We may not be able to control Mother Nature, but we sure can be ready for her! Every event organizer most unwanted party crasher is bad weather.  So what steps do you need to take to try to knock out bad weather from overcoming your event? Here are a few helpful tips Ticketbud has for you before you start singing Lesley Gore’s, “ It’s My Party”.

Remember the golden rule of event organizing! You must be organized hence Event Organizer and you must plan ahead! Always be 3 steps ahead of the ball game! You cannot go into it thinking that everything will be ok and work out as planned! Biggest rookie mistake buck-o! If you’re going to have an outdoor event think about rain, wind, or any other bad weather situation that can turn your event into a disaster.

Let’s say it starts to rain in the middle of your event, or a strong gush of wind comes out of no where. What do you do? How could you prepare for this? Here are a few tips.

• Tent: One option that is very helpful is having a tent. Tents are a best way  to protect against unforeseen weather and having to switch your guest to other locations. Make sure you have heaters or air conditioners as back up just in case it gets too cold during the event or too hot. You want your guest to be comfortable and have a great time.
• Supplies for Guest: You can buy several items for your guest. Have umbrellas, blankets and scarves. These items will be great to have just in case it begins to rain or to keep them warm.
• Make Arrangements: Make arrangements in advance for use of indoor space. If there is  a clubhouse near by make sure that you have it set up just in case of inclement weather.
• Muddy Situation: Try to avoid areas that have too much dirt on the floor, because if it starts to rain that dirt turns into mud. But if you have no other choice wood chips and hay are very helpful tools to use. Spread the wood chips and hay on the ground so your guest won’t get muddy. Believe me they will thank you for this.
• Bug Crashers: Have candles that have insect repellant and scent free. This is help you get rid of unwanted bugs like flies and mosquitos. Torch smoke are said to be a good tool to use for the mosquitos.
• Team on Board: If the weather starts to get crazy before the event even begins, make sure your team is on board with your back up plan. Everyone must know what they need to do and where to go. You can not have them running around clueless. Remember keep calm and be organized!

We can not control the weather but we can be ready for it! These tips can save you from complete panic and chaos! Happy Planning!

The post How to Weatherproof Your Event appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

If you take a look, we now have a new option in our menu labeled “Print Tickets”:

If you enter the email address used when purchasing or receiving tickets, we will locate all of your tickets for you.

When we find your tickets in our database, you will receive an email to verify that you have in fact requested these tickets.

Clicking the link in the email (seen above) will bring you to Ticketbud where, if you don’t already have an account,  you will be asked to you set your new password. From this point forward your new account will have access to all of your Ticketbud tickets which you can view, print, or display on your mobile device at the event!

When you first view your ticket interface you will need to click on an event name to view the corresponding tickets to that event.

From here you can conveniently print your tickets, add the event to your Google calendar or contact the event organizer if you have a question.

We hope you are as excited about these features as we are! It’s just another way Ticketbud is constantly bringing new features and tools to organizers and attendees every day!

The post Lost Tickets? We have you covered appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Worried about your forum being filled with spam and other unsolicited material? We’ve got you covered! Ticketbud’s forum is fully moderated to prevent spam and malicious or inappropriate content from ever reaching your event page.

In addition to giving you and your guests the ability to conveniently answer any questions other attendees might have, the forum can also be used as a social spot to increase engagement. Attendees now have the tools to discuss the event before and after, answering each others questions, increasing the buzz around the event and helping the organizer improve the event for next time.

With our new feature, organizers can now engage their attendees like never before. Just another way Ticketbud is here to help relieve the stress!

The post Ticketbud Announces: Attendee Feedback Forum appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

While the battle against cancer is still going at full force, one of the world’s largest voluntary health agencies, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, dedicates themselves to the fight against blood cancer. LLS goes far and beyond to raise funds and use them towards life saving blood cancer research around the world. The organization also provides free information and support services for blood cancer survivors and organizes great events like The Man & Woman of the Year.

The Man & Woman of the Year is a fundraising competition in communities across the United States. Their main goal is to raise funds for blood cancer research in honor of local children who are blood cancer survivors. Ticketbud was lucky to meet Blaine Muhl who is a participant to this amazing cause. We asked Blaine about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, her event “That’s the Spirit” and what made her join in the fight against blood cancer.

Ticketbud: Tell us a little more about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! What does the organization do to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma awareness and research?

Blaine Muhl: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the largest voluntary health organization that strives to fund blood cancer research, patient services and education.  LLS’s continued advancements over the years have greatly increased survival rates for blood cancer sufferers, and in some cases has even quadrupled the survival rate.  LLS volunteers are always tirelessly working to increase funding through organized events like the Light the Night Walk, Team in Training, Man & Woman of the Year Campaign, School & Youth Programs, and many more!

TB: How did you get involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society? What is your favorite part about working with the organization?

BM: I became involved with LLS after being nominated as a candidate for their Man & Woman of the Year Campaign here in Kansas City.  We have 10 weeks to fundraise, with my goal this year being $50,000.  My favorite part about this whole process has been raising money for such a great cause, and seeing the amount of support that people continually give in a difficult economy has really been amazing!  Participating in such a great cause really allows you to see the positives in society and people. Planning the social events is always a fun experience as well!  The Boy and Girl of the year Eric & Lainie (who just hit her 5 year remission mark this past week-GO LAINIE!) are also involved in meeting with candidates and having some fun with us!  Seeing them and hearing their stories really reminds you about the important things in life and puts things into perspective.  I mean, here are a 3 and an 8 year old fighting for their lives and they still have a smile on their face and hopes for the future.Eric loves his toy trucks and is looking forward to starting preschool!  Lainie is now in gymnastics and plays volleyball and basketball.  These kids really make you appreciate life and not sweat the small things.

 TB: What is the Man & Woman of the year event all about? What is your favorite part of the event?

BM: The Man & Woman of the Year event is all about a spirited competition between the nominated candidates all for a great cause.  Everyone is rooting for each other even though it is a competition to see who can raise the most money, because in the end, we all have the same goal…to raise as much funds as possible and bring awareness to LLS’s cause.  I love the concept of the Man & Woman of the Year Campaign, and think it is a brilliant and fun way to fundraise and get others involved to bring awareness to Blood Cancers.  My favorite part of the event is that I get to raise money for a cause that is personal to me.  My God Father’s Wife Sandy, who was like my grandmother growing up, passed away 3 1/2 years ago from Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia.  This event provides me with the chance to get a Research Grant named after Sandy if I raise $50,000.  This has made me even more determined in my fundraising efforts because Sandy was an angel, and I want to do anything I can to help a cause I know she’d want to be apart of if she were still here.  She’s definitely up in Heaven with our favorite treat, melted marshmallows in a cup, cheering me on!

TB: What is it like to organize an event like Leukemia & Lymphoma Society? What tips do you have for organizers out there trying to put together an event to benefit cancer research or cancer relief?

BM: Organizing an event definitely has its challenges, but it is truly worth it when the work is done!  You have to be really organized and on top of everything, and think about what events really sell tickets and garner a crowd.  I’ve found that events are the best way to fundraise, as opposed to just asking for donations.  The two events we have put on have both involved silent auction and raffle items taking place at social events; we definitely found it easier for people to donate items than money so this helped amp up our events.  My main advice is to start early!  A lot of venues book up quickly or there are a lot of logistics to deal with in these sorts of events. Having a great team around you is also crucial because it expands your social reach and the connections for getting items or donations, and in fundraising you need a support group who knows all the work that goes into it and understands. Finally, marketing and advertising is key!  Ticketbud honestly was an amazing and easy way to get the word out and made it convenient for people to sign up.  We definitely found that selling tickets and promoting an event was not successful unless it was easy for your target consumer to access it.  Ticketbud really was a game changer in our fundraising efforts, as everything revolves around media these days; being able to link the event invite to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and through emails was huge, which definitely expanded our reach to party patrons.

TB:  A lot of our readers are event throwers on a much smaller scale. What are some “super secret” tips you’ve discovered that you can share with our organizers about throwing a successful event?

BM: Honestly, my “super secret” is to know your target audience when planning an event and have a great group around you to help plan and execute.  First of all, I couldn’t have pulled any of these events off without the help of my team who have their strengths in areas that I don’t.  My Campaign Manager Jordan Jakubov, has been my savior through this process!  My strengths cover organizing how the event should flow and considering displays, items, activities, etc…but I also needed the help of my team, who are also great with some aspects of my strengths but cover my weaknesses.  In fundraising and planning events, you cannot do it alone, but you have to choose the right people to be around you.  We also cater our events to encompass as large of a demographic as possible.  For example, most parents aren’t going to want to come to a beer pong or flip cup tournament.  So, to expand our audience at our first event, we had it start in the early afternoon with family friendly events like raffles and a band; then later on in the night we incorporated the beer pong tournament and bar games.  This way, we got an array of donors and participants.

TB: Is ticket cost a big factor when considering ticket sales? What benefits have you found from using a flat rate ticketing company like Ticketbud?

BM: Ticket cost is crucial when considering ticket sales for an event.  Today, people want fast, easy and convenient…no one wants to mail checks anymore.  The online payment also eliminates the chaos of people signing up at the event, and the flat rate of Ticketbud doesn’t take away from your goal of raising money.  The whole point of fundraising is to raise money for the cause, not put yourself in the hole with expenses.  This is one of the many reasons why I truly admire the Ticketbud team and how they operate.  I actually ended up accidentally paying a fee, and Ticketbud quickly emailed me with the option of a refund or to donate to my cause…I was speechless.  A company that values customer service and cater to people trying to raise money for a good cause is rare.  I’ve done extensive research on fundraising services and Ticketbud will be used for all of my future events.

We would like to thank Blaine Muhl and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for doing such a great job for a great cause! Here at Ticketbud cancer is a subject that is near and dear to our hearts. If  you would like to know more information on The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society click here. If you would like to donate to, That’s the Spirit Event on May 16th click here. For ticket information on That’s the Spirit event you can go to Ticketbud.com.

The post Spotlight: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

With the summer on its way we can finally take the party outside! But wait what are you serving, drinks that is? No worries Ticketbuddies! I have some great drinks that will be perfect for your summer events, and if you need more ideas for decorations, invitations, or whatever needs to be checked off your list follow our Sweet Summer Time board on Pinterest!

Electric Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1 
cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 – 1/2
cup sugar
• 1/2
cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 
cup sparkling mineral water
• 
Dash ginger ale
• 2 – 3 
cups ice
• 1 
cup vodka (Frozen vodka or sparkling mineral water)
• 
Mint sprigs and lemon slices for garnish

Directions:

1. Make sure you have 4 glasses in the freezer, you need them chill before serving the drink in the glasses.
2. Combine lemon juice, sugar, mint, mineral water, ginger ale, and ice in your blender. Make sure to blend until it is think.
3. Grab your 4 chill glasses and pour a jigger (1/4 cup) vodka into each of the glasses. Top it with frozen lemonade mixture.
4. Add a straw and garnish each glass with a fresh mint sprig and a slice of lemon and enjoy!

Pisco Sour Drink

Ingredients:

• 1 
cup pisco (a south American brandy or white rum )
• 1 
cup guava nectar
• 2 
teaspoons superfine sugar
• 1/4
cup lime juice
• 
Angostura bitters
• 
Lime wedges
• 
Mint leaves

Directions:

1. In a glass pitcher combine the pisco or rum, guava nectar, sugar, and lime juice. Add a few of Angostura bitters. Make sure to stir well until the sugar dissolves.
2. Then divide the mixture among 4 glasses. Add ice and top it with a lime wedge and fresh mint. Cheers!

Orange Splash

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Absolut Citron Vodka
• 1 ounces Cointreau or triple sec
• 1 splash fresh lime juice
• 1 splash of orange juice
• Sugar (for garnish)
• Orange slice (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Pour all the ingredients into a shaker or a large glass and shake.

2. Rim a glass with sugar and serve it on the rocks.

3. Garnish with an orange slice and enjoy!

Cran Razzy

Ingredients:

1/2 cup(s) fresh or frozen raspberries for garnish

2 cup(s) cranberry-raspberry juice

2 cup(s) seltzer

2 tablespoon(s) lime juice, plus 4 wedges for garnish

6 ounce(s) (3/4 cup) vodka

Directions:

1. Depending if you are using fresh or frozen raspberries; If you are using fresh, make sure to freeze them in a single layer for about 1 hour or overnight will help before you continue.
2. Combine the cranberry-raspberry juice, seltzer, lime juice, and vodka in a pitcher. Grab 4 glasses and fill them with ice. Make sure to garnish with your frozen raspberries and lime wedges.

Monkeylada

Ingredients:

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1 cup diced fresh pineapple, plus 4 wedges for garnish
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup “lite” coconut milk
• 3 cups ice cubes
• 6 ounces (3/4 cup) light rum

Directions:

1. Puree bananas, diced pineapple, pineapple juice, and coconut milk.
2. Add ice to the blender and stir in the rum.
3. Grab 4 glasses and serve. Make sure to garnish with pineapple wedges.

The Sweet Escape

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce fresh mango puree (fresh mango)
• 1 1/2 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 2 ounces chilled soda water
• Mango slices (fan)
• lemon spiral for garnish

Directions:

1. In your mixing glass add the fresh mango puree, vodka, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. Add ice then shake until they are all well blended.
2. Strain into a ice filled Collins glass and spritz with chilled soda water.
3. Garnish with a fan of mango slices and add a spiral of lemon.

Fresh Melon Quenchers

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups cantaloupe, honeydew, or watermelon puree (about a quarter of a 4 lb melon)
• 3 ice cubes
• 1/4 inch sliced fresh ginger, grated
• Plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 to 2 tsp. honey
• Shredded lime peel (optional)
• Plain or flavored sparkling water

   Directions:

1. In your blender combine the melon puree, ice cubes, ginger, yogurt (a tsp. or two), and honey.
2. Blend until its frothy and smooth.
3. Pour into serving glass. Add honey if needed to adjust sweetness.
4. Stir in lime peel to taste and add sparkling water to fill glass.

June Bug

Ingredients:

• 3 
cups ginger ale
• 4 
tablespoons grenadine
• 4 
tablespoons orange juice
• 3 
scoops orange sherbet
• White Rum

       Directions:

1. Blend together ginger ale, grenadine, orange juice, sherbert, and add white rum.
2. Pour into ice filled cocktail glasses.

Enjoy these delicious drinks! Cheers from the Ticketbud Team!

