The Opportunities Are Significant
The good news – and there was plenty of it — is that the sector is booming. The conversations at the show were full of ambition, creativity, and a genuine appetite for change.
Digital engagement is opening up new audiences. Attractions that are investing in smarter marketing, targeted campaigns, social storytelling, data-driven communications, are seeing real returns, not just in ticket sales but in community building and long-term loyalty. ticketing
Events and experiences are becoming a major growth driver. Beyond the core visit, museums and heritage attractions are increasingly programming talks, evening events, family days, and exclusive access experiences that generate significant additional revenue and deepen visitor relationships.
Membership and repeat visitation are underutilised goldmines. Many venues have loyal audiences who would happily visit more often, spend more, and advocate for the attraction — if only they were nurtured properly. ticketing
The Challenges Are Real, and They Are Shared
What struck us most walking the floor and sitting in on sessions was how consistently the same themes came up, regardless of the size or type of organisation. Whether we were speaking with a small independent museum or a large national heritage attraction, the pain points were remarkably familiar. ticketing
Revenue pressure is relentless. Funding is tighter, costs are rising, and the expectation to do more with less is not going away. Venues are under real pressure to diversify their income streams, from admissions and retail to events, memberships, and private hire, but many lack the tools to manage all of those channels efficiently in one place. ticketing
Visitor data is being left on the table. Time and again, we heard frustration about fragmented systems. Teams are juggling separate platforms for ticketing, point-of-sale, marketing, and customer service, which means they never get a clear, joined-up picture of who their visitors actually are. Without that insight, it is almost impossible to build the kind of personalised, loyalty-driving relationships that keep people coming back. ticketing
The visitor experience has to work harder. Audiences today expect seamless, intuitive experiences from the moment they discover an attraction online to the moment they leave the gift shop. Clunky booking journeys, long queues at the till, and generic post-visit emails are no longer good enough. The bar has been raised, and venues know it.
Staffing and operational complexity are growing. Many heritage organisations are running lean teams who are stretched across multiple responsibilities. The last thing they need is technology that creates more admin rather than less. ticketing
