Northern Michigan University will launch a new online ticketing system for athletic, theater, music and community events on Monday, April 1. The shift to University Tickets software will simplify and enhance the user experience through upgraded technology. It includes the following features: electronic ticket delivery; a “handoff” feature for texting a ticket to someone else if the purchaser can't attend; views from seating sections in each venue; and options to add events to personal calendars and share on social media. The hope is that this modernized system will reduce paper tickets and box office traffic, particularly for high-demand events such as hockey playoffs.
“The landing page has a very appealing look to it,” said Robin Burke, associate director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Rec Sports. “One of our main goals was to simplify the process and offer a frictionless online experience with fewer clicks to complete a purchase. You simply select the event and desired seats, put it in your cart and everything appears in one place on the checkout screen, where you can see your order and verify the payment method. It's very similar to the major brands' online shopping and reservation systems. We're hoping that this will change the mindset of those who were reluctant to buy tickets online before.”
Season ticket holders will be able to renew their seats and get playoff tickets online. The new software will also benefit community organizations such as Superior Arts Youth Theatre and the Marquette Symphony, which contract with NMU to sell tickets to their events.
“The site remains tickets.nmu.edu,” Burke said. “We'll be sending out an instructional mailer for how to set up a new account. It's very easy. You just provide your email, create a password and you're in. We'll also have a customer service station at athletic events next season to walk fans through setting up accounts and making purchases. We'll show them how easy it is to get tickets on their mobile devices that can be scanned at the door.”
Burke said tickets already purchased for events happening after the April 1 launch date will be honored and replacements won't be necessary.