How live entertainment has evolved and innovated against all odds.

Humans are famously social creatures.

For thousands of years, we’ve gathered with one another to celebrate performances of all kinds, from the plays of the ancient Greeks to cheering on gladiators in the Roman Colosseum right up to today’s $1.1 trillion live event industry.

It’s almost impossible to fathom all the ways that Covid-19 has changed that aspect of our world.

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Livestream Events: Ready for Their Close-Up

It’s a lucky thing that humans are just as famously resilient and clever as we are social. We have a solid history of adapting to new ways of doing things even when dire circumstances dictate. The universe pelts us with lemons over and over again, yet we insist on getting up, bruised and bloody perhaps, but determined to make that lemonade.

One shining example of that determination and creativity is evident in the massive growth of livestream events since the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

Virtual events are the new normal, and with a few rare exceptions, it’s likely to remain that way for the foreseeable future. New, innovative approaches to livestreaming concerts, performances, virtual corporate events, webinars, and other online gatherings are pushing full steam ahead.

We’ll look more closely at how companies like ours are helping performers and venue operators begin to navigate their way toward the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. But first, we’d be remiss if we didn’t emphasise just how critical the lay of the land really is these days for performers and event promoters – not to mention entertainment-starved audiences.

Coronavirus Has Taken an Unprecedented Toll on the Event Industry

While it’s true that virtually every kind of business has taken a hit due to coronavirus – notably airlines, tourism, restaurants, bars, and clubs just for starters – no one has been more completely crushed by it than people whose work is centred around live events.

The estimated $1.1 trillion global live event industry – which had been growing by 10 per cent year over year and was projected to hit $2.3 trillion by 2026 – just…stopped.

And it hasn’t gotten much better since. Event organisers have been in a horrible limbo for months on end. Obviously, no one wants to put on any kind of live event that’s unsafe in any way.

But as governments and municipalities issue ever-evolving, often contradictory edicts on what is allowed when, what kinds of shows can be put on, for whom, and for how many audience members, it leaves event managers hanging in a constant state of “to be determined.” Figuring out what the correct approach to live events might be in the age of Covid-19 has rendered scheduling near-impossible.

Wild promises of imminent vaccines, “immunity passports” or widespread adoption of on-the-spot immunity tests to permit entrance to events are all well out of reach for the moment. News of regions and even entire countries that had previously emerged from quarantine status now hitting a second wave of infections and considering a return to lockdowns isn’t promising either.

Even when promoters try to roll out a live event with thoughtful pandemic-sensitive planning, things can go horribly wrong. Selling fewer tickets, performing temperature checks at the door, and insistence on social distancing inside the venue – even all these measures aren’t guaranteed to work.

For instance, promoters of a recent opera performance in Madrid were forced to stop the show after attendees protested when they discovered that event organisers hadn’t spaced out the audience as had been promised.

Angry audience members shouted and stamped rather than let the performance begin when it became apparent that while the people in the expensive seats were correctly separated, those in the back of the stalls were jammed in elbow to elbow. The show was cancelled ten minutes after the scheduled curtain time, and everyone was sent home, creating a PR nightmare for event organisers.

A New Player Has Entered the Game: PPV and Livestream Events

Luckily, technology is here to save the day.

Modern tech can give people surprising new ways to come together, as we’ve all learned in recent months. As a result of the seismic shift brought about by Covid-19, livestreaming and pay-per-view events have hit the ground running to make up for the loss of all the in-person communal entertainment experiences people have been missing.

We’ve come a long way from the first livestreamed event, a 1995 baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees, where you had to rely on your 56k modem to deliver a tiny, pixelated picture that surely still froze continually.

Luckily, with today’s high-speed internet and a wealth of easy-to-navigate, high-definition video platforms at our fingertips, the new normal of remote entertainment options has never had more potential. Events promoters, corporations, performers, and lecturers on every rung of the economic ladder have the capacity to easily cobble together adequate equipment to put on a livestream show.

These days people have adapted readily to the notion of “getting together at home” with friends and family – as well as with strangers from around the world – to enjoy all kinds of live events.

Some of the most popular include:

• livestream concerts
  
• theatrical plays
  
• webinars
  
• corporate events
  
• trade shows
  
• job fairs
  
• esports

But How Will They Pay? Virtual Events and Livestream Ticketing

While the cameras, microphones, computers, video applications and internet connections are all relatively easy to scrape together for even the most amateur of livestream auteur, when it comes to figuring out how to get viewers to pay to see your show, things can get complicated.

When you run a brick and mortar event venue, you’ve got physical doors, staff, a box office and seats – in other words, you’ve got a series of systems in place to control who can get access to your show. Importantly, that tried and true system allows you to ensure that everyone has paid to be there.

But most people who are adept at promoting shows, managing venues or playing music usually have other things to worry about than figuring out online ticket sales.

That’s where Seatlab comes in.

Seamless Livestream Ticketing With Seatlab

With our livestream ticketing platform, your audience will get a smooth, simple-to-use way to access your show. You’ll still set up your show, concert or event to stream on whichever app or platform you choose, whether it be YouTube, Instagram, Zoom, or even your own platform.

But the details of every aspect of ticketing are taken off your plate, freeing you to see to the event itself – you know, the bit the audience is actually there for.

We’ll provide paid attendees with a unique link or unique login details giving them access to the event, and you’re on your way.

With Seatlab, You Retain Control

Importantly, when we say we worry about the details, that doesn’t mean you have to give up control.

With the Seatlab livestream ticketing platform, you still have complete control over the entire process. That means our platform is 100 per cent customisable so that you can brand it with your own logo or company identity. Customisable also means there are options available to set up a bespoke platform, adapting the Seatlab application to suit your particular needs.

The way it works is you’ll have access to a dashboard that lays out all the relevant data. Of course, you’ll be able to see sales, revenue, and attendance numbers. But you can also view the demographics of your audience – name, location, and much more.

And perhaps more importantly, you’ll retain ownership of this data. That can prove instrumental in not only reconnecting with previous audience members to invite them to subsequent performances but also in developing targeted marketing and advertising as you look to grow your audience for future shows.

Seatlab Livestream Ticketing: A Low-Cost, High-Reward Solution

Finally, you get all this assistance with running livestream ticketing for your event at a fraction of the cost of other platforms and services.

We’ve got a variety of packages and pricing tiers available, but whichever one you choose, Seatlab’s low fees will save you a fortune when you make the shift to livestreaming.

While we’re here making lemonade out of lemons, it’s important to remember that when you run a show via livestream, you’re opening virtual doors for growing your audience or customer base in a way that would be impossible to replicate with a brick-and-mortar show.

After all, your potential audience is the entire world. You can reach people who might never have had a chance to attend one of your shows before, seamlessly helping you to build an international brand in ways that might otherwise have been impossible.

If you have an upcoming event and you’re looking for a livestream ticketing platform, hit us up and we’ll give you a demo of how the Seatlab works. And if you provide us with just a few details, we can put together a plan proposal to craft a livestream ticketing solution that’s perfect for you.

Call or email today, and we’ll get started right away!

Start selling tickets online today!

Schedule a 30-Minute product demo with an expert Q&A