Want to make your next event extra special? Custom event tickets can turn a simple entry pass into a keepsake.
Creating eye-catching tickets that wow your guests doesn’t have to be hard or expensive with today’s online ticket design tools.
In this article we’ll cover the basics of custom event tickets, how to use them in your event planning, and how to create them with PassKit in minutes.
Why custom event tickets matter
Custom event tickets can transform your event experience.
First impressions and brand recognition
When you design custom tickets, you’re making a statement about your event’s quality and attention to detail. Custom event tickets can also reflect the company or event theme and add to attendees’ overall experience.
Ticket as a keepsake and marketing opportunity
Custom-printed tickets are the first physical touchpoint between your attendees and your event. Customized tickets help build excitement before your event even starts.
You can begin with a ticket template with a predefined layout, color, and typography, making the event ticket design process easy and user-friendly.
When guests receive a beautifully designed ticket, they’re more likely to share it on social media, giving your event free publicity. That’s extra event marketing without the cost.
Improved security features of digital tickets
Custom digital tickets improve event security through unique QR codes, reducing counterfeiting risks. You can quickly check if everything’s legit with real-time validation, and digital tracking gives you important info about the attendees.
Sustainability benefits of going paperless
Switching to digital tickets significantly reduces paper waste and carbon footprint. The environmental impact is substantial—eliminating printing, shipping, and disposal of traditional tickets saves trees and energy while demonstrating your commitment to sustainability.
Get started with PassKit
Ready to ditch event ticket printing and create stunning digital tickets for your next event? PassKit makes it easy to design, manage and distribute digital event tickets for mobile wallets.
PassKit works with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, so your guests always have their tickets on their phones.
The PassKit Pass Designer is super user-friendly, so you can create professional-looking tickets without technical skills.
You can expand your scope and boost your event by creating loyalty reward cards, membership cards, coupons, gift cards and more.
You can adjust every aspect of your digital tickets to match your event theme and create tickets for any event type.
The best part? You can try PassKit free for 45 days to see how it helps you transform your event planning process.
How to create custom-designed tickets with PassKit
PassKit lets you create digital tickets that will wow your guests. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to customize your mobile tickets. Head to the PassKit platform, where you’ll find all the tools you need to design your custom tickets.
Choose your pass type
First, choose from professionally designed templates as your starting point. These templates are already optimized for mobile devices and offer many styles.
Customize your design
Next, add your own design by uploading your brand elements. Upload your logo and images and adjust the colors to match your event. PassKit lets you customize every visual aspect of your QR code tickets.
Add key information
Don’t forget to include all the event details on your NFC ticket. Add your event name, date, time, location and a QR code for easy check-in. This information should be clear and easy to read.
Personalize the attendee experience
You can add sequential numbering to your tickets, guests’ first and last names, date of birth, email or phone number for a personal touch. This adds an element of exclusivity and helps with attendance tracking.
Test and publish
Before publishing, always test your tickets on different devices. Send yourself a sample to make sure everything looks perfect, and all links work.
Once you’re happy with the design, distribute your digital tickets to attendees via email or text message. They’ll love having their tickets on their phone!
Start a 45-day free trial to see how it works.
Advanced PassKit features for event organizers
PassKit offers advanced tools that enhance digital ticket creation, transforming event management and improving the guest experience. There is no need to print event tickets.
Automated ticket distribution
With PassKit, you can set up and automate systems that create and send tickets after purchase with no manual work. It saves you tons of time and cuts down on mistakes in the ticketing process.
Real-time updates and notifications
Need to change venue details or start times? With PassKit, you can update digital tickets instantly. Push notifications alert ticket holders about changes, weather warnings or special offers. Your team can communicate with guests efficiently.
Powerful analytics dashboard
Track ticket sales, acquisition channels and attendance in real-time and gather valuable data about your event. See who’s arrived and who’s running late and analyze attendance patterns. It helps your team plan better events in the future.
Third-party integrations
Connect PassKit with your favorite event management tools using Zapier and Make. The platform also works with many popular services through its API capabilities. It creates a seamless workflow from ticket sales to event check-in.
