Guides
Guides for organizers
Practical, step by step help for running festivals and events: selling tickets, pricing, refunds, check-in and more.
- DraftHow to start a film festival: a step by step guide (with costs)How to start and run a small film festival: the concept, submissions, venue and projection, budget and costs, passes and screening tickets, the schedule, volunteers and the festival weekend.
- DraftHow to run a weekly event and sell tickets for every date (open mics, classes, shows)How to start and run a recurring weekly event like an open mic night, a dance night, a class series or a monthly show: format, pricing, class passes, selling tickets for every date, and keeping regulars coming back.
- DraftHow to promote an event and sell more tickets (on Instagram, Facebook and beyond)A practical plan for promoting an event: a 6 week timeline, what to post on Instagram and Facebook, free ways to spread the word, getting performers and sponsors to share, and how to sell more tickets in the last week.
- DraftHow to host a workshop (in person or online) and how much to chargeA step by step guide to hosting a workshop: picking a topic and format, pricing it, capacity and materials, selling tickets, running it in person or on Zoom, and following up.
- How to organize a school carnival or community fair fundraiserA step by step guide to a school carnival, church fair or community fundraiser: setting a goal, permits, booth and game ideas, a ticket system for booths, volunteers, cash handling and taking cards as well as cash.
- How to check in guests at an event (fast, with QR codes, even with no signal)A practical guide to event check-in: QR code scanning, apps, staffing the door, walk-ups, comps and guest lists, what to do when the signal drops, and a free printable check-in sheet.
- Early bird ticket pricing: how much to discount, when to start, and the wording that sellsHow to set early bird ticket prices: what discount to offer, how long to run it, tiered pricing examples, early bird vs general admission, and copy-ready wording for your announcements.
- How to start a small festival: a step by step guide for first-timersHow to start a small festival from scratch: picking the idea, budget and break-even math, permits and insurance, lineup, tickets, volunteers and the day itself. With a 6 month timeline and a sample budget.
- How to sell tickets online for a small event, step by stepA simple guide to selling tickets online for a small event, class, concert or fundraiser: pricing, ticket types, QR codes, getting paid and checking people in at the door.
- How to make QR code tickets for your event (free and easy options)Three ways to make QR code tickets for an event, from a free DIY version in Canva to a ticketing system that emails and scans them for you, plus how to check people in at the door.
- Event refund policy template: 3 versions you can copyFree event refund and cancellation policy templates for ticketed events, classes and festivals. Pick strict, standard or flexible, fill in the blanks, and paste it into your ticket page.
- How to sell tickets on Squarespace (step by step)Squarespace has no built-in event ticketing. Here's how to sell tickets on your Squarespace site anyway, with QR codes, check-in and confirmation emails, in about the time it takes to make a coffee.