People in North America love events — from foodies to business professionals. The market for music festivals alone hit a whopping $860 million in 2024 and keeps growing by over 20% a year.
One reason for the industry’s phenomenal growth? Comp tickets. Understanding what comp tickets are and how to use them can give your event business excellent results.
What Are Comp Tickets and How Do They Work?
Comp is short for “complimentary.” Comping a ticket means you give it away to someone for free.
It’s common for events to set aside a limited number of comp tickets for promotional purposes. You can distribute them online, hold a giveaway, hand them out in person, or make a running arrangement with sponsors.
Common Events With Comp Tickets
The practice of comping tickets has been around for ages:
- Movie theaters: A perk for employees or contractors
- Music festivals or concerts: Radio giveaways and VIP appreciation
- Business seminars: A way to build ongoing relationships with contributors
- Food festivals: Word-of-mouth promotion
- Webinars: Lead generation strategy
In B2B, trade show organizers sometimes provide comp tickets to business owners who participate.
What Are the Benefits of Offering Comp Tickets?
Free things are always popular, meaning comp tickets can build significant hype for events.
1. Promoting Customer Loyalty
When you charge a premium for events, consider adding comp tickets as a way to thank attendees. For example, if you’re putting together an intimate $1,000-a-ticket concert for VIPs, why not offer a “free” extra so each attendee can bring a plus one?
2. Generating Leads
B2B event organizers have little to lose and much to gain by offering a few comp tickets to companies they’re trying to nurture a relationship with. Think of this strategy like any other marketing investment.
3. Building Your Brand
Comp tickets are a smart approach to event management when your business mainly makes its money doing something else. For example, beauty salons and fashion brands often organize events to draw attention to product launches.
They could label the entire thing as free to the public. But why not give it an exclusive feel by sending comp tickets to all email subscribers?
4. Improving the Quality of Events
Complimentary tickets can also be the key to turning average events into something unforgettable. Business conferences use them to attract industry experts and keynote speakers. Multi-day music festivals offer comp tickets so the general admission sections feel full and exciting.
Are There Any Downsides to Comp Tickets?
Like any rewards program, comp tickets need to be managed strategically. Done right, the arrangement can deliver strong returns. On the other hand, carelessly giving away tickets can hurt your bottom line:
- Devaluing tickets
- Making paying customers feel slighted
- Taking away potential profits
- Incentivizing early reservations
The key to success? Make sure your business always gets something concrete in return — leads, sales, word-of-mouth advertising, something. Goodwill is nice, but it doesn’t pay the rent.
How Do You Manage Comp Tickets Online?
Websites made with Shopify have built-in features for ticket sales, but not for ticket management. Fortunately, apps like Evey Events add all the functionality you need. This user-friendly Shopify event app lets you manage reservations, comp tickets, VIP packages, and other perks straight from your dashboard. Request a demo today.
