Everyone wants to see their favourite artist live, and some fans are willing to pay a premium for the ultimate VIP experience. How can you provide a high quality experience and gain a high margin revenue from it. Fans are not just looking to spend extra money just for a lanyard that says “VIP”, they want an experience they value and can remember. They see right through low effort merch drops and VIP packages. They are willing to pay high amounts of money for exclusivity, comfort, and direct proximity to their favourite artists, here’s what you can provide for them that’s worth your time and their money.
Early Entry
Everyone wants a spot on the barricade and some fans are willing to camp overnight to get it. Devoted fans will spend over eight hours sitting on concrete outside the venue doors rain or shine just for a spot at the front. However it’s exhausting and no one really wants to do it. Offering Early Entry with VIP packages solves this issue. Allowing VIP fans to get into the venue an hour before doors open to the general public guarantees them a spot on the barricade without the stress of waiting all day outside the venue for it. This is an easy upgrade because the cost is virtually zero dollars and offers fans that premium experience they are expecting when purchasing VIP tickets. The venue staff, security, and crew are already on site, so letting in a small controlled group requires no extra effort.
It also helps with the general crowd, because only certain guests have access to early entry benefits, fans will arrive at the venue at different times. This leads to faster, safer security for when the venue opens up for general admission ticket holders. Early entry fans arrive at the venue when no one else is there, so instead of standing in merchandise lines when the rest of the fans get there, VIP ticket holders will go straight to the merchandise booths and spend some more money before the main door rush begins.
VIP tickets have to be scarce in order to execute early entry effectively. If 30% of your tickets are VIP tickets, the barricade fills up instantly and the perk of early entry loses its value. Make sure you cap your early entry inventory at 10% of the total room capacity. This will protect the VIP experience and also create a natural sense of urgency during your presale window.
Soundcheck access
Music fans love the idea of feeling like industry insiders; they want access to the creative process that goes behind making a show come to life. If you open up your doors early for a short twenty minute soundcheck session, this lets super fans watch the band get ready and play songs that are not on the main setlist for the show. Giving them a raw unfiltered look into tour life. Combining soundcheck with a short Q&A session turns the concert into an intimate, once in a lifetime memory for fans who are willing to pay $100 to $250 extra to attend.
Artists run on a tight schedule, for best operational practices, make sure you have clear communication between the artists team and the venue. This ensures guests are in the venue and ready before the artist starts soundcheck and seamlessly transitions guests from the VIP lounge into the venue.
Having a no phone policy increases the value of the ticket. This exclusivity is important to guests paying that much, it also protects unreleased material the artist might test out. Keep the room small, depending on venue capacity cap around 25 to 75 tickets for soundcheck entry.
VIP lounges & exclusive merch bundles
Not every fan wants to be standing in the pit for hours before the main act actually goes on stage. Some fans pay a premium for comfort, offering a dedicated VIP lounge with comfortable seating, food, private bars, and dedicated restrooms removes the stress of attending a packed show. Offering this will allow the fans that want to be on the barricade leave the lounge immediately, but to some older fans who don’t want to be squished in the pit they have the option to sit in the lounge and relax before the show. When fans know that they won’t have to wait in ridiculously long lines for the bathroom or to grab a drink, upgrading to a VIP ticket becomes an irresistible buy.
The lounge capacity must be heavily capped and strictly enforced. Overcrowding the lounge defeats its core purpose, if lines are over 5 minutes long it loses its value. It is the Art of Scarcity, the more limited something is the higher value it holds. The biggest mistake you can make when setting up a VIP lounge is overselling it. The entire purpose of the VIP lounge is to give fans who are paying a premium an escape from the general admission crowd. The moment you fill it up the value drops to zero.
Exclusive merch bundles
Concertgoers want exclusive, limited run merchandise that the general public cannot buy at the standard merch table. Include some custom venue apparel, signed posters from the artist, and items that are exclusively labeled as “VIP” to ensure to guests that there are only a handful of fans that own these items. In an era of digital only tickets, physical media has become a luxury. Create custom designed physical tickets to include in the VIP merch bundle which gives fans a tangible memory to keep forever. Hand out these exclusive merch items when checking in VIP guests at the front, place all the smaller items inside a larger VIP exclusive tote bag. Ditch the generic low effort items like plastic lanyards and cheap stickers and ensure high quality items to guests paying a premium.
Turn fan enthusiasm into upfront revenue
Offering VIP perks is not just about offering a great night out to fans who are willing to pay for it. It is a way to maximize your revenue per attendee. Managing early entry queues, soundcheck access, lounge capacities, and exclusive merch bundles can be a lot to manage without the right tools. AdmitONE gives you the most flexible infrastructure needed to build customizable VIP tickets, enforce inventory caps, and provides a seamless upselling experience. Elevate the fan experience and increase your profit per ticket, book a demo with AdmitONE today.
