Who Gets Comped? Building a “Comps” Strategy That Works

Whether you’re a small community theatre or a large educational program, complimentary tickets, commonly called “comp tickets,” or “comps,” are a necessary part of the ticketing landscape. Comps are incredibly helpful for any theatre, as they can help you build relationships with new clients, reward loyal supporters, and attract media attention.

However, without a clear strategy for your comps, these tickets can also eat into necessary revenue streams and create confusion among patrons. Developing a well-thought-out comps strategy ensures that your complimentary ticketing serves your organization’s goals to their maximum potential, all while maintaining fairness and transparency for everyone.

If you want to get on top of your complimentary ticketing strategy, On The Stage explains why smart strategies matter, who should typically receive comp tickets, what factors you should consider when deciding who gets them, and practical tips for creating a system that truly works.

Why You Need a Comps Strategy

Many theatres of every size hand out comp tickets on a case-by-case basis, as a favor, or even as an afterthought or on a whim. While the intent behind these comps is typically good, a lack of strategy can lead to inconsistencies, upset patrons, misunderstandings, and lost revenue. Here are some reasons why building a formal comps strategy just makes sense:

1. Helps You Avoid Over- and Undergiving

With the right comp strategy, you’re finding a happy medium between over- and under-giving. After all, handing out too many complimentary tickets can diminish your revenue, and being overly restrictive with comp tickets can alienate important stakeholders and make the community view you as “stingy.” A well thought-out and consistent comps strategy ensures you’re striking the right balance and allocating tickets where they’ll have the most impact.

2. Protects Revenue While Building Goodwill

While you may think of a complimentary ticket as just a freebie, it’s much more than that – it’s an investment in relationships, old and new. When executed correctly, comps help you strengthen ties with donors, community partners, the media, and other key players in your theatre’s success. But without stringent guidelines on who gets what, you risk giving away too much and harming your bottom line.

3. Ensures Fairness and Transparency

A clear comps policy eliminates confusion for patrons and prevents allegations of favoritism. When a comps strategy is clearly outlined, staff, volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders know exactly what to expect — which fosters trust and avoids potential disputes and bad blood. Transparency with comps also helps when reporting to your school board or to key stakeholders who may review your ticketing policies.

Who Typically Gets Comps (and Why)

1. VIPs, Donors, and Sponsors

We know what you’re thinking – why give comps to people who can clearly afford to buy tickets? Well, donors and sponsors are essential to your theatre’s survival, and offering them complimentary tickets shows appreciation for their loyalty. It also helps them engage with the performances they support and encourages future contributions, and builds even more goodwill. Alongside, VIP patrons often receive comps as part of membership perks or sponsorship packages – a reward for already spending money with your theatre.

2. Media and Press

It’s no secret that media coverage is invaluable for promoting theatrical showcases, especially for smaller organizations or school programs with limited budgets. Providing complimentary tickets to journalists, bloggers, influencers, critics, news stations, and other outlets ensures they can experience the performance firsthand, resulting in potential reviews, features, or social media mentions. Don’t leave that type of exposure to chance!

3. Staff, Volunteers, and Performers

Employees, volunteers, and performers are the backbone of your operations. (I mean, you literally wouldn’t have a show without them!) This means that complimentary tickets can act as recognition for their hard work and dedication. This act of comping their tickets not only boosts morale for your team, but also encourages continued engagement and loyalty.

4. Community Partners or Educators

Partnerships with local schools, community organizations, or educational programs can help in the very important effort to broaden your audience and strengthen your community ties. That said, offering complimentary tickets (or even just promo codes and discounts) for teachers, students, or nonprofit partners can help build goodwill and encourage repeat attendance. This also helps with your theatre’s optics: positioning your organization as an accessible community resource.

Factors to Consider When Deciding Who Gets Comps

It may be hard to decide who should receive complimentary tickets to your next show. Before making your selections, remember that it should be a thoughtful process – not a random decision. Consider the following factors before handing out comps:

1. Contribution or Value to Your Theatre

Does the individual or group provide financial support, publicity, or other important contributions to your theatre? For example, donors, sponsors, and media partners bring real value to your theatre, which is why they’re rewarded with comps.

2. Frequency and Volume

How often is a certain person or group receiving comped tickets? Of these groups, how many tickets are being given out to each during these cycles? Regularly providing large quantities of comps can strain your budget and potentially diminish the perceived value of the ticket.

3. Relationship-Building Goals

As we’ve discussed, comps can be a strategic tool for cultivating mutually beneficial relationships. For instance, offering complimentary tickets to potential major donors or high-profile community leaders might lead to long-term support, publicity, or lucrative partnerships.

4. Equity and Accessibility

Consider the demographics of your patrons and who you’re missing from the audience night to night. Then, use comps to make performances accessible to underserved audiences or groups who might not otherwise attend. This aligns your comps strategy with broader community engagement goals while reinforcing your passion for inclusion.

Tips for Creating an Effective Comps Strategy

A strategic approach ensures your comps serve multiple purposes: relationship-building, marketing, community engagement, and revenue management. If you’re looking for a few tips for creating an effective comps strategy, try the following:

1. Define Clear Policies

Create written guidelines outlining who qualifies for comps, the maximum number of comps allowed per group, and how requests are handled with your theatre. This clarity will reduce confusion and ensure consistent implementation across all your box office staff members.

2. Track and Monitor Usage

Use a ticketing system (e.g., On The Stage) to track complimentary tickets. Monitoring usage helps prevent over-distribution, allows for accurate auditing, and provides valuable data to refine your strategy over time. You’ll also be able to see how many comped tickets are redeemed, helping you hone in on the right audiences for these tickets.

3. Align Comps with Organizational Goals

Every complimentary ticket you give out should serve a purpose. Whether it’s building donor loyalty, rewarding your volunteers, or promoting community partnerships, ensure comps align with your broader goals and budget constraints and aren’t given out on a whim.

4. Communicate Clearly with Recipients

When providing comps to your audiences, clarify any important restrictions, expiration dates, or special instructions they need to follow. Clear communication ensures recipients understand the value and limits of the tickets, reducing potential misunderstandings that lead to angry calls or (gasp!) bad reviews.

5. Leverage Technology

Modern ticketing platforms, like On The Stage, make it easy to manage comp tickets efficiently. You can allocate these tickets, track their usage, and generate helpful reports with minimal manual effort, allowing your team to focus on delivering a great audience experience.

How On The Stage Can Help

If we haven’t hammered it home enough, a well-planned complementary ticket strategy is a powerful tool for audience development, relationship management, and community engagement. To create a smart and lucrative comp strategy, however, you may need a little help. That’s where On The Stage comes in.

On The Stage’s comp ticket tools simplify the process, helping theatres, educational programs, and performing arts organizations of all sizes manage their complimentary tickets efficiently. With easy tracking, reporting, and flexible allocation options, your team can focus on what matters most: creating great art.

If you’re ready to streamline your comps strategy for the season, book a personalized demo with On The Stage today.