Guardians of history go for flexible ticketing system
With a presence throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a wide programme of events, the National Trust needed a ticketing system that could handle a variety of venues, all with differing requirements. It found the flexible solution it needed with ts.com.
The charitable organisation has been working with ts.com since 2000. The relationship began with the Trusts East Midlands region using the ticketingsolutions service to sell online. Since then, the working partnership has developed considerably. Now a significant number of the Trust’s regional offices use ticketingsolutions for all their ticket sales.
Working in partnership
As well as acting as a guardian for some of the nation’s most beautiful properties, the National Trust organises a huge number of events throughout the year, from arts and crafts exhibitions and theatre presentations, to flower shows and music concerts. Founded in 1895 by three Victorian philanthropists, today’s National Trust is divided into a number of autonomous regions.
Flexible solution for different sales channels
“Each of our regions operates independently. ticketingsolutions gives us the flexibility to accommodate all those regional differences,” says Louise Orr, Events Manager of the National Trust.
“The regions can choose how they want to operate. They can sell online, via the telephone, which they can operate themselves or outsource to a third party, or they can use a combination. Some regions also use the ticket printing facilities within ticketingsolutions, either sending them out themselves or using a third party. Others prefer tickets to be collected on the day. It’s entirely up to them.”
The key to the high degree of flexibility in the service lies in the nature of its delivery. As it is delivered over the Internet, each region and any external partners and sales agents have access to the same central data.
Centralised efficiencies
“Having a centralised system lets us see and understand what each of the regions is doing. The central database gives us a much better understanding of what’s going on across the regions and region-by-region. It gives us the ability to report centrally and to manage and use the information much more efficiently,” adds Louise.
“The system also gives us the flexibility to sell in the way we want to. So, for example, a region can change their method of selling for a particular event. This is great for the very popular events, where external support may be needed.”
Cost effective eMarketing & promotions
The marketing facilities within ticketingsolutions provide an invaluable means of communicating with customers. Regions use the marketing tools to promote events and run special offers.
“The South East region uses eMarketing to let customers know which events are coming up. It’s a cost-effective and easy way to stay in touch with customers and encourage repeat purchases.
“On the other hand, the North East uses an ‘early-bird’ promotion to offer discounted tickets for those booking well in advance. Operators at the call centre simply enter the promotional code into ticketingsolutions and the discounted price is automatically displayed. It’s very simple to operate”.
A managed service
ts.com undertakes overall management of ticket sales on behalf of the Trust, again on a region-by-region or venue-by-venue basis, as required. “If one of the regions wants to add a new date, promote a special event or make a change to its pricing, ts.com handles that for us,” says Louise.
A dedicated account manager looks after the needs of all the Trust’s regional offices. She has built up a good understanding of how the Trust operates and what each region’s individual needs are. Having one point of contact is very convenient for us. Our account manager understands how we work, so can respond quickly and efficiently. We’re extremely pleased with the support she gives us,” Louise says.
“The introduction of ticketingsolutions has made a dramatic impact on many areas of the National Trust. It’s brought us unsolicited praise from our customers and gives us the ability to collect and utilise extremely useful customer data. It’s been a great success all round.”
Solution : ts Advance | ts Managed
Customer
The regional offices of the National Trust in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, who run events at their venues.
Challenge
Each region operates independently, hosting a huge number and variety of events. They required a ticketing system with the flexibility to adapt regionally but with the ability to be centrally controlled.
Solution
ts.com provided the National Trust with an advanced sales ticketing system that is centrally managed by a dedicated account manager, with the flexibility to be adapted regionally. The regional offices can set up and manage their own ticket sales, fulfilment and emarketing, with as much central support as they require.