New Ticketing System Coming to the Fergus Grand Theatre - Now we need some box office Volunteers!
I'm pleased to announce that the Fergus Grand Theatre is in the midst of a transformation to the 21st century. After years of quiet diplomacy, the powers that be have seen fit to allow the theatre its own internet connection. (Leafs fans, you can start planning the Stanley Cup parade now - Hell HAS frozen over!) This, in turn, has paved the way for the introduction of a new, more comprehensive box office and theatre management system, one that will provide users groups like Grinder Productions with a whole host of new resources.
First and foremost, the new system will allow users the freedom to pay by any method they choose - we can now process debit cards and credit cards. It also means that we can now take a payment over the phone when someone calls in to make a reservation - no more unpaid no-shows. This system is fully web-based, so patrons can browse shows and purchase tickets online from the Fergus Grand Theatre website (or through the Grinder site - we'll be linking directly), anytime and anywhere they like. The can even print their tickets at home.
This also will serve to better promote shows online - we can link directly from say, our Facebook page, to the box office, for seamless access to the purchasing process. Since our shows at the Fergus Grand are generally reserved seating, patrons can select exactly the seat they want. There's even a very cool feature where you can click on any given seat and get a snapshop of exactly what your view of the stage will be from that seat!
The program itself has some built-in marketing tools that will allow the Fergus Grand Theatre to complement our online marketing campaign with its own, thus getting the word out to a greater number of people. And since it's a "one-stop shop" for every company that uses the theatre, patrons who come to the site to buy other shows will also be able to view information and purchase tickets to Grinder shows as well.
Not available right away, though coming soon, will be the ability to purchase gift certificates online, as well as ways in which you can make donations to the theatre or a certain theatre company. The system is also set up to handle subscription sales, so this should mean that you will be able to use your "Grinder Card" to buy tickets as well, but I'm not sure on the logistics of that at this time (What? You haven't heard of the Grinder Card? Then click [here - insert hyperlink] to find out all about it!).
Down the road, there is the possibility for this program to be expanded to other venues - we could be using it to sell our tickets for the Ennotville and Belwood summer seasons, thus allowing us to offer a level of professionalism in these venues we couldn't dream of providing on its own.
The system is designed by a company called TixHub, a Canadian company that has designed box office systems for places like Guelph's River Run Centre and Mississauga's Stage West. They have 24/7 technical support and they are very sensitive to the needs of their customer, and willing to customize their system based on the customer's needs. In the case of the Fergus Grand Theatre, this customization is very important, given the unique challenges we are faced with in this building and this market.
One of the things I like best about this system is that it's not just a box office, but a whole Theatre and Event Administration and Management tool. We'll get comprehensive box office reports for each show, so we'll know how many tickets were bought, at what price, and just about anything else we could need. As I mentioned above, the theatre will be able to help with marketing in more ways than ever before. And when the show is over, our accounting process will be much simpler. The program will take the total revenue, deduct all box office charges, then deduct the rent, and the township will issue us a check for the remainder (or - Heaven forbid! - an invoice for the difference), which will avoid a lot of the inherent delays in the current system, where we've got to sit on a ton of revenue for weeks or months in order to make sure we can pay the rent.
Of course, it's not all roses - there will be increased costs involved. Those "box office charges" that I mentioned above are significant, but even they have some benefits built in.
The Front of House fee, the per-patron seat charge already being collected by the Fergus Grand Theatre Volunteers, will fall under the new system, so a portion of every ticket sold will still be going towards the purchase of new technical equipment for the theatre, as well as other items that will improve the theatre's day-to-day operations.
Another portion of the box office charges will go towards a Capital Replacement Fund, investing in the long-term future viability of the building. Anyone who knows the age and condition of the building will know that a capital fund is a long-overdue necessity, and one that I, along with everyone else who donated to the last capital improvement fund (the one set-up by the building's former tenants and has absolutely no connection whatsoever with this one), will be watching very, very closely to ensure that money is well spent.
Those fees, and the actual cost of operating and maintaining the system itself will be, I believe, a fair price to pay. The theatre should be able to use this program to offer top-notch customer service, comprehensive online marketing, and detailed, accurate attendance information. And on the off-hand chance they don't do those things, we can now better hold the theatre to task for it, since we are paying for it directly.
The end result for Grinder Productions and, indeed, for all the groups who rent the Fergus Grand, should be should more bums in seats, as well as a more viable theatre building now and in the years ahead.
In short, I'm very excited about the possibilities this new system opens up for us at the Fergus Grand Theatre.
Now here's where you come in. The theatre is looking for 10 to 15 people who are willing to become box office volunteers and be trained on this program. Volunteers would be asked to work a shift about once every two weeks during the new regular box office hours of 11am - 2pm, Tuesday through Saturday. In addition, there would also be the opportunity for two-hour stints during actual events (get there 90 minutes before curtain to open the box office an hour before curtain, and to stay and deal with latecomers, then cash out 30 minutes after curtain), so this might be an option for you if you're not available during the day. Volunteers would receive full training in the new system (tentatively scheduled for the last week of October) and begin working the box office as of November 1st.
I'd love to see as many Grinder members a possible become volunteers in this new system. If we're going to be using it in our summer venues down the road we're going to need people who know the system ourselves, and not just yours truly (who will be signing up for the training just like anyone else, by the way).
