When ticketing platform Lyte shut down unexpectedly last week, it left ticket sellers, fans, and promoters in the lurch. The shutdown hit event organizers especially hard as they scrambled without access to their ticket inventory.
What’s next for Lyte’s customers? There are still more questions than answers. Lyte owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to sellers who used the platform, and it’s not clear when—or if—sellers will see their money.
The collapse of Lyte is a stark reminder of the risks involved when using a third-party ticketing platform. Whether you’re a Lyte customer now working to pick up the pieces or you’re considering moving away from a different third-party ticketing tool, now is a good time to take ownership of your ticketing.
Below, we’ll discuss why it matters to own your events and data by managing your tickets on your own website. We’ll also share practical tips for getting started with Event Tickets and moving your ticketing infrastructure from a third-party platform to your own site.
The Rise and Fall of Lyte
Lyte went offline in September 2024 with no explanation other than a “scheduled maintenance” notice on its website.
Several high-profile events and festivals relied on Lyte, including Pitchfork Music Festival, Baja Beach festival, and Newport Folk Festival, according to Billboard. Now, many event organizers are reeling. A commenter from Michigan shared, “This really messed up my small local festival, I really hope they give me access back.”
Amid the chaos, Billboard reported that Lyte CEO Ant Taylor resigned and the company’s employees were laid off. In 2021, Taylor was dubbed “the Savior of Concert Ticketing” by Rolling Stone; Coachella was one of Lyte’s early clients.
For event organizers and promoters, Lyte’s affiliation with big-name festivals and clients may have been alluring. But the company’s fall is a reminder that Lyte and other third-party platforms aren’t too big to fail. And for event organizers and ticket sellers, the company’s folding puts their data and their livelihood on the line.
Why Owning Your Ticketing Data is Crucial
At The Events Calendar, we’ve always championed the importance of data ownership in ticketing platforms. This feels especially prescient in the wake of Lyte’s collapse.
Why do people use third-party ticketing sites in the first place? They do provide some distinct advantages: It’s relatively easy to start selling tickets fast on a third-party site, even if you don’t have a website. But when your event management and ticket sales live on a third-party site, you give up control of your data. This puts you at risk if the company goes under, as seen with Lyte.
While event organizers who relied on Lyte are left in the dark as they attempt to regain control over their ticketing, those who use decentralized or self-hosted solutions are unaffected, including Event Tickets users.
Own Your Ticket Sales With Event Tickets by The Events Calendar
The best way to protect your data and your revenue is by running ticket sales on your own website with a tool like Event Tickets.
Event Tickets is a WordPress plugin that lets you sell tickets by integrating with your favorite payment gateway. It works seamlessly alongside The Events Calendar plugin, or you can use Event Tickets without a calendar plugin at all. This flexibility makes it easy to organize your ticket sales however works best for you on your own site.
Additional benefits of Event Tickets
- Full control: Event Tickets gives users complete control over ticket creation, pricing, and sales management.
- Data ownership: With Event Tickets, you maintain ownership of all ticket sales and customer information, eliminating the risk of a third party holding your assets hostage.
- Reliable Infrastructure: Event Tickets integrates directly with WordPress sites, ensuring that ticket sales are managed on your own infrastructure.
Key features
- Premium support
- Ecommerce ready
- Custom registration
- Shared stock
- QR code check-in
- Advanced widgets
- Apple Pay and Google Pay
- No ticketing fees
Pricing
- Free Version: The free version allows access to essential ticketing features with a small processing fee on sales.
- Event Tickets Plus: By upgrading to Event Tickets Plus for $149 per year, organizers can eliminate revenue splits and keep 100% of their sales. There are no hidden fees or sharing of revenue with a third party, making it a more cost-effective solution.
One Free Year of Event Tickets Plus for Lyte Users
If your event has been directly affected by the Lyte shutdown, we’d like to help get you back on your feet. We’re offering a free year’s subscription to Event Tickets Plus (including add-ons) to those impacted by Lyte’s sudden shutdown.
Reach out to get connected with one of our customer success agents. Once we receive your information, we’ll send you a coupon code for a free year’s subscription and resources to help you get started.
A Better, Safer Future for Event Organizers
Lyte’s shutdown is a cautionary tale for event organizers who rely on third-party ticketing platforms. Protect your ticket sales and your data by using a decentralized tool like Event Tickets for control, security, and peace of mind in an uncertain industry.
Learn more about Event Tickets and reach out if we can help answer any questions along the way in your transition to ticketing on your own site.
The post What Lyte’s Sudden Shutdown Means for Ticket Sellers appeared first on The Events Calendar.