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.

Keywords: performing arts software, event ticketing platform, arts administration, theatre management, school ticketing system, community theatre, online fundraising, patron management, Zachary Collins, Kevin Schneider, event management software, fundraising tools, marketing automation, digital ticketing, live streaming events, arts organization support, class registration, non-profit solutions, box office software, venue management