Will the system prevent non-members from buying tickets to an event?

No, sorry.  That's not a feature that we have currently.  However, we know that it's one that some organisations would like, so it's on our TODO list.  We will post an update on the WebCollect home page once the feature is added.

In the meantime, you will need to check that those who purchase tickets are current, paid-up members.  Fortunately most people are quite honest, and we find that most organisations don't have too much of a problem with this.