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Getting Started with Subscriptions in PatronManager: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/922037
Before you start to build your subscriptions, you'll need to know what subscription types are available and how they work. In this article, you'll learn about each subscription type, see a few examples for each, and determine what kinds you'll build for your upcoming season.
- What are my subscription options in PatronManager?
- Which Subscription type should I choose?
- Fixed subscriptions
- Choose Your Own subscriptions
- Pick Later (Flex Pass) subscriptions
Ready? Let's get started!
What are my subscription options in PatronManager?
PatronManager offers three types of subscriptions. We'll go into more detail about each of these below, but briefly, here are your three options:
Y
| Subscription Type |
Do patrons choose their shows up front? | Can patrons customize their package? | Can patrons choose their own seats online? | Can I use the Renewal Tool? |
| Fixed | Yes | No | Yes, if configured correctly | Yes |
| Choose Your Own (CYO) | Yes | Yes | Yes, if configured correctly | No |
| Pick Later (Flex Pass) | No | Yes | No | No |
Because some things make more sense in the context of Fro-Yo.
Fixed subscriptions: choose one, pre-built sundae that looks delicious
Choose Your Own subscriptions: pick your size, then fill the cup with your selections from the season options
Pick Later (Flex Pass) subscriptions: buy a set of vouchers to redeem for what you want, when you want
So, which subscription type(s) should I choose?
Use this flow chart to guide you!
Note: you can build more than one type of subscription, depending on your season's offerings. For example, your organization might:
- Offer only Fixed subscriptions before your season starts, and then offer Choose Your Own packages later
- Offer a Fixed package and then a variety of Pick Later packages
- Offer different discounts based on the type of subscription the patron purchases
Based on where you landed on the flow chart, go the corresponding section to learn more about the subscription type you'll build.
Fixed subscriptions
Fixed subscriptions have a fixed set of events associated with them. For example, a "First Fridays" full season subscription includes the first Friday performance of each Event, and is different from the "Second Sunday Matinees" package.
Generally speaking, subscribers renew Fixed subscriptions from year to year to keep the same seats, which is often a perk of being a subscriber.
Fixed subscription pros
Use the Subscription Renewal Tool to reserve your subscribers' seats for the coming season and invite them to renew. Portal users can then finalize their own Pending Renewal subscriptions online.
Bundle lower-demand Events (for example, a brand new work) with high-demand Events to encourage subscribers to try something new.
Fixed subscriptions are typically sold early, before the season begins, and they contain a fixed set of Event Instances. That means you'll know sooner which seats will be filled by subscribers than with other types of subscriptions, and can plan your marketing and seating holds accordingly.
Patrons purchasing a fixed subscription are generally going to sit in the same seats for each performance. Therefore, when your staff seats the subscriber for the season (a process called fulfillment), those seats can be selected in just a handful of clicks.
Alternatively, you can turn on PYOS Subscriptions to enable your patrons to select their seats online when they purchase their subscription!
Fixed subscription cons
Patrons will choose a Fixed package which contains a set combination of Event Instances, and are unable to customize it further (other than through an exchange).
For example, if a patron purchases the "First Fridays" subscription and wants to attend some Events on Saturdays instead, they'd need to exchange those tickets per your organization's exchange policy.
This sounds fine when you're setting up your subscriptions before the season begins, but do you want to continue selling subscriptions after the first Event has passed? You certainly can, but you'll need to build a new subscription package that contains only the remaining future Events.
What does a Fixed subscription look like?
Let's say you have a 5-show season, where each show has a run of two performances - one on Friday evening, and one on Saturday evening.
The Friday performances comprise one subscription package, and the Saturday evening performances comprise the other subscription package.
The Full Season Friday subscription package, for instance, contains a fixed set of Friday night performances.
First, patrons will select their subscription allocation (seating section or pricing tier).
Then they can select how many subscriptions they want to purchase.
If you offer multiple subscription price levels (like Adult Subscription and Student Subscription) within the selected allocation, your patrons can add however many they'd like of each one.
Finally, they'll see a list of all the events included in their subscription and can check out.
Once the patron purchases a fixed subscription, your box office will seat the subscription internally via the subscription fulfillment process.
You can also make adjustments to a subscriber's order if needed. For instance, if someone who purchased that Friday package lets you know they can only attend four Fridays and one Sunday, your box office can manually fulfill their subscription -- or, of course, exchange the tickets later.
I'm ready to get started! How do I build a Fixed subscription?
Head to our article about how to build Fixed subscriptions for step-by-step instructions.
Choose Your Own (CYO) Subscriptions
Choose Your Own subscriptions let you create a list of eligible performances, decide how many performances make up a package, and let patrons build their own package by selecting that number of performances from the list.
