For the past seven years, Bayside Adventure in Granite Bay has dazzled its community with an enchanting Christmas Lights Drive-Through. During the holiday season, families from near and far create cherished memories as they cruise through the streets and marvel at miles of stunning lights.
As a free community event, the drive-through has grown immensely popular, drawing over 120,000 attendees last year alone. Its success, however, has brought a unique set of challenges along the way. We recently spoke with Lisa, the event’s dedicated coordinator, who shared three major hurdles they’ve faced—and how they overcame them with TicketSpice.
Challenge 1: Traffic Jams
A packed-out event might seem like an event organizer’s dream, but when it causes traffic to back up for miles, it can be a nightmare. For Christmas Lights Drive Through, the growth in popularity caused traffic backups so severe that the city intervened and asked Bayside Adventure to manage the flow of cars.
The TicketSpice Solution: Timed Ticketing
To solve the traffic backup problem, the team at Bayside used the TicketSpice timed ticketing feature to release tickets in pre-set intervals. They released 200 tickets every 30 minutes, which more evenly distributed the crowds. By controlling the flow of tickets, they also controlled the flow of cars and effectively eliminated the traffic nightmares of previous years.
Challenge 2: No Ticketing Control
Before adopting TicketSpice, trying to manage ticketing was like herding cats. People would copy, screenshot, or even sell tickets online—to an event that was supposed to be free for the community. Ticket fraud frustrated guests and left Lisa’s team scrambling to manage attendance.
The TicketSpice Solution: Personalized QR Codes for Secure Check-In
By issuing personalized QR codes with TicketSpice, each attendee had a unique ticket code that could not be duplicated or resold. This secure solution restored ticketing control for the Bayside team, and ticket fraud quickly became a thing of the past.
Challenge 3: Lost or Forgotten Tickets
With thousands of attendees, it was a guarantee that some guests would misplace or forget their tickets. You can imagine how this scene played out. Parents frantically search for a crumpled paper ticket as a kid screams in the back seat, and annoyed attendees perish in the traffic backlog. Surely this wasn’t the fun, festive experience people envisioned.
The TicketSpice Solution: Powerful Search Functionality
Thanks to the TicketSpice search feature, when guests can’t retrieve their ticket via email or QR code, it’s no big deal. A staff member can easily look up their ticket by name, quickly resolve the issue, and keep traffic flowing right along. For those who do have their tickets on hand, QR code check in is lightning fast.
Using TicketSpice for Winter Events
For Lisa and the team at Bayside Christmas Adventure, TicketSpice has been an absolute game-changer. If your event or attraction faces challenges like traffic control, ticket fraud, or check-in chaos, TicketSpice can provide a customized solution for your needs. Ready to get started?
We’re here to help you have the best event ever!
— The TicketSpice Team