The post 8 Drinks To Make Your Summer A Little More Refreshing! appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Organizing any event can be a challenge and stressful, so you can only imagine how it would be to organize an event during SXSW. We were able to sit down with Christina Shipley, founder of LiveVibe Collective,  and get  some great advice and tips on her experiences organizing and hosting events such like The Sideshow Confessional at the Winflo during SXSW.

Ticketbud: Tell us a little more about LiveVibe Collective! What does LVC do and how did it get started?

Christina Shipley: LiveVibe was founded three years ago when I was asked to help book music for restaurants around the Austin area. At the same time I met James Chippendale the founder of Love, Hope, Strength – the world’s leading rock n’ roll cancer charity foundation. James asked me if I would like to put on a house concert for the charity. That concert became a series in which I host nationally touring artists at various upscale homes. After hosting my friend Bob Schneider he asked me to come on board with his team as his regional booking agent. LiveVibe books on average 250 shows per year and is foremost a booking agent company followed by promoter.

TB: What made you want to step into the music business? Specifically, what led you to organize and throw events like your SXSW Showcase?

CS: My general love of music combined with a good sense for creating an enjoyable event for guests. I like to watch the interaction between both the artist and the patrons. Seeing them get into the spirit of the surroundings, vibe, company and most of all the music. Then, in turn, providing a perfect and captivated audience for the artist – which is why they write music.

TB: SXSW is a chaotic time for attendees and throwers alike. What’s it like to organize and throw an event during SXSW?

CS: Well, it’s pretty damn stressful to say the least. I start very early and it’s like throwing out a fishing line when you have no idea what you are fishing for! I start sending out venue info and set times to the big artists. Hopefully hear back on one or two and build the bill around those artists. If you get the big fish early then you can really pick from the smaller buzz artists and create a great show. The week leading up to the show is basically a tons of promo and computer work. Plastering the streets with posters etc. The day of the show it’s totally different as you are onsite enjoying the music but still working every detail of the event.

TB: What insider tips do you have for organizers or musicians out there trying to be a part of the SXSW festivities? What are some keys to handling the chaos of SXSW?

CS: SX is not what it used to be and there are so many bands trying to make it. I say to musicians – be selective on the events but play at least 4-5 shows. You NEVER know who is in that crowd. One person can make the difference in your career, whether it be a manager, agent or record label head, and they might just be stopping in for a taco at Guerros and hear you from the distance and say “Wow, who’s that?”.

As for the organizers…start early, be organized and be proud of your event. Oh, and have an amazing graphic designer – that’s the key to getting the event noticed on the streets.

TB: A lot of our readers are event throwers on a much smaller scale. What are some super secret tips you’ve discovered to share with organizers about throwing a successful event?

CS: Small scale events are the best. The personal relationship between patrons and event throwers is key. The event head has to be the most excited and it will filter down from there. I’m not the most organized person in the world but I’ve forced myself to learn this trait. If you are like me then start early and let the ball roll from there. Be present at your event, talk to everyone, make sure they are comfortable, shake hands, be confident and love what you are doing.

TB: Is ticket cost a big factor when considering ticket sales? What benefits have you found from using a flat rate ticketing company like Ticketbud?

CS: My ticket prices are high for my house concerts as they come with an open bar, nationally known artist and dinner from a private chef. If I used a ticket company other than Ticketbud my profit would be cut in half. Pretty simple. I’ve used them for all my events and they are the best hands down. I love the ticket page and when you share it on social media it looks great. It’s easy to use and to track sales. And, in the end it’s a lot about the money even though I love what I do.

We want to thank Christina for sitting down with us and talk about SX and her great advice on organizing and hosting events. Click here for more information on LiveVibe Collective and Christina Shipley. Don’t miss LiveVibe’s next house Concert, Will Hoge and Waylon Payne on April 27th. Sponsored by Deep Eddy Vodka, Cameron Hughes Wine, Chef’s Menu by Chef Andrew Striver of Culinary Innovations.  Click here for ticket information.

The post SPOTLIGHT: Christina Shipley & The Live Vibe Collective appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Ticketbud: How did you guys meet?

DD: We met up my Junior year, which was Megz’ Freshmen year. I needed a rapper for the St. Edwards’ event Hip Hop on the Hilltop. And through a mutual friend, I met Megan and have been making music with her ever since. As far as playing with a live band goes, we met Quentin Walker (bass) around October through our friend Miggy Milla, and Eric Nikolaides (guitar) and Joe Layton (Drums) after our Local Live performance. Its been history ever since, Megz and I are very blessed to have crossed paths with these guys.

TB: Sounds like a lot happened very quickly. I know you guys kept your artist names the same, but how did you guys come up with the name Magna Carda?

DD: Well, we wanted a name that was more conjoined than putting our individual names together (Megz Kelli & Dougie Do). We came up with a bunch, but the one that stood out was Magna Carda. The original Magna Carta was set in place to not give one person too much power. Relating that back to us, we all play an important role so no one in the group is in a higher position than someone else. We all bring our own creative direction to the table. As far as changing the “T” to a “D” in the word “Carta”, we didn’t want any legal troubles to arise so we played it safe and decided to go with the change.

(Photo by: Shelby Knowles)

DD: It was crazy, but an experience we’ll never forget. As with everybody, loading/unloading gear is horrible during SXSW because most roads are blocked off. It was a fun show though. I went from volunteering for 3 years to playing in it so that was a huge step for me. And this was only the first step so who knows what will happen next. We hope to play other festivals such as Fun Fun Fun Fest. In the meantime, we’ve been rehearsing and working on the album for the people that listen and will hopefully end up listening to us.

TB: SXSW seems like a great opportunity for up and coming musicians. I know iTunes, Spotify and YouTube  are important tools for a musician, but how do you feel Ticketbud plays its role in a musicians career?

DD: Well in my opinion, Ticketbud is right up there with those important tools already if people haven’t realized. Its cheap, affordable, and the musician keeps the proceeds. Say you want to host your own concert in a friend’s club or in your backyard, Ticketbud allows you to do that, which is pretty awesome. It gives musicians the power to make their own event and avoids the hassle of dealing with booking agents. We’ve never put on a show using Ticketbud, but we’ve been talking about it a lot!

TB: Thanks for your time Dougie Do, we wish the best to you and the rest of Magna Carda!

DD: Always a pleasure. Best of luck to you guys, and we look forward to using Ticketbud!

Well, that’s all we have for you today. If you get the chance, I highly suggest you check out Magna Carda’s latest album titled, “The Shoe String Theory“. They’re releasing their newest single, “Inviting You ft. Olivia Applegate”, in the next couple weeks and are currently working on releasing their album in May. You can catch them doing live shows around Austin as well!

(Photo by: Shelby Knowles)

The post Ticketbud Interviews: Dougie Do of Hip-Hop Band Magna Carda appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Pelotonia has inspired a large community of people, a cancer research center, hundreds of volunteers, thousands of riders, millions of dollars, countless stories of inspiration. Pelotonia’s annual bike ride is now a place of hope, energy and determination to reach one goal: to end cancer.

Since it’s inception, Pelotonia has raised over $42 million in it’s first 4 years, and it is an event that continues to grown.

Ticketbud is proud to Spotlight Pelotonia and their event. Pelotonia Director of Marketing and Communications Krista Dorsten tells us about the organization, their upcoming event and some tips to planning a successful event.

Ticketbud: What is Pelotonia and how did it get started?

Pelotonia: Pelotonia is a grassroots bike tour, with one goal, to end cancer.  Pelotonia was founded in the Fall of 2008 by cancer survivor, Tom Lennox after he rode 163 miles with Director of OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center, Mike Caligiuri, across Cape Cod in support of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

TB: Pelotonia has experienced immense success  in such a short time, what or who do you credit that to?

PL: We credit our success leading up to this point, to the individuals that ride, and rally around the cause.  We try to make the experience special for every rider, throughout the entire year, not just during event weekend.

TB: What inspired you to take part in this great cause and organization? What’s your favorite part?

PL: I became interested in joining the Pelotonia team, because I saw the impact the organization has had on the community and I knew I wanted to get involved and really make a difference.  I’d say my favorite part would have to be learning more about the individuals that fight this terrible disease, and those that raise and ride to find a cure.

TB: The big bike ride is in August, what does Pelotonia do the rest of the year to continue to raise money for your goal? how do you keep people engaged and charitable?

PL: Throughout the year, Pelotonia creates awareness and builds excitement through rider recruitment and fundraising efforts.

TB: We are constantly trying to find ways to help our users to get the word out about their event. What have you found to be the most effective way to get the word out about your cause?

PL: Organic marketing and word of mouth are probably the two most effective ways of getting the word out about Pelotonia.

TB: What are some of the goals you’ve set for Pelotonia in the future? What tool have you found to be most helpful to reach those goals?

PL: Our ultimate goal is to raise money for cancer research and ultimately find a cure for cancer.

TB: Ticketbud waives all fees for cancer organizations using our services, how have you found that to be beneficial. What are you able to do with the extra money you saved?

PL: Pelotonia is proud of the fact that 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to fund cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.  Therefore, this partnership with Ticketbud will allow us to focus on what’s most important, which is ending cancer!

We would like to thank Krista Dorsten and everybody at Pelotonia for doing what they do to find the cure. If you would like to take part in the cause by being a rider in the actual Ride or becoming a Virtual Rider you still have time. Ticketbud is proud to sponsor and be partnered with Pelotonia!

The post SPOTLIGHT: Pelotonia appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

The 31st Annual Austin Music Awards were held last Wednesday during the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas and Ticketbud was proud to be there as both a sponsor and online ticketing provider. At the event, Ticketbud managed the event check-in process as well, welcoming over 1,500 guests to the famous Austin Music Hall.

Using the Ticketbud Scanner App, Ticketbuds friendly (and downright handsome) employees seamlessly scanned in hundreds of attendees quickly and easily. With an event as high-profile and well-attended as the Austin Music Awards, it was important to prevent the line from stagnating and guests from getting restless (as is often the tradition at SXSW events) and our scanner app was more than up to the task of handling the crowd as they snaked their way into the venue.

Inside the Music Hall, the music flowed and amazing artists like Alejandro Escovedo, Ben Kweller and Gary Clark Jr. played.

While the stage jammed, the Ticketbud booth was in full swing with awesome SWAG and giveaways for guests. Ticketbud also brought our friends at Fotobot along to help document the evening and all the colorful people that attended.

Thank you to the Austin Chronicle for choosing us as the online ticketing provider for the Awards. We’re incredibly honored to take part and ticket such an Austin tradition and look forward to doing it all over again next year!

The post Looking Back: Austin Music Awards appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

As a company based in Austin, we’ve grown accustomed to masses of people descending upon our fair city to take part in the various activities and entertainment the city provides. There’s the Austin City Limits Music Festival, bringing the sweet sounds of music to the green grasses of Zilker Park. The Formula 1 races, bringing pulse-racing, adrenaline-pumping excitement to the mellow roads of Austin. And then there’s South By Southwest.

Now let us say one thing first; we LOVE SXSW. No other event in the world offers such an accessible and unique convergence of music, film and technology. With that being said, jamming an overflow of new media, music and movies  into two weeks can be utter chaos and if you’re not prepared (and, trust us, no one ever is), it’s easy to be overwhelmed. For Ticketbud, the chaos is two-fold, as we, on top of attending, also sponsored and, of course, provided RSVP registration and online ticketing for events throughout the festival.

With SXSW 2013 finally over and in the books, here’s what we learned from yet another year of madness.

1. If you’re spending a lot of money, you’re doing it wrong.

If there’s one thing that’s in abundance at SX (other than skinny jeans and the word “innovate“), it’s free stuff. From shirts to phone chargers to pedicabs rides, you can get all sorts of things for free just by filling out your name and email, dropping your business card or just plain asking.

Of course, the best two best free things you can get that will really save you some cash are food and drinks. See a venue or party being sponsored by a company? Chances are there’s free and drinks to be had inside. Don’t be afraid to explore local bars or wait in lines at food trucks when you stomach starts to rumble. The money you save by doing a little searching or waiting in line is worth its weight in dollars…literally. And once you find that place with the free tacos and tequila, go back to it again and again and again and again and again and…you get the idea.

2. Organization is key.

Take it from a company that has hosted and provided registration and online ticketing for SXSW events; organization is the key to a successful event (both as a “go-er” and a “throw-er”) and it’s easier to maintain than you might think. Now let’s be realistic here; there’s only so much organization you can have at South By. With that being said, taking the time to organize your line, plan out your RSVP process and manage the check-in process pays huge dividends in the amount of time and goodwill it saves.

For our events, utilizing our scanner app to check guests in quickly and seamlessly shortened “waiting time” in line significantly and prevented any ill will from upset or impatient guests. In fact, we found that a positive experience just waiting to get into the event significantly influenced the sentiment of how the event was overall. The moral of the story here? Make the right first impression at the start of your event with a smooth check in process or you may never get another chance.

3. Follow the right people on Twitter.

There’s is so much to see and do at SXSW and a lot of it happens on the spur of the moment. A surprise show is going on at this venue, an open bar happening now at that pub, free food for the first 30 guests at this food truck. Unless you get incredibly lucky and randomly wander into one of these surprises, the best way to find out about cool stuff almost instantaneously is by following SXSW focused Twitter users that are in the know. Typically these users will retweet new developments (“free tacos at the corner of X and Y for the next 30 minutes!”) or interesting rumors (“X band might be playing a secret show at Y venue in 5!”) that you can capitalize on.

Ticketbud tweets throughout SXSW with helpful hints and tips on the events to attend and places to check out in Austin so be sure to follow us on Twitter!

4. Know before you go.

Being from Austin makes SXSW a little bit easier to manage but we saw utter complete & utter chaos from out-of-towners new to the Capital city. Austin is a relatively easy city to navigate but if you’re first attempt at it is with your cell phone in the middle of the pandemonium of 6th street, you’re more than likely to just confuse yourself and get hopelessly lost. Our advice is simple: check out not only a list of SXSW events beforehand but a map of downtown Austin as well. A better understanding of the streets and venue locations will go a long way to orienting yourself and making sure you don’t spend the majority of your time wandering aimlessly looking for that one bar whose name you can’t remember. It’s a simple piece of advice, but it’s one that can save you valuable time and energy.

5. No expectations = pleasant surprises

As SXSW has grown and the bands, films and emerging tech companies that attend have gotten bigger and more popular, many people have started to come with the expectation of seeing a world-famous musician or exclusive film premiere. While it’s always good to have big plans, if you come with the expectations of getting into the most popular events at SXSW, you’re setting yourself up for a disappointing festival. Everyone and their mother are trying to see the the big acts (most of which are at tiny venues) so basing the success of your festival around attending the most popular performances, parties and premieres is a recipe for not only frustration but also for missing out on tons of other great stuff.

