Ticket Sales – Independently or Through an Intermediary?

You’re organizing a conference. You have your agenda planned, speakers confirmed, and maybe even the first interested attendees. Now comes a crucial question—how do you sell tickets? Should you handle it yourself, or would it be better to entrust this process to an external intermediary?

There’s no universal answer to this question. Both options have their advantages and drawbacks, and the best choice for you depends on several key factors. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Selling Tickets Independently – Full Control and Higher Profit

Handling ticket sales on your own means you control every stage of the process. You set the prices, define ticket categories, manage attendee limits, and oversee communication with participants. Everything happens on your terms—from choosing payment methods to issuing invoices.

You can use an Event Management Software like CONREGO, which not only automates ticket sales but also helps with payment processing and reporting. By doing everything yourself, you avoid intermediary commissions, which directly translates into higher profits.

Sounds perfect? In some ways, yes. But keep in mind that independent sales also come with additional responsibilities. You’ll need to ensure proper transaction settlements, answer attendee questions about payments and refunds, and monitor financial records. If you accept multiple payment methods, you’ll have to track transactions both in your bank account and within your payment processor’s dashboard.

When Does Independent Ticket Sales Make Sense?

• If you want full control over the process and prefer not to rely on external companies.
• If your goal is cost optimization, avoiding commissions, and maximizing event profitability.
• If you have the right tools and resources to handle ticket sales and invoicing yourself.

But what if you don’t have the time or simply don’t want to deal with all these formalities? This is where the second option comes in — selling through an intermediary.

Selling Through an Intermediary – Convenience and Fewer Responsibilities

Imagine a situation where you don’t have to worry about payment processing, invoicing, or transaction verification. An external company takes over these tasks and sells tickets on your behalf. You define the conditions—prices, available packages, attendee limits—and the intermediary handles everything else. They can also answer attendee questions regarding ticket purchases, further easing the burden on your team.

Tempting, right? No surprise there. Partnering with an intermediary saves you time, especially if you’re organizing a large-scale event. You don’t need to sign contracts with payment processors, worry about bookkeeping, or issue invoices. Once ticket sales are completed, you receive a report and settlement—and that’s it.

However, such convenience comes at a price. The intermediary charges a commission on each ticket sold, which means your profit per ticket will be lower. Additionally, settlements may occur in predefined cycles (e.g., once a month), which can impact your event’s financial liquidity.

When Is Selling Through an Intermediary a Good Choice?

• If you don’t have time to manage payments and invoicing.
• If you’re hosting a large event that requires a seamless sales process.
• If you want to avoid the complexities of integrating payment systems and handling financial settlements.

And What About Accounting?

Regardless of the chosen model, accounting for ticket sales is a crucial aspect to consider. If you sell tickets independently, you must monitor incoming payments, reconcile transactions with your payment provider, and issue invoices.

An intermediary takes care of these tasks, but you must be aware that your revenue might not be transferred immediately—instead, it may be settled according to the intermediary’s payout schedule. Additionally, consider VAT implications—if your organization is VAT-exempt, selling tickets independently allows you to offer them at a lower price. An intermediary, who applies VAT, may increase the final ticket cost for attendees.

Conclusion

The path you choose should depend not only on your budget but also on how much time you’re willing to invest in managing ticket sales. If you want full control and higher profits, go for independent sales — CONREGO can help automate the registration and invoicing processes. If you’d rather save time and avoid administrative hassles, an intermediary can take over the transaction process for you.

Most importantly, choose a model that best fits your event’s needs and long-term strategy.