How to Sell Tickets with WooCommerce

Are you looking to sell tickets to an event using WooCommerce but not sure where to start? In this guide, we will show you how to set up a WooCommerce ticketing system using FooEvents and why it’s the perfect event and ticketing solution for your next event.

FooEvents is an event and ticketing system built for WooCommerce that runs on your WordPress website and makes it possible to sell tickets and manage attendee check-ins. Whether you’re hosting a concert, theater show, sporting event, community gathering, virtual event, or conference, FooEvents makes it possible to manage ticket sales and attendee check-ins directly from your WordPress site.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

1. How FooEvents Works
2. Types of Events that FooEvents Supports
3. Getting Started with FooEvents
4. How to Sell Tickets Online and at Your Event
5. Managing Attendee Check-ins at Your Event
6. Analyzing Sales and Attendee Check-ins
7. Overview of FooEvents Extensions
8. Integrating With Other WordPress and WooCommerce Plugins
9. Conclusion

How FooEvents Works #

The beauty of FooEvents is that if you are already familiar with WooCommerce, you are already 99% trained on FooEvents. This is because FooEvents adds additional event and ticketing functionality to standard WooCommerce products. When your customer purchases one of these products, a ticket is generated and sent to the customer, providing them access to the event.

Not only does this make setting up an event and navigating the various FooEvents options very familiar and easy to learn, but it also means that FooEvents can automatically work with thousands of other WooCommerce plugins. This allows you to customize your WooCommerce ticketing system to your specific needs using your favorite plugins, themes, and tools.

Here are some of the things you will be able to do out of the box using FooEvents:

1. Sell tickets for your event directly through your WordPress website.
2. Send HTML and PDF tickets to attendees’ email addresses.
3. Sell tickets at your event using the same integrated system and physical credit card readers.
4. Manage check-ins at the event using free check-ins apps and QR code scanners.
5. Analyze attendee check-ins and view sales reports in real time.
6. Offer virtual events using Zoom
7. Integrate with hundreds of third-party WooCommerce plugins.
8. Export attendee information as a CSV.
9. Design and print custom name tags, wristbands, tickets, badges, and personalized labels

That may sound like a lot, and it is, but don’t worry, FooEvents and WooCommerce do all the heavy lifting and make it easier than ever to manage WooCommerce events.

Types of Events that FooEvents Supports #

Using FooEvents, you can sell access to single-day events, multi-day events such as festivals, or bookable events such as tourist activities or tours. Here are a few examples of events that FooEvents manages really well:

• Concerts and Shows: Manage ticket sales, seating arrangements, and check-ins for concerts, theatre performances, and comedy shows.
• Conferences and Workshops: Capture attendee information, create multi-day events, and integrate with tools like Zoom for virtual sessions.
• Sporting Events: Handle large crowds with efficient check-ins as well as participant entries.
• Community Gathering and Charity Events: Organize local events such as festivals, fairs, and meet-ups with ease.
• Virtual Events: Save time and ensure seamless integration by automatically pre-registering your attendees for once-off or recurring Zoom meetings and webinars when they purchase tickets on your WordPress website
• Educational Courses and Training: Sell tickets for workshops, bootcamps, and training sessions, capturing detailed attendee information and generating custom certificates.
• Business Events: Host seminars, product launches, and corporate events, utilizing advanced ticketing features and attendee management.

With FooEvents, you can efficiently manage any type of event, ensuring a seamless experience for both organizers and attendees.

Getting Started with FooEvents #

FooEvents consists of a core plugin called FooEvents for WooCommerce. This plugin includes all the essential functionality that makes it possible to sell tickets. We then offer various other extensions that add additional functionality that are not required by every event. This approach ensures you only install functionality that is needed to keep your site lean and bloat-free.

In order to get started with FooEvents, simply purchase the FooEvents for WooCommerce plugin or one of our bundle options and install the plugins on your WordPress website.

How to Sell Tickets Online and at Your Event #

Once you have installed the FooEvents plugins, you are ready to create your first event. This is as simple as creating a standard WooCommerce product and enabling it as an event. You can then configure the event based on your unique requirements. The following video will take you through the process of creating an event and selling your first ticket:

Sell Tickets Online

When your customers purchase tickets through your WordPress website, they will proceed through the standard WooCommerce checkout experience and complete payment using your preferred payment gateways. Once the order has been processed, FooEvents will automatically generate a ticket and send it to the purchaser or individual attendee as an email. The ticket email contains the event’s details, attendee information, and a QR code that can be used for check-ins. Here is an example of our default ticket theme:

💡 Ticket themes are basic PHP templates and can be modified and made your own.

Sell Tickets at Your Event

FooEvents is unique in that it is the only WooCommerce events system that offers a complete box office experience and allows you to sell tickets both online and at your event using the FooEvents POS (Point of Sale) extension. FooEvents POS is a web-based point of sale plugin for WooCommerce and makes it possible to sell and issue WooCommerce tickets at your event. FooEvents POS fully integrates with WooCommerce and uses your existing products, variations, stock, customers, and tax settings in real-time. This means that in addition to selling access to your events and services, you can also sell traditional physical products.

