The Pricing Dilemma
Salah satu keputusan paling crucial untuk EO: pricing strategy. Set terlalu murah = rugi. Set terlalu mahal = tidak laku. Timing juga matters!
Mari kita bedah dua strategi populer: Early Bird vs Last Minute Pricing.
What is Early Bird Pricing?
Early bird = tiket dijual lebih murah di fase awal, kemudian harga naik gradually menjelang event.
Example:
- Phase 1 (Month 1-2): Rp150K (early bird)
- Phase 2 (Month 3-4): Rp200K (normal price)
- Phase 3 (Week before): Rp250K (last chance)
What is Last Minute Pricing?
Last minute = harga promo diberikan H-7 atau H-1 untuk mengisi sisa tiket yang belum sold out.
Example:
- Regular price: Rp200K
- H-7 flash sale: Rp150K
- H-1 desperate sale: Rp100K
Early Bird Pricing: Deep Dive
Advantages
1. Cash Flow lebih Awal
Dapat uang 3-4 bulan sebelum event = bisa:
- Book venue (biasanya deposit 50%)
- Down payment for talents/speakers
- Marketing budget
- Reduce loan/hutang
2. Gauge Demand
Jika early bird laris → event will be successful!
Jika sepi → ada warning signs, bisa adjust strategy
3. Builds Momentum
"500 early bird tiket sold out dalam 2 hari!" = powerful social proof
4. Rewarding Loyal Fans
Fans sejati akan appreciate discount dan feel special
5. FOMO Marketing
"Only 100 early bird left!" creates urgency
Disadvantages
1. Revenue Opportunity Cost
Setiap tiket early bird = lost potential revenue
Example: 1,000 tiket @ Rp150K (should be Rp200K) = Rp50 juta lost
2. Backfire jika Event Postponed
Sudah terima uang, tapi event cancel/reschedule = refund headache
3. Cannibalization
Customer yang mau bayar full price jadi wait for early bird instead
4. Perceived Value Drop
Jika diskon terlalu besar, audience wonder: "Is the event worth it?"
Last Minute Pricing: Deep Dive
Advantages
1. Maximize Regular Price Sales
Sebagian besar tiket terjual di harga normal = higher revenue
2. Fill Empty Seats
Daripada seats kosong (0 revenue), mending jual murah (some revenue)
3. Spontaneous Buyers
Some people decide last minute = capture them!
4. Reduce Waste
Empty seats = wasted venue capacity, catering, etc
Disadvantages
1. Trains Bad Behavior
Customer learn to wait for last minute deal → hurt future events
2. Looks Desperate
"H-1 sale 50% off" = perceived as event flopped
3. Late Cash Flow
Uang masuk mepet event = can't use untuk preparation
4. Operational Nightmare
Sudden surge 2 hari before = overload registration system, staff, etc
The Data: Which Strategy Wins?
Study 1: Music Festival (5,000 capacity)
Early Bird Strategy:
- Early bird (2,000 sold @ Rp150K): Rp300 juta
- Normal (2,500 sold @ Rp200K): Rp500 juta
- Last chance (500 sold @ Rp250K): Rp125 juta
- Total: Rp925 juta
No Early Bird (Last Minute Only):
- Normal (4,000 sold @ Rp200K): Rp800 juta
- Last minute (1,000 sold @ Rp150K): Rp150 juta
- Total: Rp950 juta
Result: Last minute won by Rp25 juta! But...
Hidden Costs Analysis
Early bird strategy had:
- Cash flow 2 bulan lebih awal = save Rp10 juta interest
- Better planning (know attendee number) = save Rp5 juta waste
- Lower marketing cost (momentum) = save Rp20 juta
Adjusted Total: Early bird wins by Rp10 juta!
The Hybrid Approach (Best of Both Worlds)
Mengapa harus pilih salah satu? Combine them!
