Event ticketing in e-commerce is a multi-billion-dollar industry, yet it remains an area of both potential and persistent challenges. From small meetups to international conferences and mega-concerts, the demand for seamless digital ticketing solutions continues to grow. However, the current market landscape reveals strengths, weaknesses, and gaps that leave room for innovation.

1. Widespread adoption of digital ticketing: The transition from physical to digital tickets has been largely successful. Consumers now expect a paperless experience, with QR codes and mobile tickets becoming the norm. This shift reduces costs for event organizers and simplifies admission logistics.
   

2. Integration with payment systems: Many platforms support a variety of payment methods, from credit cards to digital wallets like PayPal and Apple Pay, making transactions fast and secure.
   

3. Advanced marketing tools: Ticketing providers often use marketing actions like promotional codes, early-bird pricing, and affiliate programs. These features help event coordinators maximize ticket sales and reach their target audience effectively.
   

4. Mobile-friendly experiences: Most modern solutions are optimized for mobile devices, allowing attendees to purchase tickets, receive updates, and manage their bookings seamlessly on their smartphones. This aligns with the growing reliance on mobile technology in everyday life.
   

5. Real-time reporting and analytics: Many ticketing platforms now deliver real-time dashboards that allow organizers to track ticket sales, revenue, and attendee demographics instantly. This empowers organizers to make data-driven decisions and adjust their marketing strategies on the fly.

While the event ticketing market continues to evolve, there are still gaps that prevent it from reaching its full potential.  Basically, all commonly used platforms are distributed in the SaaS model with very limited customisation options. OK, you can often switch the general theme and colour of the form but even changing its font is already impossible. The embedded modal is usually everything you can generate - just paste it on your website and forget about creating any unique experience for your fans.

Another significant shortcoming is the limited integration of merchandising options. Event coordinators often aim to present their full offer by bundling tickets with merchandise, such as branded apparel or exclusive products, but current systems make this process impossible. The only way to go about this is to launch a separate merch store on a specific e-commerce platform like Shopify, Wix, or WooCommerce. This disconnect results in missed revenue opportunities and a fragmented buying journey for attendees.

Non-transparent pricing models also remain a critical pain point. Most ticketing platforms operate on a commission-based model, charging a fee per ticket sold. And it's not just the direct fee that's a problem - hidden costs like service, processing, or "convenience" fees often lurk in the fine print. These frequently come as an unpleasant surprise at checkout, catching both organizers and attendees off guard.

Addressing these missing elements is not just about filling gaps; it’s about reimagining what event ticketing can achieve. By focusing on flexibility, integration, affordability, and attendee-centric innovation, the industry has the potential to unlock a new era of seamless, engaging, and profitable event management.

Elliot is not your average ticketing solution. It is built on the rock-solid foundation of Sylius, a highly flexible e-commerce framework, and is like having a Swiss Army knife for your ticketing needs.

Here's what makes Elliot a ticketing superstar:

1.   Open architecture: Forget proprietary shackles. Elliot is totally customizable, so you can tweak and extend it to infinity (and beyond). This means the possibility of building a unique ticketing system and experience for your fans. Of course, you can also go for a simple, classical ticketing modal integrated into your existing website.

2.   E-verything-commerce: Elliot leverages one of the leading e-commerce systems on the market, giving you access to robust tools like “norma” product management (i.e. enabling sales of merch and tickets from the same website or app, and through the same checkout!), order processing, promotions, and more.

3. Cloud-flexible: Like any good alien, Elliot is at home in the cloud, ready to be deployed on any platform - be it giants like AWS, GCP, Azure or OVH, PaaS like Heroku and Digital Ocean, or on-premises if that's your preference. There are no restrictions but if you go for our hosting service, we shall probably provide it with the #1 Symfony cloud, Platform.sh.

4. Lucid pricing: Elliot makes it easy for event organizers to control all the risks typical for the industry. You pay a transparent and affordable tier, and nothing more! No more surprising your fans with unexpected platform fees. As we're still in the early phase of product development, contact us at elliot@commerceweavers.com to discuss the sweet price spot just for you!

So far, Elliot consists of the following features:

1. Call for Papers module: Managing speaker submissions? Elliot’s got you covered with a sleek submission form and UI for abstracts, speaker details, and preferences.
   

2. Page builder: Create dynamic event pages with schedules, speaker profiles, and track agendas – no coding required.
   

3. Ticket management system: Elliot offers advanced features, including pool price & availability configuration, bulk send & export, ownership transfers, and QR code scanning for check-ins.
   

4. Email integration: Keep attendees informed with built-in tools from Email Labs for personalized, bulk notifications. Using MailChimp or other mailing app? No problem, we'll integrate it for you.
   

5. Secure payments: Benefit from our functionality-rich SyliusTpayPlugin when selling in Poland. For international event organizers, we're planning to integrate Stripe and Mollie. So far, we'd encourage you to have your own payment account for one of the mentioned PSPs. However, becoming a MoR (Merchant of Record), so accepting payments on your behalf and later doing the payouts, is also on the roadmap.

Check the full set of functionalities at https://elliot.events/ and contact us using the form below the article in order to schedule a demo, and discuss the features you desire. ;)

Let's take a quick trip to Poland, where the PHPers Summit, one of the largest PHP developer events in the country, revolutionized its ticketing process with Elliot. In 2024, the meetup welcomed nearly 1,000 attendees, and every ticket sold without a hiccup - no hidden fees, no technical glitches, just a smooth and intuitive process from start to finish.

Guests praised the effortless ticket purchase experience and secure payments. Elliot's QR code scanning functionality made check-in a breeze, significantly reducing entry lines and ensuring a professional first impression.

With Elliot, the PHPers team didn't just sell tickets - they delivered a complete, modernized event experience. It's a testament to how Elliot empowers organizers to focus on creating memorable events while leaving the complexities of ticketing management behind. Read the full success story here.

If you’ve been dreaming of a ticketing platform that’s as adaptable as your favorite open-source tools, Elliot is the answer. Whether you’re hosting a small workshop or a multi-day conference, Elliot makes managing tickets (and attendees) as simple as pie. Start your free trial now and discover why Elliot is the future of e-commerce ticketing.