A decade ago, Eventfrog gave the Swiss event landscape a proper shake-up. While other ticketing providers were stacking fee upon fee, we turned up with a fairly mad idea: 100% fee-free ticket sales. The whole thing was funded through advertising printed on the tickets. Back then, it was a real game-changer – organisers could sell their tickets free of charge, ticket buyers didn't have to pay any extra fees, and Eventfrog made it all work through advertising. Win-win, we thought. And the events industry clearly agreed.
Today, Eventfrog is one of the leading event platforms in the DACH region. But a good model doesn't automatically get better just because you keep running it the same way for as long as possible. So we took a proper look.
And the answer was pretty clear: Ticket advertising had its moment. Now it's time to let it go.
The second revolution: Tickets free from third-party advertising
From now on, all tickets on Eventfrog are completely free of third-party advertising.
- No ad underneath the concert ticket.
- No advertising on the ticket to the theatre evening.
- No external message next to the club event ticket.
- Nothing. Nada. Niente.
And the best part? Ticket sales remain 100% fee-free.
Mike Müller
"Ten years ago, we abolished ticket fees; today, we're abolishing ticket advertising – this is our second revolution", says Mike Müller, founder and CEO of Eventfrog. "With tickets free from third-party advertising, we're giving organisers a more professional brand presence and offering guests a better ticket experience. At the same time, we're keeping our promise: fee-free ticket sales – no compromises."
Why this step?
Let's be honest: third-party advertising on tickets was never the feature that had everyone throwing confetti. Some thought it was fine. Some found it annoying. Some just unnecessary. And at some point, it became clear to us: if tickets are the first visible point of contact between an event and a guest, then they should show exactly that: the event.
That's why we've been reducing our dependence on ticket advertising step by step. Now the right moment has come to take the final step.
But hang on: how does Eventfrog make money now?
A perfectly fair question. Because yes: advertising remains an important part of Eventfrog. Just not on your tickets anymore.
Instead, we're focusing on advertising that genuinely helps organisers: event advertising for more visibility, more reach and more ticket sales. Eventfrog now offers a wide range of advertising services that can be booked directly through the platform.
- Event listings in online and print media
- Radio advertising
- Advertising on public transport
- Digital advertising on more than 13,000 screens across Switzerland
Through partnerships with media partners such as Tamedia, CH Media and Livesystems, Eventfrog has become the largest network for event advertising in Switzerland. Organisers can advertise where their target audience actually spends their time – all through a single platform.
Mike Müller
"In the past, money was made through advertising on tickets – today, we make money by helping events become even more successful", Mike Müller sums up the new model. "This creates real added value for organisers and is in the interest of everyone involved."
What does this mean in practice?
For organisers, it means: tickets now look cleaner, more professional and clearer. Across all event models, they're free from third-party advertising and no longer distract from the event itself. Anyone wanting even more control over the look and feel can design the ticket entirely individually with the Pro model. That way, the ticket isn't just an admission pass – it becomes part of the event's own branding. For ticket buyers, it means: a clean, uncluttered ticket without visual noise. Simply the gateway to the experience. Full stop.
And what's next?
Standing still isn't really our thing.
In the future too, we want to bring more freedom, fairness and simplicity to the events industry. One example is the recently announced Eventfrog Cashless App. It turns the smartphone into a fully-fledged till – with no extra hardware needed, easy to use and on fair terms. Because that's what it's all about: developing solutions that genuinely help organisers.
Welcome to the ad-free ticket era
Some companies celebrate small improvements. We prefer to get the job done properly. First the ticket fees gone. Now the third-party advertising gone.
Welcome to the ad-free ticket era. It was about time.
