When Extra Revenue Becomes Extra Work: and How Farnham Maltings Simplified It

For many venues, increasing secondary spend sounds straightforward. In practice, it often introduces new layers of complexity for staff and audiences alike. Farnham Maltings experienced this first-hand when they set out to grow pre-show dining sales at their Riverside Café.

Their ambition was sensible: encourage more audiences to eat before a show and strengthen an already-loved part of the venue experience. But early attempts relied on manual workarounds, creating separate “events” for meals, juggling spreadsheets, and managing confusion between box office and café teams. What was meant to generate additional income quickly became an operational strain.

The challenge wasn’t demand. It was complexity.

Farnham Maltings’ experience reflects a wider trend across arts organisations: rethinking what happens after the ticket sale.

Across the Ticketsolve community, venues are seeing strong results from well-timed, relevant add-ons, whether that’s dining, drinks, parking, or merchandise. The most successful examples share a common approach: they align offers with audience expectations and integrate them naturally into the booking journey.

When upselling is treated as part of the experience - not an extra task - it becomes easier for teams and more valuable for audiences.

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