Dear Event Doctor: Tickets to our event are not selling as quickly as we had predicted, even after an initial round of advertising. What can we do to bring up the numbers when selling tickets in advance of an event? —Ticket to Ride

Dear Ticket to Ride: The first step is to try to identify why your tickets are not selling. Are they too expensive for your targeted fans or the region in which you are holding the event? If so, you might consider promotional offers like family packages (for example, a discounted price or including other value with the purchase of four tickets). You can also enlist sponsors to publicize discount offers at their retail locations or online.

How far in advance did you kick off your advertising campaign? If it was a long time ago, your target audience may have forgotten about the event and what makes it special. Consider an additional advertising campaign, with a change of message, spokespersons, appearance or script that emphasizes urgency. Are most attendees from other areas of the country? Offer members of the community an opportunity to sample the event at a reasonable price.

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A veteran of the sports-event industry, Supovitz has served as senior vice-president of events for the National Football League since 2005. Prior to joining the NFL, he was the National Hockey League’s group vice-president of events and entertainment for 13 years. He is also the author of “The Sports Event Management and Marketing Playbook,” the second edition of which is being published this month by John Wiley & Sons. For further information or to order, please visit the Media Zone at SportsTravelMagazine.com. Questions for The Event Doctor can be emailed to Frank Supovitz at [email protected].