The best venues aren’t just keeping up. They’re rolling with change, using smarter tools, and making things better for fans.

Opendate and TBA Agency threw down in Milwaukee! Scroll on for scenes from one the week's best hangs.

Join our July webinar to learn how top venue leaders are using creative programming, audience-building, and festival collabs to boost revenue (even during "slow" seasons!)

Opendate, the all-in-one platform for independent live venues, is entering a major new chapter with expanded leadership, marquee venue partners, a breakthrough AI-powered product called Conductor, fresh funding, and a new Chicago office—all timed to reshape the industry ahead of the 2025 NIVA conference.

Here are 5 small shifts that make an impact.

Venues don’t need big budgets to build loyalty, just creative, community-driven memberships that offer access and purpose.

First Avenue is seeing 90% open rates on membership emails by ditching the fluff, treating members like insiders, not just another list.

What actually works when you’re trying to move the needle on show marketing, and what falls apart when you’re juggling 20 shows a week?

We cover real-world examples, creative ideas, and practical tips to help you turn casual show-goers into lifelong supporters.

Independent venues are shifting toward more transparent, collaborative merch policies to balance sustainability and stronger artist relationships.

A guest blog post from Jenny Boyts, CEO of Forty5.

Ticket sales are just one piece of the puzzle. To keep a venue thriving, operators have to think beyond the door price.

Every quarter, Live Nation rolls out their earnings report, and while ticket sales always make the headlines, the real story is in the fine print: ancillary revenue is king.

Explore the merch cut debate, industry shifts, and revenue solutions for venues with a panel of venue operators.

How much ancillary revenue per fan are you driving? How are you growing it to stay competitive?

Steven Chilton of the Rebel Lounge shares how collaboration, data, and creativity help indie venues thrive amid market volatility.

Success in 2025 hinges on prioritizing must-see acts, using data wisely, and fostering strong industry partnerships.

Venues are finding creative ways to boost revenue, from offering trendy non-alcoholic drinks to hosting fun themed nights and refining their operations.

2024 was chaotic for live music, but industry veterans are entering 2025 with lessons in adaptability, collaboration, and smarter strategies.

Partnering with artists through strategies like dark ads and co-branded content boosts engagement and ticket sales by leveraging their fan base.

Watch our final Make More Money webinar of 2024!

Fans today expect personalized outreach that speaks directly to their interests, and the key to delivering that is segmentation.

Mastering the ticket sales funnel—awareness, engagement, and conversion—is key to turning fans into buyers.

The secondary market's become a free-for-all, with resellers outpacing real fans. So, how did we get here?

Feeling stuck with ticketing chaos? You’re not alone. While we can’t make scalpers vanish overnight, we can take real steps toward change. Check out how you can help.

17,000 emails later, Maryland made history! Audrey Schaeffer of NIVA shares how fans rallied together to fight ticket scams and push for real change.

Join our guest host, Brian Bauer, President of Bauer Entertainment Marketing, for a deep dive into strategies that drive growth.

Written by Opendate CEO Jeb Banner, this op-ed explores how creative collaboration, resilience, and a love for music laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial success.

Chris Copen, owner of Pittsburgh’s iconic Bottlerocket Social Hall, reveals how he’s built a unique, community-driven venue blending comedy, creativity, and inclusive events that keep audiences coming back.

The pandemic's disruptions forced venues to adapt, leading to new strategies that minimize financial losses from cancellations and postponements. Now, many venues are better prepared, having rethought kill fees and embraced new approaches to stay ahead.

The IEBA 2024 conference underscored the need for better ticketing solutions, emphasizing dynamic pricing, fan engagement, and smarter marketing.

Independent venues, like Mike Logan's in Lawrence, KS, serve as cultural hubs by partnering with local businesses, such as a vintage toy store, to create immersive experiences that resonate personally with their communities, offering more than just a live show.

A strong marketing strategy is crucial for ticket sales, but effectively placing the right content and getting artists to share it can be a challenging and chaotic process.

Hear from a panel of venue owners and industry pros who’ll offer insights and advice on how to navigate the complexities of the secondary market.

Good communication is the secret to smooth, successful events for venues and promoters. By tackling common challenges, using helpful tools, and adjusting how you stay in touch based on the event, you can keep everything running seamlessly.

How do you combat the rise of bots and scalpers, ensuring tickets go to the real fans?

By teaming up and pooling institutional knowledge, indie venues can plan smarter and create rewarding live music experiences.

Beyond the deal sheets and the hustle, it’s the shared insights between promoters and venues that can turn a good night into an unforgettable—and profitable—one.

Karl Morse, agent and partner at Arrival Artists, shared tips from his experience for venue owners and operators.

Bob dives into the tricky relationship between streaming numbers and live show ticket sales.

Our September Make More Money event will feature a panel of industry folks discussing "The Venue/Promoter Relationship".

Watch the recording the August event of our "Make More Money" series, where we dive into the changing dynamics of touring and tips from talent buyers on how they've evolved their strategy.

Bob Lefsetz, prominent music industry analyst and critic, discusses the dynamics and challenges of the club business.

Bottlerocket Social Hall in Pittsburgh is known for its diverse and community-focused events. They are now enhancing their community engagement with their latest venture, Bottledogs, a mobile hot dog cart that sells printed tickets.

