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Serving up Success: The Recipe for Partnership

Powering record-breaking attendance and zero wait times, Brushfire helped A Taste of Southlake serve up its most seamless—and successful—event yet.

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A Taste of Southlake represents the epitome of community-driven events that celebrate local culture and cuisine while supporting charitable causes. What began in 2022 as a Leadership Southlake class project has blossomed into a beloved annual tradition that brings together residents, restaurateurs, and visitors to experience the diverse culinary offerings of Southlake, Texas, and surrounding areas.

Held at the elegant Westin Hotel Dallas Southlake, this evening celebration features food sampling from dozens of local restaurants, live entertainment, and a festive atmosphere that fosters community connections. With a dual mission of promoting area restaurants and contributing to local organizations in need, A Taste of Southlake exemplifies how food can bring people together while making a positive impact. Currently, proceeds from the event benefit the Tarrant Area Food Bank, creating a meaningful cycle of food-centered giving.

As the event has grown in popularity and scale over its short history, organizers faced the challenge of scaling their ticketing and event management systems to match the increasing demand and expectations. This is where Brushfire entered the picture, providing the technological foundation that allowed A Taste of Southlake to focus on what they do best—creating memorable culinary experiences that strengthen community bonds.

The Challenge

A Taste of Southlake began as a small community initiative but quickly gained popularity. By their second year, organizers faced several challenges:

  • Growing Attendance: Managing ticket sales for an expanding audience
  • Box Office Bottlenecks: Long lines and wait times during check-in
  • Payment Processing: Need for secure, reliable processing of ticket purchases
  • Promotional Capabilities: Limited ability to market ticket sales efficiently
  • Reporting and Analytics: Difficulty tracking attendance and sales metrics
  • Nonprofit Fundraising: Need for a platform that could accommodate their charitable mission
“As always, having Brushfire there made the check-in process seamless and easy!”
Ronak Kothari
Creative and Digital Director, A Taste of Southlake

The Solution

A Taste of Southlake selected Brushfire’s all-in-one event management platform to address their specific needs, creating a comprehensive solution that transformed their ticketing and event management processes.

Brushfire’s ticketing implementation provided immediate advantages through an embedded portal on the event website, offering various ticket options from VIP experiences to general admission. The mobile-friendly system ensured convenient purchasing from any device, while QR code ticketing eliminated traditional paper ticket bottlenecks at check-in.

The platform’s event management features allowed for branded customization that matched A Taste of Southlake’s visual identity. Organizers utilized promotional tools like targeted email campaigns and discount codes, while gaining valuable insights through the reporting dashboard. During the event, Brushfire’s mobile check-in app enabled staff to process attendee entry efficiently without creating long lines.

Payment processing integration through Square provided secure transactions with multiple payment options, while automated financial reporting reduced administrative burden on volunteers, particularly important for an event with charitable giving at its core.

The Results

After implementing Brushfire for two consecutive years, A Taste of Southlake experienced significant improvements:

Operational Efficiency

  • Reduced Wait Times: Decreased check-in time by over 60% compared to previous manual processes
  • Staff Productivity: Reallocated staff from ticket sales to enhancing the attendee experience
  • Streamlined Communication: Automated confirmation emails and updates to ticket holders

Attendee Experience

  • Simplified Purchasing: Intuitive online ticket buying reduced abandoned purchases
  • Faster Entry: Quick scanning of digital tickets eliminated long lines
  • Professional Presentation: Enhanced brand perception through polished ticketing experience

Business Growth

  • Increased Attendance: Growth in ticket sales year-over-year since implementing Brushfire
  • Enhanced Fundraising: More efficient ticketing process resulted in higher proceeds for charity
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Utilized attendance analytics to improve event planning and restaurant participation

A Taste of Southlake’s successful implementation of Brushfire demonstrates how the right ticketing and event management platform can help community events grow from small initiatives to established traditions. By addressing operational challenges and enhancing the attendee experience, Brushfire has enabled A Taste of Southlake to focus on their core mission of bringing people together, promoting local restaurants, and giving back to the community.

As A Taste of Southlake continues to evolve, Brushfire remains a trusted partner in their growth, providing scalable solutions that adapt to their changing needs while maintaining the personal touch that makes community events special.

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