Tickets are the keys to the doors of the arts, whether it be to see a blockbuster movie or a highly anticipated theater production. However, these keys can eventually run out. When this happens, the staff must choose between selling tickets at the same price or distributing rush tickets.
“Rush ticketing is typically used in larger markets with a high volume of last-minute buyers, supported by a dense population and strong tourism,” John Schickedanz, executive director of The Englert Theatre, said.
The practice of rush ticketing practice is seen in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, where tickets are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis at a discounted price for that day’s performance. Some productions use dynamic pricing, which is when ticket prices can fluctuate based on sales.
For theaters in Iowa City, though, rush ticketing is not a widely praised method. Schickedanz said he wasn’t aware of any venues in the area, or even the state of Iowa, usingrush ticketing.
“While The Englert does promote last-minute ticket sales, we focus on serving our core demographic by keeping ticket prices reasonable and accessible rather than relying on a rush ticketing model,” he said.
Hancher Auditorium Communications Director Rob Cline agreed, saying Hancher does not offer rush tickets because they hold down the prices on student tickets — the most likely demographic to rush.
“So, we’ll sell you a $10 ticket today, for example, rather than making you wait until the last minute in a line in the lobby,” Cline said.
Rush ticketing can also put pressure on box office staff and leave patrons frustrated if there are not enough last-minute tickets.
Although Hancher does not regularly offer rush ticketing, there have been some productions in the past they’ve considered an exception for, including “RENT” in 2019.
“Our contract with the touring company required rush sales. We were not, say, testing it out. We were meeting a requirement,” Cline said. “So, for contractual reasons, we sometimes engage in dynamic pricing. As a rule, however, we like to set our prices and leave them alone until we sell out or the event occurs. It feels most fair to the patron to do it that way.”
Even though these theaters have opted out of rush ticketing, speculative ticketing continues to toy with the concept of fairness between sellers and customers.
Schickedanz said venues like The Englert, Hancher, Hoyt Sherman, and others have faced issues with fraudulent ticket sales. It’s a costly problem venues eventually have to pay for.
It starts when an individual buys tickets with hopes of reselling them through websites such as StubHub.
“This is called speculative ticketing, or ‘spec ticketing,’ because the end sale isn’t a sure deal,” Schickedanz said.
The resold tickets are usually sold at a steeper price, sometimes up to 500 percent more than their original value. If resellers are unable to resell the tickets, they at times claim fraud on the original transaction, leaving the theater to pay the bill.
Many problems have arisen from this practice. With resales, the venue loses control of the ticketing process, which also results in loss of communication about changes to the event. This separation could negatively impact the patrons’ experiences.
“It’s a significant problem in our whole field,” Cline said. “It is why we always remind patrons to be sure they are on our website when purchasing online.”
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Speculative tickets do not always accurately reflect demand. The venue could end up empty for shows where demand existed in the local market, but not on the fake resale sites, thus creating a tainted experience for both the patron and the performer.
“We’re also hoping to pass legislation regarding bots, which have been prevalent in the discussion regarding Taylor Swift,” Schickedanz said.
An article from CBS News raised concerns about ticket sales following the Taylor Swift Eras Tour presale on Nov. 15, 2022. The ticketing company Ticketmaster had accused bots of crashing their website.
The website received 3.5 billion requests, temporarily suspending sales and making it harder for fans to get normally priced tickets. The secondary market opened just after sales did, resulting in some Swift fans paying up to 70 times the original selling price for seats.
This and more led up to a Senate hearing in January 2023, during which the president and chief financial officer of Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation Entertainment Joe Berchtold accepted responsibility for the outrageous ticket sales but blamed cyber attacks for the failure.
“Bots are computers that buy up blocks of tickets speculatively and raise the price,” Schickedanz said. “We don’t think this is fair.”
As internet ticketing continues to pose a threat to the theater industry, rush tickets are unlikely to permeate smaller markets. Instead, theaters like Hancher and The Englert will continue to promote convenience and protection for their audience members by selling tickets directly from their box office.