I am wondering if any venues have a stand-by ticket policy for sold out performances and how it works for you.
Do you sell comp tickets that aren't claimed?
How do you handle empty seats that have been purchased and not donated for re-sell?
Thank you in advance for your answers.
We sell a specific number of standby tickets based on our no-show rate. The patrons pay ahead of time and then come to the theatre the night of the performance to see if they can get in. Then, right before curtain, any empty seats are given to stand-by ticket holders. 99% of the time we are able to seat our standby. If we can't seat them they get a refund and we offer them comp seats to another performance of that production. We don't keep a waiting list so our box office doesn't have to try and make calls every time a seat is exchanged or returned.