Online purchase of tickets was the preferred option for 83% of respondents to a survey by Ticketscript, a social and mobile self-ticketing company. It also found 70% would prefer to buy direct from a promoter or venue, and that 32% of buyers lose trust when they are transferred to a third party.
Social media emerged as an important channel for ticket sales with 62% of respondents saying they are keen to buy tickets through social channels. Ticketscript has seen a 520% increase in ticket sales through social channels in the past two years.
Frans Jonker, chief executive of Ticketscript, said promoters need to start questioning traditional ticketing methods and provide a more positive ticketing experience.
"This research proves that event promoters need to innovate and embrace new ways of purchasing. More than 699 million people log into Facebook every day, so it’s important we invest in social now to avoid being on the back foot."
The research found that almost 90% of customers would stop buying from a ticket seller after a bad experience.
Complaints about a lack of price transparency and the inability to buy tickets right up to the start of an event pointed to a need for greater flexibility from promoters and venues, according to Jonker.
"They need to adopt technology solutions that enable them to manage their event more closely, embed it into their sales channels or own platforms and eliminate the unwelcome presence of third party sites."Ticketscript conducted research among 1,000 UK consumers who have bought tickets online in recent months. The company provides ticketing services to a range of clients such as The MOBOs, Secret Cinema and Hed Kandi.
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