A Conversation with Asha Phelps

Join us as we deep dive with IFC Center and DOC NYC's very own Asha Phelps as she brings us on a journey telling us about the organizations she works for and why they choose Agile Ticketing Solutions over all other ticketing software available.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your organization?

I have worked for IFC Center and DOC NYC hand-in-hand for 10 years, largely assisting in ticketing and venue operations. IFC Center, the premiere arthouse for independent films in New York City, opened in June 2005, following an extensive renovation of the historic Waverly Theater. In collaboration with Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen, IFC Center started DOC NYC in 2010, which has grown into America’s largest documentary festival. As an avid movie lover, having access and interactions with so many wonderful films each year is a dream come true.

2. How has the Agile Ticketing Solutions software increased productivity and success for your organization’s events?

Agile Ticketing has been a key component in implementing some of IFC Center and DOC NYC’s more ambitious customer integrations, including the ease of applying membership benefits across ticketing, concessions, and merchandise offerings. Agile’s multiple memberships, festival pass, and ticket package options also allow for us to tailor our product offering builds in ways that are easiest for our staff to structure and customize, and for patrons to understand, access, and use. I especially appreciate how much time the Agile staff as a whole supports our organization and listens to feedback on our software use and business needs.

3. Why does your organization choose Agile Ticketing Solutions?

Initially, one of the biggest reasons we pursued and chose Agile for our dual organizations is that it was cloud-based and allowed for us to set up a festival (DOC NYC) or manage theatrical ticket sales (IFC Center) from almost anywhere and that it had its own online ticket sales platform integration, which has made it so much easier to assist customers with their purchases. We continue to choose Agile because the software offerings continue to grow and serve our evolving business needs. It remains a one-stop shop for all of the efforts we pursue across both organizations, which can be hard for a single service to provide well. We always feel like the Agile Ticketing team is there to provide support and guidance to our teams.

4. What is your favorite part of what the Agile Ticketing Solutions software has to offer?

It’s always difficult to pick just one part, so here are a few favorites:

• Agile’s Integration of a customer database with ticketing and concessions components, allows for us to more easily structure membership and festival pass benefits across all sales channels instantaneously.

• Level of reporting detail and quick access to the data – the web portal and cloud structure of the software make it more plug-and-play and accessible no matter where we are located.

• Continuous support and feedback loop with Agile Ticketing staff – there is a constant, collaborative door open to discuss improvements, interest in new functions, and how the software might grow with new business efforts (like the quick integration of Agile with streaming content access).

5. Where has Agile Ticketing made the greatest impact on your organization’s goals and metrics? Time, Profit, Process Improvements.. other.

One of the biggest impacts in adopting Agile was that the multi-hyphenate service offerings within the software freed up a lot of time and effort for both staff and patrons in streamlining purchase experiences with our organization. With integrations streamlined into a single system, we no longer need to utilize a number of third-party systems that were necessary B.A. (Before Agile). Accessing our account via a Web Portal means being able to use the system anywhere – we don’t need to be on-site to get tickets on sale, set up new merchandise products, or provide purchase support. Generally, the process consolidated and demystified a jumbled mess of previous processes. We’ve been able to recoup more staff time that would be spent laboriously entering in film data or showtimes, as well as be more in control of delivery fees, fulfillment methods, and pricing changes.