Welcome to the Deep Dive. We're here to take complex topics and, well, break them
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down into something useful for you.
That's the plan.
Today, we're digging into something really practical, especially if you're involved
in organizing events.
It's a software called PreTix. Our goal today, figure out what PreTix actually is,
what makes it tick, why it's causing a bit of a stir, and explain it all so anyone
can get it.
Sounds good. Keeping it accessible.
Exactly. But first, just a quick thank you to our supporter, SafeServer. They
handle the hosting for software like PreTix and can really help with your digital
transformation.
Find out more at www.safeserver.de.
Great support.
Okay, let's get into it. PreTix, when we say that name, what are we actually
talking about here? What is this thing?
Right. So at its most basic level, you could call PreTix a ticket shop application.
Yeah.
But honestly, that's just scratching the surface.
Okay.
It's designed for a huge range of events. I mean, think conferences, big festivals,
concerts, tech events, shows, exhibitions.
Wow, quite a list.
Yeah. Workshops, bar camps, you name it. If you need to sell tickets or manage who's
coming, PreTix is likely built for it.
So it's versatile.
Very. And it's more than just the webpage people see. It's a full online shop plus
the backend system.
Ah, okay. So the behind the scenes stuff too.
Exactly. All the secure operations, payment processing, managing attendees, the
data. It's all integrated.
It aims to be your all in one solution. The online shop, the box office at the
event, even managing third party ticket outlets.
Hmm. That's interesting. An all in one approach. Seems like that would simplify
things a lot for organizers, right?
Instead of juggling different tools.
Absolutely. That consolidation is a huge plus. But there's more to it. Things that
really make PreTix different.
Okay. I'm intrigued. What are these differentiators? Where do we start?
Well, I think the most fundamental thing is this. PreTix is 100% free and open
source software.
Open source. Okay. What does that really mean for someone using it?
It means transparency, for one. You can actually see the code. But more
strategically, it means you're not locked in.
No vendor lock in.
Right. You have control. You're not stuck with their pricing changes or future
decisions. If you have the technical skills, you could even tweak it yourself.
It offers a level of freedom and potential cost savings you just don't get with
most proprietary systems.
That makes sense. Control and freedom. And usually open source means there's a
community involved.
Oh, definitely. And the PreTix community is really active. It's not just a small
side project.
How active are we talking?
Well, on GitHub, which is where developers collaborate, it's got over, let's see, 2,100
stars. It's like a popularity vote, 537 forks, meaning people are adapting it. And
an amazing 362 contributors.
Wow, 362 people working on it.
Yeah. Contributing code, finding bugs, suggesting improvements. That's a lot of
brainpower, making the software better all the time.
For an organizer, that means it's constantly evolving and getting more solid.
That's impressive. A healthy project, clearly. Okay, so open source is a big one.
What else makes Pretex stand out?
Another major focus is privacy and security. And that's, you know, super critical
these days.
You're handling people's money, their personal details.
Absolutely crucial. How do they address that?
They take it very seriously. Pretex is actually ISO 27001 certified.
ISO 27001. What does that certification mean?
It's basically the international gold standard for information security management.
It means they've passed strict independent audits.
They have proven processes and controls to protect data.
So it's not just them saying they're secure. It's verified.
Exactly. It gives both organizers and attendees real peace of mind
knowing that data protection is built into how they operate.
Got it. That definitely builds trust.
Now, from a practical side, you mentioned versatility.
What about customization? Can you make it look like your event?
Yes, definitely. It's designed to be highly adaptable.
You're not stuck with some generic look.
You can customize the ticket shop to match your event's branding.
Its specific feel.
That's important for brand identity.
For sure. And the flexibility goes deeper.
It's extensible with plugins so you can add extra features.
And it has a REST API.
Okay. API. What does that let you do in simple terms?
Think of it like a universal plug.
It lets pre-ticks talk to other software you might use,
maybe your CRM system or your email marketing tool.
It connects everything.
So it automates workflows between different tools.
Precisely. Makes everything much smoother.
Plus it supports multiple languages fully,
which is obviously essential for international events
or diverse audiences. Makes sense.
And what's really neat is how it pulls
all these core things together in one place.
Right. You mentioned that integration earlier.
So I don't need separate tools for payments, check-in, reports.
It's all in pre-ticks. That's the idea.
Streamline everything.
You get direct payment processing options built in.
It handles different ticket types, pricing structures, even group sales.
And for the event day itself?
Yep. There's a check-in system and box office functionality included.
Yeah. And afterwards you get detailed reports and statistics,
sales data, attendance figures, revenue, all there.
Any help with marketing?
It even includes a marketing toolkit
to help you promote your event through different channels.
