Text to Book Free Tickets, anyone?

TESS Marketing Brain Trust (posted this on Ticketing as well, so pardon the overlap if you're subscribed to both forums),

We have a free community event coming up and are exploring the idea of having patrons text to to secure their free tickets. Basic scenario would be:

• Marketing materials would have message along the lines of "Text your full name and number of tickets requested to ####"
• That text would be auto-emailed to our Box Office so they can book tickets in the system. (All tickets will be held at Box Office for pick up on the night of the community event—we're not trying to do mobile QR code style ticket)
  

Ideal additions to that scenario are:

• Box office is able text a confirmation to patron's cell phone (hopefully replying via email to cell phone, which is then translated into a text)
  
• If/when we sell out of free tickets for the event, SMS system can auto respond to any incoming texts with a standardized message.
  

Anyone out there have experience along these lines and can offer recommendations/lessons learned/vendors/etc?

Many thanks...

julie

julie stanton | senior marketing manager
chicago shakespeare theater
800 e. grand ave. | chicago, il 60611312.595.5634 phone | 312.595.5607 fax
jstanton@chicagoshakes.com