UC Santa Cruz and the City of Santa Cruz have once again collaborated on their joint ticketing system, Santa Cruz Tickets, working together to upgrade it into a more functional, customer friendly, and appealing online ticket sales site for the end user.
The collaborative Santa Cruz Tickets was established by the City of Santa Cruz and UC Santa Cruz in 2007 to provide a comprehensive community ticket office. It enables patrons to buy tickets to most local performances and events through one source, either online (santacruztickets.com) or in person at the city's Civic Auditorium Box Office or the UCSC Ticket Office. The system sells tickets for events taking place on campus, at the Civic Auditorium, and throughout the community.
Features of the new site, launched December 6, include an easier-to-use system as well as a fresh look, new logo, more visual content, improved event organization, enhanced search capability, and more.
"It's really a more intuitive user interface," said UC Santa Cruz Advancement Services Director Brian Duisenberg. "It will now be easier for patrons to find the events they want to go to and purchase tickets online."
The city obtained a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County to help with the upgrade, which is intended to better serve the community and nonprofit arts groups.
"This speaks to a general call within the City of Santa Cruz’s General Plan and the Arts Master Plan, to support the development of cultural tourism as a viable and attractive form of economic development for the city," said Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium Supervisor Andrea Botsford.
"The city is excited to be able to offer an updated, more attractive site for selling tickets to cultural events, musical and theater performances, sporting events, and community-sponsored activities—all things that contribute to a vibrant, lively, and stimulating community," said Dannettee Shoemaker, director of Parks and Recreation. "And we're pleased to be able to collaborate with UC Santa Cruz—working together helps us achieve results that benefit us both."
Tickets currently available through Santa Cruz Tickets include all performances of the Santa Cruz Symphony, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, UCSC Arts & Lectures, UCSC Arts performances, and all Civic Auditorium events. Other venues include the Rio Theatre, Cabrillo College's Crocker Theater, and the Mello Center for the Performing Arts.
The upgrade project is the culmination of three years of cooperative work by UCSC and city staff resulting in the joint purchase of the latest version of the sophisticated ticketing software Audience View. The new logo represents the partnership between UCSC and the City of Santa Cruz, the collaborative efforts of producers and artists to provide memorable events, and the community’s dynamic synergy.
Currently featured shows at santacruztickets.com are the Santa Cruz County Symphony, Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, Bassnectar, Jackson Browne, and Maya Angelou.
Santa Cruz Tickets is located at the City of Santa Cruz Civic Box Office at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. Hours are Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Phone (831) 420-5260.
At UCSC, Santa Cruz Tickets is located at the UCSC Ticket Office at the Theater Arts Center. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Phone (831) 459-2159.
