Back to Start PageTick-It!
PRE-PUBLICATION DRAFT
STAGE DIRECTIONS
COPYRIGHT 1997
AUTHOR: Patrick Finelli
TITLE: The Complete Box Office Ticketing System for Windows 95
SUBJECT: Tick-It! 97
Tick-It! 97 is a new version of a DOS-based box office management system in use at theatres, clubs and arenas around the world. The promotional literature states that it has been completely re-written to take advantage of the Windows 95 and Windows NT environment, which means it uses 32-bit programming throughout (for faster processing of customer data) and offers the key feature of network support (for multiple workstations in your theatre box office).
The brochure for Tick-It! promises increased productivity and higher profits for your box office and ticketing applications. Whether this product will be a cost-effective alternative to your current box office operations depends upon your theatre’s needs. If your box office is not computerized, then Tick-It! offers a total package for a moderate price. If you are already paying a per-ticket price for Ticketmaster or Select-a-Seat, then Tick-It! might offer a lower cost in-house alternative, unless you depend upon the sale of a lot of tickets at remote locations. With Tick-It! you can design your ticket pricing matrix for multiple shows and custom print your own ticket stock. Tick-It! offers a reasonably priced PC-based solution for the demands of a typical theatre box office.
If you would like to preview the program yourself, you can download a fully functional demo version from the New Concepts website virtually 24 hours a day. The demonstration is a working copy of the actual program which expires in 30 days. If you do not have access to the Internet, a CD and manual can be sent to you for a pre-paid charge of $10.00 (applied to the purchase price if you buy Tick-It!).
The product comes on CD-ROM or 3 ½" floppy disk along with a manual. Once you load the program files, there is an online help utility that is better than average. Our test copy was on CD-ROM. You can purchase a single user or multiple user configuration using Windows95, Novell or other network software that runs under Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 Server and Windows NT 4.0.
When you open the program, the first screen you see shows a graphical representation of your "house map" or seating plan. The demo version comes with a generic orchestra/balcony configuration. New Concepts Software will customize your main seating plan according to information or drawings you provide when you purchase the software. The $849 basic price includes one seating plan. Additional plans for multiple venues cost $100 each (e.g. your mainstage, laboratory theatre, studio space) or you can purchase a utility for $100 and make your own house maps.
INSTALLATION
Installation of Tick-It! is required on every workstation that will be running Tick It! 97. There are separate instructions for either "Single User" or "Multi User Network." Once you complete the easy-to-follow steps to install, you will find the Tick-It! icon on your Desktop Taskbar under "Programs." It is easy to get started selling tickets.
GETTING STARTED
The opening screen showed a seating plan of a theatre and mouse controlled "sprite" for seat selection. There are also boxes to select from the events and performances which have already been set up for you. Of course, you can create new shows and performance dates. There are basically three ways you can select seats in Tick-It!. As you move the mouse sprite around, the location of the seat appears in an area at the bottom of the screen. When you locate the desired seat, you double click on it. The seat will be added to the selected ticket list on the lower left-hand portion of the screen. I quickly experimented with selection of individual seats and groups. I was then presented with the patron screen, which lists the different categories. I selected "student" and then reserved a group of student tickets for the show Big and the program displayed the seat numbers and patron type in a sidebar. You can also select an entire section of seats in another sidebar containing the "sales summary" data, which lists the various sections and the number of available seats in each. Or you can click the left button, hold it and drag your mouse over the house map to select different blocks of seats.
New Concepts Software assured us that later versions will have better features in terms of the house graphic display, but I found this version to be suitable as is. Tick-It! comes bundled with Seagate Software’s Crystal Reports, so that you may construct your own custom reports if the built-in reports don’t satisfy your demands. All selection methods are "smart," which is to say they will only select seats appropriate for the mode you are in so that you don’t select seats that have been sold already.
You may customize the patron profile (e.g.. Adult, Senior, Student, Special) and cost matrix (e.g.. $45 Orchestra, $15 Balcony). The cost matrix is Tick-Its!’ name for your pricing structure. You may charge everyone the same amount ( one price for all seats). Or perhaps you might charge a different price depending on location. For example, a seat in the orchestra section might cost more than a seat in the mezzanine. You may also have a stratified patron pricing policy. For example, a ticket for an adult might be more expensive than for a student or senior citizen. You might have special group rates. You could also have a different price for an adult in the orchestra than an adult ticket in the balcony and these prices might be different from student tickets in similar seats. You might have a completely different pricing policy for Sunday matinees than you do on Saturday night. Tick-It! can accommodate all of these special cases and lets you change and modify the parameters through selected options and commands for each event on your own PC or network.
Printing Tickets
You can design your own ticket format using any text editor (such as Notepad) or word processor (Word, WordPerfect). You can use any printer supported by Windows95. Tickets can be printed on either a dot matrix or faster thermal ticket printers. New Concepts recommends thermal printers and states that they know of no source at this time for ticket stock that can be run through a laser or inkjet.
Customer Surveys
One feature that may be very useful for gathering marketing information at your theatre is the customer survey utility. Whenever you display a customer record during sales and reservations, you have the option to conduct a survey by clicking a button on the screen. Forms and templates to create a survey or questionnaire is found under the "Options" menu.
Users and Security
Tick-It! allows you to specify individual operator ID's. There is one special ID called "ADMIN" that has all special privileges and cannot be deleted. You can determine whether individual operators can be granted privileges such as authorizing comp tickets (free tickets for cast and crew). For instance, suppose you have an employee named Leslie, and you want her to be able to issue comp tickets and to set up the profiles your season's events. The operator ADMIN can set Leslie up as a Tick-It! operator with the privileges she needs to perform those tasks.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Tick-It! 97 requires the following equipment to run correctly:
Bare Minimum
486 DX
100MHz
16 MB RAM
40 MB available disk space
VGA 640 x 480 Display
Dot Matrix Printer for Tickets
Recommended
Pentium, Pentium II, Pentium Pro
166 MHz or Faster
32 MB RAM or More
100 MB of available disk space
SVGA 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768
Thermal Ticket Spitter
Serial Cash Drawer or Pole Display
For further information:
New Concepts Software, Inc.
Post Office Box 357
Roseville, Michigan 48066-0357
Internet: www.ncsoftware.com
Phone: 810-776-2855
Fax: 810-776-7433
© Copyright 1995-1999 by Patrick M. Finelli. All rights reserved. These pages are protected by United States and international copyright laws. Copying or distribution by any means is strictly prohibited. Please send e-mail to finelli@satie.arts.usf.edu