HomeTown Ticketing 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 Ticketing Inc., 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 Ticketing family,” said Ryan Hart, Chairman of HomeTown Ticketing. “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 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 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 hometownticketing.com or follow HomeTown Ticketing 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
4 Tips for using Digital Ticketing for Event Planning
When you’re planning important events, ticketing should be stress-free. Here are four simple tips that will help you plan ahead for a smooth, successful event. 1. Track Real-Time Ticket Sales in Your Box Office Predicting event attendance is crucial to event preparation. Our cloud-based platform monitors real-time sales to track planned attendance, so you know when to ramp up staff or onsite capabilities to accommodate larger crowds. Quick tip: Want to make sure your guests get to the right location? When setting up your event, copy and paste the address directly from Google Maps. In the order confirmation email, purchasers will receive a Google Map link with directions to your venue. This step will ensure that your fans receive the correct directions. 2. Provide Link for Online Tickets to Social Media Followers One of the most effective ways to promote your event is by sharing the link on social media. Your built-in audience will see the reminder about the event and be able to click your post to go directly to your Box Office. Related post: Increase Ticket Sales by Using Social Media Quick tip: Facebook and Twitter will allow you to link directly to other websites, however, Instagram does not offer links within posts. One workaround is sharing links through their Stories feature. 3. Offer Exclusive Access with Pre-Sale and Passcode Features Do you have an exclusive event that’s likely to sell out? Provide a VIP experience to proud families, supportive friends, and loyal fans with our passcode-protected presale options. You can also set a ticket limit per ID number or use promo codes to promote early ticket sales. Related post: Set Up Your School Dance Tickets Online Quick tip: Using student ID numbers as passcodes is the easiest way to secure your events’ tickets and make certain that only your students have access to purchase. This is a great option for student-only events, such as school dances. 4. Avoid Lines and Enhance Guest Experience No one wants to wait in a long line! Online presale tickets, fast-scanning entries, and in-app ticket purchases all help avoid an overwhelmed box office. Guests will appreciate how quick and easy the experience is, and they can focus on celebrating your big event. Related post: Scanning, Security, and a Professional-Level Ticketing Experience Quick tip: Offer cashless payment options, like credit cards, for attendees and avoid having your staff handle cash. This will streamline the process even further and keep your staff focused on a successful event, rather than counting money and making change. Using QR code posters at the gate of your events allows fans to access tickets onsite through their mobile device.
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
Increase Ticket Sales by Using Social Media
According to Pew Research Center, over 70% of Americans are currently using social media, so why not meet your fans where they already are? Here are a few tips to digitally promote events and drive ticket sales. Keep Your Fans Posted on Twitter Twitter is one of the best resources to share quick bits of information with your fans and community, like celebrating a game-winning touchdown, announcing a rain delay, or sharing your box office URL. Keep fans engaged by live tweeting the most important plays and use the retweet feature to share fan-created content. Want your tweets to reach an even bigger audience? Tag @HomeTownTix, and we might repost it! Get Creative With Video According to Sprout Social, 66% of social media users say short-form video is the most engaging type of social content. No need to worry about joining in the latest dance craze though- there are plenty of fun ways to promote events with video content. One favorite example comes from the Pearl River Community College Baseball Team, who put their parody skills to use in an MLB spoof video. They were able to use their sense of humor to capitalize on a pop culture trend and, more importantly, share with their fans how to get tickets to their games. Another amazing example video shows the Augustana University Viking mascot demonstrating how to get into an event with his digital HomeTown ticket. This creative take not only shared information with school spirit, but also didn’t require any spoken dialogue. Related post: Scanning, Security, and a Professional-Level Ticketing Experience Use the Graphics Provided by HomeTown As a part of your onboarding with HomeTown Ticketing, your Client Success Manager will provide you with customized graphics to advertise your digital ticketing options. Use the graphics to grab attention and share your URL in the social post to direct fans to your Online Box Office. Previous slide Next slide Use Facebook Events to Reach More People Facebook makes it easy to promote events and share the link to your HomeTown Box Office for online ticket sales ahead of the event. Want to learn more about this helpful feature? Check out our recent blog post: Using Facebook Events to Sell More Tickets
Using Facebook Events to Sell More Tickets
What’s the best way to reach parents, fans, and community members who are interested in attending events at your school? Meet them where they are! Over 87% of Americans own a smartphone today, making it important to communicate with potential event attendees through platforms they’re comfortable with and already using. Facebook makes it easy to promote events and share the link to your HomeTown Box Office for online ticket sales ahead of the event. Related post: When and Where Do Fans Get Tickets? By creating events in Facebook, you can clearly communicate event date, time, and description, along with a direct link to your online ticket sales page. Once your Facebook event is created and you have made it public for others in your community to find, the sharing can begin. As fans indicate they are “Interested” in an event or “Going” to an event, Facebook shares that information with their friends. This provides the event with an organic event promotion, growing the number of people who may see the event and also purchase tickets. A Facebook event also has built-in prompts for the user to add the event to the calendar on their device, reminding them of the upcoming event so they won’t miss it. As the event date approaches, reminders and notifications within the Facebook app are sent to the individuals who have marked “Interested” on the event so they can easily click and purchase their tickets. For a quick overview on how to get started with Facebook Events, click here: LINK Related post: Publishing Your Events In Advance
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.
