The Art and Science of Pricing Tiers
When you host an event, not all seats are equal. Some attendees want front‑row seats, others need budget options, and still others are willing to pay for VIP experiences. Pricing tiers allow you to capture these different segments, increase revenue and broaden participation. But it’s not as simple as charging more for better seats. You need a system that handles multiple ticket types, tracks capacity, manages payments and integrates seamlessly with your booking workflow.
Oskar’s event management features include custom pricing tiers, allowing organisers to offer VIP, standard and discounted tickets within the same event. This section explores the strategy behind tiered pricing, how to implement it in Oskar and tips for balancing access and exclusivity.
Why Offer Pricing Tiers?
- Revenue Optimisation: Different customers value experiences differently. Premium clients pay more for exclusive perks while still leaving affordable options for budget‑conscious attendees. When done right, tiered pricing increases overall revenue without alienating your base.
- Segmentation: Pricing tiers help you identify and cater to distinct audience segments, such as students, regular attendees and VIPs. Understanding these segments informs marketing strategies and event design.
- Perceived Value: Offering a VIP tier highlights the quality of your event and creates aspirational value for attendees. A premium option signals that your experience is worth more, while standard tickets remain accessible.
How Event Platforms Handle Tiers
Event rental software often includes features like real‑time inventory tracking, staffing assignments and conflict detection. Tiered pricing complements these features by segmenting tickets and ensuring that capacity limits aren’t exceeded. Many systems allow organisers to define multiple ticket types, set separate prices and allocate specific seat counts. This automation prevents double bookings and ensures each category sells within its quota.
Oskar’s Approach: Flexible Ticket Categories
Oskar supports up to twenty ticket categories per event. When creating an event, you can enable Custom Pricing Options and define each ticket tier’s name, price, tax rate and seat allocation. The platform keeps track of sales per category and monitors overall capacity, preventing overselling. Attendees see all available tiers when booking and choose the option that fits their budget and preferences.
Payments are processed through Stripe, enabling immediate confirmation. If you prefer offline payments (cash, bank transfer), you can mark tickets as paid manually. All transactions appear in Oskar’s Orders section, with details on ticket type, quantity and payer.
Setting Up a Tiered Event: Step‑by‑Step
1. Create the Event: In Manage > Events, click Add Event. Provide a title, description and date(s). Choose a resource (such as a theatre, conference room or online meeting platform).
2. Enable Custom Pricing: Under Pricing, toggle on Custom Pricing Options. Add each ticket tier with a name (“General Admission,” “VIP,” “Student”), price, tax rate and seat count. Repeat until all tiers are defined.
3. Define Capacity: Set the maximum number of attendees. You can either sum the seat counts across tiers or allow more seats in total and rely on overall capacity limits.
4. Add Extras (If Applicable): Offer add‑ons like workshop materials, merchandise or meet‑and‑greets. Clients can select these during checkout. You can price extras per attendee or per order.
5. Enable Payments: Choose online or offline payment methods. For online payments, connect Stripe and set tax rates. Offline payments will prompt the admin to confirm payment status manually.
6. Publish: Save and publish the event. It will appear on your booking page with the ticket tiers listed. Clients select their ticket type and extras before paying.
Managing Capacity and Adjusting in Real Time
Monitoring ticket sales is essential. Oskar’s dashboard lets you see how many seats remain per tier. If VIP sells out but standard is slow, you can adjust seat allocations or prices. For recurring events, copy the previous event and adjust tiers instead of recreating everything from scratch.
Because Oskar integrates payments, refunds and attendee information, you can also issue refunds or move attendees between tiers if needed. For instance, if a VIP attendee downgrades to a standard ticket, you can adjust their order and refund the difference.
Case Studies: Pricing Tiers in Action
Professional Development Workshop
A business coach hosts a day‑long workshop with three tiers:
- Early Bird (€50): Limited to the first 20 registrants. Encourages early signups.
- Standard (€80): 50 seats available. Includes the workshop and materials.
- VIP (€120): 10 seats available. Includes a personalised lunch session and premium seating.
Using Oskar, the organiser sets these tiers, collects payments via Stripe and monitors sales. Early Bird sells out quickly, and the coach considers adding more seats for the next workshop. After the event, Oskar’s reports show that most attendees purchased Standard tickets, but VIP generated the most revenue per seat. Armed with this data, the coach tailors his next pricing strategy.
Theatre Performance
An independent theatre stages a play with three seating categories:
- Balcony (€15)
- Stalls (€25)
- VIP Box (€40)
Each category corresponds to a physical section. The theatre sets the seat count to match the space (e.g., 30 balcony seats, 50 stalls, 10 VIP boxes). As seats sell, Oskar marks them off, preventing overselling. The theatre uses an early‑bird discount by creating a separate tier with a lower price and limited seats.
Educational Seminar
A university offers a seminar with two types of tickets: Student (€30) and General Public (€60). Student tickets require verification, so Oskar’s intake form asks for a student ID number. The event’s capacity is 100 seats: 40 are reserved for students, 60 for the general public. Once student seats sell out, only general tickets remain visible. This ensures fair distribution of seats while maximising revenue.
Tips for Optimising Tiered Pricing
- Communicate Clearly: Describe what each tier includes. Avoid confusion or disappointment. If VIP includes a backstage meet‑and‑greet, say so. If Student tickets require ID, mention it.
- Offer Limited Perks: Premium tiers should feel exclusive. Include unique experiences, merchandise or early access.
- Use Early Bird Discounts Wisely: Limited early bird tiers drive urgency. Clearly show how many seats remain to encourage quick action.
- Experiment and Learn: Pricing is part science and part art. Try different structures and track results. Use Oskar’s analytics to see which tiers sell best and adjust accordingly.
By leveraging Oskar’s tiered pricing options, event organisers gain the flexibility to design pricing structures that match their audience and business goals. Whether you’re hosting workshops, concerts, theatrical performances or seminars, tiered pricing helps you maximise revenue and deliver value across all segments.