Event Registration Products Like Eventbrite
Apr
30
I am frequently asked about online tools for managing event registrations, so this time I dug up an analysis Mark wrote while evaluating which tool we would use here at Pure Visibility. It’s not an exhaustive list; rather, we focused on some of the most inexpensive event management services and the major points of differentiation between them.
Eventbrite
We chose Eventbrite because there is no charge for free events (like our Donuts & Search Engine Marketing) and they charge 2.5% of the ticket price for paid events with a maximum charge of $9.95. They recently implemented a survey feature which is convenient, and they also allow you to accept many types of payment methods. They allow a little bit of customization to the event page for your event and they offer many different ways to promote your events (feeds, buttons, etc.) They offer good reporting features, the ability to print name badges, and the ability to offer discounts.
Brown Paper Tickets
This is a free solution that allows you to set up a page on the Brown Paper Ticket site where you can post events and links to your site. You cannot actually sell tickets through the site; they use a 3rd party which charges the same fee as Eventbrite (2.5%). Eventbrite is more of an all in one solution whereas this site is more like a Craigslist for events.
RegOnline
RegOnline appears to be a good tool, but they charge no matter what type of event you are hosting (free or paid events.) $4.75 per registrant for events under 120 attendees, and $3.50 per registrant plus $150 for events with more than 120 attendees. There is also a charge to accept credit card payments. It appears that they offer more customization and support with registration forms/event webpage; they allow you to print name badges, and have some good reporting features. It has many of the same features as Eventbrite, but the price point made Eventbrite win out.
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Ian Lathrop
May 1, 2009 at 8:10 am
Thanks for the help! This post is just what I was looking for!
Jack Mardack
May 1, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Thanks very much for choosing Eventbrite, Catherine. Donuts & Search Marketing is brill!
http://purevisibility.com/marketing-presentations/donuts-and-search-marketing/
Catherine Juon
May 1, 2009 at 7:47 pm
You’re welcome, Ian! Can’t wait to see these tools in use at the Red Cross.
Catherine Juon
May 1, 2009 at 7:49 pm
You’re welcome, Jack! You made the choice pretty easy. We really love the way you’ve been adding new features – keep it up!
Kat
December 18, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Thanks for the mention. I work at Brown Paper Tickets and appreciate making your short list!
I also want to make a small correction, we do not use a third party, you can sell tickets through Brown Paper Tickets.
Also it is free for producers to post events with us. We charge nothing to ticket buyers for free events,and only charge buyers a flat fee of 99 cents for events under $10 or $1.99 for events over $10. That’s it, no percent on top of that.
Pricing aside, since we offer full service for all events (no matter their size) including 24-hour call-center and the option to have either mailed physical tickets or will-call, we are certainly the best choice for those producers who require more then just an RSVP list and/or are looking for the best value in ticketing services.
Deborah
February 15, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Not sure if the analysis included GuestList at http://www.guestlistapp.com/ , a very usable and user-friendly online event registration application released in summer 2009
The interface is clean, setup is simple, and there is currently no cost since the application is in beta. It’s been used for small events, less than 10 people, and large events with hundreds of people attending.
Guestlist integrates with PayPal and Campaign Monitor. There is no charge for free events.
I’ve emailed the developers several times with questions, and have always received quick responses (including a response after 5pm on a Friday).
We’re testing it out for our next Michigan Usability Professionals’ Association (http://miupa.org/) event.
Good to see the comment from Kat at Brown Paper Tickets. I’ve used them in the past, they have amazing customer support!