How the Worcester Railers Built a Texting-to-Ticketing Pipeline With FEVO x Vozzi

The Challenge

At the outset of the 2022-2023 season, the ECHL’s Worcester Railers knew they needed to integrate sophisticated technology in order to meet their fans in the digital-first world they call home. The Railers implemented two pivotal tools in their ticketing arsenal to solve for this: FEVO (for online ticket sales) and VOZZI (for targeted SMS communication). This merging of technologies would redefine how the Railers reach fans and maximize online ticket sales. 

The Results

In their first season implementing this new strategy, the Railers made quite the splash, leading the ECHL in ticket sales with FEVO. This amounted to the sale of 34,000 total tickets, bringing in more than $434K in revenue.  

The Railers took full advantage of FEVO’s versatility as a platform, allowing them to do everything from promoting special offers — like the massively popular "Star Wars Night" — to coordinating large group events like their family-friendly "Jr. Railers" nights. FEVO's mobile-optimized flow proved critical in these campaigns, with customers increasingly opting for mobile purchases.

The Virtues of Marketing with VOZZI

While FEVO gave the Railers an all-in-one solution for digitizing ticketing campaigns, VOZZI supercharged the Railers' marketing efforts. The SMS platform allowed the Railers to seamlessly share new offers via mass-messaging campaigns that look and feel like one-on-one interactions from sales reps. The 2022-23 season's Special Offer Campaign — powered in large part by VOZZI — saw impactful growth of 125% from the previous season, with sales jumping by nearly 2,000 total tickets.

VOZZI was a huge time-saver for the Railers marketing team, giving them the ability to send campaigns to up to 14,000 recipients at a time. The platform was especially useful for offers like "Stanley Cup Night," which was a smash hit thanks to the ease and efficiency by which the Railers could get word out to fans. Prospective game attendees received targeted offers via text, then enjoyed a seamless mobile-optimized checkout experience on FEVO. This symbiotic relationship ensures maximum conversions from every text sent out. 

Key Takeaways

• Mobile-Optimization Is Crucial: The shift to mobile purchasing is not just a trend, but a reality that live events professionals must adapt to. 
• Texting as a Powerful Tool: With its directness and immediacy, SMS campaigns can drive significant conversions if integrated with the right ticketing platform. With VOZZI alone, sales corresponding to special offers amounted to approximately $20,000 for the 2022-23 season.
• Seamless Purchase Flow: Instead of relying on a fragmented, multi-platform conversion funnel, VOZZI and FEVO provide a unified solution that maximizes sales.‍
• Operational Efficiency: For the Railers staff, VOZZI offered a smooth communication channel with group leaders, group buyers and individual ticket sales leads, thereby streamlining the overall process.

Integrating VOZZI and FEVO into our ticketing strategy was a game-changer for the Worcester Railers. VOZZI's powerful SMS capabilities ensured we reached our audience effectively, while FEVO's mobile-optimized ticketing system turned that reach into tangible results. The synergy between the two platforms transformed our sales approach, leading to one of our most successful seasons yet.
– Stephen Kando, Sr. Manager of Business Strategy, Worcester Railers HC