How to Get Your Event Out There: Sell Tickets While Fighting The Mainstream

Okay, so the days of anonymity over the Internet are well and truly gone. Far from the original cold functionality of the beginnings of the web, the biggest development over the past couple of years has been to personalise each individual’s online experience; from social networking sites like Facebook, to online shopping sites like Amazon, it’s all about who you are: your tastes, your preferences, your social groups. Wherever you go, sites are recording what you’ve viewed, what you’ve bought, and recommending things you might like. The focus is on sharing online, making surfing the web an interactive, rather than a passive activity. Myspace has revolutionised the way that music is discovered, for instance, with the emphasis on what individual groups of people want to listen to, rather than being dictated to by large companies and the media. From purchasing clothes to discovering a new band, the Internet now allows us to see what other like-minded people think, how happy they are with the product; we can even share our favourite finds with our own friends.

This is true, it seems, for most things, with the exception of one key area: online ticketing. Buying tickets for events has remained something of a dry and functional activity- you select what you want to buy, enter your details, print out the ticket and leave. And why, you might ask, shouldn’t this be the case? After all, if all your friends are going to a massive concert, and you know you want to go, what more would you need from a website other than to provide the service of selling you the ticket? This may be true for larger gigs that don’t need advertising- but surely the smaller events should need a more personalised touch in order for people to know exactly what it will consist of. If Myspace and similar music sites have allowed people to break free from the reigns of mainstream culture, then shouldn’t events websites provide some kind of response to this as well?

This is where <a href="http://shoobs.com">Shoobs.com</a> comes in.  Shoobs aims to reinvent selling and buying tickets online; it’s fun, attractive 2.0 format makes it immediately striking that this is a ticket sales website with a difference. And that’s because it’s all about the individual; every user gets to create his or her own profile to browse the site with. It functions in a similar way to Facebook or Twitter, in that it is a personalised, quick way of sharing information, though with the specific function of buying and selling tickets and sharing new and exciting events. Concert tickets, underground gigs, shows- shoobs is a place to meet different people who are into different styles. Members can discuss forthcoming events, and share their experiences of previous ones, allowing their friends to get excited about the gigs that they love that wouldn’t necessarily be advertised elsewhere. Unlike other smaller events sites, shoobs.com is not specific to any musical genre, or indeed to any particular kind of event; catering for everything from comedy events to late-night raves, it allows you to explore your preferences and even try out something new.

Shoobs also intends to revolutionise event organisation for those who are hosting and selling the tickets. The event promoters get their own page, with an individual url, that their fans can visit directly. The formatting is simple and the event can be of any size, meaning that many organisers that were spending time and money struggling to get their tickets out on the market can do so in a few very basic steps. As an events promoter, people can follow you to keep up with your next event, share stories and accounts of their experience of your party or show, allowing you to grow in popularity. Not only does this make the site ideal for people who are starting off promoting small-scale events, but they also have the added benefit that the promoters are not charged for selling their tickets; ticket sales are free for the promoters and guests are only charged a small booking fee that is added onto the original cost. More than just a website, <a href="http://shoobs.com">Shoobs.com</a> functions as a space to bring together groups of people who love their music, comedy and nights out, and have a passion for discovering new and exciting things to do.

Say you’re a student who likes to organise events, perhaps only a couple of times a month. You might have a great vibe going on, with brilliant artists and a decent turnout, but after a while, you’ll want to expand your audience and spread the word. But why would more people come if they’ve never heard of the bands that are playing, for instance? Creating an account on <a href="http://shoobs.com">Shoobs.com</a> will allow you not only to sell tickets, but also to have your own page where you can share news, where you can connect to a wider audience; people will be able to listen and watch any tracks, photos and videos you may have uploaded, and so will be more willing to take a chance and come to your event for the first time- and then maybe even spread the word to more people. No matter how small your events start out as, here you have the unique opportunity to expand to a more professional level.

What do you think- do tickets sales websites need to include a more social aspect? Would you be more inclined to sell your tickets on a website where people can actually discuss your event?