Hello-
We are new to Tessitura within the last year and we have yet to design any elevated events. We are trying to determine how we will structure our annual Gala. Our gala is a dinner/auction followed by a seated performance in our theater. I know that there is no real link between performances and elevated events, but I also know this is a common gala structure for performing arts venues.
Please share your work arounds in Tessitura and TNEW and any insights you have for planning this type of event.
Thanks!
Hi Rya! We are also new to Tessitura and needed to setup something like this for our gala. We haven't implemented the TNEW aspect yet (and probably won't until next year), but here is what we've done via the application itself.
We decide that in order to ensure that all gala attendees are seated for the concert, the box office processes all gala transactions. The patron would call in and the box office would seat them for the concert. On the transaction level, the order itself would only have the seated concert (say $50). On the payment screen, the box office rep enters the amount for the ticket PLUS the gala ticket (so in our case it's $50 for the ticket, plus $200 for the gala, for a total payment of $250). Enter the payment method, and then Tessitura will recognize that the $200 is extra that what the order costs. We then use a Development Gala On Account for that money, and finish the order.
Then, we set up an automated report that sends to our development team that lets them know there is Gala On Account money to be processed. They then process that within the elevated event itself created on the contribution side.
It's a little bit extra work that we'd like it to be, but we've had issues in the past with people not being seated for the concert, so this process seems like it will be best for us, at least for now! Happy to talk about it more if you'd like or show you the instructional document we created for our box office staff with screenshots!