Security features
Protect against counterfeit tickets with dynamic QR codes and other security measures. Each ticket has unique identifiers that can’t be easily duplicated, so your team can breathe easily during check-in.
Remember, great tickets do more than just get people in – they build excitement for your event from the moment guests receive them!
Start a 45-day free trial now.
PassKit distribution strategies for your custom event tickets
Getting your beautifully designed tickets into the hands of your guests is just as important as the design itself. A good distribution plan ensures your tickets get to attendees efficiently and creates excitement for your event.
Email distribution
Email is still one of the best ticket distribution channels. Send personalized tickets directly to attendees’ inboxes with embedded links or QR codes for easy access.
Send automated reminder emails to increase attendance and reduce no-shows as the event approaches. Segment your email list to tailor messages to ticket type or purchase time.
SMS messages
Text messaging has the highest open rates and is perfect for ticket delivery. Send secure links via SMS that open to mobile wallet-compatible tickets. It is great for last-minute purchases and days of reminders, so attendees have tickets on their phones.
Social sharing
Allow attendees to share their ticket purchases across platforms with one click. Add social sharing buttons that generate custom posts, leading to organic event promotion. Offer incentives for social shares, exclusive content or upgrade opportunities.
Landing pages
Create dedicated, mobile-friendly landing pages where attendees can access their tickets. These pages can include event details, maps, schedules and FAQs, a resource beyond the ticket itself. Custom URLs make it easy and trackable.
Retargeting
Use cookie-based retargeting to reconnect with people who viewed but didn’t buy tickets. Show personalized ads with your custom ticket design to keep brand visibility and convert interested prospects.
QR codes and contactless distribution
QR codes make check-in easy and contactless. Design visually appealing codes that match your event brand and ensure quick scanning in any lighting.
Cross-promotion with other brands
Team up with other brands to get your tickets out to more people. Swap promotional chances with them to reach audiences already interested in similar experiences.
Geofenced notification distribution
Deploy location-based notifications to distribute tickets or promotional offers to potential attendees in specific geographic areas. Target high-traffic areas relevant to your event theme to capture interested audiences in their natural habitat.
Start a 45-day free trial now.
Using custom tickets in your event marketing plan
Image source: Freepik
When designed well, tickets can build excitement and reinforce your brand before, during and after your occasion.
Pre-event engagement
Turn your custom tickets into engagement tools before your event even starts. Add countdown timers to create anticipation and urgency.
Embed personalized messages to make attendees feel special from the moment they buy. Consider a tiered reveal system where ticket designs change as the event approaches to keep excitement high and encourage sharing.
Add interactive elements like augmented reality features that reveal event experiences when scanned to create shareable moments that expand your reach organically.
During event
Your custom tickets continue to work as multi-functional tools during the event. Design them as event guides with scannable zones that reveal venue maps, schedules and artist info.
Add gamification elements where attendees scan ticket elements at different locations to unlock experiences or offers.
Use tickets as digital passports to track attendance at specific sessions and offer personalized content and networking opportunities.
Post-event follow-up
Custom tickets have value long after your event is over. Add post-event access codes to unlock exclusive content, recordings or limited-time offers.
Turn digital tickets into personalized certificates of attendance or achievement that attendees can use professionally.
Add post-event surveys directly into the ticket platform to capture feedback while engagement is high.
Data collection and future marketing
Every interaction with your custom tickets is data. See which elements get the most engagement and refine future designs.
Analyze scanning patterns to understand attendee movement and preferences. Build robust profiles based on ticket usage to inform segmented marketing for future events.
Create lookalike audiences from your most engaged ticket holders to precisely target similar prospects in future campaigns.
Localization strategies for global events
Image source: Freepik
When designing tickets for global events, like sporting events, thinking about how to make them work for international guests is very important.
Multi-language support
Include multiple languages on your tickets so all guests feel welcome. You might want to use:
- QR codes linking to translated event details
- Clear universal symbols that work across language barriers
Remember that text expansion can occur when translating from English to other languages—allow extra space in the design for your special event tickets!
Cultural considerations in ticket design
Colors, symbols and images can mean different things in different cultures. What works in one country might be inappropriate in another.
