Event Espresso 4 uses a ticket editor which lets you create multiple ticket options and schedule when those tickets (pricing options) should be available for sale. This means that you can create a ticket with reduced pricing and then create a regular priced ticket option.
If you are using the Promotions add-on for Event Espresso, then you can create a codeless promotion (e.g. specify no discount code and set a date range) and assign it to a specific event. Note this this will apply to all available ticket options for the event and this tutorial offers a more flexible option.
Step 1 – Create your event
Login to your WP-admin (WP dashboard) and then go to Event Espresso –> Events. Click on the Add New button which appears at the top of the screen to create a new event or click on the title of an existing event to make changes to an existing event.
You’ll now be viewing the event editor. If this is a new event, then go ahead and add basic event information like a title and description.
Then scroll to the Event Tickets and Datetimes section of the event editor.
Step 2 – Create your ticket (pricing options)
Create the first ticket option and set the date range for when the ticket option should be available for sale. Then click on the duplicate icon to create a copy of this ticket option. Adjust the pricing for the new ticket option and then set it to be available right after the discount early-bird ticket option is available by adjusting the start and end dates. Then save changes to your event.
If you go to the single event page, then you’ll see two ticket options. The early-bird (discounted) ticket option will open for sale for the date range that you set and so will the regular ticket.
Hide upcoming ticket options (Optional)
Generally, the early-bird ticket option will be available for immediate registration (or in the near future) and the regular priced ticket will be unavailable. You may want to hide the regular priced ticket since it is “upcoming” and not currently available.
You can use a line of CSS to hide the regular priced ticket.
/* Hide ticket options with a status of upcoming */
.espresso_events .ticket-pending { display:none; }
Once the early-bird ticket expires, then the regular pricing ticket will become “active” and it will be available for registration. If you would like to hide expired tickets, then use this line of CSS:
/* Hide ticket options with a status of expired */
.espresso_events .ticket-sales-expired { display:none; }
The examples above can be added to your WordPress site in a couple different ways. If your theme has a custom CSS area, then it can be added there. Otherwise, you can use a free plugin like Reaktiv CSS Builder or Simple Custom CSS.