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Loopyah research

The Event Creators Survey 2026

What 350 event organizers say about ticketing fees, switching platforms and filling their events, with the percentage for every answer.

Sample
350 event organizers
Fielded
February 2026
Source
Pollfish
Read the findings
put low fees among the features that matter most
47%
estimate a tenth or more of ticket revenue goes to platform fees
65%
say they're likely to switch ticketing platform within 12 months
67%
say reaching new audiences is their biggest challenge
28%

Finding 1

Low fees and easy setup come first.

47% put low fees among the features that matter most in a ticketing platform, and 45% easy event setup. High fees are also the most common frustration, at 36%, and flexible pricing and fees top the list of what's missing, at 37%.

Which features matter most to you in an event ticketing platform?

More than one answer allowed · share of respondents

  1. 47.1%Low fees
  2. 45.1%Easy event setup
  3. 36.3%Fast payouts
  4. 32.3%Mobile-friendly experience
  5. 28.3%Customizable event pages
  6. 24%Built-in marketing/​promotion tools
  7. 21.4%Attendee analytics and insights
  8. 20.9%Customer support
  9. 12.9%Refund /​ Cancellation management
  10. 10.9%Venue layout /​ map tool
  11. 10.9%Ticket scanning and entry management
  12. 10%CRM to grow and manage my contacts
  13. 9.4%How much traffic the platform sends me
  14. 7.7%Integration with Facebook events
  15. 7.4%Fast checkout experience
  16. 6.9%Email Sending (Native or Integration)
  17. 6.6%Digital Advertising management
  18. 6.6%Account manager (someone I can reach for support)
  19. 6.3%In-person payment acceptance (Tap to pay)
  20. 0.3%Other ("Don't charge")

What are your biggest frustrations with your current ticketing platform?

More than one answer allowed · share of respondents

  • High service/platform fees36.3%
  • Limited customization options26.9%
  • Poor customer support24.3%
  • Outdated look and feel21.4%
  • Difficult to set up events21.1%
  • Lack of analytics/reporting20.9%
  • Limited marketing/promotion tools19.7%
  • Slow/infrequent payouts19.1%
  • I don't get enough organic traffic16.9%
  • Poor attendee experience13.1%
  • None — I'm happy with it10.3%

What important features are missing from your current platform?

More than one answer allowed · share of respondents

9 in 100say their platform already has everything they need

  • Nothing — it has everything I need9.1%
  • Flexible pricing/fee structures36.9%
  • More AI-powered tools/features33.7%
  • Built-in audience growth tools33.1%
  • Better communication tools with attendees32.6%
  • Deeper analytics on attendee behavior32.3%
  • Multi-event/season pass management28.6%
  • Better event discovery for attendees28%

Finding 2

Most say fees take a tenth or more of ticket revenue.

65% estimate that 10% or more of their ticket revenue goes to platform fees. The most common answer, from 39%, is 10–15%. A third set ticket prices from their costs plus a margin, and 27% go by what competitors charge.

What percentage of your ticket revenue do you estimate goes to platform fees?

One answer each · share of respondents

  1. 8.3%
    Under 5%
  2. 26.3%
    5–10%
  3. 38.6%
    10–15%
  4. 19.1%
    15–20%
  5. 5.4%
    20–30%
  6. 2.3%
    Over 30%

How do you typically decide on ticket pricing?

One answer each · share of respondents

  1. 132.9%Based on costs + desired margin
  2. 227.4%Based on what competitors charge
  3. 322%Based on what I think attendees will pay
  • I experiment with different prices13.7%
  • Gut feeling4%

Finding 3

Two in three say they're likely to switch platforms.

67% say they're moderately or very likely to move to a different ticketing platform in the next 12 months. Competitive fees are the top factor in choosing the next one, at 45%. Asked for one word for the platform they use now, the top picks are reliable, modern and convenient.

How likely are you to switch to a different ticketing platform in the next 12 months?

One answer each · share of respondents

67.4%say they're moderately or very likely to switch

  • Very likely23.1%
  • Moderately likely44.3%
  • Moderately unlikely23.4%
  • Very/Extremely unlikely9.1%

How long have you been using your primary ticketing platform?

One answer each · share of respondents

  1. 12%
    Less than 6 months
  2. 23.1%
    6 months – 1 year
  3. 36.6%
    1 – 3 years
  4. 17.1%
    3 – 5 years
  5. 11.1%
    5+ years

When looking for a new event ticketing platform, what are the top factors that influence your decision?