Be mindful of using:
- Colors that have positive associations with target cultures
- Date formats that match local conventions (MM/DD vs. DD/MM)
- Imagery that respects cultural sensitivities
Global event planning requires careful localization of all materials, including tickets.
Time zone management for worldwide distribution
Your tickets should clearly indicate times in ways that prevent confusion across time zones. This approach helps guests know exactly when to arrive, no matter where they’re coming from.
Currency handling for international sales
When selling tickets globally, pricing considerations are critical. Creating personalized experiences includes making payment easy.
Consider these options:
- Show prices in multiple major currencies
- Use dynamic currency conversion at checkout
- Include information about accepted payment methods
ROI analysis for custom tickets
Image source: Freepik
Custom event tickets can boost your overall return on investment. Let’s look at how investing in well-designed tickets pays off!
Financial benefits
- The increased perceived value of your event
- Ability to charge premium prices for unique experiences
- Higher attendance rates lead to greater revenue
You might wonder if custom tickets are worth the extra cost. When you measure your event ROI, beautiful tickets often lead to surprising benefits.
Forget custom ticket printing and perforated tickets.
ROI calculation example
| Investment | Return | ROI |
| Basic tickets: $0.50 each | Standard attendance | Baseline |
| Custom tickets: $2.00 each | 15% attendance increase | Higher revenue + word-of-mouth marketing |
Tracking the right metrics is essential. You’ll want to keep an eye on attendance rates, social media mentions, and post-event survey responses specifically related to your tickets.
Remember to calculate your ROI by comparing the extra cost of custom tickets to increased ticket sales, attendance and social media engagement. The numbers will speak for themselves!
Digital ticketing sustainability
Going digital with your event tickets isn’t just trendy – it’s eco-friendly! Digital tickets eliminate all the waste associated with paper tickets, saving trees and reducing paper demand.
Think about the time saved when you don’t have to print physical tickets. Traditional ticket printing requires paper, ink and electricity plus transportation for delivery.
Your turnaround time will be much faster with digital options. Need last-minute tickets? No problem! With PassKit, digital tickets can be created and sent instantly, whereas printed tickets can take days to produce and ship.
Why go digital
By choosing digital ticketing, you reduce the environmental impact of physical transport and production loads. It makes a difference!
Many modern ticketing platforms also allow you to highlight your green initiatives on the tickets. It shows your guests you care about sustainability.
Your guests will love the convenience too – no more worrying about forgetting tickets at home! Everything they need is on their phone, making entry smooth and eco-friendly.
Compliance and legal requirements for custom tickets
When creating your own event tickets, staying legal is just as important as making them look good. Your tickets need to include terms and conditions for purchase, including refund policies and event rules.
Make sure your tickets display essential legal information. It protects you and your guests from misunderstandings.
Must-haves on your tickets
- Event date, time and venue
- Ticket price and purchase policy
- Refund/cancellation policy
- Age restrictions (if applicable)
- Liability disclaimers
- Your business information
If you’re running a raffle at your event, be extra careful! Raffles have specific legal requirements that vary by location. Some areas require permits or have restrictions on how raffles can operate.
Custom raffle tickets should have unique numbers, clear prize information and drawing details. It is for transparency and fairness.
Consider adding QR codes or barcodes to your tickets. They look professional, authenticate guest entry and prevent ticket fraud.
Check with local authorities if you’re unsure about specific regulations for your event type.
Conclusion about custom event tickets
Creating custom event tickets doesn’t have to be hard. With the right tools and approach, you can design tickets that impress your guests and provide all the information.
Remember to include all the event details like date, time and location. Your tickets should match your event’s theme and style to create a cohesive experience for attendees. There are many customization options to tailor your tickets to your style and event requirements.
Quality matters! When you design event tickets, you’re not just creating an entry pass—you’re creating the first impression of your event.
PassKit makes this all easy and stress-free. The platform lets you:
- Create professional tickets in minutes
- Add your branding elements seamlessly
- Generate scannable tickets
- Send tickets using online and offline channels
- Instantly communicate with your guests
Why struggle with complicated design software when PassKit does it all for you? Our templates are easy to use and flexible enough to make unique tickets.
Start a 45-day free trial now and create tickets for your upcoming event!
