Want a discount to Spring Awakening?

If you're looking for a discount on Spring Awakening tickets, which is coming to Tampa next week, just break out your cell phone and text MORITZ to TBPAC (82722) for the offer and promo code. Yep, I'm making you work for it!

Photo by Paul Kolnik

TBPAC's SMS technology is provided by our friends at Agile Communications.

Win tix to Rocky Horror on 10/9!

Text ROCKY to TBPAC (82722) for your chance to win a 4-pack of tickets to see the 7:30pm showing of The Rocky Horror Show THIS Thursday (10/9).

A lucky winner will be drawn at random at or around 5pm on Wed., Oct. 8. The winner will be contacted by text message. Standard text-messaging fees from your wireless provider apply.

TBPAC's texting service is provided by Agile Communications.

You could be a winner

We've been promoting our SMS service (provided by the good folks at Agile Communications) for some time now.

We're learning how all of this applies to our patrons still, to be sure, but just as I said in today's previous post - we're trying all these things out because we want to make sure we can provide people the information they want in the format they want to get it in.

We're also doing weekly contest via our eCenter newsletter. Even if you don't need a TBPAC schedule on your phone, or you've been coming here for so long you have everything memorized - you can enter to win contests for goody bags, special commemorative items from shows and even tickets!

We've given away a Spring Awakening gift pack, Chris Rock tickets, a fun Chitty Chitty Bang Bang light up pendant, an Avenue Q gift pack - and we have a lot more planned. All you have to do to enter to win is sign up for eCenter, then follow the instructions once you get the email (which right now is bi-weekly due to a lighter summer schedule).

What are you waiting for?

Get $5 off on Caveman

If you'd like to get $5 off tickets to see Defending the Caveman this Friday night, text SAVE to TBPAC (82722) in order to learn how to do it!

We'll also add you to the list to get hot deals from time to time, and you can get off the list at any time by texting STOP to TBPAC (82722)

Brand-new commands for our texting service!

We've been using our new SMS system, graciously sponsored by Agile Communications, for a few months now and we feel it's a benefit.

We rolled it out with two comands - EVENTS and INFO. If you text EVENTS to the short code 82722 (which spells TBPAC, nifty!), you get back a message with all the shows on stage for that week. Text INFO to TBPAC (82722) and in return you'll get our hours, location, exit info, important numbers and more.

As of today we will begin offering two more commands - NEWS and SAVE.

Text NEWS to TBPAC (82722) and you'll be added to the list to get updates of when we book new shows as well as other important announcements from TBPAC. Say we booked Seinfeld and he goes on sale Friday, or the building needs to shut down for a storm or they shut down the Howard Frankland - we can let you know about it!

Text SAVE to TBPAC (82722) and you'll be added to the list to get hot deals and offers as they become available. There's actually already an offer up, so you can get a deal right now by texting SAVE to TBPAC. Get on the list and SAVE!

There are two other commands. HELP sends you a list of all available commands, and STOP removes your number automatically from the system.

It's important to us we only send you the information you want, and that we stop when you don't want it any longer. We'll also never share your information with anyone.

We're still figuring all this out, but we think it's pretty nifty (even coming from the guy who doesn't text) and has value for our patrons!

Are you using our text-messaging service?

If you're not using our new SMS/texting service, you're missing out.

First, we're only providing the information YOU request. If you text INFO to the numbers 82722 (Hey, that spells TBPAC!), you'll get all of our vital information: ticket office numbers, hours or operation, our web address, how to get here, admin phone numbers and more. Save it on your phone for when you're not near a computer or phone book.

We also have a weekly events message. Simply send the message EVENTS to TBPAC (that's 82722) and you'll get back a message of all the shows here at TBPAC over the next week or so.

We promise we won't send you a text message every single time something comes up. We believe in only getting people the info they want, when they want it and how they want it.

Another benefit is that users of our list will from time to time get special offers or even FREE tickets. We launched this service with a pair of tickets going to a winner in a random drawing. That winner got a free pair of tickets to see the opening night performance of Avenue Q. We also held a contest two weeks back where the first 10 responders won a pair of tickets to the opening night performance of The Drowsy Chaperone. Sweet!

Check the service out, pass it on to your friends.

Have you used the service? Have an idea on how we can better use this technology? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

Need to know on the go?

Don't forget that if you're looking for a way to get TBPAC info on your mobile device, you can do one of the following:

Send the text message INFO to the number 82722 (Hey, that spells TBPAC!) and you'll get our ticket office hours, all of our important phone numbers, how to get here and more. Send the text message EVENTS to 82722 (just remember, it's TBPAC) and you will get a listing of upcoming shows as well as our phone number and email address.

