Eventbrite and TikTok partner to revolutionize Event Discovery and Promotion

Eventbrite, a global events marketplace, this week announced a partnership with TikTok, the popular short-form video platform. This collaboration aims to simplify event discovery and boost reach for event creators by allowing them to promote their events and sell tickets directly through TikTok videos. The partnership, revealed just one day before today's date, marks a significant shift in how events are marketed and discovered in the digital age.

Eventbrite, a publicly-traded company listed (FRA: EB4), has been at the forefront of the experience economy since its inception. Founded by Julia Hartz, Kevin Hartz, and Renaud Visage, the company has transformed the way people organize and attend events. In 2023 alone, Eventbrite distributed over 300 million tickets for more than 5 million events worldwide, solidifying its position as a leader in the event management industry.

TikTok, on the other hand, has rapidly become a global phenomenon, boasting a community of over one billion users. The platform's ability to spark cultural trends and foster engaged communities around various interests makes it an ideal partner for Eventbrite's event promotion efforts.

The partnership between Eventbrite and TikTok is a response to the evolving landscape of event promotion and the increasing importance of social media in driving event attendance. As traditional marketing methods become less effective, event organizers are turning to platforms like TikTok to reach their target audiences more efficiently and engagingly.

According to Ted Dworkin, Chief Product Officer at Eventbrite, this partnership will enable creators to seamlessly integrate into trending conversations and bring online communities together through real-life events. The collaboration allows millions of TikTok users to discover and attend events in their cities directly from the platform where these conversations are taking place.

One of the key features of this partnership is the ability for any Eventbrite creator or TikTok user to add Eventbrite links directly to their TikTok videos. This functionality allows users to explore event details and purchase tickets without leaving the TikTok app, streamlining the process from discovery to attendance.

The integration is beneficial for event creators looking to tap into TikTok's diverse and engaged communities. Popular hashtags such as #BookTok, #NewMusic, and #FoodTok represent vibrant communities passionate about specific topics. By leveraging these existing conversations, event creators can significantly boost their visibility and reach audiences eager for real-life experiences that align with their online interests.

Local and independent event creators stand to benefit significantly from this partnership. The ease of adding Eventbrite links to TikTok videos democratizes event promotion, allowing smaller events to gain substantial exposure. This accessibility fosters a more inclusive creator community and contributes to a diverse event landscape, where niche and local events can thrive alongside larger, more mainstream offerings.

The technical implementation of this partnership is worth noting. The feature is available in all countries where both TikTok and Eventbrite services are operational. However, there are specific eligibility criteria for events to be promoted through this channel. Events must be in-person, publicly listed on Eventbrite, offer paid tickets, and be scheduled to occur within the next 90 days (or 180 days for music events).

This timeframe limitation ensures that the promoted events remain relevant and timely, aligning with TikTok's fast-paced content consumption model. The extended timeframe for music events acknowledges the longer planning and promotion cycles typically associated with concerts and festivals.

The partnership builds upon Eventbrite's existing Share on Social feature, which already allows creators to post directly to TikTok from the Eventbrite platform. This new integration takes that functionality a step further by enabling ticket purchases through an in-app browser on TikTok, reducing friction in the ticket-buying process.

Another notable aspect of this partnership is the ability to promote multiple events simultaneously. When creators add multiple event links to their videos, TikTok users are shown the most relevant event based on their location. This geotargeting feature ensures that users are presented with events they're most likely to attend, increasing the efficiency of event promotion efforts.

The impact of this partnership extends beyond just event creators and attendees. It represents a significant step in the convergence of online and offline experiences. As Isaac Bess, Global Head of Distribution Partnerships at TikTok, points out, both TikTok and Eventbrite share the ultimate goal of connecting communities, whether through digital interactions or real-world gatherings.

This collaboration is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, where platforms are increasingly looking to bridge the gap between virtual engagement and real-world experiences. Similar partnerships have been observed in other sectors, such as the integration of food delivery services with social media platforms or the rise of live-streaming shopping events.

The timing of this partnership is particularly noteworthy, coming as the events industry continues to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As restrictions ease and people become more comfortable attending in-person events, there's a growing appetite for unique, engaging experiences. This partnership positions Eventbrite and TikTok at the forefront of meeting this demand by connecting event organizers with eager audiences.

From a marketing perspective, this partnership represents a significant shift in how events are promoted. Traditional marketing channels like print ads, radio spots, or even Facebook events are becoming less effective in reaching younger, more digitally-native audiences. TikTok's demographic skews younger, with a significant portion of its user base under 30. This partnership allows event organizers to tap into this demographic more effectively.

The integration also aligns with the growing trend of social commerce, where purchasing decisions are increasingly influenced by and made directly through social media platforms. By allowing users to purchase tickets without leaving the TikTok app, this partnership reduces the friction in the buying process, potentially leading to higher conversion rates for event ticket sales.

However, it's important to note that this partnership also raises questions about data privacy and the increasing role of social media platforms in commerce. As more transactions occur within these platforms, concerns about data usage and user privacy will likely continue to be topics of discussion.

For event organizers, this partnership offers both opportunities and challenges. While it provides access to a vast, engaged audience, it also requires creators to understand and effectively use TikTok's platform. Success on TikTok often relies on creating authentic, engaging content that resonates with the platform's user base. Event organizers may need to adapt their marketing strategies and develop new skills to fully leverage this opportunity.

The partnership between Eventbrite and TikTok is not occurring in isolation. It's part of a larger trend of collaboration between tech companies to create more integrated user experiences. For example, in recent years, we've seen partnerships between music streaming services and social media platforms, as well as integrations between e-commerce platforms and various social networks.

Looking ahead, this partnership could pave the way for further integrations between event management platforms and social media networks. It's conceivable that we might see similar partnerships with other platforms, or even more advanced features like virtual event previews or augmented reality experiences tied to real-world events.

As the lines between online and offline experiences continue to blur, partnerships like this one between Eventbrite and TikTok are likely to become more common. They represent a recognition of the changing ways in which people discover, engage with, and participate in events and experiences.

In conclusion, the partnership between Eventbrite and TikTok marks a significant development in the event management and social media landscapes. By combining Eventbrite's event management expertise with TikTok's vast, engaged user base and trend-setting capabilities, this collaboration has the potential to revolutionize how events are discovered, promoted, and attended.

As we move forward, it will be interesting to observe how this partnership evolves and what impact it has on the events industry as a whole. Will it lead to a surge in attendance for niche, local events? How will it affect the types of events that gain popularity? And how will other players in the industry respond to this development?

While only time will provide definitive answers to these questions, one thing is clear: the way we discover and engage with events is changing, and partnerships like this one are at the forefront of that transformation. As the digital and physical worlds continue to merge, we can expect to see more innovative collaborations that reshape our experiences, both online and offline.