Okay. Wow. That does sound pretty comprehensive.
It feels like it's much more than just a ticket shop.
What else is part of this pre-ticks world?
It really is more like an ecosystem.
Beyond the main ticketing part,
they offer several related products and services.
Such as?
Okay. So for exhibitors, say at a trade show,
there's pre-ticks laid.
Pre-ticks laid? What's that?
It's basically paperless networking.
Imagine an exhibitor scans an attendee's badge
with their phone, instantly gets the contact info,
and can add notes right there.
No more collecting piles of business cards or scribbled notes.
Oh, I can see how exhibitors would love that.
Streamlines lead capture completely.
Exactly.
Then for virtual or hybrid events,
which are obviously huge now.
Right. What's the solution there?
They have Venueless.
It's a full digital event platform,
not just video streaming, but virtual stages,
breakout rooms for networking, Q&A,
even virtual exhibitor booths.
So it helps make online events
feel more like a real structured event.
That's the goal. Engagement, structure, professionalism,
but online or in a hybrid format.
Smart. Okay. What about the chaos of event day,
the checking lines, the last minute sales?
Any tools for that?
Oh, yeah. They've got that covered, too.
Yeah. On-site logistics are tough.
They offer pre-ticks to us.
POS, point of sale.
Right. Like a mobile cash register app.
Sell tickets at the door, handle payments.
Then there's pre-tick scan.
For scanning tickets. Exactly.
Fast check-in using smartphones or dedicated scanners.
And it can do live badge printing on demand.
Live badge printing. That sounds amazing.
No more pre-printing thousands of badges.
Cuts down queues, and that prevents stress massively.
And there's also pre-ticks kiosk.
A kiosk. Yeah, a self-service app.
Attendees can buy or print their own tickets from a machine.
Reduces bottlenecks even further.
Self-service ticketing. I like the sound of that.
And they even offer hardware rental.
So you can get scanners, printers, whatever you need for the day
without buying it all outright.
That whole suite of on-site tools sounds incredibly useful.
It really does seem like an end-to-end solution.
And it's not just theoretical. This stuff is proven.
Predix has been used for thousands of events.
Thousands.
Yeah, selling millions of tickets combined.
They mention having over a thousand happy customers,
which says a lot about its reliability in the real world.
And the feedback seems really positive, too.
I saw some quotes.
Trutz Fries from AMZCon said,
From an organizer's point of view,
there is nothing left to be desired.
That's strong praise.
It is?
And Literature Camp Heidelberg tweeted,
We love our ticketing system Predix 3 recommended for all events.
Simple but clear.
Even the OLSOS GIs conference team liked the usability,
calling it visually appealing, user-friendly, and fun to use.
That user experience matters.
It shows it works well across different types of events and users.
It reinforces that Predix is stable.
It's ready.
And you mentioned the pricing.
Yeah, they emphasize risk-free and transparent pricing.
No hidden costs popping up later, which is a big relief for event budgets.
Definitely.
OK, we've covered a lot about what it does and why it's different.
For anyone listening who's maybe a bit more technical
or thinking about self-hosting, can we briefly peek under the hood?
What's the tech stack?
Sure, we can touch on that briefly.
Without getting too deep, it's primarily built using Python, HTML,
and JavaScript.
OK, standard, robust web technologies.
Exactly.
Reliable, modern, well-supported means it's constantly
being improved and kept secure.
And if someone did want to self-host or even contribute?
There's a detailed installation guide in their documentation.
That's the first place to look.
And because it's open source, you
can engage with the community and developers
directly on their GitHub repository
for questions or discussions.
Any direct support options?
Yep.
For commercial support, you can email support at pretix.eu
or call them.
The number is plus four nine six two two one three two one seven
seven fifty during German business hours, basically.
Good to know there are options.
So wrapping things up a bit, it sounds like whether you're
running a tiny workshop or a huge festival,
virtual or in-person, PreTix demonstrates
what open source secure community-backed software
can achieve.
It's really changing the game for event management.
It really is.
And it makes you think, doesn't it?
It raises a question for you, the listener, to mull over.
Oh, what's that?
How might the success we're seeing with open source
platforms like PreTix in a niche-like event ticketing?
How might that influence other industries?
Could similar transparent community-driven approaches
start challenging the big established proprietary players
elsewhere?
That's a fascinating thought.
Where else could this model disrupt things?
Something to definitely ponder.
Indeed.
OK, a great place to leave it for today.
And once again, a huge thank you to Safe Server
for supporting this deep dive.
Remember, they can help with your digital transformation.
Check them out at www.safeserver.de.
Thanks, Safe Server.
Until then, keep learning.
Until then, keep learning.