Publishing Your Events In Advance
A recent customer survey conducted in Spring 2022 showed that over 90% of customers using the HomeTown platform take advantage of our features to publish events in advance. If you pair that data with the results of our Fan Survey conducted in Fall 2021 that showed 78% of fans desire to purchase tickets in advance of the event, it’s clear that publishing events ahead of time is what fans, parents, and community members want. If you are still adding your event the day or week of, it’s time to learn more about how our platform can simplify the event creation process and save you time. Related post: How Fans Purchase Tickets Online and in the HomeTown Fan App Scheduling Integration Partners HomeTown has partnered with like-minded organizations in the K12 space to develop platform integrations. These allow your school to quickly import event information from other platforms into your HomeTown box office. By using integrations, you can publish entire seasons of events in a matter of minutes, and quickly begin selling season tickets and season passes to your loyal fans. Our growing list of integrations with leading scheduling platforms includes rSchool Today, VNN, BigTeams, DragonFly, SBLive, and Rank One. Duplicate Event Creation In addition to creating events in bulk through our integration partners, you can also clone your events to quickly publish similar events with the same information. When on the View & Edit Event Details page, simply click the Duplicate button. This will prompt you to create a new event based on the information from the event you selected. Additional Event Features Once you create an event, HomeTown offers a full suite of digital ticket sales and event management features such as: custom fields in the purchasing process to capture relevant fan/guest information, pre-sale codes, promo codes/passcodes, custom order confirmation, confirmation attachment capabilities, and even the ability to accept donations during the checkout process. Related post: Why Choose HomeTown Ticketing? Interested in learning more about implementing these features for your upcoming school year? Get started with HomeTown by completing our demo form. Current HomeTown users can reach out to their Client Success Manager to walk through these features.
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!
When and Where Do Fans Get Tickets?
Some school administrators wonder, “How would digital ticketing work for us?” Today, we’re going to share how digital ticketing provides flexible options that help your fans to get tickets when and where they want with the help of stats from a recent survey conducted by Navigate, a leader in understanding and marketing sporting events. Tickets via Smartphone Did you know that 87% of Americans own a smartphone? That’s one of the reasons that HomeTown created our Fan App, which is available for both Android and iOS devices. The Fan App makes it fast and easy to buy tickets and store them directly on a smartphone. Related post: How Fans Purchase Tickets Online and in the HomeTown Fan App And for those people who do not own a smartphone, HomeTown’s platform also allows fans to buy tickets on a computer and print them, or purchase tickets at the gate with cash or credit cards. These flexible options ensure that all of your fans have access to tickets in a way that is convenient for them. Buying Tickets Early and Making Plans to Attend While your fans may be used to buying tickets at your box office on the day of the event, a recent study found that 78% of ticket consumers want to purchase tickets in advance, rather than at the event. Digital ticketing is the simplest way to offer easy access to presale tickets and allow fans to get their tickets ahead of time. By selling tickets online, you also help them save time and avoid lines at your box office. And with flexible in-person options, you can be sure to meet all your fans’ needs. Tickets On Your Website We found that 97% of people attending high school events felt at least “slightly comfortable” purchasing tickets online. And when it comes to transitioning your school to digital tickets, HomeTown is here to support you every step of the way. We connect you with a dedicated client success manager to help you along the way and offer an in-house support team to answer you and your fans’ questions! Meeting All Your Fans Needs But what about those fans who want to purchase tickets in person or use cash? While the number of fans in this category is significantly smaller than those who prefer digital purchases, it’s important for many organizations to meet their needs. HomeTown’s platform has a built-in point of sale system that allows you to accept cash or credit cards at your box office. We recently expanded our in-person ticket options to include a kiosk solution, which provides an easy to use, self-checkout solution for fans to use their credit card and access tickets on site. Related post: All Types of Tickets: HomeTown Has the Options People Want Want to learn more about digital ticketing trends and how HomeTown can provide you with the solutions to meet your fans needs? Reach out to our team to start the conversation and get answers to your questions.
State of Digital Ticketing Talks with the IHSAA
How can schools, districts, and state associations use technology to save time, stay organized, and simplify processes? When it comes to ticketing, technology has advanced well beyond the need for tearing paper tickets and counting cash. HomeTown is proud to provide a comprehensive digital ticketing solution that simplifies events while offering the flexible options desired to meet the needs of every fan. Related post: All Types of Tickets: HomeTown Has the Options People Want So how has digital ticketing advanced athletic events for our schools and state association partners? HomeTown’s Connor Thinnes, Vice President of Marketing, sat down with Tom Keating, the Executive Director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) to discuss how digital ticketing positively impacts the everyday operations of the association and how this user-friendly technology provides the solutions they need. You can check out their conversation and hear firsthand why digital ticketing is here to stay. HomeTown thanks Tom Keating for taking the time to share his experience with our platform and insights on high school athletic events. We appreciate your thoughts on the impact of digital ticketing on schools and associations and how to bring the best possible experience to the fans. We are proud to be a part of the IHSAA’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 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!
