Case study

Jul 13, 2026

A System the Whole Team Can Use, Backed by Support They Can Actually Reach

When Arron Polton-Gower set out to move Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts' box office system from Spektrix, he wasn't necessarily looking for specific features. He wanted something his whole team could use, and a support team that was just a phone call away. A year and a half on from moving to Ticketsolve, the centre now has a more confident team, faster event setup and a booking journey that reflects the quality of their programme.

Why they moved

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts sits at the heart of the University of Sussex campus in Falmer, Brighton, housed in Basil Spence's Grade II* listed building. Its programme runs across performance, dance, live art, film and music, with a flexible auditorium that seats around 300. Behind it is a small team that has to move quickly, leaning heavily on casual and front-of-house staff who need to pick things up fast.

The old set-up made that hard. The Centre had been running on an aging system that was getting in the way of their workflows.

'I wanted something easy and simple that everyone can use, and that there's lots of support with it.'

Arron wanted a system his whole team could navigate, so the Centre migrated to Ticketsolve in January 2025.

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Support you can pick up the phone to

The main priority for Arron was support. With Ticketsolve it comes as part of the plan rather than at extra cost, and it means you have access to a real person at the end of the phone, 24/7.

'The support network is fantastic. I can literally pick up the phone and speak to a member of the customer service team and just ask them questions. It's just reassuring, and I actually rang Charlie this morning!'

That “talk-me-through-it” approach has underpinned how far the team has taken the platform. On-site training added to it: Customer Support and Training Specialist Mark worked directly with the front-of-house team, through tailored sessions that ensured that staff had the knowledge and skills they need to fully utilise the system.

A system the whole team can use

Ease of use was the other half of the decision, and that’s what has really made the difference day-to-day. Shows go on sale faster, events can be duplicated rather than rebuilt, and holds, reserves and flexible pricing structures are straightforward to replicate once the team has done them once. Reporting can adapt to the needs of the team too - providing detailed financial overviews when reconciliation requires, or headline figures only for a sales check-in.

'On Spektrix, it used to take us a couple of hours to set up a run of events, where as in Ticketsolve it literally takes a couple of minutues.'

The team has the skills to do all this too, and no longer wait on Arron to get things going. Simplicity matters beyond convenience, too.

'The simplified, user-friendly design has made the system easier to navigate, helping the team learn and adopt it more quickly'

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Features doing real work

Two features have reshaped how the Centre handles income. It uses Projects to manage and track commercial income, giving it a clear view of the revenue tied to each organisation it works with, sitting alongside the ticketing data rather than in a separate spreadsheet. Collections has taken the friction out of group and school bookings, replacing their previous “invoice-and-wait” setup with a simple payment link.

'Being able to take a school booking and send them a payment link rather than an invoice saves so much admin resource time. They pay online, we've got the payment in the bank and there's no waiting around. It's taking out the middleman.'

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A voice in where it goes next

Arron also values Ticketsolve’s consistent and constant development - and knowing his team has a say in where it goes next, via Customer Success check-ins and the Ideas portal.

'It's good to know there's a place for Ticketsolve users to voice their ideas. It's visual, so you can see an idea move up, which means more people are interested in it. Everyone who uses Ticketsolve is collectively helping to shape what's useful, especially within the arts and cultural sector.'

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What's next

With the team settled and a new communications role now in post, the Centre is starting to use more of the platform, including automations, and a more complex booking journey. Arron is already looking forward to the next steps.

'The online booking journey is so much slicker and easier to navigate for our visitors. As a result, ticket sales have increased, the Centre’s brand presence is stronger throughout the customer journey, and the overall online experience feels more seamless and engaging. Combined with a confident team and a scalable platform, the Centre is well equipped for continued growth.'

The benefits of migration are clear: ticket sales are up, the Centre’s brand presence is stronger on its website and booking journey, and that journey is cleaner and more interactive than before. With a more confident team and a platform that scales as it grows, the Centre has has room to keep building.

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Arron Polton-Gower

Visitor Experience & Operations Manager

It has made such a difference. We're only going to use more and more of the system, and it's just going to allow us to keep growing.

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