.
Slide 12 Dinner plate photo by Flickr user presta.
Slide 14 Technology definition by Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Atari photo by Flickr user quagmirez31.
Slide 16 Rugby huddle photo by Flickr user bobaliciouslondon.
Slide 18 Ticket spools photo by SUNY New Paltz.
Slide 22 Cat and girl photo by Flickr user elizabeth_albert.
Slide 35 Smiling audience photo by Flickr user amaria.