Whether you're moving an in-person event online or planning a virtual tour, our flexible tools can support you in engaging your audience with digital delivery.
Attendee Engagement and Reporting tools are valuable resources for coordinating and collecting presales and facilitating post-event follow-up and promotion.
What Is the Best Type of Online Event for My Audience?
You may choose to have a small in-person audience or go exclusively online. You may want to charge a ticket price or accept donations or "tips." When deciding how to proceed, think about what's appropriate for your audience.
Online events like classes and webinars are often presale-based and protect content behind a paywall. Streaming is then delivered at the scheduled time using platforms like Zoom, Livestream, or GoToWebinar.
Other events engage audiences with a free live stream on social media, and provide opportunities to support the event financially via presales and real-time "tipping" during the event. See 7 Steps for Hosting a Live Stream Studio Session for details.
Presales with Locked Content
Host your event content on a private streaming platform like Zoom, Livestream, or GoToWebinar.
Your Brown Paper Tickets event page can be set up in the same way as an in-person event. The event start and end times should reflect when the online event will take place, and the price level(s) should reflect the cost to join in.
Attendee Access
Depending on your platform, you can include your live event's URL, room number, or invitation details in your Notes for Attendees, and purchasers will receive it in their Brown Paper Tickets confirmation following purchase.
Use the Email Your Attendees tool to share any additional information needed to join the event.
Pro Tip - Attendee Access via Email
Be sure your event description asks attendees to provide an accurate email address, and refrain from unsubscribing to event-related emails so they are able to receive their online access instructions.
See BPT DEMO EVENT - Live Webcast 1 for an example.
Free Live Stream with Tips or Donations
If you'd like to encourage optional monetary support, you can create a live stream event hosted on a website like Facebook or Youtube. When creating your Brown Paper Tickets event page, the event start and end times should reflect when the online event will be taking place, and the price(s) should reflect contribution levels.
Anyone can access public social media pages to tune into a live-streaming event, so presales are often less of a focus. In addition to any presale, VIP, or other special pricing, your Brown Paper Tickets event page can include prices with names like “tips” or "contributions." The event link can then be shared in the live stream description and audience chat to encourage support while the streaming event takes place.
Get Creative with your Pricing
Consider presale pricing options that allow attendees one-on-one time with their host before the event, an on-air shout out for a friend or business, or a custom written song.
Price Settings
We recommend setting the max per order on the “tip” prices to one.
Attendee Access
Be sure to link to your live stream in your event description so that viewers can easily return to your stream after tipping. See Embed a Live Stream on Your Event Page for instructions.
Standard or Donation Prices?
Standard prices are supported by all credit card processor options and have a service fee. This price type generates a ticket and is meant for entry to an event, whether that is online or in person.
If you are using a "tip" pricing model, you may consider including the service fee in the price so patrons pay a flat-rate “tip.”
Donation prices are available if you have a non-Brown Paper Tickets credit card processor connected. Donation Sale Type prices are fee-free on Brown Paper Tickets and do not generate a ticket. They are intended exclusively for direct donations rather than admission to an event.
- Rates for processing will vary based on the processor you choose.
Payment Options
If you would like to accept donations or receive payments as purchases are made, a non-Brown Paper Tickets credit card processor is a good option. We integrate with PayPal Standard and several Custom Merchant Accounts. See: Add Your Credit Card Processor for more information.