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Hi Everyone,

    I am receiving some great responses from vendors of Ticket Sales systems. However, what I'm looking for is a system beyond just the selling of tickets. Here's a more detailed view of what I'm hoping to locate. Short of working with a developer to create a system from scratch, is anyone using a system that can:

1. Allow visitors to book a group tour at specific appointment times,

2. Send a message to all of our docents,

3. Allow docents to sign up to lead the tour,

4. Integrate all of the group tour information into our calendar, and

5. Maintain the visitor's information by uploading the data into our CRM?

    I am hoping to have some options of singular, cost-effective systems which can do all five steps. It's looking like a tall order at this moment, but I am really hoping someone has already figured this out.

Thanks so much!

------------------------------
Demetri Broxton
Director of Education
Museum of the African Diaspora
San Francisco CA

Please respond to the group.  We would love to find similar software If it exists.

------------------------------
Jennifer Frieman
Director of Education
Maryland Historical Society


Original Message:
Sent: 06-14-2016 02:04 PM
From: Demetri Broxton
Subject: Group Tour Scheduling Program or Software

Hi Everyone,

    I am receiving some great responses from vendors of Ticket Sales systems. However, what I'm looking for is a system beyond just the selling of tickets. Here's a more detailed view of what I'm hoping to locate. Short of working with a developer to create a system from scratch, is anyone using a system that can:

1. Allow visitors to book a group tour at specific appointment times,

2. Send a message to all of our docents,

3. Allow docents to sign up to lead the tour,

4. Integrate all of the group tour information into our calendar, and

5. Maintain the visitor's information by uploading the data into our CRM?

    I am hoping to have some options of singular, cost-effective systems which can do all five steps. It's looking like a tall order at this moment, but I am really hoping someone has already figured this out.

Thanks so much!

------------------------------
Demetri Broxton
Director of Education
Museum of the African Diaspora
San Francisco CA

Hi Friends,

We're just in the on-boarding process for Fare Harbor: FareHarbor - Reservation software

FareHarbor		remove preview
FareHarbor - Reservation software Meet the Lightframe™. Add it to any page on your site and your customers can book, pay, and get their confirmation securely - all while maintaining your brand. Collect information from your customers (shoe size, sandwich preference, whatever) and offer them flexible custom upgrades and price adjustments. View this on FareHarbor >

Their primary customers are for tour operators/group sales, but they've been the best software package we've found that's not super-expensive or overly cumbersome. You can see the software in action at Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy's Education Webpage: School Programs

Brooklyn Bridge Park		remove preview
School Programs For children in grades K-12, the Conservancy's education program combines inquiry-based and experiential learning to create lessons that meet Common Core learning standards. Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy's education calendar is divided into three semesters: spring (January - June), summer (July - August) and fall (September - December). View this on Brooklyn Bridge Park >

The embedded calendar on the bottom of their school programs page is the Fare Harbor software.

Also, this topic comes up frequently - try searching the forum here for past threads and the suggestions in them.

------------------------------
Alexander Tronolone
Senior Educator
Brooklyn Historical Society
Brooklyn NY

Original Message:
Sent: 06-15-2016 07:30 AM
From: Jennifer Frieman
Subject: Group Tour Scheduling Program or Software

Please respond to the group.  We would love to find similar software If it exists.

------------------------------
Jennifer Frieman
Director of Education
Maryland Historical Society

------Original Message------

Hi Friends,

We're just in the on-boarding process for Fare Harbor: FareHarbor - Reservation software

FareHarbor		remove preview
FareHarbor - Reservation software Meet the Lightframe™. Add it to any page on your site and your customers can book, pay, and get their confirmation securely - all while maintaining your brand. Collect information from your customers (shoe size, sandwich preference, whatever) and offer them flexible custom upgrades and price adjustments. View this on FareHarbor >

Their primary customers are for tour operators/group sales, but they've been the best software package we've found that's not super-expensive or overly cumbersome. You can see the software in action at Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy's Education Webpage: School Programs

Brooklyn Bridge Park		remove preview
School Programs For children in grades K-12, the Conservancy's education program combines inquiry-based and experiential learning to create lessons that meet Common Core learning standards. Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy's education calendar is divided into three semesters: spring (January - June), summer (July - August) and fall (September - December). View this on Brooklyn Bridge Park >

The embedded calendar on the bottom of their school programs page is the Fare Harbor software.

Also, this topic comes up frequently - try searching the forum here for past threads and the suggestions in them.

------------------------------
Alexander Tronolone
Senior Educator
Brooklyn Historical Society
Brooklyn NY
------------------------------

After much research, I am going to explore Altru by Blackbaud. It is the only program that does all five of the functions I want. I received lots of individual emails and calls from companies that sell tickets online. None of them could quite do all of the functions I was looking to enlist. I'll let folks know how Altru works for us. 

------------------------------
Demetri Broxton
Director of Education
Museum of the African Diaspora
San Francisco CA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-15-2016 07:30 AM
From: Jennifer Frieman
Subject: Group Tour Scheduling Program or Software

Please respond to the group.  We would love to find similar software If it exists.

------------------------------
Jennifer Frieman
Director of Education
Maryland Historical Society

Hi Demetri,

We do all of our school and group tour as well as our sales & events (catering, room reservations, etc) bookings through Altru. Would be happy to help with any questions you have navigating the software. It can be a challenge sometime, but is helpful for interfacing multiple departments and our sales.

------------------------------
Allison Clark
Visitor Experience Manager
Minnetrista
Muncie IN

Original Message:
Sent: 07-06-2016 01:50 PM
From: Demetri Broxton
Subject: Group Tour Scheduling Program or Software

After much research, I am going to explore Altru by Blackbaud. It is the only program that does all five of the functions I want. I received lots of individual emails and calls from companies that sell tickets online. None of them could quite do all of the functions I was looking to enlist. I'll let folks know how Altru works for us. 

------------------------------
Demetri Broxton
Director of Education
Museum of the African Diaspora
San Francisco CA


Original Message:
Sent: 06-15-2016 07:30 AM
From: Jennifer Frieman
Subject: Group Tour Scheduling Program or Software

Please respond to the group.  We would love to find similar software If it exists.

------------------------------
Jennifer Frieman
Director of Education
Maryland Historical Society

We simply use the Outlook Calendar. It allows you to "invite" people and list details. Simple and it works.

------------------------------
Joseph Popp
Exhibits & Archives Specialist
Erie Insurance Museum
Erie PA

We use THRIVA in the Ed. Department here at the SA Zoo. It is a pretty good system and it allows us to have all of our tours and events to be set up and fully booked online. It saves us time and also lots of paper work. They also have a great phone support system.

------------------------------
Jessica Strom
Education Administrative Coordinator
San Antonio Zoo
San Antonio, TX