Planning the Season & Selling a Series

OSAC Arts Councils for many years have been successful in selling a season series subscription in their communities. For example, they may offer 3 performances for $60 as opposed to single event tickets for $25 per performance. Many have been successful announcing and having season tickets available for their patrons at the last performance of the previous season. This has many benefits to arts councils.

Selling tickets in the spring for the following season takes some of the financial pressure off having to sell tickets in the fall. Having money in the bank over the summer gives them some peace of mind knowing they will have enough money to pay for at the very least the first few performances of the season. Some offer a renewal discount as well to keep existing patrons. Training patrons to make these purchases at your final event may take some time, but the long-term advantages pay off with a stable patron group and some financial security. These efforts take some planning but hosting a first performance in the fall with no money in the bank can be stressful both mentally and financially.

Early bird discounts are another way to incentive purchases prior to your first performance. A deadline in early September is a good idea as some early September marketing of the early bird pricing can help drive those last subscription tickets before your season starts.

A season series ticket model also reduces the risk of any one performance not selling well. You may have a wonderful season planned, but if weather prevents patrons from getting to one performance and you are relying on single ticket sales, that can increase the financial stress on your organization. It also gives you the flexibility to try something new and take some artistic risks knowing even if attendance is not great at this one performance, the season series will soften the financial blow.