Our advice? Set your expectations low and you will be pleasantly surprised at the experiences you encounter throughout the festival. Sure, waiting in line for 3 hours to possibly see Justin Timberlake is fun and all but in those three hours you could have bar hopped, gone to different companies parties, seen a ton of great smaller bands you’d never otherwise see and more. Be spontaneous and random; that’s the best way to do SXSW!

We learned way more than 5 things at SXSW this year but a list of the “2,127 Thing We Learned At SXSW!” doesn’t have quite the same ring. Whether you’re a SX Rookie or a season vet, you always learn something new every year so we wanted share a few of our discoveries with you to help your SX experience next year. You can learn more about Ticketbud and our event ticketing platform here or by going to our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The post 5 Things We Learned At SXSW appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Need some help deciding where to eat while you’re in Austin, Texas for SXSW? Well Ticketbuddies, you came to the right place! Who better than Ticketbud, we are from Austin and know a thing or two about where you can find some amazing food.

El Naranjo: 85 Rainey Street, Austin, Texas 78701

• Stunning place, and this is where you can get genuine Oaxacan food.

Clive Bar: 609 Davis Street, Austin, Texas 78701

• Clive bar has a cool, relaxed, northwestern vibe. Great place to go hang out with friends and a great variety of beer.

Shangri-La: 1016 E. 6th Street, Austin, Texas 78702

• Very chill place with a giant outdoor patio. Complete bar, King food trailer, pool tables, and lounge booths.
  

Home Slice Pizza: 1415 S. Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78704

• If you are craving New York Style pizza with a variety of super fresh ingredients, this is the place you need to go to. Best pizza in Austin!

Hopdoddy: 1400 S Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78704

• Best burger in Austin, Texas! Amazing fries, great drinks, and they offer local beers! Maine sodas on tap! 

The Ginger Man: 301 Lavaca Street, Austin, Texas 78701

• If you are looking for something new to drink this is the place to visit! They have a huge selection of beer on tap and if you do not know what you want the staff here are friendly and knowledgeable.

Sullivan’s Steakhouse: 300 Colorado Street, Austin, Texas 78701

• Vibrant neighborhood steakhouse with an extensive wine list. Awesome service and the food is great. 

Juan in a Million: 2300 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, Texas 78702

• The mother load of all breakfast tacos with an old school Austin atmosphere. 

Salt Lick: 3600 Presidential Blvd., Austin, Texas 78719

• True great BBQ! Salt lick is a family style, rustic atmosphere. Great live music in the weekend. Even though it’s BYO beer, you can also pick up a bottle of wine from their tasting room to open at the picnic tables. 

The post SXSW: Food And Drinks appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Things you should bring

Alright Newbies here are a few of the essentials you’ll need to bring along with you.

Carry a Backpack or fanny pack

• Great for aspirin
• Allergy meds
• Sunglasses
• Extra cell phone battery or two
• Cash is king. I wouldn’t recommend you carry over $100 in change at any time.
• Refillable bottle water.

Things to do

These are some of the things that will make your SXSW experience that much more enjoyable.

Stay hydrated. Coke and Alcohol DON’T count. Try Coconut Water

Eat from food truck. When you find the right ones it’s definitely worth it, you won’t regret it.

Create a twitter account and monitor it for SXSW events news and for the most recent updates. Great way to look out for those secret shows

Download the Apps, along with Twitter it’s a great way to keep track of all the events.

RSVP for everything and assume you won’t make it to any of them. Wander around Austin as much as you can. Go see bands you’ve never heard of.

Traffic will suck from noon to midnight. If you brought or rented a car, leave it as far from downtown as you can manage.

There are free buses, look into them. You might be jammed into a stinky bus but it beats paying $40 for a 4 block ride.

Avoid Pedi-cabs, they’re great in concept but they’re expensive and with the crowds and traffic jams not much faster than walking.

Look into renting a bike, or borrowing someones.

Recharge your devices wherever you get the opportunity, there is something about SXSW that seems to suck the life out of batteries faster.

Final and crucial tip, don’t remove any wristbands they could work the next day or for a different event.

SXSW doesn’t have to be an event that you spend lots of money on. Many of the events and parties offer free food and drinks.

The post Ticketbud’s SXSW Survival Guide appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Where? - The awards will take place during SXSW 2013 in the Austin Music Hall (March 13th, 7:10 pm – 11:00 pm).

How To Enter:

Its quick and easy, and you’ll have to think a little. You have the option of entering on Facebook or Twitter. See below on how to enter.

• For Facebook entries: A picture will be posted on Facebook asking, “If you could pick any line-up, What would your dream AMA line-up be?” All you have to do is type the 3 artists that are a part of your dream line-up in the comment box under the picture, and you’re entered!

• For Twitter entries: @Ticketbud will be posting a tweet that will say, “What’s your #AMAdream line up?” When you see the tweet, reply with any 3 artists and the hashtag #AMAdream for your chance to win tickets!

And don’t worry, ticket fees won’t be a problem. Your dream concert would be through Ticketbud!

The post Win 2 free tickets to this year’s Austin Music Award’s! appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

As Ticketbud continues to design and implement new features and tools, we are now proud to announce our latest reporting tool giving you powerful insight into the email activity associated with your event! If you send out invitations, we will report an updated status indicating that your invitations have been processed, delivered and opened. We do the same for your customers tickets as well.

You can access this convenience directly from your ticket sales page, and from your invitations page.

Ticket Purchases:

Invitations:

No longer will you have to worry over the question of “Did my attendees receive their tickets/invitations?”. This incredibly valuable tool will make your event planning and organizing a little bit easier. Its your event, you are in charge!

The post Relax! Your Attendees Received Their Tickets appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Ticketbud is partnering with the Austin Chronicle for the Official 2013 SXSW Austin Music Awards and we want to give you a chance to win a pair of free tickets!

All you have to do is Tweet us using the hashtag #TicketbudSXSWFreeTix. In the tweet you have to let us know why you deserve to win two free tickets to the 31st annual Official SXSW Austin Music Awards.

Be creative! Make us laugh, cry, scream or shout and you’ll be entered to win the pair of tickets!

Choose your words wisely because after the hashtag you win only have 118 characters to work with!

The contest will run for one week starting Monday March 4th, we will choose our lucky winner on Monday March the 11th.

In order to be able to win you must follow us @Ticketbud  because we will be announcing our winner through our tweets.

The post Tell Us Why you Deserve To Win! appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

So how can you win two free tickets to the AMA? It’s simple, all you have to do is go to Pinterest and create a #greedfree board for an example click here and pin away items you would buy with the money you saved by using Ticketbud. For those of you who do not know who Ticketbud is, Ticketbud is an online ticketing company that allows clients to sell unlimited tickets to their event for one low FLAT FEE! That’s right no per ticket fees!

Step one

• Login to your Pinterest account or Create an account.

Step Two

• Go to Ticketbud’s Pinterest Profile here and follow us!

Step Three

• Create a board and name it #greedfree.

Step Four

• Once you have created your #greedfree board copy and paste your url to our contest pin on the comment section. It will be in our #greedfree board.

Step Five

• Repin our #greedfree contest pin

Step Six

• Start pinning away! Be creative!

Here are the rules for the contest:

• User must have a Pinterest account. If you do not have a Pinterest account you can sign up on Pinterest to create an account.
• Contestant has to follow Ticketbud on Pinterest.
• Contestant has to copy and paste their URL of their Pinterest #greedfree board as a comment on our contest pin.
• Contestant has to repin our #greedfree contest pin.
• One board entry per Pinterest account.
• Winner will be chosen by the Ticketbud Team. Most creative #greedfree board wins.
• Contest runs from Thursday February 28, 2013 3 p.m. central thru Monday March 11, 2013 10 p.m. central

 Keep an eye out for the Ticketbud Team at SXSW! Good luck and happy pinning! 

The post #GreedFree: Pinterest Ticket Giveaway! appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

“Invite Only” is a quick and easy way to give your event the VIP treatment and only allow guests YOU invite to be able to purchase tickets.

To make an event Invite Only, you must check the check box for “Invite Only” as you see in the screenshot below.

Now anyone who lands on your event page will not be allowed to register or purchase tickets to your events (unless they are on your list but we’ll explain that in a sec.)

To send invites, go to your event dashboard, and click on “Send Invites”.

You will be greeted with the option to either enter people individually, or upload a Comma Separated list of names and email addresses. Both options are there to cater to different use cases. If you are sending out your first blast, you will want to use the CSV upload option. If you need to quickly add a few people, you can type them in and send them their invitations and get back to planning your event.

Uploading a CSV:

Adding people individually:

That was easy! Now what? Your users will receive their emails with a special link to your event meant only for them. When they click on this link they will be greeted with your event page and be able to register or purchase tickets. Are you afraid that they will just blast their link to all of their friends? Don’t worry! Once they have completed their registration or payment, this link will no longer work.

Since you have done some of the work for your attendees, they will not have to enter their name and email address on their registration form. So what has happened here? We have made your exclusive event exclusive and the action required by your attendees dead simple.

You’re on the list with Ticketbud.

The post Are you on the list? Announcing “Invite Only” Events appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

We’ve been busy building out a lot of exciting features for our event organizers. Today we would like to annouce our new event dashboard.

You can now access all of the conveniences of managing your event from a single location. We summarize important statistics about your event so your life is a little easier.

We have also done a little reorganizing to make the navigation of your event management simple to follow.

Along with these new and important views, we are releasing a much requested feature: Custom Event Content. We are allowing you to customize the emails that your attendees receive as well as the content that your attendees see on a successful ticket purchase.

To access and change your event content, click on “Custom Content” from the new event dashboard. Here you will be able add special instructions for your attendees.

We have received a lot of feedback asking us to disable ticket delivery to accomodate your registration requirements. You can do this inside the “Custom Content” section.

These changes are laying the groundwork for more great features you have requested. As always, we would love to hear your feedback!

The post New Event Dashboard appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

To find out how the event went from the perspective of an attendee, we asked our intern, Chris Beale, a couple of questions to get a feeling for what it was like for an attendee.

What were your first thoughts when entering the venue?

When I first entered Imperia, I didn’t think it would be that packed with attendees! A good amount of people came to learn more about Ticketbud and how it could benefit them. Ticketbud will probably have to choose a bigger venue, but the atmosphere was great overall though.

Did you think the event was beneficial?

I thought the event was pretty beneficial, for event organizers especially. Even if you weren’t an event organizer, it was still pretty beneficial to musicians, food vendors, schools, or anyone that will be organizing an event anytime in the near future. Even if you weren’t there to learn more about Ticketbud, it was nice to mingle and network.

What was your favorite part about the happy hour?

My favorite part was definitely the sushi and drinks. If you’re in Austin, Texas anytime, I highly recommend you try Imperia’s sushi. The worst part of the event? Not hearing your name called when they were drawing names for the chance to win an iPad mini…that was definitely the worst.

Well, even though there was only one prize, the good news is that there will be more happy hours hosted by Ticketbud! Also, be sure to look out for more happy hours if you’re in the Austin, Texas area. Who knows what the next prize could be?

The post Ticketbud Talks appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Are you trying to figure out what type of swag to pass out in your occasion? No worries my friends! The Ticketbud Team is here to give you a friendly helping hand.

Swag is a very important factor for your company or organization. Why you ask? Well, it helps you promote your business by getting the word out, and if you do it right, it spreads brand awareness to your future customers.

Different Occasions:

Like I stated in the beginning, all swag has one main focus, and that is to promote! But, you cannot just pass just about anything anywhere. So, I’m going to talk to you about three different occasions; Concerts/Festivals, Charities, and Conferences.

Concerts/Festivals: 

Concerts and festivals are similar in the fact that people attend these events to watch a show, but the only difference from the two is that concerts are meant for live music only. People are not paying money to hear you pitch your elevator speech on what your company represents. Festivals on the other hand are a whole different story. For example, SXSW, it’s a film, interactive, and music festivals and conferences. Yes, people are there to listen to music, but it’s a time for companies to be out there and promote like crazy. So what type of swag can you pass out in these two types of events?

Concerts: lanyards (sponsors), stickers, music (record label), t-shirts, posters, flyers (promoting the shows after parties, bars, and other concerts within that venue), shot glasses, sunglasses, and bottle openers.

Festivals: This can be just about anything; T-shirts, stickers, freebies, key chains, drink cozies, water bottles, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, bottles openers, caps, visors, beach balls, and there are much more.

Charities: 

A charity event’s success is measured by how much of an impact their event made on the attendees and how much money they raised to support their cause. You want to make a great impression on your attendees so this has to be well thought out. For charity events goody bags will be a great idea, or  VIP bags for your special guest.

What can you have in the goody bag; T-shirts that have the name of the organization, mugs, pens, business cards, a pamphlet that informs people about your cause and organization, and anything else you think your guest will use in the long term rather than just being thrown away later that day. If you are only going to hand out VIP bags make sure you have special gadgets in there for them.

Conferences: 

Conferences are an opportunity for people to network with other people and be able to discuss the best practices within their industry. It’s a great way for companies to be able to present their latest product or service. If your company has a booth at a conference this is a time for you to promote your business, but you must be smart about this. Remember you are not the only company out there. There will be other booths trying to get the attention of the attendee. So what is a great way to stand out in this situation? At conferences the attendees are on their feet and just going from one presentation to another. Usually, conferences can last from a day to the whole weekend. Well, why not have care packages for the attendees. While yes T-shirts, pens, notepads, and coffee mugs can be a good investment , there is something else you can do for your company to stand out and be remembered. In the care package you can have bandages, aspirin, a snack, USB drive with your company info, bookmark instead of a business card, toothbrush protector, shoeshine, white lint brush, and even a tissue packet. People who normally attend conferences are flying in from other locations, so why not have some items for them that they can use and have your logo on them.

Swag is a great investment for any company, organization, or event. It spreads brand awareness and is a great way to reward your most loyal customers. You just have to be smart about it!

The post Event SWAG: Promotional Material for 3 Different Occasions appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

In our humble beginning, we allowed you to add a single discount code for your ticket configurations. We listened to your feedback requests for multiple discount codes, and we have delivered that and then some.

Promotions are a way to add as many promotional codes to your event as you please.

Let’s examine a common use case for promotions:

You would like to offer a 10% discount on your tickets through one advertising channel. You would also like to offer $10 off of your VIP tickets. Using our new promotions configuration, this is a snap.

To view your running promotions go to your events page:

Now you click on the “Bull Horn” icon for one of your events:

You will be greeted with a page showing all of your promotions for this event. Click on “Add Promotion”.

