How to run your first ticketed event

May 24, 2026 · 12 min read · Beginner

You've decided to sell tickets to a Friday night at your bar / first comedy showcase / Saturday yoga workshop. Now what? This guide walks through every step from "I have an idea" to "Monday morning the money's in my bank account," with the specific decisions that trip up first-time organizers.

1. Decide the event basics

Before you touch any software, lock in five things:

• Date + start time + door open time. "Friday, June 14 — doors 8 PM, show 9 PM."
• Venue + address. Real address, including the room name if you're inside a larger venue.
• Capacity. The actual fire code or seating limit, not what you wish.
• What the buyer gets. "Entry + 1 drink" is different from "Entry only." Be specific.
• Refund policy. "Refunds up to 48 hrs before event" or "All sales final." Decide now, not at the door.

Skip this step at your peril. The most common first-event mistake is selling tickets before you've thought through these basics, then having to update buyers later when something changes.

2. Set ticket pricing + tiers

If you only sell one ticket type (e.g., "$25 cover"), pricing is easy. If you sell multiple — GA + VIP, early-bird + regular, plus-one bundles — think through it deliberately.

Single-tier pricing

Pick a price that feels right for your market. Round numbers ($20, $25, $30) outsell odd ones ($23, $27) for in-person event tickets because they're easier to mentally bucket. Don't agonize — you can always test the next event at a different price.

Multi-tier pricing

Common patterns:

• GA + VIP — GA at base price, VIP at 2-3x with a tangible benefit (front row, meet the artist, drink ticket).
• Early-bird + regular — Early bird is 15-25% off, capped at a quantity (e.g., first 50 tickets). Creates urgency.
• Member / public — If you have a regulars list or membership, give them a discount code for a lower tier.
• Group bundle — "Pack of 4 for $80 (save $20)." Works well for date-night or friend-group events.

Buyer service fees

You can either absorb the platform fee yourself (listed price = what buyer pays) or pass it on (buyer sees fee added at checkout). Honest take: on tickets under $30, absorb it. On VIP tickets above $50, passing is fine. People notice fees more at low prices.

3. Pick a ticketing platform

You're reading this on POCtix, so obvious self-interest disclaimer applies. But honestly:

• Eventbrite — best if you depend on their discovery marketplace. Worst on fees (3.7% + $1.79) and they own buyer relationship.
• DICE — best for music venues with no audience yet — they drive discovery via their app. Charges the buyer ~10-12% on top.
• Square for Tickets — best if you already run Square POS in your venue.
• TicketLeap — middle-ground, similar to Eventbrite but lower fees.
• POCtix — best if you have your own audience and want flat $2.00 + direct-to-your-Stripe payouts. (See the decision framework guide for a longer breakdown.)

The right answer depends on your situation. Don't over-optimize the platform choice for your first event — pick one and learn from running an event on it. You can switch for event #2 if it doesn't fit.

4. Set up the event page

Whatever platform you picked, the setup steps are similar:

1. Connect payments. On POCtix this is one-click Stripe Connect. On Eventbrite, set up payout account. Either way you need a bank routing number.
2. Create the event. Title, date/time, venue, description. Keep description short — 2-3 sentences. Buyers skim.
3. Upload a hero image. 1200x630 minimum, photo of the venue / band / poster. Without it the event page looks empty.
4. Add ticket tiers. One ticket type per tier, with price and capacity.
5. Preview as a buyer. Open the event link in an incognito window. Buy a $0 test ticket if your platform supports it.
6. Publish. Make the event live and grab the URL.

5. Promote your event

This is where 80% of organizers undercount the work. Building it doesn't mean they'll come. Minimum promotional checklist:

• Instagram post + story announcing the event with the link
• Instagram bio link points to event for the next 2 weeks
• Email to your existing customer list (if you have one)
• Facebook event created (even if you don't use Facebook personally — it shows up in search)
• Listed on local event calendars (e.g., AlohaCalendar in Hawaii, Do808, Yelp Events)
• Physical poster at your venue with QR code linking to event page
• Word-of-mouth to your most loyal regulars 1 week before
• Re-share countdown posts 3 days, 1 day, day-of

If your event isn't selling 5 days out, post a "Last few tickets" story (even if there are plenty). Social proof drives the final 30% of sales.

6. Door scan setup

Get your door scanner working 24 hours before the event. Don't wait until the night.

• Designate which staff will scan. Whose phone? Make sure their browser works.
• Load the scanner page once on their phone with WiFi to cache valid tokens (if your platform supports offline mode).
• Do a test scan with a real (or test) ticket QR. Make sure the green tick appears.
• Have a backup plan: paper list of all buyer names sorted alphabetically. If tech fails, you check names against the list.
• Brief door staff on what to do for: refunded tickets (red X — turn away politely), already-scanned tickets (someone got in already with this code — investigate), and unknown names asking to be let in (direct to ticket counter or back of line).

7. Run the actual night

Hour-by-hour:

• T-2 hours: Door scanner pre-loaded. Backup paper list printed. Door staff briefed.
• Doors open: One person at door scanner, one greeting / directing flow. Avoid bottleneck.
• First 20 min: Highest scan volume. Have 2 scanners running if possible to prevent line.
• Mid-show: Late arrivals trickle in. Scanner still on.
• Last 30 min: No new entries usually. Scanner can pack up.

If you have walk-ups (people without pre-bought tickets), handle them separately at the bar/POS. Don't try to sell tickets via your event platform at the door — it's too slow.

8. After the event

The next day:

1. Reconcile. Pull your platform report: total tickets sold, total scanned, total revenue. Cross-check with door log if you tracked walk-ins.
2. Email attendees. Thank them for coming. Mention your next event (if you have one). Ask for feedback.
3. Export buyer emails. Add to your mailing list for next time. This is the biggest long-term asset — second event always promotes 3-5x easier than first.
4. Post-mortem. What worked, what didn't, what would you change for next event. Write it down — you'll forget by event #3.

Money should hit your bank account within 1-3 business days via Stripe standard payout schedule (your platform may have a longer hold for first-time accounts).