I like Katy Perry. Yeah, I know she's cute, but there's more to her than most people give her credit for. Whether or not she will have an enduring career is any one's guess and will fall completely on her follow-up record. However, she's making a very smart decision on her tour this year according to this Billboard article:"Our philosophy has always been to sell places out," says Creative Artists Agency's Mitch Rose, who worked Perry's tour. "We set the ticket price at $18-$20 for most markets, because we wanted to ensure a sellout. We could have charged more and we know we're leaving money on the table, but making sure the rooms were packed was our first priority."
I attend approximately 50 shows a year and it continues to amaze me at the number of empty seats at these shows. Even the Van Halen reunion show had some empty seats and if an act who hasn't toured in two decades needs to drape off unsold seats, then anyone can fall victim.
Whether you play bars, clubs, theaters, arenas or stadiums, you should have one focus in mind: Make sure you fill every seat. Artists have been taking the big bucks up front versus assuring every seat is filled. The reality is that even if there is one empty seat at your show, your price point is too high. Perry is keeping her seats at $18 to $20 (in clubs no less) to guarantee sell-outs. Word of mouth will spread. What's the greatest way to guarantee press? When demand outweighs product. Look at those Sony PlayStation's and Wii's. Initial sales were through the roof because they didn't overproduce them. Artists should always under price their ticket. Their fans will thank them and reward them in the long run.