To setup your 10% off discount, configure your promotion as you see below. Pick your own promotional code, this example uses a generic code.

Now to setup $10 off of your VIP tickets, click on “Add Promotion” to add another promotion. Configure it as you see below, once again choose your own promotional code as this is a generic example.

Your promotions page should now look like this:

Your visitors will now have an entry box where they can enter these promotional codes.

If you prefer, you can pre-fill this promotional code for your advertising. Simply copy the convenience url and use it in your correspondence. When your attendees click on the link, the promotion will already be applied.

We are excited to release this feature, and hope that it makes your job easier as an event organizer. We love to hear your feedback, so please feel free to drop us a line.

The post Announcing Ticketbud Promotions appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

How to play:
A  photo will be posted Wednesday, January 30th. Fans will have until Friday, February 1st at 10 pm to submit a caption of the photo below to @Ticketbud on Twitter using the hashtag #captionTICKETBUD. Captions will be reviewed and posted throughout the day following their approval by Ticketbud. On Friday, February 1st, Ticketbud will announce the winner who will receive two (2) tickets to Carnaval Brasileiro Austin on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013.

Tweet your photo to @Ticketbud with the hashtag #captionTICKETBUD to enter!

Rules & Regulations:

• Contest will run from Wednesday, January 30th thru Friday, February 1st at 10 pm.  One winner will be selected by Ticketbud and announced on Friday, February 1st. Winner will receive two (2) tickets to Carnaval Brasileiro Austin on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013.
• All comments will be reviewed and approved by Ticketbud. Any comments deemed inappropriate will not be posted and will result in disqualification. Ticketbud has the right to disqualify anybody at anytime.
• All spam/spammers will be disqualified at Ticketbud’s discretion.
• Entrants may submit no more than three captions and must use a valid Twitter account to be eligible to win.
• This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Twitter. Each participant is providing information to Ticketbud and not to Facebook or Twitter.
• The winner will be notified on February 1st  via Twitter direct message.
• Photo courtesy of Merrick Ales Photography

The post Ticketbud’s “Carnaval Caption Contest” appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

This is a great way to get paid for the tickets for your event. Almost everyone has a Paypal account, and it’s not required to have a Paypal account to complete a purchase. At Ticketbud we listen for the successful payment notification from Paypal in order to release a ticket to your attendee. This works smoothly and transparently. Unfortunately, there are a few snags that we have experiences on behalf of a very small minority of customers.

If none of your attendees are receiving their tickets, then it is very likely that there is an issue with the paypal account you have setup for the event.

Two things to be aware of:

1. Instant Payment Notifications are not sent for unverified accounts. If your paypal account is not verified, instant payment notifications will be sent out from paypal. If Ticketbud doesn’t receive a notification that you have been paid, we don’t know that it’s okay to release a ticket.

2. Instant Payment Notifications can sometimes get stuck. We are not sure how this happens, or why it happens but the following steps have been found to resolve this issue for some of our customers.

Steps to fix your “stuck” IPN Settings

1. Login to your Paypal Account:
2. Go to “Profile”, (hover) and click on “My Selling Tools”
3. Under “Getting paid and managing my risk” click on “Update” for Instant payment notifications
4. Enter in the following information for ticketbud:
5. Now turn off IPN again to “reset” it to the default state:

This has been shown to work for some of our customers who’ve experienced issues. If you are comfortable leaving your default ipn to https://ticketbud/ipn, you may do so.

These steps may or may not work for you, but they are helpful in troubleshooting your paypal issues. If you perform these steps and your customers still do not receive their tickets, please contact us and our team would love to step you through a working solution.

The post Help! Attendees are not Receiving Their Tickets after Paying With Paypal! appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Simpler Pricing

More Features

Greetings,

As a company passionate about our event organizers (and your attendees), we know how important it is for you to choose the right ticketing solution. We are proud to be your trusted partner. Based on your feedback, we will be rolling out a simpler, more straightforward pricing plan.

Beginning next week, all new events charging attendees for tickets, regardless of length of event, numbers of tickets sold or price charged for each ticket, will now have unlimited access to the entire Ticketbud platform for the low flat rate of $99 which gives you the following:

• Event tracking of all ticket sales and attendee information
• Integrated promotional features including social media sharing
• Scanner App to scan tickets for admission as well as manually check-in your guests
• Private Label solution allowing you to fully customize your event page to your brand
• Sponsorship solution which allows you earn extra revenue by seamlessly integrating sponsors directly onto your event page

• Ability to promote your event via various online event calendars relevant to your region
• Enhanced communication tools on your event page allowing attendees to provide feedback and ask questions in a fully moderated forum

We are humbled to be home to tens of thousands of events worldwide and take your collective feedback very seriously as we continue this global growth. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us at support@ticketbud.com!

Sincerely,

Lynn Yeldell, CEO

The post Ticketbud Keeps It Simple appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

1.) Passing out before the ball drops

I’m not sure how many times I’ve seen people drink faster than the majority of people pace of the party/event. The “drink till you drop” motto isn’t exactly what you’re aiming for on New Years eve. If your track record for pacing yourself isn’t that great, it’ll be in your best interest to walk around and get a feel for where everyone is at. With that being said, never forget:

• Celebrating with friends by having drinks while pacing yourself - good idea.

• Passing out from too many drinks before New Years – bad idea.

2.) Assuming the person next to you will kiss you

If you’re at a New Years party/event and single, do yourself a favor and just enjoy the night. Before New Years hits, it looks awkward if you’re trying to position yourself next to the girl/guy you’ve been attempting to make eye contact with. Just have a good time and enjoy the night. If you end up kissing the person next to you, that’ll make your night even better. If not, don’t worry, there will be other New Years!

3.) Try your best to not be off count when counting down 

After a few drinks, some people find it very difficult to count down. If you’re ever in this situation, I would say you have only three good options. The first option is to count quietly, the second option is to wait for the majority of people to start counting, and your third option is to just smile, laugh, and avoid the counting. Just make sure you don’t do stand by yourself and smile awkwardly if you revert to the third option. If you feel like you can’t count, don’t!

4.) Yelling out Y.O.L.O (You Only Live Once)

Since the term Y.O.L.O is arguably the 2012 term of the year (for the youth at least), it only feels right that we leave that term behind in 2012. For the sake of the party/event you’re attending on New Years eve, yelling out You Only Live Once followed by a stunt of some sort is probably a bad idea. Give the world some hope and ease off the term!

5.)And last, but not least –  When it turns midnight, don’t call the person you’ve secretly loved since high school

After having a few drinks, you start to feel a bit confident. In fact, you’re feeling so confident that you feel the need to tell the girl or boy you had a crush on 5 or 10 years ago that you’re still secretly love them. This is the last major Don’t!Unless you want that alcohol and fun atmosphere to come shattering down around you, put down the phone. The person you want to tell could still very well secretly love you too. If that’s the case, you should send an email/text about catching up sometime. Do yourself and the people around you at your party/event a favor and refrain from the creeper calls.

That’s all the tips of what not to do we have for you. Just remember to be safe and have a fun time at whatever event you may be at. 2013, here we come!

The post New Years Event Confidential: 5 things not to do appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Have you been holding off on your Christmas shopping? Crossing your fingers that Santa will come and save the day? Even though that would be a sweet deal, Christmas is a couple of days away and I wouldn’t hold your breathe for good old Saint Nick to come and save you. Last minute shopping can be overwhelming. Everyone is freaking out at stores trying to figure out what gifts to buy and at a fair price! Believe me, we know. So let me help you from panicking and make your shopping a little more pleasant. This is a Ticketbud’s Survival tips for the procrastinator shopper.
Tip #1: Make a list

I understand you just want to get your list done with, but shopping in general can be intense even more so during the holidays. Make a list of the people you want to get gifts for. Organization is a key; it can help your shopping be smoother. Make a list of stores you think you can find these items, or what you think you want to buy your little niece, nephew, or uncle.

Tip#2: Santa has Rudolph. We have the Internet.

The Internet can be your best friend. Not only can you avoid the stores from doing your shopping, but you can also surf the net to see what deals the store has to offer. This can save you time and money. Instead of going back and forth from store to store to see who has the better deal, which I really advise you that this is not a good idea. If you do go without doing your research, use your smart phone there are many apps that help you check out store prices. But if you do not have a smart phone, I really do advise you to surf the net the Internet before you go off to the wonderful world of holiday chaos.

Tip #3: Ready, Set, Go!

Once you have done your research and have an idea of what your plan is; now it’s time to hit the stores. Just remember, do not panic and stick to the plan. This is last minute shopping there is a deadline and don’t have much time to be roaming around all the stores. Try to find a store that offers a range of products suitable for everyone, and if you do run out of time it’s ok to get everyone the same gift. Who ever thought of gift cars is a genius. This is a great gift for everyone. Don’t know what size your niece for a sweater? Gift card! Don’t know what little Johnny wants? Gift card! Don’t know what to get Uncle Sam? Yup, gift card! Don’t overthink it, it’s not the gift itself, but the thought that counts.

Last minute Christmas shopping can be annoying, intense, and overwhelming. No one wants to be in crowded stores or wait in those dreadful long checkout lines. Hopefully with our survival tips for the procrastinator shopper it can make your shopping experience a whole lot smoother.

The post Survival Tips: For The Procrastinator Shopper appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Everybody is looking for a party to spend their New Years eve, give them a reason to pick yours. When the clock counts down don’t be in an empty room. Here are a few tips to make your party  the party to be at.

Have a Countdown Clock

Build anticipation for your event and the New Year. As we creep closer and closer to 2013, excitement about New Year’s Eve builds. Harness this excitement by setting up a countdown clock  that counts down the to your party. It’s extremely easy to install countdown clocks from a number of sites.

Add Pictures to Your Event Page!

If you have any videos or photos of  your past events, you should highlight them into the your website and event page. This should go without saying but make sure the people in the photos/videos are having a good time. This gives your guest a preview of what to expect. If you don’t have any pictures from past events try adding pictures of what you plan to do, people like pictures.

Have Your Own Signature Cocktails

Of course there will plenty of bubbly flowing but by having specialty cocktails  are a great way to make your party be distinguished from the rest. Have fun with it, have the cocktail names go along with your theme to enhance the theme. Make it unique and exciting but also be sure to make it practical. This also give you a chance to use some creativity and try out a bunch of different mixes and justifying it by saying you’re working. Regardless of the signature cocktail you feature  be sure to include an appropriate amount of wine, beer and of course champagne.

 Offer Your Guest Perks!

Right on your event page offer your guests  special upgrades like;

Check-In Specials

Let your guest advertise for you. We all know the power of social media and there is only so much you can do through your own social media website. By having your guest check in it gives your event more visibility and exposure. Also this is a more effective type of advertising than a simple generic flyer.

Early Bird Specials

Everybody loves a good deal. Apart from offering your guest a deal, you will also get a sense of what to expect for your event. It’s a great opportunity to make any changes before it’s too late.

Theme Parties

 While themed parties might seem like a bit of a gimmick, there’s evidence that having a great theme can help make a party more popular and talked about.

If we make it to the New Year by surviving Dec. 21 we need to celebrate!!

Glow in the Dark Party

Glow in the dark parties are really fun, things look really cool when it’s dark. (Tip: Tonic water glows in the dark, try making Tonic Ice Cubes)

Masquerade Ball Party

Give your guest a chance to dress up a little and add a bit of mystery to the night.

Be Aware of Other Parties

There are parties going on everywhere, and they are all trying to make theirs as unique and popular as yours. You don’t want to have the same theme as the club next door, be aware of inviting the same crowd. Get your guest involved find out what they want and what they are looking for. Don’t assume your event is the only one happening that night with that theme.

Make sure your party is a success by following these and other tips available on our Ticketbud Blog, because there’s nothing worse than putting in all that work and money just to have your party be a bust.  So make sure you avoid that from happening to you by keeping these tips in mind.

The post Make Your New Years Eve Party The Place To Be appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

With the cold front finally making it’s way into Texas. It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, and what better way to get into the spirit with Christmas music. Ticketbud’s Social Media Specialist, Krystal Flores, shares with you her favorite Christmas songs.

Whether you are at home wrapping presents, or hosting a magical Christmas party for friends and family, you must have the right music to set the mood. Here are my top favorite Christmas songs.

1.)  Jingle Bell Rock

What’s not to love about this song, it’s upbeat, awesome guitar riffs, and just gets you in the Christmas mood. Everyone knows this song; even Mean Girls performed this song for their talent show. Come on everyone knows what I’m talking about.

2.)  Frosty the Snowman

What’s not to love about an awesome snowman! Every time I hear this song, it makes me feel like a kid again. What kid wouldn’t love the thought about a snowman coming to life. This has to be in your playlist for Christmas.

3.)Mr. Grinch

All time favorite movie to watch on Christmas day so of course I’m going to love the song. Thurl Ravenscruft’s voice is just perfect for this song. I wouldn’t touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole! You’re a vile one, Mr. Grinch! Never gets old.

4.)  Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer

This is a great holiday song, but I’m not going to lie, the only reason I love this song is because the part after you sing,” he has a shiny nose.” And you get to say like a light bulb. It cracks me up all the time. Don’t judge people! I love singing this song.

5.)  This Christmas

It’s not Christmas until you listen to Donny Hathaway sing this song.

6.)  Baby It’s Cold Outside

This song was originally a Christmas song and only played around Christmas time, but over time it has became very popular and has been played year round.  It’s a nice and cute song. I just love it.

7.)  Feliz Navidad

I grew up listening and singing this song, brings me back to when I was forced to sing this song in the mall with my classmates in kinder. Just imagine thirty to forty kids singing this song. Well more like screaming the lyrics. Awe great precious memories.

8.)  Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer

This is just a funny and spirited song. Come on, how can you not laugh when you hear grandma got ran over by a reindeer from walking home. First thought that came to mind when I first heard this song was, who would let their grandma walk alone on Christmas Eve? Second was, why would Santa let his reindeer run over a poor old woman. And third was, If I was that kid would I get more presents from Santa because he ran over my grandma? I over analyzed everything when I was a kid.

9.)  All I Want For Christmas Is A Hippopotamus

This song cracks me up every time I hear it. Only during Christmas time does a kid want a hippo, and he tells you not a doll, or any other animal, but a hippo. But this song does have the Christmas spirit feel to it. During this time of year we’re all like the little boy singing the song. Telling our loved ones and friends what we want for Christmas, I know I do.

