Case study

From Manual to Modern: How Two Regional Theatres Transformed Their Box Office

Miles Leven has implemented Ticketsolve at two theatre venues during his career, and previously worked with the system at a third. Across each organisation, his goal has remained the same: to help small and mid-scale theatres operate with the professionalism of larger venues, while staying financially sustainable.

When Miles joined Sandpit Theatre in St Albans, the ticketing system was creating daily friction for staff and customers alike. Bookings were difficult to complete online, priority shows weren't clearly surfaced, and the website integration made it hard to present events professionally.

At Cheltenham Playhouse, the situation placed an even greater burden on a small team. Staff were printing and alphabetically sorting every ticket, re-sorting them monthly by show, posting tickets at their own expense, and reprinting them when customers arrived without them. The result was significant administrative overhead, ongoing postage costs, and a customer experience that didn't reflect the quality of the work on stage.

"We needed to look more professional. But we didn't have huge budgets to invest in complex systems."

Choosing the Right System

Miles had first used Ticketsolve earlier in his career at a theatre in Bedford. When it came to upgrading systems at subsequent venues, he didn't need to look far. Many larger ticketing providers required minimum income thresholds, long contracts, or came loaded with functionality that smaller venues simply didn't need. For theatres with 180–300 seats, the priority was professional tooling without unnecessary overhead.

Ticketsolve offered exactly that: and crucially, the investment could be structured to be cost neutral. By setting booking fees appropriately, venues could cover system costs per ticket sold, avoiding large upfront expenses and removing pressure on operational budgets.

"It's not cheap, but it's not unaffordable either. For us, it's effectively cost neutral."

The onboarding process included data migration, implementation support, and system setup, and proved far simpler than expected. From initial enquiry to going live took around three months. Existing shows were migrated successfully, and data transfer was seamless.

"Sunday night export. Monday morning everything was there. By Tuesday everything was correct."

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Operational Transformation

The biggest change came in day-to-day operations. With printed tickets and manual sorting replaced by digital ticketing, QR code scanning, and real-time check-in reporting, administrative time dropped dramatically while front-of-house efficiency improved.

At one venue, the shift went further still. Student volunteers could scan tickets using simple NFC tags, and duty managers were able to resolve queries directly from their phones: removing the need for a dedicated box office member at every performance.

"The duty manager can now handle almost everything from their phone."

Reporting and promoter management also improved significantly. Where previously data access was fragmented and exporting customer information was time-consuming, Ticketsolve allowed promoters to receive automated reports with minimal setup. Integrations with tools like Mailchimp made it straightforward to build more targeted audience communications.

"Within five minutes I can tag a promoter and schedule their reports. It's all sorted."

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Supporting the Team and Leadership Through Change

Introducing a new system can be daunting, particularly when long-standing staff are used to established workflows. At one venue, several team members had been in their roles for more than twenty years. Despite initial concerns, the transition proved smoother than expected. Structured onboarding included live training sessions, box office courses, and access to ongoing learning through the Ticketsolve Academy, all delivered in a way that encouraged confidence rather than intimidation.

"The team were made to feel at ease. Nobody was made to feel stupid."

Gaining board and trustee approval was equally straightforward. Miles shared live demonstrations and drew on his experience across previous venues, supported by clear financial modelling. The case practically made itself.

"It's actually not a difficult case to present."

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Improving the Customer Experience

For Miles, operational improvements were always in service of a bigger goal: keeping audiences coming back. One of the most impactful changes was the introduction of Apple Pay and Google Pay. With a significant proportion of bookings happening on mobile, simplifying checkout was essential , allowing customers to complete purchases faster, without manually entering card details. The result was fewer support calls and a booking journey that worked seamlessly across devices.

"I need customers to book again."

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Having implemented Ticketsolve across multiple venues, Miles has seen first-hand how the right system can transform the way a small theatre operates, without the cost or complexity of enterprise-level platforms.

"I can speak confidently from managing multiple 200–300 seat venues. Ticketsolve gives you a professional level of service in a package that works for smaller theatres. I haven't found a reason to move on."

Three venues later, they're all still using Ticketsolve.

Miles Leven

Theatre Manager

Ticketsolve provides a professional, West End-level service in a package that works for venues like ours.

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