eTicketing App
E-Ticketing is selling tickets to social functions such as soccer games, concerts, night clubs, theaters, cinema, etc. through electronic means. This technology is based on the mobile phone.
Current State of The Industry.
Event organisers currently print paper based tickets. These are either sold at event gates or through selected shops well before the date of the event. The shops normally sell them at a commission of 10%. Where the tickets are sold through shops, the number of shops are usually limited because of cost of distribution and cash management issues, making accessibility an issue to patrons of these events.
Paper based tickets are also often subject to pilfering and counterfeiting. The eTicketing System seeks to address these issues. It also has some other advantages of its own.
How eTicketing Works.
A prospective patron may know which events are available by texting to a designated number. A list of available events, their location, prices and account numbers will be sent back to the patron. Using his/her mobile money account, the user can now transfer the required funds to the account to buy a ticket. The patron will receive an SMS acknowledgement. At the event gate, the patron will dial/flash a number with the phone that he bought the eTicket with. If he indeed has bought a ticket, his number will be displayed with the number of tickets he bought, and he will be allowed in.
Advantages of eTicketing.
ñ Minimal cost. With the exception of the commission, there are no other cost such as ticket printing and ticket distribution.
ñ Patrons can easily purchase tickets from the comfort of their homes. Outlets for transferring cash unto mobile wallets are now all over the city and country.
ñ Ticket pilfering and counterfeiting are eliminated.
ñ Cash management is easier. Funds are directly transferred into a bank account as patrons buy the tickets.
ñ Event organisers may monitor the sales of their tickets online in realtime.
ñ In the event of the need for a rescheduling, the system can send SMS messages to all ticket holders in a matter of a few minutes.
ñ Event organisers get access to a large database of phone numbers of patrons of previous events. The system can send SMS adverts to these when a similar program is being held. Such targeted advertising can be very effective.