Ludus

About Ludus

Ludus operates as a comprehensive, web-based platform tailored for performing arts organizations, providing an integrated suite of tools to manage their operations. The company was co-founded by Zachary Collins and Kevin Schneider. The venture began as a side project when Collins, then a college student, developed an online ticketing solution for his former high school theater director, Schneider. Following a successful production of "Phantom of the Opera" in 2016 which sold $40,000 in tickets through the platform, the need for such a system became apparent, leading to the official establishment of Ludus in July 2016.

The company targets a market encompassing K-12 schools, colleges, community theaters, non-profits, and performing arts centers of various sizes. Its business model primarily revolves around a convenience fee, where a percentage and a fixed amount are passed on to the ticket-buying patron for online card transactions. This structure allows the company to offer its core services to organizations for free, eliminating a direct expense for them. As of late 2021, ticketing fees constituted 89% of revenue, with the remaining 11% derived from complementary streams.

Ludus's core product is an all-in-one platform that handles ticketing, marketing, fundraising, and more. The ticketing system supports both online and in-person sales for reserved or general admission seating. Beyond ticketing, the platform includes a marketing suite for creating and sending targeted email campaigns based on patron data, a fundraising module for collecting donations, and a "Collections" feature for managing payments for various items like class registrations, member dues, or venue rentals. The company experienced significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic by adapting its offerings, introducing a streaming platform for virtual events and an automatic seat buffering tool for social distancing.