Interested persons should contact Alan Argue, the Operations Manager at the Fergus Grand Theatre, for more information, or to sign up. Alan is available by phone at 519-787-1981 or now, finally, via email at AArgue@centrewellington.ca.
First and foremost, the new system will allow users the freedom to pay by any method they choose - we can now process debit cards and credit cards. It also means that we can now take a payment over the phone when someone calls in to make a reservation - no more unpaid no-shows. This system is fully web-based, so patrons can browse shows and purchase tickets online from the Fergus Grand Theatre website (or through the Grinder site - we'll be linking directly), anytime and anywhere they like. The can even print their tickets at home.
This also will serve to better promote shows online - we can link directly from say, our Facebook page, to the box office, for seamless access to the purchasing process. Since our shows at the Fergus Grand are generally reserved seating, patrons can select exactly the seat they want. There's even a very cool feature where you can click on any given seat and get a snapshop of exactly what your view of the stage will be from that seat!
The program itself has some built-in marketing tools that will allow the Fergus Grand Theatre to complement our online marketing campaign with its own, thus getting the word out to a greater number of people. And since it's a "one-stop shop" for every company that uses the theatre, patrons who come to the site to buy other shows will also be able to view information and purchase tickets to Grinder shows as well.
Not available right away, though coming soon, will be the ability to purchase gift certificates online, as well as ways in which you can make donations to the theatre or a certain theatre company. The system is also set up to handle subscription sales, so this should mean that you will be able to use your "Grinder Card" to buy tickets as well, but I'm not sure on the logistics of that at this time (What? You haven't heard of the Grinder Card? Then click [here - insert hyperlink] to find out all about it!).
Down the road, there is the possibility for this program to be expanded to other venues - we could be using it to sell our tickets for the Ennotville and Belwood summer seasons, thus allowing us to offer a level of professionalism in these venues we couldn't dream of providing on its own.
The system is designed by a company called TixHub, a Canadian company that has designed box office systems for places like Guelph's River Run Centre and Mississauga's Stage West. They have 24/7 technical support and they are very sensitive to the needs of their customer, and willing to customize their system based on the customer's needs. In the case of the Fergus Grand Theatre, this customization is very important, given the unique challenges we are faced with in this building and this market.
One of the things I like best about this system is that it's not just a box office, but a whole Theatre and Event Administration and Management tool. We'll get comprehensive box office reports for each show, so we'll know how many tickets were bought, at what price, and just about anything else we could need. As I mentioned above, the theatre will be able to help with marketing in more ways than ever before. And when the show is over, our accounting process will be much simpler. The program will take the total revenue, deduct all box office charges, then deduct the rent, and the township will issue us a check for the remainder (or - Heaven forbid! - an invoice for the difference), which will avoid a lot of the inherent delays in the current system, where we've got to sit on a ton of revenue for weeks or months in order to make sure we can pay the rent.
Of course, it's not all roses - there will be increased costs involved. Those "box office charges" that I mentioned above are significant, but even they have some benefits built in.
The Front of House fee, the per-patron seat charge already being collected by the Fergus Grand Theatre Volunteers, will fall under the new system, so a portion of every ticket sold will still be going towards the purchase of new technical equipment for the theatre, as well as other items that will improve the theatre's day-to-day operations.
Another portion of the box office charges will go towards a Capital Replacement Fund, investing in the long-term future viability of the building. Anyone who knows the age and condition of the building will know that a capital fund is a long-overdue necessity, and one that I, along with everyone else who donated to the last capital improvement fund (the one set-up by the building's former tenants and has absolutely no connection whatsoever with this one), will be watching very, very closely to ensure that money is well spent.
Those fees, and the actual cost of operating and maintaining the system itself will be, I believe, a fair price to pay. The theatre should be able to use this program to offer top-notch customer service, comprehensive online marketing, and detailed, accurate attendance information. And on the off-hand chance they don't do those things, we can now better hold the theatre to task for it, since we are paying for it directly.
The end result for Grinder Productions and, indeed, for all the groups who rent the Fergus Grand, should be should more bums in seats, as well as a more viable theatre building now and in the years ahead.
In short, I'm very excited about the possibilities this new system opens up for us at the Fergus Grand Theatre.
Now here's where you come in. The theatre is looking for 10 to 15 people who are willing to become box office volunteers and be trained on this program. Volunteers would be asked to work a shift about once every two weeks during the new regular box office hours of 11am - 2pm, Tuesday through Saturday. In addition, there would also be the opportunity for two-hour stints during actual events (get there 90 minutes before curtain to open the box office an hour before curtain, and to stay and deal with latecomers, then cash out 30 minutes after curtain), so this might be an option for you if you're not available during the day. Volunteers would receive full training in the new system (tentatively scheduled for the last week of October) and begin working the box office as of November 1st.
I'd love to see as many Grinder members a possible become volunteers in this new system. If we're going to be using it in our summer venues down the road we're going to need people who know the system ourselves, and not just yours truly (who will be signing up for the training just like anyone else, by the way).
Interested persons should contact Alan Argue, the Operations Manager at the Fergus Grand Theatre, for more information, or to sign up. Alan is available by phone at 519-787-1981 or now, finally, via email at AArgue@centrewellington.ca.
Comments