More than one answer allowed · share of respondents

  1. 45.1%Competitive platform fees
  2. 38%Platform's reach and size
  3. 37.7%Platform's reputation
  4. 36.3%Platform's features
  5. 27.1%Online reviews
  6. 18.9%How easy it is to use
  7. 16%Specific contractual arrangements
  8. 14.6%Reviews from people I know
  9. 11.4%Demo by an Account Manager

Which word best describes your current ticketing platform?

One answer each · share of respondents

  • Reliable24.3%
  • Modern20.6%
  • Convenient16.6%
  • Basic11.1%
  • Expensive10.9%
  • Professional6.6%
  • Outdated5.4%
  • Frustrating2.9%
  • Aspiring1.7%

Finding 4

Marketing works. Reaching new people is the hard part.

80% rate their marketing as somewhat or very effective at filling events. Organic social is the most used channel, at 63%, ahead of email at 49%. Asked for their single biggest challenge, 28% say reaching people beyond their existing followers.

How effective do you feel your current marketing efforts are at filling events?

One answer each · share of respondents

79.7%rate their marketing somewhat or very effective at filling events

  • Very effective29.7%
  • Somewhat effective50%
  • Neutral17.4%
  • Somewhat ineffective2.6%
  • Very ineffective0.3%

How do you primarily promote your events?

More than one answer allowed · share of respondents

  1. 62.6%Social media (organic posts)
  2. 48.9%Email marketing
  3. 36.6%Paid social ads
  4. 35.1%Posters/​flyers
  5. 32.9%Ticketing platform's built-in promotion
  6. 30.9%Influencers/​creators
  7. 26.9%Local press/​media
  8. 10.9%SEO/​Google
  9. 0.9%Other (word of mouth, mailing list invites)

What is your single biggest challenge in getting more people to attend your events?

One answer each · share of respondents

  1. 128%Reaching new audiences beyond my existing followers
  2. 222.3%Converting interest into ticket purchases
  3. 318.9%Competing with other events for attention
  • Budget for marketing/ads15.1%
  • Creating compelling promotional content6.9%
  • Understanding what attendees actually want5.7%
  • Securing strong lineup/program3.1%

Finding 5

The one thing organizers would change.

The last question was open, so organizers answered in their own words. Four of the 350 answers are quoted here as they were written.

If you could change one thing about how event ticketing platforms work, what would it be?

Written answers, unedited

  • “Eliminate the hidden parasitic fees that hurt both fans AND event organizers at the same time, and make the entire pricing structure 100% transparent from the very first second someone clicks see tickets”
  • “Improve event discovery on the platform. We get the same attendees repeatedly”
  • “Lower fees so that customers don't feel ripped off”
  • “Better fee management and less monopolistic practices”

Finding 6

Who answered.

All 350 organize ticketed events, paid for 65% of them and free for the rest. A third do it full-time and another 30% as a significant part of their job, and 49% choose their ticketing platform themselves.

Are you an event organizer?

One answer each · share of respondents

64.9%organize paid ticketed events

  • Yes – I organize paid ticketed events64.9%
  • Yes – I organize free ticketed events35.1%

How would you describe your role in event organizing?

One answer each · share of respondents

34.6%organize events as their full-time job

  • It's my full-time job34.6%
  • It's a significant part of my job30.3%
  • It's a side hustle / passion project15.7%
  • It's a small part of my job12.3%
  • I organize events occasionally7.1%

Who makes the final decision on which ticketing or event platform your events use?

One answer each · share of respondents

  1. 148.9%I do
  2. 227.1%My team / department
  3. 316.9%My manager or leadership
  • A dedicated operations / tech team3.1%
  • The venue or production partner2.3%
  • No one – we've always used the same one1.7%

How the survey was run.

Loopyah ran this survey through Pollfish on 11 February 2026 with 350 people who organize paid or free ticketed events. People who only run RSVP events, or none, were screened out. Each figure is the share of all 350 who gave that answer, unweighted. Where people could pick more than one answer, the shares add up to more than 100%. A figure that joins answers adds their shares: likely to switch is very likely plus moderately likely, and a tenth or more to fees is every band from 10–15% up. The screener took one answer, paid or free, so the 123 who picked free events answered the pricing and fee questions too.

Use these figures

Quote any number on this page in your own work. Credit the report and link back to it, like this:

Loopyah, The Event Creators Survey 2026, February 2026. https://loopyah.com/reports/event-creators-survey-2026

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