10.) Wonderful Christmastime

A Christmas music list wouldn’t be complete without a Beatle! This old-school tune is catchy and fun and a classic sing along song. Don’t know all the words? Don’t worry! As long as you can remember, “Simple having a wonderful Christmastime” you’ll be fine!

11.) The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)

No one does it quite like Nat King Cole. This holiday classic reminds me of the family filled days right before Christmas and is a great tune to share when everyone is winding down after a nice dinner. Whether your having a holiday party or just relaxing with friends, you can’t go wrong with one of the best Christmas songs of all time.

12.)  Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Best song is saved for last! Everyone knows this song by heart. Great song to teach kids that they better be nice, because if they’re not good o’ Saint Nick will find out and they won’t get any gifts under the Christmas tree.

There you have it, my 12 favorite Christmas songs! So go out there and spread the holiday cheer!

The post Ticketbud Christmas Tracks: Krystal Flores appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

What are your plans for December 21^st? Are you going to stay home and hide from the unknown of what’s to come? Or are you going to take doomsday by the horns and party like there’s no tomorrow? Everyone knows what December 21^st means, this is the day where the Mayan Calendar comes to an end and people are predicting the world will come to an end. So, why not host an end of the world party and end it with a bang!

First we must answer the who, the what, and the where. Who are you inviting, what’s the theme of your event, and where’s it going to take place? Since this day is suppose to be the last day ever, why not invite your close friends and family. I really doubt that you want to spend your last day with random strangers. You want to host a fun and exciting party. Now, let’s get to the what and where. They play out hand in hand, so here are several theme suggestions.

• Alien Theme:  You can decorate your house as if aliens have just invaded your home. Your walls can be decorated with futuristic designs or symbols, crazy out of this world gadgets, and you can even have a fake alien in the doorway holding a space gun to greet your guest. For an outdoor version you can do the whole crop circle idea.

• Zombie Theme:  You can decorate your home as if it’s a cemetery. The front yard can have tombstones and hands sticking out of the ground. Brains and fake blood can be all over the place. The walls can have smeared bloodstains. You can have a dead body on the ground that has his brains sticking out.

For more ideas on how you can decorate your End of the World party you can visit Ticketbud’s End of the World Party Board on Pinterest. And if you’re not hosting a party or going to one and just so happen to be near New Orleans why not go to The Ultimate 12/21/2012 Party, The Cosmic Convergence Festival hosted by Giorgio A. Tsoukalos himself! Tickets are available at Ticketbud! So let’s party like there’s no To-Maya!

The post How To Throw A Party For The “End” of the World! appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Have no fear Marissa is here! My expertise lies somewhere between fearless nerd and karaoke connoisseur. I have complied a fabulous list of epic ballads, one-hit wonders and yes, even some TV theme songs that are sure to keep the heckles to a minimum.

1) Midnight Train- Journey

…A classic. One of the most widely recognized 80’s ballads of all time. An air-guitar friendly,easy crowd pleaser, that everyone will sing along with. This is one of my go-to songs when I have a karaoke virgin with me.  It’s hard to screw up Journey, but not impossible.

 2 )To Be With You- Mr.Big

…A heartfelt ballad for a fearless duet. The high pitched falsettos and ridiculous over-emotion make it a blast to perform. This 1980’s super group wants to be with you….they really, really want to be with you.

3) Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith

…The perfect performance for those who don’t take karaoke or themselves seriously. This song is fun, fast (less than 2 min) and EVERYBODY knows the words to it. EVERYBODY. If you are unfamiliar with the lyrics, you probably have a fake I.D. in your back pocket.

 4) Friends In Low Places- Garth Brooks

…Does the thought of singing in front of a group of strangers scare the daylights out of you? This is a      simple, familiar country ballad that you can literally talk your way through. It’s great for karaoke first-timers and guarantees crowd support. Everybody has friends in low places!

5 ) Only The Good Die Young-Billy Joel

…Billy Joel is one of my all-time favorite musical icons. I love him and everything that comes out of his mouth, including this upbeat feel-good song. The words are simple and the tempo is slow enough to fake it till you make it!

6) Gypsies Tramps and Thieves- Cher

…Cher is the diva of all divas. With an alto voice that’s hard to replicate, her music can be tricky, but this simple little track is a blast to sing along with. Man up!  If you’re out with the boys this is track, makes for a great laugh.

7) Miss American Pie- Don McLean

Do you have 8 minutes and 33 seconds to spare? Good! Then sign up for this track and get ready to belt your tone-deaf heart heart out! No need for vocal skills on this puppy, just endurance and lots of stage presence. If you’re going to be performing for an extended period of time you must keep the audience engaged and entertained….I like to bring my own tambourine.

8) Hey Ya!- OutKast

…Shake it, Shake Shake, Shake it like a Polaroid picture!  Sometimes karaoke can take a hard left turn, a few too many tequila shots and everyone is singing “ Baby Come Back” and “Joey” by Concrete Blonde.  Break the “Chains of Love” and bust out a little Outkast! Hey Ya is a fail-safe good time rump shaker!

9) Bye Bye Bye- NSync

…You know the words (don’t lie), you know the dance, now get up there and perform it! This infectious pop single was one of the biggest smash hits of 2000. In fact, I bet you’re singing it in your head right now (sorry)! Have fun and lay the cheese on thick, ladies will LOVE it!

10) Take Me Home Tonight- Eddie Money

…Oh Eddie Money, thank you for this to-the-point , innuendo-less, shameful, catchy song. I love it and I love singing it! “Just like Ronnie sang…Be My Little Baby..OH OH OH OH!” Do you feel the hunger? I do!

There you have it friends. A quick list of go-to’s  for a long night of karaoke madness! Remember, karaoke should always be considered a judgment-free zone, so be kind!  Now get up there and show ‘em what you’ve got!

The post Ticketbud Tracks- Marissa Reinert appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

1. Pursuit of Happiness; Kid Cudi To Start off the night I’ll go with one of my all time favorites. Whichever version you choose to play this is a great song to get the night kicked off; Steve Aoki’s version is my favorite.
2. Poetic Justice; Kendrick Lamar Ft. Drake This was one of the most anticipated tracks from Kendrick’s album where he pairs up with Drake with a chill beat with some samples great song to set the mood.
3. The Zone; The Weeknd Ft. Drake The Weeknd is no longer just Drake’s protege. The Toronto based artist’s music is unlike any other, don’t take my word for it listen to it.  He recently announced a partnership with Universal Republic Records and released  his debut album Triology.
4. On My Own; Kirko Bangz Kirko Bangz is my favorite Texas rapper and having grown up in the heart of the Lone-star state Texas rap will always have a place in my iPod. This song is really laid back and kinda just flows it’s a nice little song to listen to despite the explicit language.
5. Ms. Jackson; Outkast “Yeah this one right here goes out to all the baby’s mamas, mamas
   Mamas, mamas, baby mamas, mamas” I think that’s all I have to say. A classic.
6. All of the Lights; Kanye West I can’t have a playlist with at least one Kanye West song, no seriously I legally have to have Kanye West in all my playlist.
7. Frontin; Pharrell Ft Jay Z Don’t really know what to say about this song other than I love it and every time it comes on I sing along!
8. Chicken Fried; Zac Brown Band No this isn’t a request for some food even though at this point of the night I could probably go for some. “You know I like my chicken fried, A cold beer on a Friday night, A pair of jeans that fit just right, And the radio up”
9. Promises; Skrillex & Nero Remix This Dubstep song is one of the ones that made it to mainstream pop.
   Once the party is starting to pick up a bit this is a great song to get people going.
10. Friends In Low Places; Garth Brooks I’m not one to promote drinking one’s troubles away but hey whatever works! I challenge you to avoid signing along.
11. Wagon Wheel; Old Crow Medicine Show No this isn’t American Idol so just sing along chances are you will sound awful but by now we`re all a bit drunk and we really don’t care. Great song by the way.
12. Just A Friend; Biz Markie By now you have probably forgotten all then words or never knew them to begin with, but it really doesn’t  matter  because chances are most everyone else doesn’t either. On a side not I feel sorry that Biz had to walk in on his girl like that, he seems like such a nice guy.
13. Don’t Stop Believing; Journey It’s on everything from Glee to Rock Band, and we all know the chorus even if it is on at the end so sing your little heart out!
14. El Rey; Vicente Fernandez without fail somebody by now has  brought out a bottle of tequila shots have been
    poured and limes sliced. Now is the time to put on this classic. Trust me, you won’t know the words and even if you did you have forgotten them by now but that will not stop anyone at this party from singing along with all their might. A few tears might fall but that is alright it comes with the song.

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Giorgio and Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus have organized an all day event to celebrate the completion of the Mayan long count calendar. The Cosmic Convergence Festival has an all-star line up of musicians, Dj’s, and performers; Ghostland Observatory, Alex McMurray and the Interstellar All-Stars, The Local Skank, Happy Talk, Rotary Downs, and much more. There will also be specialty food trucks and vendors that will show case New Orleans culinary culture delights.

This mind blowing music and art festival will be one for the books, but besides all the partying, this will also help The Peter Mayhew Foundation, the actor who played Chewbacca. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the foundation and their programs, such as Children’s Hospitals, Wounded Warrior Centers and special needs and at-risk children.

Tickets are sold on Ticketbud, and  remember, you must be 18 and over to be able to attend this epic festival! Come out and join Giorgio A. Tsoukalos and Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus and welcome the dawn of a new era.

Cosmic Convergence Festival Line-up:

• Ghostland Observatory
• Alex McMurray and the Interstellar All-Stars
• Quintron and Miss Pussycat
• Hot 8 Brass Band
• Rotary Downs
• Sun Domingo
• The Local Skank
• DJ Brice Nice
• Blackstarr Bangas with Suave
• Happy Talk
• James Singleton’s Bluebelly
• Derrick Freeman Smokers World
• Ratty Scurvics
• DiNOLA
• Clockwork Elvis
• Green Demons
• Sunrise Sunset
• Hill Country Hell Hounds
• MC Chewbacon and Amen 5
• DJ SpyC and the Mighty Wookiee Fi-Yo
• The Reverend Spooky LeStrange and the Billion Dollar Baby Dolls
• The Mystic Ponies
• Bella Blue

The post The Ultimate 12/21/2012 Party: Cosmic Convergence Festival appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

The answer is, everything! The first line is like conventional ticketing companies that charge you a fee for every ticket (scoop) you sell. The second line is Ticketbud, which charges you a low flat fee to sell UNLIMITED tickets (scoops)! So while a per-ticket fee may not seem like a lot at first, the more “scoops you take” the more you pay.  Here at Ticketbud, however, we guarantee that you won’t pay any per-ticket fees or other random service charges that just don’t add up.

Let’s take a second to see what would happen if you were selling 200 tickets ($1 each) for an event using Ticketbud versus some of our biggest competitors. By using Ticketbud, you pay a one time fee of $39.99. If you were selling 200 tickets ($1 each) for an event using another ticketing company, the starting price would be $200. Also, there’s probably a fee for using credit cards. And let’s not forget about those lovely mysterious service charges! When people use our competitors for their events, its becomes an inconvenience for our competitors. In fact, it becomes so much of an inconvenience that people need to be charged for it. That’s $200 to start with, a $4 fee for using your credit card, and a $10 service charge.

Overall, you’re looking at probably around $215-$220. With Christmas coming up, that seems like a terrible deal (Don’t forget to tell little Johnny why he won’t be getting any games this year).  By using Ticketbud in the previous example, you save around almost $175.

You could buy an xbox 360 PLUS a game with any of our competitors ticketing fees alone. Since Jell-O costs around $0.75 a pack, the option of filling a swimming pool with 286 packs of Jell-O still stands (My personal option)! If you’re not sure which ticketing company you would like to use for your event, just ask yourself, “Do I like saving money?” If you answered yes, Ticketbud is you’re new best friend! In the meantime, we’ll be attempting to find the evil that invented per-ticket fees.

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When you were a kid, your parents assured you that your family was normal. “Every family has an uncle that loves fart jokes a little too much or a cousin that likes to start food fights and snort milk up his nose.” Well, your parents lied. These people are crazy and you should be probably pat yourself on the back for having made it this far. Here’s how to keep surviving the most dangerous game: relatives.

HAVE A KID ZONE

The living room, den or even a small broom closet with toys TV and a place to hang out even if it is just a broom keeps them from roaming and causing too much chaos all around the house. Suggest they bring favorite movies and maybe a game console. Make it comfortable depending on the age group have blankets and pillows to maybe build a fort or a bunch of movies and gadgets to keep them entertained. Kids thrive on routine and schedule so set one for them.

MAKE & ENFORCE THE RULES!

No food on the couch! No kicking the dog! No locking anyone else’s kids in the attic! These are just a few of the rules we could think of off the top of our heads. Also don’t be shy about asking the kids to help around the house with small chores either. They know how to set a table, and if they don’t it’s probably time they learn.

HAVE ESCAPE ROUTES! GET OUT THE HOUSE! RUN AWAY AND DON’T LOOK BACK!

Having a large amount of people in a confined small space for a large amount of time is probably not your best option. Get out of the  house do some activities with the family or small groups. Well first off, find out what places are open. A few places that are usually open are places like the zoo, an ice rink, museum or park. Some other activities are going to a parade, going to a corn maze or tree hunting. A fun free activity is do a Pumpkin fling,  it’s a great way to get rid of those old Jack o’ lanterns if you have a big backyard or a neighbor you don’t like. Going to a parade is always fun. Find a local Turkey Trot,  here in Austin a Thanksgiving tradition is the Annual Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot that a ton of people take part in both for fun and competition. Also another great Austin tradition is the UT Thanksgiving day game, this year it will look a it different from years past but it will still involve two great universities from the state of Texas. So if you can get your hands on a ticket make sure to go, or take your family to be part of the festivities.

GIVE PEOPLE OPTIONS

Yeah, we know, who doesn’t want to watch the Lions lose yet another Thanksgiving Day Game but if most people will be watching football, maybe you could set up a movie in another room for those who want out. Set up a board game or puzzle so that they can do their own thing and still be part of the festivities.

LEAVE THE DRAMA FOR YOUR MAMA

Well actually give her a break too, because she will probably be trying to enjoy herself as well. Just leave it at the door. The holidays are not the time to air long-held grudges. It’s probably not a good idea to try and fix a lifetime of bad relationships on a full stomach.

This Thanksgiving will be just like the other ones. Hopefully that’s a good thing and if its not hopefully you will find some of these tips helpful or if not at least a bit humorous. Like any other event there’s a lot of planning and preparation that goes into it, just remember to make the most of it and don’t stress out. For more event planning tips and any event ticketing needs check out Ticketbud. As always we wish you the best, and remember not to argue on a full stomach.

