Sometimes your attendees don't come alone — they come together. Group ticketing in Brushfire is designed for exactly that. It gives you tools to manage bulk purchases, offer group discounts, and keep people organized when they're registering as a unit.
Groups are a good fit when you:
- Want to offer a discounted rate to attendees purchasing tickets or registrations in bulk
- Want one person to manage a block of tickets or registrations on behalf of others — including checking in the whole group with a single QR code
- Want attendees to register separately but still be linked together as a group for your event
Example: You're hosting a leadership conference and want to offer a discounted rate when a company purchases 10 or more tickets. Groups let you set that minimum threshold — once it's met, the group rate applies automatically.
Example: You're running a family camp where one parent registers and manages the whole family's information, but you also want the flexibility for other families to join a group and pay on their own. Groups handle both scenarios.
How Group Ticketing Works
Setting Up a Group Ticket Type
Groups are configured at the ticket type level. In your ticket type settings, you can set a minimum ticket quantity. Any time that minimum is set to 2 or more, Brushfire automatically enables group functionality for that ticket type. You'll know it's set up correctly when you see a Group tag appear under the ticket type name in your Event Configuration.
You can also customize the instructions your attendees see when they reach the group creation step — so you can set expectations, explain the group code process, or give any specific guidance relevant to your event.
The Group Manager
When an attendee purchases enough tickets to qualify as a group, they become the Group Manager. This person:
- Creates a group code that others can use to join the same group — even if they register separately
- Can log in and make changes for any member of their group
- Can see how many people are currently registered in their group at any time
- Receives a special scan code at check-in to check in the entire group at once with a single scan
After creating a group, the Group Manager receives two emails: one with their group details and the code to share with others, and a standard purchase confirmation.
Joining an Existing Group
Attendees who weren't part of the original purchase can still join a group later using the shared group code. Brushfire also builds in a safety net for people who accidentally start down the wrong path — if someone begins creating a group but actually meant to join one (or vice versa), the registration flow prompts them to switch directions before they complete the process.
What You Can Do as the Event Organizer
Group functionality gives you additional tools on the back end too. As the event organizer, you can:
- View and edit any group and see its current settings and member count
- Add Group Fields — questions that only the Group Manager answers once, but whose responses apply to everyone in the group. This keeps the form streamlined while still capturing the group-level data you need.
Groups First: A Different Approach
There's a related feature called Groups First that takes a different approach to group registration. Rather than focusing on discounts, Groups First is about how your event is displayed and organized. It gives attendees a clear choice upfront — register as an Individual or Create/Join a Group — before they ever get to ticket selection.
This is useful when your event is naturally group-oriented and you want to reduce confusion by simplifying the decision your attendees make at the start of the registration process.
📌 Not sure if Groups First is right for your event? Reach out to our support team and we can help you figure out the best setup for your situation.
Not Sure If You Need Groups?
If your main goal is offering a discount when a certain number of tickets are purchased — but you're not concerned with keeping attendees linked together or managing them as a unit — a simpler option might work better for you. Consider setting up an automatic Promotion Code that applies when a minimum ticket quantity is reached. It's less setup and may be all you need.
Limitations to Know
- Group functionality is triggered by the minimum quantity setting. If the minimum is set to 1 or left blank, groups will not be enabled for that ticket type.
- The Group Manager is responsible for their group. They have the ability to make changes for any member — make sure your attendees understand this when they create or join a group.
- Group Fields are answered once by the Group Manager. These answers apply to the whole group, so they're best used for information that's truly shared across all members.
- Groups First changes the registration flow significantly. It's a bigger structural change to your event setup — worth a conversation with our team before enabling it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between a Group and a regular multi-ticket purchase?
A regular purchase lets one person buy multiple tickets, but there's no shared identity or management between them. A Group links those tickets together under a Group Manager who can manage members, share a join code, and check everyone in at once.
- Can someone join a group after the Group Manager has already registered?
Yes. The Group Manager receives a group code they can share with others. Anyone with that code can join the group later — even if they register separately and pay on their own.
- What are Group Fields and how are they different from Attendee Fields?
Attendee Fields are answered for each individual registrant. Group Fields are answered once by the Group Manager and the responses apply to everyone in the group. They're useful for collecting shared information — like a team name, organization, or group-level preferences — without repeating the question for every member.
- What's the difference between Groups and Groups First?
Standard group ticketing is primarily about bulk purchasing and discounts. Groups First is about how your event is structured and displayed — it prompts attendees to choose between registering individually or as a group before they select a ticket type. It's better suited for events that are inherently group-based rather than events that simply want to offer group pricing.
- What if I just want to offer a bulk discount without all the group management features?
An automatic Promotion Code may be a simpler fit. You can configure it to apply automatically when a certain number of tickets are purchased, without any of the group management overhead.