Ticketleap Debuts Selfie Tickets Giving DIY Event Ticketing A Personal Touch

Selfies are now a hallmark of social media that arguably represents a democratization of self-portraiture. And they're fun. So Ticketleap's new "Selfie Tickets" offer an easy way to personalize tickets for indie events that are a great replacement for QR codes and other forms of barcodes. Available via both iOS and Android apps, it's not hard to imagine Selfie Tickets increasing word of mouth. In fact, it's pretty easy to imagine these tickets becoming a new form of shareable media both before and after the fact. Definitely a game changer for the DIY ticketing scene.

I wrote about Ticketleap in late 2012 and they were already doing a lot of smart things. I haven't had the opportunity to look closely at everything they're doing these days for this post but I think the introduction of Selfie Tickets is a great idea that stands on its own.

Available via iOS and Android apps, Selfie Tickets should add an extra dimension to events that will get people talking before and after.

Here's how they work:

"The event creator decides to use Selfie Tickets for his/her event and enables them in Ticketleap (they can also enable QR codes as an alternative method)."

"All ticket holders get an email 24 hours before the start of the event, prompting them that it’s time to create their Selfie Ticket. It includes a link to download the Ticketleap app (available for iOS and Android) in case they don’t already have it."

"In the app, they’ll see any Ticketleap tickets they’ve bought. They’ll chose the event and take their selfie. They can retake the photo as many times as they’d like — we felt strongly than our latent vanity be accommodated here."

"Once they’re happy with it, they save it and — boom — we generate their secure, unique Selfie Ticket."

Ticketleap's previous apps were only for event creators. The relaunched apps with Selfie Ticket capabilities are basically an expansion of those apps and there is said to be more to come.

I think there are good arguments for having separate apps for separate roles but, then again, as Ticketleap points out, indie event creators also attend events (and vice versa). It may well be that having one app helps Ticketleap expand their uptake though that's pretty speculative on my part.

Though I don't think of QR codes as alienating, Ticketleap's been hearing that some event creators don't even bother to scan QR codes because they either aren't figuring out that process or find them "over-engineered" and "too robotic."

Here are some related points well-stated by Ticketleap:

"most importantly, they’re not alienating. They highlight humanness, not the transaction. They’re friendly and simple to check at the door.

"the event creator doesn’t have to have any equipment to check people in (no scanning needed)"

"nor do they need a reliable data connection"

"they can reduce lines at the door — a quick visual scan is fast and easy"

"they’re more fun for event goers. We’re actually giving them a legitimate excuse to take the perfect selfie. And then they get to see themselves on their ticket."

"the Ticketleap app makes it easy to find your ticket — no scrambling through email or your purse at the event"

Ticketleap also points out that their Selfie Tickets should be hard to counterfeit. However, it would be nice if there was a way to give your ticket to a friend if you couldn't make the event. Ticketleap leaves refunds and exchanges up to organizers but personalization could actually discourage ticket trading.

That's one thing if you're concerned about scalpers but most DIY events don't have that problem. On other hand, most of us are rushing to help bring on a total surveillance society that will take a whole lot of slack out of the system. It would be nice to maintain some flexibility and such options may even become a selling point when that extraction of slack becomes increasingly painful. Which it will.

Dystopian predictions aside, a lot of us like to save tickets from meaningful events and not just from expensive events featuring famous people. It would be nice to have the option of archiving and printing out one's Selfie Tickets. It's also easy to imagine a social gallery of sorts being developed by Ticketleap to capitalize on the personal element inherent in Selfie Tickets.

Nice move Ticketleap.

Related FAQs:

• What to look for when checking Selfie Tickets at your event.
• I got a ticket — so… what’s the story with Selfie Tickets?
• What are Selfie Tickets and how do I use them?

More:

• TicketLeap Relaunches With Mobile Box Office & Easy Seating Chart Creation

Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/Facebook) is currently relaunching All World Dance. To suggest topics about music tech, DIY music biz or music marketing for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.