Non-profit organizations, and community organizations, are unique. Executives and staff of non-profit and community organizations have to do more with the resources you have, and recruit more resources such as volunteers as effectively as possible.
Challenges with Event Registration and Ticketing for Non-profit and Community Organizations
High Fees
Many of the non-profit organizations that are using Event Espresso now were using expensive event platforms in the past. Cvent, Eventbrite and other platforms charge large fees for their service and commission fees for each ticket you sell or each registration. You can avoid 100% of all commission fees and contract fees by using Event Espresso. This gives you more money for your mission.
Big Contracts
The only reason the big platforms require you to sign a contract is because they don’t want to lose you as a client in a few months or a year. Why would you leave a platform if the service and price was right? We do not require contracts, and you can start and stop your subscription at any time. We do not require contracts and give you more options and control how you work on your mission and when.
Slow Cash Flow
Platforms such as Cvent and Eventbrite want to process payments on your behalf so they can get more money from your business. When a platform processes money on your behalf they:
- Get a larger cut of the money. If your card processing fees are, for example 3%, these platforms will pocket up up to 1% right off the top.
- Hold your revenue as their money for free, which improves their cash flow and helps fund their growth while you starve for cash to pay expenses and invest in your mission.
- Remove their fees from your revenue before you get your money so they ensure they get paid before you do.
Using platforms that collect money for you is different than facilitating the payments that go directly into your account. With Event Espresso, we don’t get involved with the flow of money directly, we only facilitate the transactions. That means that every time someone registers or buys a ticket, you get paid, directly, into your own payment gateway account.
So, unless you like another organization holding on to your money, you should be using your own payment gateway and merchant accounts to get paid directly…and this is how we help you do it with Event Espresso.
Poor Brand Experience
When you use Cvent or another, even industry specific event platform, you have much less control over the experience people have with your brand when they register or buy tickets online. However, when using WordPress and Event Espresso, you can add the event registration and ticketing capabilities right into your own website. You will get to control the logos, colors, messaging, and workflows so that people have the right experience that you want them to have with your brand.
Large companies know that a good brand name has value, that’s why they spend so much money to improve the perception of their brand and invest in the brand. Don’t underestimate the goodwill you can earn when you control the experience people have with your brand.
Doing It Someone Else’s Way
Event registration and ticketing can be complicated. Event registration and ticketing platforms are helpful, but sometimes they can get in the way too. With large event platforms, where they host thousands of other customers, you get fewer options about how your event registration and ticketing is configured. With Event Espresso, you are the only site you need to worry about so if you want to make change to the registration and ticketing workflow, or make customizations to the code, you can do any of that anytime.
Goals with Event Registration and Ticketing for Non-profit and Community Organizations
Your non-profit or community organizations need to maximize their budget, utilize the resources you have, and involve volunteers. With Event Espresso, non-profit organizations like yours can increase their skills by bringing the event registration and ticketing systems in-house. You can take control of the event registration and ticketing process, control costs, and get more people involved to accomplish your mission. You do not have to pay high fees nor be locked in with any contract. With limited technical resources, Event Espresso can be a lifesaving for your non-profit to help generate revenue and engage with their audiences.