Running Your Box Office: Box Office System

The scheme’s programmer will have discussed and confirmed certain details about your show with you including:

• Date and time;
• Ticket prices (please refer to the ‘Setting Ticket Prices’ sheet);
• Venue capacity;
• Number of tickets per book.
  * Please note that we are not providing tickets for the 2021/22 season *

NB: Your capacity for the show may be less than the normal capacity for your venue as some companies take up part of the seating space. Please check with us or consult the Menu.

Tickets come to us first and then will be sent on to your address. Please check them as soon as possible after receiving them and tell us if there are any errors.

• The key to a good box office system is that tickets are easily available to buy.

Every sale and its appropriate category (or whether it is a complimentary ticket) should be recorded on the stubs. If you have more than one outlet or give several people books of tickets, make sure that a system is adhered to!

• Give your ticket sellers a copy of the Ticket Sellers Notes so that they can provide people with information about the show if they are asked.

We provide an Advance Sales Form that is a handy way of keeping track of who you gave ticket books to and the advance bookings and sales.

One person should be delegated the task of keeping a check on sales and to keeping the Advance Sales Form up-to-date. This will help you to pass on full books to your best sellers. It will also help you to run the box office at the door on the day of the event and provide a useful cross-reference when you are filling out the Returns Form.

• Don’t take tickets out of the books until they are paid for!
• Reserving tickets in advance (e.g. because they are coming from further afield): See point above! If it's far enough in advance we suggest you ask for a cheque to be sent along with an SAE so you can send them their tickets or have them available to hand over at the door. If they are to be paid for on the door, tell people that they need to be picked up at least 20 minutes before the show starts.
• Disabled attenders - When a disabled person’s access requirements necessitate them being accompanied to a performance, that person and their personal assistant should be able to purchase two tickets at a total cost of no more than the cost of a one full-priced ticket. This is best practice which is now supported by established legal precedent.

Live & Local tickets are not “reserved”. They are numbered in sequence and have three stubs:

• Stubs 1 & 2: For the customer. (The small stub could be retained at the door so that you have a check on numbers who have come in)
• Stub 3: This remains in the book and acts as both your and our record. Each sale should be recorded against the appropriate category on this stub. The books should be returned with the signed Returns Form as soon as possible.

Circle the price/category paid by the customer on each stub. Also write COMP or COMPLIMENTARY when relevant on each stub.

* Please note that we are not providing tickets for the 2021/22 season *

After the event, cross-check the Advance Sales Form with the ticket books and the stubs. Fill in the Returns Form, sign both copies and return one to us within 10 days of the event (along with your Show Report sheet).