BONUS: SURVIVING BLACK FRIDAY

There’s really no way to escape Black Friday without a black eye or bruised rib, so our advice is to check out online sales or try wearing some football pads. If you absolutely must go out into the trample zone on Friday, keep this in mind. Do your homework and Prioritize. What is more important to you? A big screen TV? Fifteen pairs undies for the price of one? Go“Like” your favorite brands and stores on Facebook since a lot of them are leaking their Black Friday deals on their Facebooks. I would definitely recommend that you check out your stores online the week before to see if you can possibly get some great discounts without dealing with the crazies, unless you’re into that sort of thing.
Don’t forget about “Small Business Saturday” and “Cyber Monday”

The post Essential Thanksgiving Survival Tips appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Ticketbud’s Jack Meredith shares his playlist of songs that he enjoys during a night out at the bars.  Jack’s tastes are all over the place though he primarily like upbeat songs when going out.  He also enjoys stuff thats borderline goofy and over the top.  There’s some club rap, a couple singalongs, and some jams from across the pond since he spent some time over there the past couple of summers.  Enjoy!

1.) Blur – Girls & Boys

Bet you kids didn’t know Blur released another song other than “that Wohoo song from an old FIFA videogame”.  While that song is great in its own right, I like this one better.  This was right when Blur was breaking out in the mid 90′s and began their rivalry with Oasis for the #1 Britpop band.  “Girls & Boys” is what I picture myself listening to before going out to get the adrenaline going.  Its got a great bassline and even made Thome York wish he had written it.

2.) Outkast – ATLiens

This is a classic.  “ATLiens” has one of those memorable choruses that sticks around in popular culture years after its released even if no one knows where it originally came from.  Both Andre 3000 and Big Boi trade verses over a great beat that really carries the song.  Each sample hits just at the right time, great stuff.

3.) Kanye West – Christian Dior Denim Flow

Kanye’s discography is full of club bangers but I feel like this one didn’t get the recognition it deserved mainly because it didn’t make the final cut for My Dark Twisted Fantasy.  ”Christian Dior Denim Flow” is a 7 minute long posse cut where Kanye decides to include a bunch of his friends regardless of their talent.  It makes for an entertaining ride as you get to hear a variety of artists on each verse.  Kanye’s production is what makes everything click on this one.

4.) Duck Sauce – Barbara Streisand 

This is one of those songs that you find a tad bit annoying when you are sober but then after you hear it about 50 times while spending a weekend in Amsterdam you begin to fall in love.  Its repetitive but that’s the point.  These guys had to know that millions of drunks around the world were going to be hooked since the song is easy to memorize.  Drunks love songs that don’t involve more than two or three words.

5.) Electric Six – Danger! High Voltage

I hadn’t heard this song in years until I found it rummaging through my music library.  Much like the “Barbara Streisand”, “Danger! High Voltage” is pretty goofy.  Example lyrics: “Fire at the disco/ Fire at the…Taco Bell”.  Its another one of those songs that you can achieve optimal enjoyment with after a couple pints.  From a credibility standpoint, this song rocks because Jack White has uncredited backup vocal duties.  You can hear him sing these asinine lyrics the entire time.

6.) Macklemore – Thrift Shop

“Thrift Shop” is probably the newest song on here and I have a feeling its going to blow up at some point.  I saw Macklemore recently at Fun Fun Fun Fest and had no idea who he was prior to the festival.  He put on an entertaining show and had a lot of energy throughout the set.  This song bumps and sounded even better live.  Rapping about buying clothes from a thrift shop is kind of weird but who cares when your 10 drinks deep?

7.) Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack

I heard “Return of the Mack” for the first time last year while at the gym.  I immediately dropped my 5 pound weights in awe.  Mark Morrison has a unique voice, probably because he’s a British dude singing R&B music.  It took me a long time to figure out who this was as I couldn’t understand a word he was saying.  That didn’t matter though.  This is up there in the “This is How We Do it” and “Bump n’ Grind” echelon of cheesy R&B that is still fun enough to party to.  You can’t really appreciate this song until you see the music video so here it is.

8.) Ram Jam – Black Betty

Ram Jam’s “Black Betty” is a song you listen to when attending a NASCAR race.  Ideally, you would be working on your farmer’s tan while drinking whichever watered down beer they sell at the track.  Its repetitive.  Its catchy.  Its got a decent guitar solo.  Kenny Powers would be proud.

9.) Santigold – Disparate Youth

I saw Santigold at a day party during SXSW last year.  Funny enough, this song is something I would expect to hear at a day party.  Its got kind of this tropical thing going for it that makes you feel like going to the beach.  The beat also has some bite that gives the song an aggressive feel which I really like.  I’m indifferent to Santigold’s voice, I’ve always been more of a sucker for the backing music anyways.

Well that’s it.  Go check out the Spotify playlist, maybe I’ll add more later on.  All of this writing has made me thirsty.

The post Ticketbud Tracks: Jack Meredith appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

F1 racing is taking over Austin, Texas this weekend as the 2012 US Gran Prix gets under way at the newly created Circuit of the Americas. As Ticketbud is out and about at the race festivities, keeping checking our blog and Twitter for photos from the weekend of events!

Circuit of the America’s Kick-Off Event

Motor Sport Business Forum

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In honor of eating turkey and not shaving during this special month, we’re turning the November spotlight onto Movember!

Every year during the month of November, “Movember” is a global movement that takes place to raise funds and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer. The movement also involves Mo Bros, who start off clean shaved on November 1^st and groom their mustaches for the month, and Mo Sistas, who support Mo Bros and help them seek sponsorship for their fine mustache efforts.

These funds go directly to programs run by Movember and their men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong Foundation.

Like Movember, Ticketbud also supports the global movement against cancer. So much so that any event, Movember or otherwise, benefiting cancer charities are FREE! Cancer is a subject near and dear to the Ticketbud heart and waiving the cost for all cancer events is just a small part in a global fight.

If you know anyone that wants to host an event that benefits cancer charities, send ‘em our way. If you’re interested in participating in any Movember events, check out the events tab on their website to see if any events are taking place in your area.  And never forget the golden rule for this month…don’t shave!

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Thanksgiving is a time for family, togetherness, and giving thanks. We reunite with our families and celebrate over a festive feast, but what if you can’t make it back home? Why not gather a couple of friends and make new Thanksgiving traditions. Here are three new ways to revamp your Thanksgiving day!

Cocktail Party with a twist:

Host a cocktail party, Festive drinks for the pilgrims! Instead of just serving regular cocktail drinks, cheese, and crackers, why not have drinks and awesome appetizers that tie into the Thanksgiving theme.

Drinks:

• Pumpkin Martini
• Turkey Nail
• Pumpkin Pie Shot
• Warm Cider and Rum Punch

Potluck Thanksgiving:

Not a big fan of cooking and cleaning? Why not host a potluck. This will save you time and money!  And if no one wants to cook the turkey, there are some alternatives. Here are a couple of alternative dishes:

*Lemon Turkey Tenderloin

*Roast Chicken

*Cranberry Stuffed Cornish Game Hens

*Prime Rib

*Roast Pork Lion

Host a themed Party:

Give your guest a Gobble Good Time! Here are a couple of themes:

*Red, Orange, and Yellow Party: Colors of the changing leaves. Have your guest wear only red, orange, and yellow.

*Feathered Friends: You and your guest can dress up like turkeys! Just seeing your friends dress up as turkeys puts a smile on your face, but to also see the creativity put into the costumes.

*Around the world Potluck: Have different types of dishes from around the world.

*Thanksgiving adventure: For those of you who love the outdoors have a fun filled day with all different types of activities.

• Pumpkin Roll: Get a large pumpkin and have a race. See who can roll the pumpkin the fastest to the finish line.
• Pumpkin Hunt: Hide small sized pumpkins around your yard or house. Get your guest into two teams and have them look for the pumpkins. To make it more interesting you can make it into a scavenger hunt.
• Cornhusk Racing: Have two teams and have them collect all the cornhusk. The team that collects them all the fastest, wins!
• Where is Mr. Turkey? : One person is chosen to be the hunter and the rest are the hunter’s helpers. The hunter must step out of the room before the helpers hide the fake turkey toy. Once the turkey is hidden, the hunter must try and find the turkey. As the hunter is looking, if he is not close to the turkey, the helpers gobble quietly. As the hunter gets closer to the turkey, helpers gobble louder.

Any of these celebration ideas will make your Thanksgiving night a memorable one. Happy Thanksgiving from the Ticketbud Team!

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Do you often find yourself looking for some musical motivation during your workday or while planning and setting up your event? Well, look no further! One of Ticketbud’s finest Digital Marketing Specialists, Chris Beale, shares some of his favorite workday tracks to motivate you and get your friends talking about music genres they never really knew about.

Click here for Chris’ Ticketbud Tracks playlist

1.)  Dolphin Boy – “Shake It Loose”

Everyday that I’m working in the office, Dolphin Boy’s “Shake It Loose” always gets me into my workflow zone. You can’t really go wrong starting the workday off with Dolphin Boy. So if you’re looking for something to relax the mood and get into your zone, “Shake It Loose” is what you’re looking for.

2.)  Sugar Ray – “Someday”

I have to say, out of most bands coming out of the 90s, Sugar Ray is probably my favorite! With their catchy lyrics and guitar riffs, I can probably put their tune “Someday” on repeat the whole day and be perfectly fine with it.

3.)  Dwele – “Weekend Love”

Dwele is an exceptional R&B singer/songwriter from Detroit. This is definitely one of my Sunday afternoon songs and is also part of my “shower songs” list.

4.)  Lee Fields – “Honey Dove”

I had heard of the name Lee Fields, but I had never checked out his music until recently. So far I can say that his song “Honey Dove” is my favorite. After seeing Choice Cuts start to promote their concert with Lee Fields, I knew I had to check out his music.  I’m definitely jealous of anyone in the Dublin, Ireland area attending the concert November 11^th!

5.)  Esperanza Spalding – “I Know You Know”

After attending Esperanza’s concert 2 years ago, I was completely blown away by her. I’ve been following Esperanza for quite sometime and she is definitely one of my favorite jazz bassist/singers. Once I get in my workflow zone, Esperanza keeps me focused. If you ever have the opportunity to see her live, do so!

6.)  Zero 7 – “In The Waiting Line”

I had completely forgot about the group Zero 7 until I came across an event that had G.Love and Graham Wilkinson performing. G.Love and Graham’s laid-back music reminded me of some tunes by Zero 7. Zero 7 is a group that touches on trip-hop and acid jazz, along with a down tempo ambiance. I just found discovered Zero 7 about a year ago, but I highly recommend going through all of their albums.

7.)  Flying Lotus – “Do The Astral Plane”

The rest of my list pretty much consist of songs to keep me motivated towards the end of the day. This is where Flying Lotus comes in. Flying Lotus, a.k.a. FlyLo is an artist that lies in the electronic/experimental and jazz genres. His song, “Do The Astral Plane”, definitely takes more of an electronic/trance feel and is very upbeat compared to the rest of his tunes. I definitely feel revived when hearing this one!

8.)  Omar – “Lay It Down” (Andre Lodemann Remix)

Omar  is an exceptional Neo-Soul singer from the U.K. and made his big debut during the 90s. I discovered Omar back when I was attending high school in London, but thanks to Andre Lodemann, he’s blessed us with this upbeat remix that gives a little spice to it. If you get a chance, I also recommend you listen to his song “Last Request.”

9.)  Kendrick Lamar – “Hol’ Up”

Kendrick is the newcomer to the Hip-Hop scene and has done quite well so far with his debut record label album, “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City“. His song “Hol’ Up” is from his tape “Section 80″ and is pretty much my morning/4:30pm anthem.

10.)  The Notorious B.I.G – “Big Poppa”

Beware: this song might cause you to not complete any work.

“Big Poppa” always gets me recharged towards the end of the day. You just have to be careful; listening to this song too many times will cause you not to get anything done because it tends to make you feel like you own the world.

11.)  People Under The Stairs – “We’ll Be There”

People Under The Stairs is an underground Hip-Hop group that is based out of Los Angeles, California. This tune also shows off why PUTS is one of the best underground Hip-Hop groups around. I’ve personally never been to the west coast, but every time I hear this song, I feel like I just have to go!

Well folks, this playlist is 47 minutes of non-stop motivational, recharging music. I’m also excited to say that there’s more Ticketbud playlists in the works, so stay tuned.

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• Offer early bird pricing
  • A lot of events like to offer  special ticket prices for early birds. Early bird promotions are tickets discounted at a low price for those who purchase their ticket in advance, and it seems to work. It gives the attendee a sense of urgency to buy before the offer ends. Who doesn’t love to save money.

• Have a reward system
  • Reward past attendees! Let them know their contribution is important to the fundraiser and the organization. You can even have a reward system for early bird buyer’s. When they purchase a ticket early the guest can get a free t-shirt or be entered in a raffle.

• Build Buzz
  • Social media has a great impact on society. You can promote your fundraiser on Facebook, Twitter, and even Pinterest! Social media has made it FREE and easy  to use, so why not use it to your advantage.
  • You can even have your attendees blog about the fundraiser! Word of the mouth is a powerful resource!

• Give people an easy way to be able to share with others
  
  • Most online ticketing sites, like Ticketbud, gives the attendee the option to share with their friends on their recent ticket purchase. Remember word of mouth is very powerful!

• Post highlights of past events
  • If you have footage or photos of  the past events, you should highlight them onto the organization’s website, but be sure to post footage of people having the time of their life. This gives your guest a preview of what to expect.

There is nothing worse than having to go through all the trouble on organizing a fundraiser and no one shows up. To avoid this situation,  just keep these tips in mind when you’re planning.

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In the past, Choice Cuts has had the opportunities to work with artists such as Mos Def (Yasiin Bey), Q-Tip, Oddisee, Theophilus London, and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. For the months of November and December, Choice Cuts will be hosting concerts in the Dublin, Ireland area for Immortal Technique , Lee Fields & The Expressions, Shuggie Otis, and Sly and Robbie.

With Choice Cuts first priority being to turn music fans on to new artists, they are one of the most successful music promoters around the world. Just remember to keep an eye out for any Choice Cuts events in your area.

Here at Ticketbud, we can say it has been a privilege, and will continue to be, for Choice Cuts to use our services for their events. Choice Cuts is one of the world’s most successful promoters, and they’re not going anywhere.

