VBO Tickets

"Great for traditional theaters, not versatile enough for ad-hoc performances"

Overall: The system is reliable and solid in what it does. Support does their best to help you find workarounds for non-traditional theaters, but are unwilling to consider enhancement requests without paying for the development. My one actual technical issue (notifications of credit card failure self-dismissed to quickly for the user to read) has been pretty much ignored. I recommended VBO for my local community theater, even with all of that because it does work well for that model. It absolutely is a bear for the rest of us (I run an improv theater).

Pros: The interface is generally easy to navigate and figure out on your own. There are so many useful features, it can feel a bit cluttered, but once one learns the process, it handles every aspect of selling. The API is nice for embedding on your own site.

Cons: The entire process — from setup to event management to the API — is centered around multiple performances of one run (show), as per a traditional theater. Setting up one-off shows and shows that run continuously is much more of a burden to maintain. Ad-hoc shows, especially, require that you set up a completely new event, including reminder emails, ticket setup, etc. even if that info doesn't change from show to show. Copying events does not copy all the pertinent information, such as event images. Setting up event dates under one event for ad-hoc shows is cumbersome because the API and the dashboard group them all together.

"They need to provide a manual"

Overall: Customer service was excellent and always available and very much appreciated by me, a not so tech savvy person. But, the website feature access is not intuitive and requires a lot of instruction as to why one should click that to get that report. Other than calling in there are no on-site instructions on how to do specific things. I would use the company again but will need a manual.

"VBO Tickets and St. Norbert College"

Overall: VBO Tickets is the Swiss army knife of ticketing platforms. Its exceptional versatility perfectly aligns with our diverse needs across campus and within our community, making it an indispensable asset for St. Norbert College. It's clear they focus on being a customer-first company over a product-first company.

Pros: As the Box Office Manager for St. Norbert College in Wisconsin, I can attest to the indispensable role that VBO Tickets plays in our operations. Over the past 8 years, it has proven to be an invaluable tool for managing ticketing and registration events, both on our campus and within the broader community. We rely on VBO Tickets for a diverse range of events, spanning from alumni gatherings and athletic competitions to visual and performing arts events, camps, and student activities. Its robust features, such as registrations, season tickets, and event ticketing, enable us to maintain a centralized box office while granting departmental access across campus as needed. This has greatly enhanced transparency and communication among our internal stakeholders, leading to newfound efficiencies that have revolutionized our operations. In addition to serving our college community, we leverage our campus resources to offer rental opportunities to non-profit and for-profit organizations in the community. We utilize VBO Tickets to extend the same level of transparency and service to approximately 70 rental events each year, alongside our college-affiliated functions. Our renters particularly appreciate the Event Manager Portal, which grants them access to sales and customer data for their events whenever they need it.

Cons: I've worked with multiple ticketing softwares so it's pretty easy for me to pick up a new one. We also use almost every feature in the system. With the number of features available, I could see how smaller organizations could be overwhelmed by the size of the platform.