Early bird pricing is a deadline wearing a discount as a disguise. Organizers who understand that structure it well. Organizers who think it is about being cheap give away margin and get nothing back.
Set a date and honour it publicly
The tier must close when you said it would close. The first time you extend an early bird "by popular demand", you have taught your audience that your deadlines are decorative, and your next launch will sit flat until the final week.
Make the saving feel real
A discount under ten percent is not a reason to act today. Fifteen to twenty-five percent off the standard price is the range where people move. Below that, you are discounting without buying urgency.
Cap it by quantity as well as date
"First 100 tickets, or until Friday" gives you two ways to close the tier and a genuine scarcity signal. It also protects you from selling your whole capacity at your lowest price.
Price the standard tier first
Decide what the ticket is worth, then discount backwards from it. Organizers who set the early bird first end up with a standard price they invented to make the discount look good, and it shows.
Tell people the tier is closing
A reminder forty-eight hours before, and one on the morning of the deadline. This is consistently among the highest-converting messages an organizer sends all campaign.