HANDY!

We hope to offer more services later, but we want to make sure it's based on what people really need. We don't want this service to be intrusive or just another form of junk mail. Have an idea? Let us know about it!

TBPAC: Get a weekly schedule on your cell phone!

This is a more of a plain-speak entry on the new SMS (text-messaging) service we're offering to people. I'd previously posted at the launch and how you could enter to win tickets to Avenue Q, but I wanted to appeal a bit more directly as to why exactly I think this is a cool thing.

We're an industry leader in a lot of ways when it comes to new technology. We've been one of the first or the very first in so many online endeavors and endeavors that just generally use technology. I very clearly remember when I was told the web was a fad, and when I was told no one would ever buy tickets online and so on and so forth. We're also talking about an industry that didn't believe radio or TV would last, either.

First thing's first - we don't want to bug you with a bazillion text messages about every single little thing going on here, we're not going to sell/share your number and by and large the whole idea here is to just send you want YOU ask for.

When I brainstormed on how exactly this whole SMS thing could really benefit a general customer, I of course put myself into a consumer's shoes. The first two ideas I had are now in place.

INFO is the first command we agreed on. If you text INFO to the phone number 82722 (It's a short code which spells TBPAC - sweet!), you will get back a text message that gives you the most critical information people are usually looking for. Where we are off the interstate, our Ticket Office and admin phone numbers, the hours of the ticket windows, our web address, all the critical info for the Patel Conservatory. This is a handy thing to actually save on your phone if you make a habit of coming here. It's a handy quick-reference.

The second idea was for essentially an events line. Just like you might check a website or phone line for what's going on, you can also text EVENTS to the phone number 82722 and you will get back a listing of the shows going on that week. I think this is another super-handy tool. Say you're sitting around right after work on a Friday night with a few friends having drinks looking for something to do. Viola!

We don't charge you to use any of these services, though your phone provider might - depending on how your plan is set up (for instance, I don't have a texting package on my phone, so I pay a few cents for every message I send and receive). Hey, and don't forget you'll be entered to win a pair of tickets to the opening night of Avenue Q for every time you use the service between now and Dec. 28.

Down the line, we hope to be able to use this service to offer last-minute deals, possibly for promotions in the lobby before a show where we may offer a backstage pass or a meet and greet or something. There really is a lot of potential here. Now the trick is to get people using it and make sure it's something useful and not a nuisance.

In today's world, even the arts has to stay on the cutting-edge and make an effort to get information to people in the way they want it.

TBPAC launces SMS/texting service (win tickets to Avenue Q!)

We're officially launching an SMS/text-messaging service as one more way patrons can stay up to date with what's going on at TBPAC.

We've officially nabbed up the short code TBPAC (82722) and have entered a partnership with Agile Communications, who are providing the texting software and system.

We hope to primarily offer this on an in-bound basis, meaning we want people to text us when they want information.

The first two commands we've created are INFO and EVENTS. If you text INFO to TBPAC (82722) you will be sent back a text message that has all of TBPAC's critical phone numbers: the ticket office, admin, catering, group sales. You'll also get the street address for the building, the exit information from the interstate, hours of ticket office windows. All that good stuff. It's a handy reference to keep in your phone, and a very convenient way to get it if you're out and about.

If you text EVENTS to TBPAC (82722), you will be sent back a message giving you all the shows that are playing that week at TBPAC. This message updates weekly. Again, we think that's pretty handy.

The command HELP gives you a list of commands, and STOP of course removes you from getting future messages from us.

For the time being we're not planning on sending unsolicited advertisements. We'd rather just get people what they want, not what we want them to get. There's a lot of potentially exciting things we can do with a system like this including discounts, offering meet and greet contests at a show in the lobby, sending out urgent traffic advisories or closures etc.

So, we get started officially today. For every time that you text either INFO or EVENTS to TBPAC (82722) between now and Dec. 28, you will be entered to win the pair of opening night tickets to see Avenue Q here at TBPAC. Winners will be drawn at random. No purchase necessary. Your fee structure from your wireless provider may vary, but if you are charged to send or receive texts, this would be no different.

On MySpace? Facebook? We are too!

If you have a profile set up on MySpace, why not friend us? Check us out here!

What about Facebook? We have a group set up over there which you can also join!

Aaaand ... we'll be launching a new texting SMS system in the next few weeks. I'm trying to learn the system right now to get it going on or around 11/1.

We try to stay on top of new technology over here at TBPAC. If there's any other great ways to stay in touch with you - let us know by leaving a comment!