When a ticket is sold through the POS system, the attendee immediately receives a physical ticket, and an email ticket is also sent to their email address. All sales made through the POS system are updated in real time within your WooCommerce store, ensuring that your ticket inventory and attendee data are always up-to-date.

Managing Attendee Check-ins at Your Event #

Making sure your event’s attendee check-in process runs smoothly can make all the difference and ensure your event gets off to a good start. FooEvents offers a variety of ways to handle attendee check-ins, ensuring a smooth experience for both organizers and attendees.

FooEvents Check-ins Apps

If you have a smartphone then you’re all set! The FooEvents Check-ins apps are available for both iOS and Android devices, making it easy to manage attendee check-ins on the go. These apps allow you to scan QR codes on tickets, verify attendee information, and check them in quickly. The app syncs with your WooCommerce store, ensuring that your attendee check-in data is always up-to-date.

FooEvents Express Check-ins

The FooEvents Express Check-ins plugin provides an admin interface for event staff to manage attendee check-ins quickly and efficiently. You can even connect a barcode scanner or QR scanner to your device and scan tickets using the auto check-in option. This method allows your team to manage the check-in process seamlessly, reducing wait times and enhancing the overall experience for attendees.

FooEvents POS (Point of Sale)

FooEvents POS doesn’t just allow you to sell tickets—it can also check in attendees automatically when they buy a ticket at the door. This seamless integration is a lifesaver for managing sales and attendee check-ins at the same time.

Editing a Ticket in the WordPress Admin Area

You can also manage attendee check-ins by simply editing their ticket information directly in the WordPress admin area. You can also edit other details such as the attendees details and custom fields.

💡 For a more comprehensive overview of each check-in method, please refer to this blog post.

Analyzing Sales and Attendee Check-ins #

Monitoring and analyzing event data is key to understanding your event’s success and planning future events. FooEvents provides several features to help with this.

Event Reports

FooEvents includes a comprehensive reporting feature that provides insights into event revenue, tickets sold, attendee check-ins, and available tickets. You can access these reports from your WordPress dashboard.

Sales Reports

Since tickets are sold using WooCommerce, you can use the WooCommerce Analytics to ensure you always know how your store is performing in real time.

Export Attendee Data

At any time, you can generate a list of attendees who have been allocated tickets for a specific event. This data can be exported to a CSV file for further analysis and record-keeping.

Overview of FooEvents Extensions #

FooEvents consists of a core plugin called FooEvents for WooCommerce. This plugin includes all the essential functionality needed to sell tickets, manage attendees, and handle check-ins on your WordPress website. Based on your event’s requirements, you can then add additional functionality using a number of FooEvents extensions. This approach keeps your site lean and bloat-free. Here is an overview of each FooEvents extension and what it is used for:

• FooEvents Custom Attendee Fields – Collect additional attendee information, such as meal preferences or breakout session choices. This information will then be displayed on the ticket and in your system when a ticket is scanned.
• FooEvents PDF Tickets – Generate and send PDF tickets to attendees automatically.
• FooEvents Bookings – Manage and sell WooCommerce tickets for appointments, services, and other bookable events.
• FooEvents Multi-day – Handle events that span multiple days with ease.
• FooEvents Seating – Allow your attendees to select specific seats.
• FooEvents Point of Sale – Sell tickets in person at your event.
• FooEvents Calendar – Display events in an interactive calendar.
• FooEvents Express Check-ins – Speed up the check-in process with streamlined and efficient check-ins.

💡 Depending on your event and its unique set of requirements, you may need to add specific FooEvents extensions. If you are unsure which extensions to use, please refer to this comprehensive blog post, which outlines various use cases and how the extensions can be used for each.

Integrating with other WordPress and WooCommerce plugins #

FooEvents integrates with loads of extensions such as WP Fusion, WPML, AutomateWoo, Eventbrite, Mailchimp, WooCommerce Subscriptions and FooSales POS. In addition, FooEvents is also inherently compatible with hundreds of popular WooCommerce extensions, such as User Role Editor, Product Add-ons, Checkout Field Editor, WP Mail SMTP, Min/Max Quantities and Direct Checkout for WooCommerce.

By leveraging FooEvents’ seamless integrations and inherent compatibility with most WooCommerce plugins, you can create a customized ticketing platform tailored to your unique requirements. This flexibility allows you to design a solution that perfectly aligns with your specific needs. As a result, FooEvents serves as an ideal foundation for agencies and developers, enabling the creation of sophisticated and bespoke event management solutions.

Conclusion #

FooEvents provides a powerful and flexible solution that allows you to sell tickets and manage events directly from your WordPress site. By integrating seamlessly with WooCommerce, it allows you to create a comprehensive ticketing system tailored to your specific needs, whether you are hosting concerts, conferences, sporting events, virtual gatherings, or community meet-ups. With features like customizable ticket emails, real-time attendee check-ins, and extensive reporting capabilities, FooEvents ensures a smooth and professional experience for both organizers and attendees.

Whether you’re an agency or a developer, FooEvents’ compatibility with a wide range of WooCommerce plugins and extensions means you can easily expand its functionality to suit any event. By choosing FooEvents, you are investing in a reliable, user-friendly platform that will streamline your event management process and enhance the overall attendee experience. Ready to get started? Try FooEvents today and see how it can transform your event management.