From Tradition to Innovation: A Theatre’s Journey to Modern Engagement
Chichester Festival Theatre (CFT) has a rich history as a pioneer in British theatre. Opened in 1962 with Laurence Olivier as its first Artistic Director, it was Britain’s first modern thrust stage theatre, funded by local individuals and businesses. Over six decades, CFT has built a reputation for producing world-class theatre, staying true to its mission of making great performances accessible to all.
Today, CFT operates two venues—the Festival Theatre, seating 1,300, and the Minerva Theatre, with a capacity of 300—with a third venue in development. Supported by a loyal local audience and visitors from across the UK and the world, CFT continually seeks innovative ways to elevate the patron experience while addressing operational challenges.
Tackling Digital Ticketing Challenges to Enhance Customer Experience
With the rise of digital ticketing, CFT noticed growing inefficiencies in its ticketing processes. Emailed PDF tickets were often lost, buried in inboxes, or mistakenly deleted. This led to an increased workload for the Box Office team, who frequently had to resend tickets or provide last-minute reprints on performance days. Additionally, incoming audience traffic presented challenges for Front of House staff, who had to guide patrons through cumbersome processes to locate their tickets.
As part of its ongoing commitment to excellent customer service, CFT recognized the need for a more seamless and reliable ticket delivery system that aligned with the digital habits of modern audiences.
Seamless Digital Ticketing: How crowdEngage Simplified Audience Communication
CFT adopted crowdEngage to transform its ticketing and audience communication processes. By leveraging the platform, the theatre introduced a streamlined digital ticketing flow that included:
- Pre-show emails and texts: Audiences received reminders containing links to their tickets, running times, and other essential information about their visit.
- Post-show engagement: Follow-up texts, including links to online surveys, allowed CFT to gather valuable feedback and insights.
- Catch-up functionality: Late bookers received tailored communications, ensuring no audience member missed critical pre-show information.
This comprehensive approach not only made tickets easily accessible but also enhanced the overall audience experience by delivering timely and relevant communications.
Achieving Efficiency and Satisfaction: The Results of Going Digital
Since implementing crowdEngage, CFT has experienced transformative results across multiple areas:
- Operational efficiency: Box Office and Front of House teams spend significantly less time reprinting tickets or guiding patrons through their email inboxes. Audience members now rely on timely text reminders, simplifying the incoming process.
- Improved audience satisfaction: Feedback from patrons consistently highlights the convenience of the new system. Any event not matched to a communication flow is promptly noticed and addressed, underscoring the importance of the tool.
- Enhanced survey participation: Using post-show texts to distribute survey links increased response rates from 19% to 26%, providing richer audience insights for future planning.
- Sustainability and inclusivity: More audiences have opted into digital communications, further reducing reliance on paper tickets and ensuring accessibility for tech-savvy patrons.
Looking ahead, CFT plans to explore additional features within crowdEngage, such as offering supplementary items for purchase. While logistical challenges remain in integrating external catering systems, the theatre remains committed to leveraging technology for continuous improvement.
Chichester Festival Theatre’s adoption of crowdEngage underscores the value of investing in audience-first digital tools. By addressing inefficiencies and enhancing communication, CFT has set a benchmark for operational excellence and audience satisfaction in the arts and live entertainment sector.
As one team member noted, “If your CRM or ticketing system doesn’t offer digital wallet tickets, crowdEngage is a must.” With its user-friendly interface and stellar support, crowdEngage has proven to be a game-changer for the theatre.
To learn more about Chichester Festival Theatre and their upcoming programming visit their website.
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