The widespread use of new technology is changing the way we communicate and interact with each other. But these new trends offer a brightly promising prognosis for the future of events, especially when it comes to online ticket sales.
Hopefully, these examples will inspire you and shed some light on the amazing opportunities virtual events can bring.
Streaming, AR, and VR
With everyone stuck at home, we had to find other ways to close the psychic distance…through our smartphones. Even though virtual and hybrid events are nothing new, more people participate in them than ever before.
From live streamed events on YouTube to new playlists on Spotify—there are countless ways to amplify an event online. Everyone’s familiar with streaming but what about VR and AR?
Virtual Reality (VR) was first coined by John Lanier in the 80s. It’s a 3D computer simulation of an environment, where the user (that’s you) interacts with the environment through goggles, gloves, or any other virtual reality equipment. If you’ve seen the Matrix you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Augmented Reality (AR) is an interactive experience with a real-world environment. I fell in love with Ikea’s Swedish meatballs (don’t judge me) but the app just made me like them more. You can use it to find furniture online and visualize exactly how it would look in your home.
What Can We Learn From Competitive Gaming?
Esports (competitive gaming) and virtual events can give us a window into what it takes to make people happy and boost online ticket sales at the same time. The gaming industry has always been on the cutting edge of technology and today it plays a major role in mainstream culture.
This was affirmed with the explosion of immersive online games in 2020. Animal Crossing, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Minecraft are just a few of the games that soared in popularity.
Travis Scott and Fornite Had the Answer
The biggest artists in the world aren’t going on SNL for exposure anymore. In April of 2020 millions of people were sitting at home bored off their gourds, looking for alternative ways to entertain themselves.
Fortnite, the most successful free-to-play video game in history, had an answer. Virtual concerts.
The company teamed up with Travis Scott to put on virtual events around the world. Players who bought tickets to Fortnite and Travis Scott present: Astronomical, could experience the concert in two ways:
As a character in the game, where you can do things like make your way to the stage.
From the perspective of a character in the game with a cinematic view.
According to Fortnite’s Twitter, more than 27.7 million players participated in this “otherworldly experience.” It’s no live aid but it’s still an all-time record for virtual events.
In the same vein, rapper Dominic Fike held a live event on Fortnite’s now permanent stage. It was another huge success and more of these kinds of events keep popping up.
League of Legends (LoL) – Legendary Online Ticket Sales
League of legends, affectionately known as LoL, is one of the most important esports games to come out in the last decade. It’s also one of the most competitive. Every year they hold a massive hybrid event that combines streaming, gaming, and in-person events.
Hoards of LoL fans flock to some of the biggest venues in the world each year to watch the LoL championships in person. The championships repeatedly hit record numbers for online ticket sales. I mean, they sold out Wembley stadium, which has a capacity of 90,000 people!
As teams gear up for a battle royal, fans who purchased tickets online wait excitedly with anticipation. They know how much skill and preparation it takes to be a professional gamer. Plus, millions of fans tune in to watch the LoL Championships on Twitch and YouTube for free.
Different Ways Virtual Events Make Money
How do virtual events make money? The terrain is different and the rules have changed but the business model for a virtual event is nothing new.
- Ticket Sales: hybrid virtual events like the LoL championships have a high ceiling when it comes to online ticket sales revenue. In 2019, it was estimated that LoL brought in $5.44 million to the Detroit economy.
- Sponsors: online ticket sales are great but most of the revenue from virtual events comes from sponsors. The numbers vary widely based on the size of the event and how the brands are presented.
- Ads: if you consider live events that millions of people tune in to watch from home—that’s a lot of eyeballs. Ads on platforms like Twitch and YouTube typically make up a small amount of total revenue for live events but it’s enough to make a dent.
- Merchandise: people love keepsakes and you can remind them of a good time with some branded merchandise. Supporters and fans who didn’t participate will also show some love by making a purchase.
Virtual and Live Event Hybrids for Nonprofits
I like to look at nonprofits like houses. Even though every organization is unique, everyone uses variations of the same foundation. Some houses might be big and fancy, some might be small and cozy with a leaky roof.
But a home is a home and nonprofits all serve the same basic purpose. To make things better. There’s plenty of statistics that indicate the growth of AR and VR are not just for gamers and streamers.
A recent study on the VR and AR landscape predicted a huge growth spurt for the industry. “AR consumption is being used across numerous industries such as healthcare, public safety, gas, and oil.” (Alsop, 2020)
The same study predicted that by 2023, the AR and VR industries will triple in growth! The truth is that most nonprofits haven’t embraced VR and AR. That’s why it’s so important to explore these avenues.
Nonprofit Augmented Reality in Action — Take a Picture With The Leopard
Let’s look at a fundraising campaign that created a real sense of community and togetherness through AR and social media.
It was 2017 when WWF Armenia teamed up with an IT company to launch a fundraising campaign. “Take a Photo With The Leopard,” centered around an app that allowed people to take a picture anywhere with a 3D animated leopard (who had a terrifying growl to match).
People were encouraged to share their pictures with the hashtags #WWFArmenia and #LeoAlive. The person who got the most likes won a grand prize. Support poured in from all over the world.
Nonprofits like WWF Armenia have a great chance to boost online ticket sales with new types of media. Ultimately, it’s about creating more benefits for everybody. It’s a chance to get people involved and excited about doing something helpful.
Sell Tickets to Your Live Streaming Event With Ticketstripe
Providing a satisfying experience is the only way to capture the hearts and minds of your audience. But let’s face it, it’s difficult and we are all tired from all the recent craziness. Good riddance! According to my fortune cookie last week: “As the transitional season of Autumn is upon us, now is the time to make new opportunities.”
Ticketstripe makes registration and check-in seamless—so you can focus on giving people memorable moments. Sign up for free and discover an awesome way to sell tickets online!
An online ticket sales and registration app can be a huge help for fundraising. That’s why we offer special rates for qualifying nonprofit organizations. When you work with us you get more than the technology, you get a dedicated team of passionate people who share your vision.
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