Use this link to share with your colleagues:
All About Virtual Events: https://help.patronmanager.com/a/1252871
Sell tickets to livestreamed and pre-recorded content with PatronManager Virtual Events! You'll be able to gather your patrons' information for future marketing and fundraising efforts, track their buying behavior, and automatically record their attendance at your online events.
This article serves as an introduction to the feature, and as a directory for other useful articles:
- Get answers to your burning questions about how it works, like:
- How does livestreaming work?
- What about video on demand?
- How do we gate access to our streamed content?
- Can I stop patrons from sharing links, i.e. access control?
- Can I livestream pre-recorded content?
- Can I report on virtual events alongside other, non-virtual events?
- I've been doing a livestreaming workaround - how is this different/better?
- This sounds great! How do I get started?
- Have more questions? We've got more answers:
Let's dive in!
Feature overview questions:
Is this feature for livestreaming or Video on Demand?
Both!
How does livestreaming work?
Livestreaming shows video and/or audio content on the internet in real time. While the content is normally happening live during the broadcast, it is possible to stream pre-recorded content, or produce a livestreamed event that contains a mix of live and recorded content.
Most importantly, the livestreamed event will happen at a specific date and time, and your patrons will all experience it at that time (distinct from video on demand, which allows patrons to access pre-recorded content at a time they choose).
What about video on demand?
PatronManager's on-demand option involves uploading recorded content to an external platform (e.g., Vimeo, YouTube, etc.) and ticketing access to that content through PatronManager. Your patrons can then view the content either:
- Within a time limit from when they purchase access (e.g. 48 hours from when they click "Buy")
- Within a time limit from when they first access (e.g. 48 hours from when they click "Watch")
The choice is up to you, and can be different for each type of ticket you sell!
Q: Is this like Netflix, where my patrons can buy access to a library of videos and click to view whichever ones they want?
A: No. Each uploaded video will correspond to a separate Video on Demand Event Instance and be ticketed separately. You could sell access to those videos via a subscription package, which would give the patron access to all the content at once, but new videos you add in future wouldn't be added to already-sold subscriptions.
How do we gate access to our virtual content?
There are three types of gating:
- Ticket purchase gating: your patron must purchase a ticket to access your event
- Ticket validity gating: they must click a link to start watching, and we make sure their ticket is real and valid before exposing that link
How do I stop patrons from sharing links?
Technically, patrons are able to share links with others, since the content and links live outside PatronManager. Once the patron clicks through to view the livestream or VOD, they are no longer on PatronManager's platform and they would be able to share the URL of that virtual event page with someone else.
It is also technically possible for a patron to share their ticket link with someone else. You could put language in the various Mobile Ticket fields, or use the reseller warning, to deter this behavior if you wish.
What about pre-recorded content?
Use Video On Demand to sell limited access to pre-recorded content hosted on the platform of your choice. Your patrons can view the video at the time they choose (within the global date range and ticket validity window you define).
While it's possible to set up a "Livestream (External)" Event Instance that points to pre-recorded video on a platform like YouTube with an unlisted link, it will be obvious to patrons that they are viewing pre-recorded content.
Can I report on Virtual Events?
Absolutely! Your Virtual Events appear in your regular Box Office reports, like the Door List and All Orders by Instance reports, similar to in-person events. You can also run Performance Reports for your Virtual Events.
When patrons attend a Virtual Event by clicking the link to access your content, their tickets will automatically be marked as Attended too--so you can even report on Virtual Events and their attendance using CRM Snapshots.
I've been doing my own workaround - how is this different/better?
Great question! PatronManager's integrated Virtual Event solution allows you to:
- Sell tickets on your Public Ticketing Site
- Use confirmation emails to send automatic, unique ticket links
- Use PatronPortal to give Portal users access to their Virtual Event ticket links online
- Utilize Automated pre-show emails (livestreams only), which can also include that unique ticket link
- Utilize Automated post-show emails (livestreams only) and have them sent only to patrons who actually watched the stream (or all ticket buyers, your choice)
- Track attendance in PatronManager to understand patron behavior
- Report on your virtual events alongside your in-person events
This sounds great! How do I get started?
Make sure that you've enabled mobile tickets, then head over to these instructions to get started.
More FAQs and more answers:
Technical questions:
Livestreams are unlimited from the PatronManager side -- we'll keep providing the viewing link to your patrons until the "Instance End Date" you defined when setting up the Event Instance.
Be aware of any policies/restrictions of the hosting platform you choose.
This is up to your broadcasting software. Each Event Instance in PatronManager can only link to a single URL.
Your contract addendum details this, so be sure to read it carefully. You're responsible for licensing rights and any consequences thereof.
Other frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Make sure that you've enabled mobile tickets, then check out this article to get started!
You won't be able to convert in-person events to livestream events. Instead, we recommend creating a new Event Instance and exchanging ticket holders into that new, virtual Event Instance.
Yes! PatronManager automatically marks the virtual ticket as "Attended" and populates the "Entry Date" field on the Ticket Order Item when the patron clicks the link to view the livestream or VOD from their online ticket page.
You can then use this attendance tracking in reporting (for example, some CRM Snapshots have an optional filter for "Attended"), or when sending automatic post-show emails.
What if they click the link more than once?
PatronManager will only track attendance for the first click (within the timeframe listed above).
Yes, absolutely!
I have more questions!
Check out our troubleshooting and FAQs page here.