Recommended Pricing Structure
For event 3 bulan dari now, 1,000 capacity:
Phase 1: Super Early Bird (Month 1)
- Price: Rp150K (25% off)
- Quota: 200 tiket (20%)
- Target: Loyal fans, early adopters
Phase 2: Early Bird (Month 2)
- Price: Rp175K (12.5% off)
- Quota: 300 tiket (30%)
- Target: Interested buyers
Phase 3: Normal Price (Month 3, Week 1-3)
- Price: Rp200K
- Quota: 400 tiket (40%)
- Target: General audience
Phase 4: Last Chance (Week before)
- Price: Rp225K (12.5% premium)
- Quota: 80 tiket (8%)
- Target: FOMO buyers
Phase 5: Last Minute Flash Sale (H-3 if not sold out)
- Price: Rp175K
- Quota: 20 tiket (2%) - remaining seats
- Target: Fill capacity
Why This Works
- ✓ Cash flow di awal (phase 1-2)
- ✓ Most revenue at normal price (phase 3)
- ✓ Premium pricing for FOMO (phase 4)
- ✓ Safety net for empty seats (phase 5)
- ✓ Progressive pricing feels fair
Dynamic Pricing: The Advanced Strategy
Take it further: adjust harga based on demand real-time!
How It Works
Think of it like Uber surge pricing atau airline tickets:
- Jika sales cepat → naikkan harga
- Jika sales lambat → turunkan harga atau promosi
- Algorithm adjust otomatis
Example
Target: 1,000 tiket dalam 90 hari
Scenario A (Going Well):
- Day 30: 500 sold (on track!)
- Action: Increase price dari Rp180K → Rp200K
- Reasoning: Demand high, maximize revenue
Scenario B (Slow):
- Day 30: 200 sold (below target)
- Action: Flash sale Rp150K untuk 48 jam
- Reasoning: Need momentum, prevent panic
Tools untuk Dynamic Pricing
- Ticketmaster (built-in dynamic pricing)
- Eventbrite (dengan add-on)
- Custom algorithm (for tech-savvy organizers)
Psychology of Pricing
1. Anchor Effect
List "original price" yang lebih tinggi:
- ~~Rp200K~~ → Rp150K feels like great deal!
- Rp150K (tanpa anchor) → feels expensive
2. Charm Pricing
Rp199K vs Rp200K - psychologically different!
Study shows Rp199K sells 24% better than Rp200K
3. Decoy Pricing
Offer 3 options:
- Regular: Rp200K
- VIP: Rp500K (expensive, few buyers)
- Premium: Rp350K ← Most will choose this (middle option)
4. Social Proof
"Join 5,000 other attendees!" vs "Buy ticket now"
First one performs 3x better!
Pricing Mistakes to Avoid
1. Terlalu Sering Diskon
Customer jadi terbiasa tunggu diskon = hurt normal price sales
2. Diskon Terlalu Besar (>40%)
Signals low value, desperate
3. Pricing Tidak Konsisten
Today Rp150K, tomorrow Rp200K, next week Rp120K = confusing!
4. Ignore Competitor Pricing
Research similar events, price competitively
5. Forget to Factor ALL Costs
Don't just think venue + talent. Include:
- Marketing (15-20% of budget)
- Payment gateway fee (3-5%)
- Platform fee (5-10%)
- Taxes (10% PPN)
- Contingency (10%)
A/B Testing Your Pricing
Not sure which price works? Test!
Setup
- Group A (50% traffic): See Rp180K
- Group B (50% traffic): See Rp200K
- Run for 2 weeks
- Analyze conversion rate & total revenue
Metrics to Compare
- Conversion rate (visitors → buyers)
- Average order value
- Total revenue
- Cost per acquisition
Winner: Whichever gives higher revenue (not just conversion rate!)
Kesimpulan
Early Bird vs Last Minute? The answer: BOTH!
Use hybrid approach:
- Early bird untuk cash flow & momentum
- Normal pricing untuk bulk of revenue
- Last minute untuk fill empty seats
Remember:
- Price is not just a number - it's strategy!
- Test, measure, iterate
- Psychology matters as much as math
- Don't race to the bottom with discounts
Now go set your pricing strategy dan watch those sales roll in! 💰
Sistem Tiket WhatsApp support multiple pricing tiers dengan mudah. Set early bird, normal, dan last minute dalam sekali setup!