The price points can be as flexible as you want, and the cost of the package can differ from customer to customer depending on the choices they make.
CYO subscription pros
Patrons can make any selections they want from the list of Event Instances you define. If it's more convenient for a patron to attend Show 1 on Friday, Show 2 on Sunday, skip Show 3 because they'll be out of town, and see Show 4 on Thursday, they can build their package that way.
Additionally, you can turn on PYOS Subscriptions to enable your patrons to select their seats online when they purchase their subscription!
You may need to take larger CYO packages offsale later in the season (for example, you probably won't keep selling a "Choose 4" package when there are only 3 shows left in the year).
As long as there are enough Events left in your season for the patron to select, though, you can keep selling the same package with no changes. Patrons won't be able to select Event Instances that are in the past.
If your organization offers tickets to both in-person performances and virtual versions of those same shows (livestream or Video On Demand), Choose Your Own is a great way to give patrons flexibility without building several different packages.
You'll include all options as part of the eligible performances for the subscription, then the patron can choose whether to watch from home or go to the theater based on convenience and/or comfort.
CYO subscription cons
If you sell a "Choose 4" package for your six-show season, patrons can choose whichever 4 shows they want from the list you define. If you have one very high-demand Event and another low-demand Event, most folks are likely to include the high-demand Event in their packages and skip the low-demand Event.
You can manage demand by making some subscriber selections more expensive than others, if you'd like - just keep in mind that the total price of the package can vary from patron to patron if the Events that make it up are priced differently.
The Subscription Renewal Tool helps you renew Fixed series subscribers year over year and keep the same preferred seats for that series (e.g. First Fridays). The tool is not compatible with Choose Your Own subscriptions, as those packages can span a range of subscription series.
What does a Choose Your Own subscription look like?
In this example, patrons can purchase either a "Choose 4" or a "Choose 3" subscription. We've set this subscription up so they can choose from any of the Friday or Sunday Mainstage performances.
After specifying the subscription quantity and Allocation, the patron can choose from a pre-set list of available performances.
Before they select anything, the total dollar amount displays as $0.
Once the patron chooses their performances (in this example, four performances), the price will update based on their selections.
Once the patron purchases a Choose Your Own subscription, your box office will seat the subscription internally via the subscription fulfillment process.
I'm ready to get started! How do I build a Choose Your Own Subscription?
Head to our article about how to build Choose Your Own subscriptions for step-by-step instructions.
Pick Later (Flex Pass) subscriptions
Pick Later subscriptions allow patrons to pay for a subscription now, and pick which performances they want to attend later. The package is made up of placeholder vouchers; when the patron contacts you to let you know which performance they to attend, you'll swap out the placeholder for a real ticket.
Pick Later subscription pros
Patrons have complete flexibility with these packages within the limitations you define (e.g. you may decide that vouchers can't be used for special events). They don't have to make decisions up front, though you may choose to set a deadline for how far in advance they should reserve seats.
If you're not sure how your season will be structured, or even how many shows it will contain, this subscription type is a great choice! All you need to build up front are the vouchers and the subscription package. You can start selling packages right away, increasing cash flow during quieter parts of the year.
Pick Later subscription cons
Patrons will need to contact the box office when they're ready to redeem a voucher for a real ticket. This requires a little more effort from the box office to swap out the voucher, and a little more effort for the patron to reach out.
The Subscription Renewal Tool helps you renew Fixed series subscribers year over year and keep the same preferred seats for that series (e.g. First Fridays). The tool is not compatible with Pick Later subscriptions.
Because patrons don't select their performances at the time of purchase, patrons aren't able to pick their own seats for Pick Later subscriptions.
What does a Pick Later (Flex Pass) subscription look like?
In this example, we're offering a few voucher packages for our Concert series. Patrons who purchase any of these Flex Pass subscription packages can redeem their vouchers later over the phone for whichever music performances they please.
Patrons select placeholder vouchers, which they'll later redeem. In this particular example, they choose vouchers for specific sections at a matching price, which they'll later trade in for tickets in that section to the performance(s) of their choice.
When a patron calls in to redeem some or all of their vouchers for a performance, your box office will fulfill the subscription, swapping the voucher(s) for real ticket(s).
I'm ready to get started! How do I build a Flex Pass (Pick Later) subscription?
Head to our article about how to build Pick Later (Flex Pass) subscriptions for step-by-step instructions.
Quick reference/further reading
- How to build Fixed subscriptions
- How to build Choose Your Own subscriptions
- How to build Pick Later (Flex Pass) subscriptions
- All about Pick Your Own Seat (PYOS) subscriptions
- How to sell and fulfill a subscription
- All about subscription renewals