Watch the recording of our 1:1 chat with analyst and critic of "The Lefsetz Letter", Bob Lefsetz.

Ever wondered what it takes to truly thrive in the venue business? Join us for our next Make More Money webinar, "So You Bought a Venue - the Venue Owner/Operator Experience."

The 2024 NIVA conference in New Orleans highlighted a common trend across all panels: marketing!

This stellar lineup of industry experts shares their insights on all things ticketing.

See the new features in Opendate.

Our panelists of venue talent buyers dive into the toolkit they use daily - resources, tools, and events they attend that are vital for success in their field. 

Watch the recording of our Make More Money Ticketing webinar with a panel of 5 industry experts.

Watch the recording of our most recent live demo for venue owners and operators.

What tools are you using for talent buying? What deal structures? How are you negotiating the best buys for your venue?

ICYMI - Opendate's purpose-built venue calendar tool is now part of our free Opener plan. Get started today!

It's time to level up your revenue game.

Let's talk about taking your venue to the next level in 2024. We all know that selling tickets is crucial, but what if I told you there's a secret sauce to boost your revenue even more?

Join our panelists for a discussion and Q&A on how they're finding success running unique events outside of talent buy.

The Opendate team recently attended the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) conference in New York. It provided a great opportunity to connect with colleagues, engage with existing clients, and forge new relationships within the dynamic world of performing arts. Here's a recap of what we learned during our time at APAP.

Live music had a big year in 2023! We asked a number of venue owners and operators what they learned and took away from 2023. These 5 themes rose to the top.

Watch the recording of our December Make More Money series where 4 trailblazers in venue marketing discussed marketing shows, events and tours.

Subscribe for regular tips from venue owners and managers alike on the unique and effective ways they're growing their business.

Watch the demo recording of our new Finance Features, plus insight into Opendate ticketing and more.

Tickets are a HOT commodity, so you want to have a ticketing system that is easy for your employees to use. Less time spent on ticketing equals more time to plan your event to wow fans and focus on additional revenue streams, like add-ons and upgrades.

Before you can pack the house, you need to sell tickets. How do you sell out an event to turn that dream into a reality? With Opendate, there are three ways you can drive more ticket sales for your venue.

Let us help you take Offer Management to the next level. Opendate lets you build and send offers directly within our app AND track responses from each artist. Dive deeper to learn about the benefits this solution will offer you.

Finding talent doesn’t have to take all your time and energy. Opendate’s Artist Discovery solution takes away the hassle of searching for talent with a database of close to 1.7 million performers. That’s a lot to choose from!

Opendate’s integrated calendar solution isn’t like any other - it was purpose-built for venue management. You can officially manage all your holds and confirms across multiple venues in just ONE calendar. 

From first contact through settlement, Opendate is the all-in-one platform for the live music industry. Get started for free today.

Equip your team with a purpose-built platform that has venue management and ticketing tools in an all-in-one solution. To pull off a successful event, your team needs the necessary tools to get it done.

Time to pack your venues with both new and existing fans! It surprises people to know that marketing often requires crunching numbers and recording data. Data is especially helpful in acquiring new audiences and can help your venue succeed in the long run. 

It’s time to get to know your fans! By being in tune with your fans, you can provide them the best experience possible and continue to build a loyal fan base while creating higher revenue. There’s always room for improvement, and Opendate can provide assistance with collecting actionable fan data.

A National Survey conducted by Opendate reveals 80.6% of venues are focusing on increasing ticket revenue in 2023. Is your venue management tool offering ways to hit your revenue goals?

Opendate makes key hires to accelerate growth and development of its best-in-class venue management and ticketing solution software platform.

From riders and contracts to posters and flyers, keep everything you need in one place where the right people have access.

Introducing the Branded Venue app — a must-have app for those who work in the music industry and those who are looking to build a loyal fan base for their venue.

At Opendate, we pride ourselves on having the quickest, most efficient way to create tickets in the music industry all within one platform. 

At Opendate, we’ve created a solution that helps venues understand their fans, improve marketing abilities and a solution to sell more tickets by communicating with fans of your venue, specific genres, artists and more.

Opendate was founded and built by venue owners, and one of our core features in our all-in-one venue management solution is our Calendar. 

Between sourcing talent for your venue, confirming holds, and promoting shows, your plate is full. Here's how to de-risk your booking process and calculate ROI with each show.

A first hand account of how Opendate's mobile organizer app can help take your event from chaotic to controlled.

A few things every venue should consider when evaluating their ticketing provider.

Running a venue is rewarding, but tough work. Opendate can help you and your team get more out of your time and effort by simplifying process, providing better data, and being a single source of truth for all the moving parts it takes to put on a great show.

Opendate’s integrations with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter save time when it comes to creating and scheduling content to share with your venue’s fans.

Every venue can benefit from one more show - Opendate makes it easier to get the right act on your stage.

We'll break down and share some insight on five key takeaways from Opendate’s recent Crowdcast with Sarah Silcox, Director of Marketing at the Vogue, a historic venue in Indianapolis.

Opendate’s integration with Eventbrite is easy to use and can save venues a lot of time in getting information to booking agents and artists management.

We’ve been talking to a lot of venues…here’s what we’ve learned and how we can help.