How Amateur Fight Nights Can Fill More Seats
To put on a good fight night, amateur events need to find interesting fighters, a crowd, a venue, as well as pay for other expenses like insurance, medics, security, production, and everything else in between.
An organization like the UFC can fill such events without an issue. An amateur fight night, however, struggles with this. They have very little recognition, which often leads to their fighters having to sell the tickets.
Why Fighters End Up Selling the Tickets
When it comes to many amateur fight nights, fighters and their managers are the ones selling the tickets. International IFS, for example, requires fighters to sell at least 20 tickets to cover the production costs.
Many fighters are usually only able to sell a handful of tickets, unless they have a large following already. However, most of the time, it’s to fellow gym members, family, and perhaps some friends.
But what if there was a way for venues to pull in more revenue themselves? They may be able to do so by copying what other industries are doing, taking the burden away from the fighter and allowing them to train with less stress.
Three Levers Other Industries Already Pull
Welcome offers work excellently when it comes to attracting new people, and we see them all the time.
Audible, for example, gives new customers 30 days free with one audiobook credit. Members can cancel anytime, and then they pay $8.99 per month afterward. Many entertainment businesses do the same. An online casino, for instance might offer a casino bonus for new players, like depositing £10 and receiving 50 free spins.
These welcome bonuses work as they give someone a reason to take action. It also rewards someone for trying something new in a way that provides them a deal. Amateur fight nights could use this tactic to get people to try out the event for a discounted rate.
Apart from welcome offers, other industries also use refer-a-friend schemes. These are ideal as they turn the person who’s coming into an advertisement machine. The more people they invite, the more rewards they receive.
Finally, there are season passes. Minor-league baseball sells season tickets before opening day, and cinema membership often bundles a year of visits in one membership. The goal here is to get someone locked in for a season, turning a single sale into a larger one. This one also ties in well with refer-a-friend schemes – if someone is attending regularly, they’re likely want to bring people with them.
What It Looks Like on Fight Night
When organized well, all three of the mentioned tactics can help amateur fight nights. But it’s no good just to do a half-hearted attempt. These offers only make sense if they’re well-planned and make sense based on the target buyer.
For example, a welcome offer needs to be inviting enough to attract new visitors, without making the venue seem desperate and putting people off assuming there will only be a small audience. Refer-a-friend schemes need to be enticing, but not giving away so much that you end up losing money on a sale. And season passes need to have some flexibility – if a person can’t attend, that’s an empty seat, unless you include buy-back schemes or the ability to have some go in their stead.
Overall though, taking the ticket selling away from the fighters would be beneficial – their focus will be on training, and putting on a great fight, rather than sales.
