A Guide to Event Cancellations

In these unprecedented times major shifts in the events and entertainment industry are being seen.  Major events like the Wimbledon Championship have been cancelled, major league sports have postponed their seasons, and many concerts and other live events have been cancelled or postponed.

It is a challenging time for those in the hospitality and entertainment industry.  In the corporate ticket management space, we have seen firsthand the changing climate that this industry is experiencing. It affects us and many of our clients.

Notifying your customers about event announcements can be demanding and tedious. Navigating the appropriate communication measures is important, so to provide assistance…

Here are some efforts we are putting in place to support you:

• Our team of Account Managers receives information from teams and venues about which events are postponed and cancelled. Using the Ovations system, we update each event quickly and precisely so that it has the most current event info.
• We personally provide any notice and order assistance to those who have requested tickets via the site. We make sure they know what to do with their tickets in each circumstance.
• Our reporting platform can drill down to the finest details. It can be difficult to accurately report on unused tickets during this time, depending on whether the event was postponed or cancelled. However, we provide the best reporting resource to help you stay on track.

Here are some techniques you can follow to ensure your customers are informed:

• The general rule of thumb is that if the event has been postponed, to hold onto the original tickets as they will be valid for a potential make-up date. Events that have been cancelled are generally able to be returned to the original source of purchase for a refund.
• One approach to handling existing orders is to cancel them and require customers to resubmit if/when the event is rescheduled. While other companies choose to keep orders intact until there is a determination on how the event will be handled.
• In some cases, it is helpful to provide one mass email notification to all customers informing them to reach out to the Ovations support team if they have questions regarding an order for a rescheduled event. This way we can handle each unique scenario as it comes our way.

The entertainment industry is adjusting to new conditions, and with this we will probably find a new normal. Cendyn Ovations assists in making this challenging time just a little easier with our ticketing platform and trained account managers. For more information, please refer to our Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions or contact us directly.