Good afternoon one and all, I hope this finds you doing wonderfully.

I have a question which is most likely too broad but I will start here. I am researching software packages for a number of technology requirements for the CT that I am the current Chairman of (The Silver Stage Players in Elko, Nevada www.silverstage.org if you are curious). I am looking initially at fund raising/donor packages but not limited in scope to merely that. Looking for software for a number of disciplines including; stage management, theater administration, technical aspects, etc. I have seen software come and go for CT's I just havent been out there researching recently until yesterday and am curious if others have found software suites they really like. Any opinions, warnings, recommendations or anecdotes would be appreciated. Please feel free to e-mail us at act@silverstage.org

 

Thank you very much.

 

 

Frank L. Sawyer

Chairman 2006-07

While I was running theatres, I did a great deal of research on patron management systems.  At that time, (about 2 - 3 years ago), there were only three packages that I felt had all the bells and whistles I was looking for.  There may be many more, now, but I haven't had any reason to check back on other companies.  One of the companies I did purchase and install for a theatre I ran several years ago.  Another of them I might have switched to in the last theatre I was at.  The third I felt was way too powerful for the size of operation I had - it was also way more expensive - so I didn't seriously consider it. 

Unless they have expanded their software, at the time I was looking at them or using them, none of them provided the technical integration you are also looking at (e.g., technical, stage management, etc.).  However, they all can offer fairly comprehensive patron tracking, fundraising, and all manner of revenue generation tracking for your theatre.  None of them offered expense management systems (e.g., bookkeeping software), nor did they integrate directly with such systems (at least they didn't when I was using / researching them).  For information on bookkeeping systems, check out my recent Kibitzer column either on my website (www.concepttoexecution.com), or on the Community Theater Green Room site in their columns section under "articles". 

Anyway, back to the software systems:

Arts Management Systems:  www.artsman.com

It was their Theatre Manager software that I purchased and installed when I was managing a theatre about 7 or 8 years ago.  At the time, it was the only one I could find that was an entire patron management system and included tracking single tickets buyers, subscribers, mailing lists, events, functions, shows, and -- this was the kicker for me -- volunteer (or for professional theatres, artist/performer) tracking.  My experience with this software was that it was not especially intuitive and required a lot of training.  For a largely volunteer-operated box office, that became a bit of a problem, which eventually got resolved.  Even the folks at Arts Management admitted that organizations with paid and fully staffed box office personnel using the software day in and day out had far fewer problems with it than those with volunteer operated systems.  There were other quirks and problems with the system, some of them due to insufficient training, others to do with inherent complexities.  This was at least five years ago and the really wonderful thing about the folks at Arts Management was their willingness to work with their customers and integrate their suggestions into updated versions.  So, by now, it could be -- probably is -- a far superior product than it was when I got it. 

Choice Ticketing:  www.choiceticketing.com

Had I gotten the funding together, this is the system I probably would have gone with at the last theatre I managed.  They had all the key bells and whistles that Theatre Manager had, but seemed to be a little more intuitive and less complex.  Having never installed it and used it in a real life situation, that's about all I can tell you.  I spent time looking at them about 2 or 3 years ago, so I suspect they have added a great deal to their system.

Blackbaud:  www.blackbaud.com

Blackbaud may be the industry standard for a great deal of non-profit patron management systems.  Their "Raisers Edge" software is among the top-used fundraising software packages on the market.  What I didn't know until they called me was that they had also put in a ticketing package, a patron management package, and a volunteer management package.  The problem I had with them is that you had to purchase and install each package separately.  They all integrated with one another, but I never explored how comprehensively they integrated.  In other words, would I need to enter someone's name just once and it could be tracked in all the functions or would I have to enter it three times to correspond with the three (or two or four) different software packages I had.  In addition, I think they were far more expensive than the others. 

These are the three I spent some time looking at or using.  Remember, this was at least 2 - 3 years ago and these companies and others have most likely added bells and whistles, resolved problems, or created new ones during that time.  As I was looking for the web addresses of the companies listed above, I ran across a comprehensive ticketing software directory at www.capterra.com/ticketing-software  You may find this helpful in your research. 

Best of luck in your efforts! Keep us posted on what you find out and how you make out.