Opening sales is the moment everything is decided — and often the moment everything can break. Here is how to prepare a launch that holds up, from framing the offer to the last ticket scanned.
Why the opening is a risky moment
When you announce a date, demand does not arrive evenly: it concentrates in the first few minutes. A struggling server, badly configured categories, the same seat sold twice… these incidents almost always come from a lack of preparation, not a lack of tooling. The good news: they are all avoidable.
1. Framing the offer before opening sales
- Define your categories and capacity (by stand, zone or price band) once and for all.
- Check the seating plan : every seat must have a clear status — free, reserved or sold.
- Prepare your pricing (full, concession, season ticket) and any bundles in advance.
A clean plan up front means no emergency fixes during the peak.
2. Test the purchase journey end to end
Buy a real ticket, on a phone, exactly as a spectator would. Check that payment completes and that the ticket lands in the wallet. Above all, confirm that the account is created at the end, not at the start.
A flow where you pay first and create the account at the end always converts better than a sign-up wall.
3. Absorbing the traffic peak
On opening day, everyone arrives at once. Make sure your ticketing holds the load without timing out, and communicate the exact time sales open to spread the rush rather than take it all at once.
4. Avoiding double sales
The worst case is two spectators holding the same numbered seat. The safeguard: a live occupancy status, shared between online sales and the box office, so a sold seat disappears everywhere instantly.
5. Communicating at the right time
- J-3 : a reminder that sales are open, by push notification and email.
- Launch day : a message at opening, then a follow-up on the categories still available.
- After the purchase : confirmation, practical details and preparing for the visit.
Key points
- Frame your categories, capacity and seating plan before opening.
- Test the real purchase journey, on a phone.
- Keep a live view of occupancy, online and at the box office.
- Announce the exact time to smooth the peak.
- Follow up with useful notifications, never spam.