Simple, clean and efficient design principles ensure these, and numerous other brands, offer higher-value products at a cost-effective price. For example, IKEA has thrived on delivering useful, aesthetically pleasing home goods that are adaptable, accessible, stylishly Nordic, and sold at a consumer-friendly price point.
In the live events industry, finding the right balance of form and function, ease-of-use and longevity is a challenge for many venues and organizations as they navigate numerous production changes, seating layouts and ticketing opportunities.
In fact, finding nimble and user-friendly, software-based ticketing systems that live digitally where customers are making ticket purchase decisions and simultaneously enable event teams, box office staff and production stakeholders to manage and monitor ticketing activities from anywhere at anytime, still poses a big challenge for venues and Performing Arts organizations.
At Tixly, we believe that ticketing software should be elegant, simple, easy-to-use, and convenient, the crux of Nordic design. It should feel modern, be functional and offer flexibility with seating, alongside value-added service offerings that reflect what event-goers want, from transportation, to dining options to sorting out other logistics. Our CEO, Sindri Finnbogason, recently discussed the influence Nordic design has on Tix Ticketing during INTIX 2022 earlier this month.
The ticketing software and interface a venue uses should be graceful, sophisticated, sturdy and secure, like Volvo. And at the same time, it should be simple, customizable, affordable, and promote self-service among their customers, like IKEA. Managing ticketing should be tactile and immersive, as easy-to-use as it is adaptable like playing with Lego. Modern ticketing systems must put the consumer and consumer journey at the heart of the purchase experience, whether at a box office window or anywhere online, living wherever purchase decisions are being made.
In a recent article about Tixly in The Ticketing Business, our Chief Operating Officer, Hrefna Sif Jónsdóttir, said: “We see the future of ticketing encompassing more than the event ticket purchase itself.”
How are Nordic design principles changing ticketing software?
Whether a consumer wants to attend the opera, a live music event, the cinema, or any other form of arts & entertainment, purchasing and accessing a ticket is a critical part of the event experience. It should be immersive, fun, maintain seamless branding and be a positive part of the whole overall event.
Nordic design principles solve challenges, in the most direct, simplest way possible, invisibly taking on the complexities on the backend to deliver nimble user experiences on the frontend. Look at how streaming services like Spotify make music more accessible, providing tools for labels and artists' to promote their projects, merchandising and pre-sales, all while fans and listeners stream, organize and discover music uninterrupted. Their algorithm studies consumption and behavior, creating more personlized, relevant recommendations. Can the same Nordic design ideals be applied to Ticketing?
We think so. Afterall, we have a proven track record of applying Nordic design to our own software, which has helped venues and Performing Arts organizations in the Nordics, UK, EU and very soon in the US, to easily and efficiently sell millions of tickets monthly.
Some ways in which the simplicity of Nordic Design can make ticketing more beautiful is through fluid integration. Imagine that, in addition to augmenting ticket packages with venue concessions or event merchandising before or during an event, ticket buyers could make transportation decisions with Uber, Lyft or a limousine service, or use reservation services like DineOut, OpenTable, or Reserve from within the ticketing system. This would give event goers options to plan and adapt the entirety of their event-going experience, make pre or post-event dining decisions at will, saving time and increasing predictable revenue in bars and restaurants in the area.
Booking events is comparable to the booking process for travel, a necessary step to reaching your destination. As with travel booking, often the ticket purchase experience can be arduous rather than enjoyable, with a myriad of complexities that can negatively impact or slow the event journey. Tix Ticketing is looking beyond ticketing to increase ease-of-use and refine the user experiences of our software for both ticketing teams and event attendees, through impeccable UX and powerful API integrations.
How Tixly is bringing Nordic design principles to ticketing software?
We at Tixly leverage our inherent Nordic design philosophies to distill the entirety of the complex challenges Ticketing operations managers face into simple, functional features and solutions through our software. Our robust yet lightweight cloud-based ticketing system, which helps our customers evade cumbersome installations and unnecessary integrations and makes ticketing efficient and enjoyable, is likely why we’ve become the fastest growing ticketing software in our sector in the Nordics and Europe.
Beyond providing all of the standard Box Office features the ticketing industry expects from their software solutions, we have also embedded within our software powerful and easy-to-use CRM solutions that include segmentation, personalization, and insightful sales reports while maintaining data and GDPR compliance. In addition to the ability to bring your current and historical ticketing data from other systems into Tix Ticketing, our software also gives promoters, Performing Arts organizations and venues the ability to quickly and easily create bulk events, and make marketing assets, such as email campaigns and online promotions. Simple and effective APIs ensure that websites are constantly updated with the most current event details.
Alongside these features, we know there’s still massive untapped potential in customer data analysis and transparency. All of this makes event promotions more relevant and ticket purchasing more convenient for patrons and ticket holders, while at the same time generating valuable new revenue streams for events brands, venues, and producers. Everyone benefits.
In the Ticketing Business Magazine article mentioned earlier, Einar Þór Gústafsson, our Vice President of Product and Engineering, said:
“We think it’s important, as venues and event producers consider how to deepen the patron experience for each of their exceptional events, to look to technology solutions that consider both user experiences: the venue and the patron.”
“Ticket buyers want more control over changes in their plans, such as changing event dates and seats, buying additional products and forwarding tickets to others. We think the cancellation and refund process should be as frictionless as the purchase, reducing both system and staff burdens while making the customer journey enjoyable”,
How can event producers and venues increase revenue?
Our obvious answer is to choose Tixly. Utilizing cloud and browser-based Ticketing software, such as ours, can be the most cost and time-effective way for events venues and producers to increase revenue. Put patrons at the heart of the experience with modern conveniences that are accessible online, whether mobile or desktop.
Make sure the whole booking experience is as smooth as possible at every click. Choose a solution that thoughtfully considers the whole experience, from how events are discovered, how tickets are bought or exchanged, to the way patrons arrive at an event.
Hrefna Sif Jónsdóttir
Managing Director