CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The non-partisan online event coordinator Eventbrite, a popular way to distribute event tickets during the Republican and Democratic conventions, has determined that Republican gatherings attract 50 percent more people and cost an average 70 percent less than Democratic events.
Reviewing 7,000 political meetings, fundraisers and meet-ups coast to coast so far this year, the firm tells Secrets that 71 percent of its business has been for GOP events, 29 percent for Democratic ones. Both the Obama and Romney campaign use the service.
What's more, in key swing states, 77 percent of the GOP events have been free compared to 63 percent for the Democrats. And fundraisers in those states are more expensive for the Democrats, who charge an average $115.53, compared to $31.50 for the Republicans.
Most users know Eventbrite for its orange smartphone app that collects invitations for the user and also highlights events in their town. At the GOP and Democratic conventions, National Journal distributed tickets to daily briefings via Eventbrite, and candidates around the country use it to organize meetings and raise money.
Eventbrite's CEO and Co-Founder, Kevin Hartz, said, "We've seen tremendous appetite for a more sophisticated toolset for political events--one that makes it easy to create event pages quickly, spread the word about candidate appearances, and help campaigns with meaningful civic engagement. We expect activity on both sides of the aisle--from campaign rallies to luncheons--to pick up as we get closer and closer to Election Day."
