At first glance, an online ticket system seems simply like a logistical tool, a way for parents to buy tickets. But students are in school to learn and to find their passions, and just as one student might be more suited to stage management than acting, or lighting more than costumes, students can have the opportunity to learn and find their passion in Front of House as well. Your ticketing system doesn’t need to be just software, it can also be a tool for education for your students, and provide you with an easy way to have them involved from day one.
There’s a shift when you invite students into the overhead processes of theatre-making. Suddenly, ticket sales aren’t just abstract numbers; they’re people, experiences, and potential. Students can see how every order sold and every question answered directly affects the success of the show. Through this experience, they can gain maturity, skills, and confidence to bring them into the professional world.
How does student involvement create meaningful, real world experience?
When students help run your online ticket system, they do more than just lend a hand, they’re practicing event management in its most authentic form. They can monitor sales, interact with your customers, prepare your box office, and learn how to solve problems under the pressure of time. Every event is an opportunity for a lesson in planning, organization, and community interaction.
They gain exposure to customer communication and online operations in a way that requires real time problem solving, a valuable lesson in any future career field. When questions arise, orders need adjustments, or a customer needs help accessing their tickets, students get to respond and assist. These moments give them a hands on approach that can’t be replicated in a classroom alone.
ACTION STEP: Write out different roles for students that they can rotate between, like House Manager, Box Office Manager, and more.
How does this build technical skills?
Digital tools are a language of their own and are advancing faster than we’ve ever seen. Students now get to learn alongside the changing digital world, offering them a space to explore and play while growing. By learning how to use the online ticket system, they can view and read sales reports, use payment systems, and handle data – all transferable skills that connect to arts administration, business, hospitality, and technology.
This also offers them the opportunity to learn how to pay attention to detail and how to interpret data. Students can see how seating sales might change per night, when sales spiked, why some events have sold more tickets – all things that can encourage their analytical thinking and problem solving.
ACTION STEP: Teach students how to read your sales report and ask them to spot patterns and trends.
How does this help communication and customer service skills?
Speaking with customers, especially adults, can feel intimidating at first. But within the supportive environment of a school event is the perfect place to grow that skill. Students will learn how to greet customers professionally, guide them patiently, and resolve challenges bravely. They learn that customer service is based on clarity, empathy, and follow through, not perfection, and this is done through clear communication. Every interaction that the student has can help them build their own confidence, both in representing the school and speaking on your program, but also confidence in themselves. They go beyond just being students to an important part of a larger team.
ACTION STEP: Rehearse some short customer service scripts for greeting customers, solving common issues, and offering assistance.
How does this develop accountability and leadership?
Running a box office isn’t a meaningless task, but a genuine responsibility. Students quickly will learn the importance of preparation, timing, and communication. They gain first hand experience in organization and delegation, learning how to prioritize tasks and manage their time, especially as the event approaches.
This type of knowledge can help them become leaders in the arts and beyond. By understanding how ticket sales contribute to sets, costumes, and show rights, they learn the importance of managing finances. By watching for sales trends, they see the connection between marketing and attendance. By assisting with the customers’ questions, they see how customer service and community engagement build a bigger audience base that goes beyond just single ticket buyers. These all help them become leaders in your theatre, or in the professional world.
ACTION STEP: Select a student to have access to the system with specific access privileges so they can start becoming familiar with the system before opening night.
Why does this matter?
This helps your students learn tools that they can carry into the future. By learning what brings an audience into your space, they care about the event differently. They gain a personal connection, feeling proud not only of what happens on stage, but of all the work that happens off stage, too. They can know they played a role in making the experience possible, making them more collaborative and invested in your community.
For the future, students have a concrete, meaningful experience that translates directly into the real world. They can include work on resumes, college applications, in portfolios, interviews, and future positions. They develop a professional mindset and learn independence, knowing the importance of being trusted and holding responsibility.
ACTION STEP: Help students with documentation of the work they’ve done for their resume or portfolio.
