Show and event operators are often working with the same setup: high fixed costs regardless of how many tickets are sold and a limited marketing budget to fill those seats.
It’s a challenge we see across the world, from theater shows to sports venues. Broadway Inbound was facing it too. They needed to reach new audiences without stretching their budget, and GetYourGuide helped by putting them in front of travelers they weren’t already talking to.
So, how do you fill more seats without simply spending more on marketing? Here’s how it works in practice.
Tap into demand that’s already there
"A Wednesday matinee doesn't fill itself with locals. The demand is out there — a family from Germany planning New York three months out, an Australian couple building their London itinerary. They're just not finding you yet." — Sophie Beattie, Senior Business Development Manager, Shows & Live Events, GetYourGuide
Paid marketing can only do so much. At some point, spending more stops producing proportionally more bookings.
The ideal scenario is access to an audience that is already looking to make a booking. For Broadway Inbound, that was part of what the GetYourGuide partnership offered: Travelers planning a trip to New York City and looking for ways to make the most of it.
Our paid ad placements also ensured that Broadway Inbound was being discovered on global platforms that travelers were already using to plan trips, like Google search results and travel booking and review sites. No additional spend was required from them.
Add a channel that doesn't compete with the ones you have
Adding a new marketing channel raises a fair question: Are these actually new customers, or would they have found you anyway?
Most travelers on GetYourGuide aren't searching for a particular show. They're looking for the best experience available in a destination. Something worth their time and money while they're there. For many of them, your show is a discovery, not something they'd already decided on.
That’s what mattered to Broadway Inbound – the travelers coming through GetYourGuide weren't ones they were already talking to. They were filling seats that would otherwise have stayed empty.
Our numbers back it up. Across operators who joined GetYourGuide, direct booking revenue grew by 16% in the 12 months after listing, while overall revenue increased by 41%. New audiences, not redistributed ones.
How it worked with Broadway Inbound
Broadway Inbound is one of the leading ticket sellers for New York City’s Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. After the pandemic, the GetYourGuide partnership accelerated their tech capabilities and set the tone for a relationship that has grown through the years.
A co-marketing campaign outperformed expectations in impressions and reach, tapping into global demand and driving sales without stretching their marketing budget.
On the operational side, API integration meant that ticket inventory and pricing could be managed at scale. It gave Broadway Inbound the infrastructure to expand their capabilities and freed up the team to keep a constructive, ongoing dialogue while testing new ideas and planning campaigns.
The takeaway
For show and event operators, relying on marketing spend alone to fill seats can be limiting.
Operators like Broadway Inbound are taking a different route: treating experience marketplaces as a way to grow, not just as an additional marketing channel. One that brings its own demand, reaches travelers who are ready to book, and doesn’t require investment upfront.
Ready to see how this can work for you?
Register as a supplier now or request a callback to speak to one of our team.
