It was just three days to Yemi’s event—a corporate awards night in Victoria Island. She’d sold over 200 tickets, juggled several WhatsApp chats, scribbled names in notebooks, and even printed some tickets from a cyber café. But now, she couldn’t match payments to guests, duplicates were everywhere, and her phone wouldn’t stop ringing.
This is more common than we like to admit.
Whether it’s a concert, wedding, or corporate seminar, event ticketing mistakes can take something beautiful and turn it into a logistical nightmare. This post explores where things usually go wrong—and how to do better.
Why Event Ticketing Still Causes Stress in 2025
You’d think with the rise of technology, ticketing would be smooth by now. But in Lagos and other busy cities, the pressure of event planning often pushes ticketing to the background. Many planners focus on decor, vendors, and programmes—until tickets start causing chaos.
From last-minute confirmations to payment issues, event ticketing mistakes are still one of the biggest culprits behind stressful event days. And while guests may never notice the behind-the-scenes scramble, planners rarely forget.
So, what’s going wrong? Here are some common ticketing mishaps, their impact, and what to do better.
7 Common Event Ticketing Mistakes Planners Keep Making
1. Relying on Manual or Paper-Based Tickets
Writing names in books, issuing paper slips, or asking people to “show proof of payment” at the gate sounds simple—until it’s not. Paper tickets get lost. Names get misspelled. Guest lists disappear.
In an age where people can pay and access tickets on their phones, sticking to outdated methods is one of the major event ticketing mistakes.
2. No Centralised System for Tracking Sales and Attendees
Scattered data is the enemy of order. Some planners use bank alerts, others use Excel sheets, and some simply ask guests to send “screenshots.”
Without a central system, you’re more likely to overlook double bookings, forget to follow up on pending payments, or miscount your guest capacity.
3. Poor Communication with Attendees Before the Event
Imagine paying for a ticket, then receiving no confirmation or reminder before the event. It’s frustrating—and avoidable.
One of the lesser-discussed event ticketing mistakes is assuming your job is done once someone pays. Guests need updates, directions, and sometimes simple reassurance that they’re on the list.
4. No Real-Time Insights on Ticket Sales
If you don’t know how many tickets have sold, who’s attending, or what category they fall into, you’re flying blind. And it shows.
Good ticketing tools should offer real-time data, so you can adjust, plan better, and avoid surprises. This kind of mistake, though less visible, is still one of the big event ticketing mistakes.
5. Last-Minute Ticketing Setups
You’ve handled décor, food, and entertainment, but it’s two weeks to go, and you still don’t have a ticketing plan. Now you’re stressed, confused, and scrambling.
This is one of the most common event ticketing mistakes, and it can hurt your sales and credibility. Guests feel more confident when the process is structured early.
6. Underestimating Fraud or Duplicate Tickets
A single ticket forwarded to five friends. Screenshots circulating in WhatsApp groups. Guests arriving with “proof” of payment but no confirmation.
Without a secure digital system, verifying real entries becomes a mess. Fraud not only affects your income but damages trust in your brand.
7. Ignoring Mobile-Friendly Ticketing Options
Most guests now rely on their phones for everything. If your event ticketing doesn’t support mobile wallets, barcodes, or quick downloads, you’re making it harder than it should be.
This mistake often drives potential attendees away—especially younger crowds who expect seamless tech.
The Impact of These Mistakes
These event ticketing mistakes may seem small in isolation. But collectively, they create stress for planners, confusion for guests, and revenue leaks that could easily be avoided.
More importantly, they affect your reputation. A chaotic ticketing experience stays in people’s minds—even if the food and music were great.
What Smart Event Planners Are Doing Differently
Smart planners aren’t waiting for mistakes to happen. They’re using digital tools that combine payment, tracking, and guest management in one place.
They understand that a smooth ticketing experience reflects on the entire event. That’s why they ditch the paper and WhatsApp chaos—and go digital.
A Better Way: Streamlined, Digital Ticketing
The Oyoyo Events App was built for this exact reason—to give planners control and calm. With Oyoyo, you can create digital tickets, track sales in real-time, send automated reminders, and prevent fraud at the gate.
Yemi learned this the hard way after her last-minute paper-based scramble. This time, she used Oyoyo right from the start. She selected verified vendors, set up ticket sales in-app, scheduled reminders, and even shared a live checklist with her committee.
And it feels good—in control, simple, organised.
That’s the difference one smart switch can make.
Conclusion
Mistakes are part of growth. But when the same mistakes keep happening—especially ones that have easy solutions—it’s time to upgrade your tools.
The truth is, ticketing doesn’t have to be the most stressful part of planning. With the right system, it can be one of the smoothest.
While this is a fictional story, it reflects the real struggles many face in event planning in Lagos. The good news? Solutions exist—and they’re easier to use than you think.
Take a moment today. Explore the Oyoyo Events App, and start planning with peace of mind.