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Hosting an event doesn’t always have to give you an anxiety attack! The whole purpose of a party is to relax and have fun. So how can party planning be stress free? That’s easy: Pinterest! Pinterest is a social pinboard-sharing network that allows people to share ideas & interests with one another. Why not use that to your advantage and let your guests help you organize your event?! Still not quite following what I am talking about? Well here’s a scenario that can better explain:

“Ok, so you’re to plan a party for next month, but have no clue what theme, food, drinks, or even music you or your guests might want. All you know is who you’re inviting. What do you do? Thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest & social media, you can stop stressing out and let your guests help you out! How? It’s easy! Here are a couple of steps on how your guests can take part in the party planning.”

Step One:Login to your Pinterest account

Step Two: Click on the Add + and click on Create a Board

Step Three: Name your board!

Step Four: On the “Who can pin?” section, invite your guests. (This allows them to be able to pin to your party board)

Step Five: When you’re done, click on Create Board and voilà! You’re in business!

That simple Pinners! Thinking so hard till smoke comes out of your head shouldn’t be an option anymore! Go to your Pinterest profile and try it out. While you’re there, make sure to stop by Ticketbud’s profile to see our awesome event theme, hints and tips boards for all you event planners! Enjoy!

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Every week on game day thousands of people show up to the stadium with no intention on going inside to watch the game. They’re there to Tailgate. Tailgating isn’t about wins, although we have to admit we won’t complain if our team wins. Instead, it’s about something much more than that. Tailgating is about … beer. Lots and lots of beer. Beer in cans, kegs or red Solo cups. Oh and food, an excessive amount of food. Tailgating is a large campus party. For most fans game day is more important than any other event. I will mention that we did not base this list on the actual football teams but the traditions and quality of the tailgate itself.

University of Southern California 

Hollywood’s Team

Beautiful weather, beautiful people, and the football team isn’t too bad. Every game day you can see a sea of cardinal red and gold flood the beautiful USC campus grounds, which turned into one giant party by mid morning  Thousands of fans prepare with drinks food and friendly conversation, to fill the largest stadium in the PAC 12, The Coliseum.  USC’s fans are some of the most diverse this is evident when you walk through the tailgates and see the different ways to cook the same piece of meat that is a staple a tailgate.

Tennessee

The “Volunteer Navy”
Tailgating at the University of Tennessee provides you these two options tailgate on land or on water. If you choose water that is referred to as The Sailgate. Tons of fans gather on game day morning board boats and tour around the water on boats with TVs and everything else you need to have a great “Sailgate”

Texas A&M
Home of the “12th man”
It all starts the night before at the unique tradition called Midnight Yell Practice. Apparently the fans don’t cheer they yell! The football program may be up and down season to season but one constant remains… great traditions. College Station is a great college town with a great game day atmosphere.

Ole Miss
Sunday’s Best on a Saturday?
Blazers and bow ties for the men and sundresses and pearls for the women the classic southern charm embodiment. The Grove, a nine- acre area, on campus is where the unique tailgate takes place. One of the great parts about the Ole Miss tailgate is that the team takes part in the festivities by taking “The Walk of Champions” through The Grove.

Texas
Sweet Tea Vodka and Cowboy Boots
Anytime Austin can host a party for any reason they will. The self proclaimed weird city is home to one of the five largest campuses in the United States, the Longhorns host one heck of a tailgate. University of Texas at Austin has a huge student and alumni base, the huge following is one that  few schools can boast. You can’t go wrong with huge smokers cooking up good Texas barbecue and cheerleaders in chaps.

Here Are a Few Tips to Make Your Tailgate a Great One, Wherever You Are.

Be Friendly with the other tailgaters and get off your phone. Make friends with your fellow fans, this will make it easier to drink their beer when yours runs out.

Bring Kids At Your Own Risk. Keep in mind that this is an all day affair and that fans will be drinking all day. So they will be drunk and they can not be held accountable for their actions words of choice.

Protect Your Tailgating Gear. try using bicycle locks to lock your gear together, but also don’t get too anal, don’t walk around with a sharpie putting a name on every single red cup. If someone misplaces their cup they will simply grab another one if this will ruin you financially you should probably just stay home and make sure you don’t misplace any cups.

Get there early and know the rules. There’s not much to this tip just get there early and get a good spot. Also do a quick Google search before you go tailgating or ask friends if they know any important rules. This probably seems like a minor issue but a small rule can really change your tailgate experience. You don’t want to get kicked out because you accidentally broke a rule.

Probably most important of all, Prepare. Sure you can buy a 24 pack of Miller Lite and a bag of Doritos and hope for the best. I’m sure you’ll probably have a great time, specially if that 24 pack is just for you. But if you want your tailgate to go better than getting blackout drunk and bumming food from others. Plan and Prepare. The best way I can think of doing that is by using Ticketbud, through Ticketbud you can have a RSVP list of who’s showing up and also who’s bringing what. Another great advantage of using us is that you can promote your event on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

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Joshua Baer, founder of Capital Factory, knows a thing or two how to show case to Austin on what is happening in the tech startup community, and as a first time crawler I was taken aback with all the information and free merchandise, but loved every minute of it. Businesses were being born before my eyes.

Rockify founded by Joel Korpi, was one of the many startup companies who attended the Crawl. For those of you who do not know what Rockify is, it’s an online music video channel. Some may say it’s a Pandora of music videos, but after trying it myself I say it’s ten times better. It’s like how MTV use to be, you know when MTV was all about the music rather than what it truly is a bunch of reality TV shows. Rockify is and incredible music app, its free, fun, and an easy way to watch and discover new music.

Another great startup company that attended was Vivogig. Did you miss ACL this past weekend or any other concert in the past? Well Vivogig, a concert photo app, allows fans to upload their photos and stream online for others to view. It’s a great way for fans to socialize and relive their concert experience with other fans, but also allows artist to expose themselves to people who have not yet discovered them.

Zello was an interesting startup company I came across; remember when letters was a way for us to communicate with one another. Now we have phone calls, text messages, emails, and voicemails to leave messages. Well, Zello gives their clients live conversations at a fast free pace push to talk on your iPhone, Android, Blackberry, or even to your PC. You can create your own public or private forums, and access your account through your phone, tablet, or PC. Zello is the only place for live group communication.

The most important factor in a business is to be able to understand your audience and whom better to help you understand the value of your audience than Umbel. Umbel is standard for how audience is measured. The company gives their clients insights about what people engage with a site, service, or brand. They are a great startup company to come across.

Austin’s Startup Crawl is something every techie and entrepreneur must attend. Being around such motivated and brilliant people gives you such motivation to start a company of your own or be apart of the startup community. So a little advice for those of you who missed this year’s startup crawl, don’t be a fool and miss the next!

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What’s on your schedule for October 26^th? How about a night of amazing live music by two of country’s hottest acts in intimate house setting complete with food and drinks all for an awesome cause? Come on out and enjoy live, world-class music from G. Love and Graham Wilkinson!

G.Love and Graham Wilkinson will be putting on a special intimate private house concert supporting Love Hope Strength, the world’s leading music cancer charity.

The performance will take place at the beautiful Lohmeier Residence overlooking Lake Austin and will include a tapas menu and an open bar sponsored by Deep Eddy Vodka  , Dos Equis , and Cameron Hughes Wine (how awesome is that?).

If that hasn’t convinced you to come out, LiveVibe is hosting the performance. If you haven’t experienced one of LiveVibe’s “listening room” atmospheres before, it truly is an amazing thing. With tickets only being $85 per guest, these tickets go like candy. Be sure you don’t wait until the last minute. Also, check out G. Love’s newest album, “Fixin’ To Die”  and Graham Wilkinson’s newest single, “Focus”, off his latest EP titled “The Spiritual Accessories”.

Open bar, free food, plus an intimate performance from two amazing artists…what’s not to (G.) love?

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Ticketbud is excited to provide ticketing to what will prove to be a night of hard-hitting bass and electro sounds as electronic artists Kraddy & Ana Sia co-headline back to back 2 hour sets at Speakeasy in Downtown Austin, Texas.  Mark your calendars this week for October 25th, the show will begin at 9 p.m. and doesn’t plan on stopping until the early morning hours.  Buy your tickets now before they sell out!  Ticket prices are $15 before the day of the show for 21 and up.  This is the final price, no service fees are added at checkout. Read below for more info on the two headliners:

Kraddy is the hard-hitting glitch hop project of founding Glitch Mob member Matthew Kratz. The Los Angeles-based electronic-music Don known as Kraddy has always brought the undiluted sound of the underground to new audiences. From his work as a founding member of the infamous Glitch Mob to his solo work, Kraddy has always been known for shattering genre conventions while moving crowds everywhere from Red Rocks to L.A.’s famed Low End Theory club. From his breakthrough 2008 hit “Android Porn” to the innovative bangers comprising his latest e.p. Labyrinth (Alpha Pup), Kraddy continues to hybridize hip-hop, dubstep and dancehall with face-melting panache and rock and roll bravado.

Ana Sia’s DJ crate is a ticker for the hottest sounds of tomorrow. One of the west coast’s most celebrated DJs, this SF Bay Area-based tastemaker is known for not only energizing the dance floor, but consistently breaking new sounds from all over the world. Having championed some of the most beloved music festivals in the US, Canada and abroad, Ana Sia has gone from rocking house parties to stadiums by stylistically staying two steps ahead of the game. From huge festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, Detroit Electronic Music Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival and others, Ana Sia has built a community just as fun, wild and eclectic as her style. She has shared the stage with a growing list of artists ranging all styles of electronic dance music, from Diplo to Deadmau5, Datsik to Daedelus…and everybody in between.

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Tip #1: Research the audience and location of event.

What are the demographics for your event? Is there even room for an act? These are just some things to take into consideration before finding an act. Having an act like One Direction perform for an age group of 45-55 years old might just be disastrous. Even if you can’t pinpoint the demographics, try to assume!

Tip #2: Check your favorite local venues.

Whatever your favorite genre may be, check out the local venues that cater to that genre.  Checking out the opening acts at your favorite venue is always a good way to find local talent. Here in Austin, Texas, venues such as Antone’s or The Mohawk are great venues to check out the local talent. Along with checking out your favorite venues, attending open mics is a reliable option. Also, always ask friends that are musicians to recommend someone as an option.

Tip #3: If you can, make time to meet the act.

Because of today’s technology, you can virtually be anyone you want behind a computer.Once you’ve found youract, its always good idea to establish a connection in person. This way, you’ll get a general idea of the act and different things such as the vibe they give off, and if they’re prompt. And as always, don’t forget to give a listen to their music online. If the act doesn’t have a fan/music page, try searching for them on Soundcloud or Bandcamp. And as the last tip,

Tip#4: Compensation is the key.

Compensation can be anything from free drinks to allowing the act to invite their friends for free if the event has a charge to it. Keep in mind, guaranteeing that a good crowd will attend is a form of compensation. Remember, if you can compensate the act, the chances of them returning the next time you need them are very high. Lastly, keep a list of reliable acts on hand. Keeping a list allows you to have back up acts just in case the act you intended to have playing cancels. When you tell people where you heard these tips, tell them Ticketbud told you!

That’s all the tips we have for you now. If you have still have trouble finding an act, don’t freak out…its a process that you have to get used to and build connections over time. Once you find an act for your first event, it’ll be a piece of cake after that. Good luck, and may the local talent event gods be with you.

The post Tips to finding local music talent for your event for less appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

1.)        Apple Brandy-Hot toddies

Makes: 8 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups apple brandy, preferably Calvados
• Eight 3-inch cinnamon sticks

Directions:

Step One:      In a small saucepan, bring the water to boil. After you remove the heat, stir in the honey until it is completely dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice and the apple brandy.

Step Two:      Get 8 mugs or any cup that is heatproof and set cinnamon sticks in each one of them. Once you have done that start to pour the hot liquid and serve.

2.)        Pumpkin Pie Spiced Piña Colada

Makes: 6 (1-cup servings)

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14 ounces) Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk
• 4 ounces light rum
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 4 cups ice cubes

Directions:

Step One:     Before you start to make your drink you will need a blender. Once you have your blender you will place coconut milk, pineapple juice, rum, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in blender container. Blend your ingredients on high speed until it is smooth.

Step Two:       Once the ingredients are blended smoothly add ice. Blend them once more until it is all slushy. For the nonalcoholic drink version, serve without rum.

 Step Three:      Pour your mix into the glasses and serve immediately.

3.)        Baileys Caramel Appletini

Makes: 1 serving

Prep Time:  4 – 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce(s) Baileys Caramel Irish Cream
• .5 ounce(s) Smirnoff Green Apple Flavored Vodka
• 1 slice(s) apple
• 1 teaspoon(s) caramel

Directions:

Step One:      Add Baileys Caramel Irish Cream and Smirnoff Green  Apple Flavored Vodka into a shaker with ice.

Step Two:     Once you have shaken the liquor pour into a prechilled martini glass.

Step Three:  Garnish with an apple slice and caramel.

4.)        Cinnamon Toast

Makes: 1 serving

Prep Time: 5minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 ounce(s) Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
• 6 ounce(s) hot apple cider
• 1 tablespoon(s) sugar
• 1 tablespoon(s) cinnamon

Directions:

Step One:      Grab a glass mug and add sugar and cinnamon to the rim.

Step Two:      Add hot apple cider and Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum to the glass and enjoy!

5.)      Autumn Leaves

Makes: 1 Serving

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce of Pisco Portón®
• 1 ounce of Drambuie™
• 1/4 ounce of Campari™
• 1/4 oz. lime juice

Lime twist and orange wedge for garnish

Directions:

Step One:      In a mixing glass add ice and the ingredients and stir well.

Step Two:     Once you have stirred your ingredients pour into a martini glass

Step Three:   Add an orange wedge and twist of lime.

Whether you are hosting an event with a hundred people attending or just having a cozy and intimate night with your family, these fall drinks can make it that extra special!

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Ticketbud is proud to Spotlight Team Fox and their event, ‘An Evening Benefiting The Michael J. Fox Foundation‘, in San Francisco on October 12. Event coordinator, Michael Saign, tells us about the organization, their upcoming event and some tips to planning a successful event.

Ticketbud: What is Team Fox and how is affiliated with The Michael J. Fox Foundation?

Michael Saign: Team Fox is an arm of the MJFF organized by individuals and groups to raise awareness and funds for the Foundation’s overall mission. Team Fox events and supporters range in sizes from a single person running a marathon on behalf of Team Fox to an event like ours.

TB: What is it that you do with Team Fox and how long have you been involved?

Saign: My sister Dana and I have been involved with Team Fox for the last couple years mainly focused on organizing the Fall Benefit in San Francisco.

TB: What is your favorite part about working with Team Fox?

