HOW TO - SELLING TICKETS FOR YOUR EVENT

HOW TO - SELLING TICKETS FOR YOUR EVENT

This article explains how to sell tickets for your event, which platforms you can use, and what you need to do to stay within Union guidelines.

Getting Started

Before you start selling tickets, make sure your activity proposal and budget have both been approved. Once they have, you're ready to start advertising your event and selling tickets (but not before!).

Using SUMS Shop (Recommended)

We recommend using SUMS for ticket sales. It's free to use for Clubs & Societies, straightforward to set up, and integrates directly with ICU Finance, go to this knowledge base article to show you how! CREATING A SHOP PRODUCT : Imperial College Union

Using an External Ticketing Platform

In most cases, SUMS Shop will meet your needs. However, if your event has requirements that the system can't support, you may be able to use Eventbrite instead.

IMPORTANT: You must not use any external ticketing platform without express permission from the Activities Team first.

You may be eligible to use Eventbrite if your event has:

• High attendance numbers with a significant risk of ticket overselling
• Tickets in specific categories (such as early bird tickets) that could oversell
• A requirement for QR code tickets
• Any other reasonable requirement, as assessed by the Activities Team

What You Need to Know About Eventbrite

If Eventbrite is approved for your event, here's what to keep in mind:

• Eventbrite produces QR code tickets that can be scanned using the Eventbrite Organiser app on any iOS or Android device on the night
• Eventbrite charges platform fees. Your Club/Society is responsible for covering these (unlike SUMS, where ICU covers the fees)
• You must submit an event budget detailing your ticket prices, and update it if prices change
• You must have a clear refund policy in place before tickets go on sale
• Your event page must clearly display the date, time, and location of the event

NOTE: Your committee won't be able to adjust finance settings on Eventbrite; this is restricted to Union staff only. You will, however, be able to download the payout report.

How to Set Up and Use Eventbrite

Step 1: Contact the Activities Team. Get in touch with us to arrange a meeting before you set anything up. We'll walk you through how to use Eventbrite effectively and make sure everything is set up correctly.

Step 2: Run your event and download the payout report. After your event, download the payout report from the Finance menu in Eventbrite, under Payouts.

Step 3: Submit the payout report to eActivities. The payout report must be submitted as “additional documentation” to an eActivities Banking Record. You can do this in eActivities under Finance > Income > Banking Records.

This allows ICU Finance to reconcile the payments from Eventbrite to ICU's bank account.

Frequently Asked Questions about ticketing your event

Can I use a different external ticketing platform, like Ticket Tailor?

No - Ticket Tailor is not an approved platform. Our Finance Team has experienced issues with the level of detail provided in Ticket Tailor's financial reports, which makes it difficult to reconcile payments correctly.

Eventbrite is the only external platform currently approved by the Finance Team, based on the quality of its financial reporting.

If you'd like to discuss using an alternative platform, please contact the Activities Team, and we'll advise on a case-by-case basis.

Still have questions? Check out the rest of our knowledge base articles or submit a ticket  to the Activities Team.