Saign: My favorite part about Team Fox is the wonderful community that engenders the support for our different events and efforts has always been overwhelming. I attribute that to the wonderful work of the MJFF.

TB: What is An Evening Benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation?

Saign: It is a benefit that takes place @ 111 Minna Gallery annually to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease, raise money for the Foundation’s work and bring members of the MJFF community together for a fun evening on the town.  

TB: The event was a huge success last year. What do you attribute such overwhelming attendance to?

Saign: Generous donors and passionate supporters of the MJFF’s mission.  

TB: From an event planning standpoint, what advice would you give someone looking to create and host an event like your Team Fox event?

Saign: Leverage the wonderful tools technology affords to get your message and event exposure on all of the different portals available.

There you have it, Team Fox is supporting a great cause. Despite just recently being founded in the fall of 2011, the Team Fox Bay Area Young Professionals managed to organize a very successful inaugural event. Team Fox Bay Area Young Professional committee are counting on you to make this year’s event bigger. This night will be filled with great music, food, art, dancing, and a silent auction. Don’t miss out on a great night!

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Plan, plan, plan – it’s one of the simplest yet most effective ways to make your life easier!

1. Know your event venue

• What’s the actual size of the venue and what’s the maximum capacity?  Maximum capacity doesn’t mean the true amount of attendees that will comfortably fit in addition to your set-up, so make sure to take not of that.
• Where exactly are the entrances and exits?  Where will most people enter (if there are multiple entrances) and exit?
• Where are the restrooms and other areas of possible congestion?

2. Know your equipment

• Do you have enough tables and chairs for checking in your guests?
• Is there a need for a different line for guests (e.g. VIP), and if so would you need it to be sectioned off?
• Do you have proper signage for guests to know where to check-in?
• How are you checking in your guests?

Are you using Ticketbud’s Free Mobile Scanner App – if so, do you have mobile devices for each check-in point?  Check out our Blog about our Mobile Scanner App  (http://ticketbud.com/blog/ticketbud-apple-and-android-apps-to-sell-tickets-online/)

1. If you are worried about people knowing your password, you can either change it for the event or just personally sign into each mobile device.
2. Are you going to use a guest list?  Logging into your event at Ticketbud provides a way to print out or download an Excel spreadsheet on your laptop

3. Know your staff

• How many people do you have working the event?  Make sure you have enough individuals working check-in, helping crowd control, as well as someone there to answer any miscellaneous questions.  Don’t forget to account for breaking down check-in.
• More importantly, did you plan to make sure each individual knows what his/her individual role is?

4. Know your attendees

• Where are the potential congested areas?  Is there enough space for people to walk?  Regardless of the size of your event, making sure there is good traffic flow is key.   This can be solved with proper set-up, signage, and staff.

Lastly, one of simplest things you can do to help make your event check-in easier is to send out a reminder of the event to guests.  Yes, they bought a ticket so they should know, but event information is easily forgotten or placed on the back burner.  Send out a friendly message with important information such as when doors open and to make sure to arrive early.  Also, include what they can/cannot bring in, and maybe even include a Frequently Asked Questions section!

Hopefully all of these questions and suggestions have helped you prepare for making your guests’ check-in experience better and your experience as the event planner a whole lot easier.

The post Making Check In Faster & Easier appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

Have a pin of an inspiring quote you live your life by? We want it! A pin of the most beautiful photo you’ve ever laid eyes on! We want it! A pin of your goldfish in an old gumball machine! We want it! A pin of a teakettle with Lionel Ritchie’s face on that says “Hello? Is it TEA you’re looking for?” A little weird but we still want it!

We’ve found a lot of Awesome Boards on Pinterest but now we’re looking to create the board to end all boards: a collection of the favorite pins of Pinterest users around the world! From fashion to food to photography to movies and more, we want your favorite pins to add to our Ultimate Board Ever Made in the History of Ever (we call it the Ultimate Board for short)! So how do you get a shot on making it to this board of awesomeness?

Three Easy Steps:

Step One: Follow Ticketbud on Pinterest.

Step Two: This can be a tough one, pick your favorite pin.

Step Three: On the comment section type @Ticketbud Team and write a brief description telling us why your pin is the Ultimate Pin!

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Yet another great reason to use Ticketbud for your event ticketing needs.

Ticketbud offers a fast and easy way for you, the event organizer, to check in your guest at your event. Ticketbud offers a free iPhone and Android App, which is available at the App Store for iPhone users and in the Android Market for your Android phone. The App allows you to quickly and effectively check in your guest in 3 simple steps.

Step 1  Log Into your Ticketbud Account.

Once you have downloaded the free app and have opened it, you will be asked to sign in. After signing in a list of your events will appear. Click on your current event you wish to check guest in at.

Step 2 Select Action you Wish to Make

After choosing the event you have the option to Scan tickets or to manually Check In guest by clicking on the “Attendee List” option.

Step 3 Start Checking Guest In

If you choose to  scan the tickets your  final step is to actually scan and check in your guest by scanning their printed ticket or the QR code straight from their smart phones.

If the ticket did not scan correctly or the ticket has already been scanned you will see a red X appear on your phone.

If the Ticket is accepted a green Check Mark will appear on your screen with the guest information will appear on your phone.

Ticketbud has made this 3rd and final step easier by giving the event host more options on how to go about scanning their ticket. The app allows you to Scan their printed out ticket of even the ticket they received through their email. That means the guest can pull up their tickets on their smart phone or even laptop and the app will be able to scan the bar-code so no need to stress over printing out or losing a ticket.

Along with checking in your guest the App also collects the data related to your guests arrival on an easy to read report. You will also be able to see current, past and future events along with being able to see all the events details.

So there you have it the Ticketbud App gives you a mobile alternative that will streamline the process of checking in your guest. The Ticketbud App also provides security that ensures every ticket is valid on check in. It also guarantees that a ticket is only be used once.

Be sure to visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or our website for all of your event-planning needs.

The post The Ticketbud App: Checking In Your Guests Made Fast & Easy appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

In the world of event planning it is key to stay organized, be on your toes, and not let the unthinkable happen. Planners out there know that this job isn’t as easy as it looks. What do you do when the party supplies do not arrive on time? What do you do when little Johnny decides to play with the candles on the table and start a fire? You can’t just throw your hands up and just give up. As the a planner you have to keep your cool and deal with it, some things just may get out of control. Here are some mistakes you might want to avoid:

Mistake #1:   Not having a clear contract.

Solution#1:   Your contract must state the obvious; it is key to show your client what you are promising them. Important activities your client needs to be a part of such as meetings, and as well for the duration of time it will take, but the most important of all is cost. You do not want to botch up the cost. You have to consider everything that you will need for this event. (Food, drinks, parking, props, promotion) If you do not add up all the cost in the end you will be the one paying for the bill.

Mistake #2:   Overselling your experience.

Solution #2:  Yes, you want to sound like the ultimate event planner of all time, but be careful how far you take it. It is important to be honest about your skills, and what types of events you have done. Once you have lost the trust of your client it is hard to gain that trust back. Even if they decide to keep you on from there on out they might question your credibility and start second-guessing your decisions. 

Mistake #3:   Not having event insurance.           

Solution #3:  This one is a biggie. You do not want to be responsible for damages, cancellation, and injuries. Yes, it may not be your fault but as the event planner you are responsible no matter what. There are several different types of insurance. (Liquor, cancellation, third party damage, hired/non-owned auto, worker’s compensation)

No matter the size of your event the worst can always happen and you must be prepared for the reality about to hit you.

Mistake #4:   Not confirming vendors that are booked

Solution #4:  There are some cases when the clients decides to book some vendors themselves, make sure you double check that everything is on track. The last thing you want is arriving at the venue with the vendors not even there with the right props or with nothing at all.

Mistake #5:   Not staying calm

Solution #5:  Staying calm is important. Remember if you start to freak out what makes you think the client won’t start freaking out. You have to stay calm and collected. It would be a good idea a week before the event youthink of different scenarios that can go wrong and think how can I solve this problem so you can be mentally prepared for it all. Just remember stay calm you do not want to look like a mess.

Jenifer Lopez makes planning a wedding look ever so effortless and romantic, but in reality it is quite chaotic. There is room for error and you must be prepared for the unknown. Don’t stress out too much if you do make a mistake.  As the saying goes, a truly wise person “learns more from their mistakes than they do from their successes!”

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Online ticketing software is fast and easy to use. Create your ‘fang’tastic event in a matter of minutes. Here’s how Ticketbud can make your experience frightening satisfying:

-Free Events & Cancer Events are FREE!           -Private Label (Customization)

-Social Media Integration                       -Ticket Fraud Protection

-Free Scanner App for Android and iOS         -Amazing Personal Support

So where do you start? There are Four steps:

Step 1: Go to our website at Ticketbud.com and sign in or sign up.

Step 2: Publish your event by:

• Customizing your page with frightening logos, orange and black colors, and goose-bump images
• Create different tickets to help keep track of all your goblin attendees

Step 3: Promote

• Generate promo codes and ticket bundles at discounted prices to entice target audiences.

• Ticketbud helps you share your spooktacular event page on social media like Facebook and Twitter

  Step 4: Manage

• Seamlessly check in your creepy crawling guests to make entering a breeze
• Mobile ticketing at events accommodates to your specific Halloween event
• Collect payment immediately thru PayPal, Autorize.net, or at the door

Now sit back and watch Ticketbud work it’s magic.

The post Creating A Spooktacular Event appeared first on Sell Tickets Online with Ticketbud.

One of our upcoming events is being hosted by Kids Kicking Cancer, a unique nonprofit organization with a mission: to combat cancer through karate. Awesome, right?

The organization’s mission is “to ease the pain of very sick children while empowering them to heal physically, spiritually and emotionally” through relaxation and mental imagery, meditating, breathing and active karate exercises. The Kids Kicking Cancer program also seeks to integrate parents, siblings and medical personnel into the healing process through these unconventional healing methods.

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Karate beats Cancer

Most children diagnosed with cancer typically feel a loss of autonomy, control and personal identity. Kids Kicking Cancer teaches kids to see themselves in a new light: not as victims of the disease, but as empowered participants in their own healing process. This psychological and emotional shift is dramatic and powerful.

Kids Kicking Cancer offers a wide variety of programs for participants and their families. Their comprehensive plan makes sure that families, siblings and medical personnel are all acquainted with the healing powers of martial arts therapy to ensure that the patient is supported by the most capable healing team possible.

The First Annual Kids Kicking Cancer Gala

Kids Kicking Cancer is hosting the first annual Kids Kicking Cancer Gala, hosted by Salon Lux. Tickets are $100, which will grant you access to dinner, dancing, a silent auction and—most importantly—a demonstration from the kids of Kids Kicking Cancer. All of the proceeds will go to Kids Kicking Cancer. The gala will be held on November 1, 2012 at Villa Penna’s Banquet Hall in Sterling Heights, MI. You can buy your tickets to this event on Kids Kicking Cancer’s event page on Ticketbud.

Check out Kids Kicking Cancer’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages!

Ticketbud: Standing Beside Cancer Orgs since Day 1

We at Ticketbud are proud to use our online event ticketing service to continue helping organizations like Kids Kicking Cancer sell tickets online to their events. This organization is truly helping people, a value that we at Ticketbud hold near and dear to our hearts. For more highlighted organizations and events, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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Ticketbud is proud to spotlight UTOPiAfest! UTOPiAfest is a campout festival in Utopia, Texas, that will take place on September 28-30. More than twenty renowned artists like Dr. Dog, Victor Wooten, Jimmy Herring and Ben Kweller will all be there performing live!

Utopia: A perfect world.

UTOPiAfest: A perfect festival.

Set in the scenic West Texas Hill Country in a natural amphitheater on the 1,000-acre Four Sisters Ranch,  UTOPiAfest is “a true alternative to the large multiple-stage festivals that often favor quantity over a quality audience experience.”  With only two stages and less than 2000 tickets being sold, fans will have plenty of space to dance and enjoy full sets by world-touring bands from a variety of genres. UTOPiAfest is thoughtfully designed to allow creativity, music, and new friendships to flourish in a unique and intimate setting.

Jamie Brown, Executive Producer of UTOPiAfest, sat down with Ticketbud to share his experiences with the festival and why he believes UTOPiAfest is a festival unlike any other:

Why did you choose for it to be at the West Texas Hill Country? How have fans responded to this shift away from traditional music festivals that typically have many more stages and attendees?   

The Hill Country chose us.  Travis Sutherland (festival founder) started UTOPiAfest in 2009 on the beautiful 1200 acre ranch he grew up on.  I have been a part of the fest since 2011.  Once you get out to the property, you cannot deny the scale of the hills.  Nature has become a commodity for the digital age, and we are here to supply that demand.  Fans have responded with great appreciation that we are doing something different than the huge $ grossing festivals.  This is something real, with heart, our fans say they will attend for the rest of their life.

My immediate reaction, to seeing a few pictures and video of UTOPiAfest, is that this is an all indie music festival. Could you tell me why someone who is indifferent to indie music should go to UTOPiAfest?

Although UTOPiAfest is an independent fest with some indy music, we have something for everybody.  Music from all over the world, covering all genre’s, but people really come for the experience.  It is really hard to describe the experience, but our festival is where people meet, talk, dance, and get to know each other.  The camping is truly a bonding experience.  You will know what I mean when you hear everybody howling as the full moon rises behind the Aarowhead stage.

What is the atmosphere like throughout the festival? What should a new-comer expect?

A newcomer to UTOPiAfest should expect to be blow away by the hills you have to drive through to get into the gates.  Also, the people are so friendly.  Everyone is talking to everyone.  You might not know everybody on the line-up, but you will not be disappointed.  We book our talent based on who we want to see.

Tell us about how you will support the charities listed on the UTOPiAfest website (http://www.utopiafest.com/about/impact/)? Will proceeds from the event go to these organizations?

We donate a portion of the proceeds to the charities listed on our page.  We like to donate time and money to the less fortunate.  It is amazing knowing that we can produce a music festival while benefiting people on the other side of the world.

What is your favorite part of UTOPiAfest?

My favorite part of UTOPiAfest is the camping.  I go to Utopia once a month and I have never slept in a bed.  Waking up to lightning bugs and wild horses in your open air teepee is an experience to remember.  Every time I camp, I have another experience that reminds me why we make UTOPiAfest happen year after year.

Ticketbud is proud to be provide online ticketing for UTOPiAfest, and we encourage you to come out for the time of your life! Tickets for this incredible event are going fast so be sure to buy your UTOPiAfest tickets soon!

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