Data-driven and user-friendly ticketing at Theater aan het Vrijthof

How Theater aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht modernized its ticketing experience with ticketmatic

In the heart of Maastricht, on the iconic Vrijthof, Theater aan het Vrijthof stands as one of the cultural figureheads of Dutch Limburg. Every year, the theater presents hundreds of performances in drama, musical theater, cabaret, dance, classical music and other genres, and is a vibrant cultural hub for the city and the surrounding region. In addition to its extensive own program, the theater is also a partner for the resident festivals Nederlandse Dansdagen and Musica Sacra Maastricht and a house for companies such as Philzuid, Toneelgroep Maastricht and Opera Zuid. In addition, the theater has several collaborations with local and national partners, such as the Conservatory and the Theatre Academy.

Application Administrator Cindy Penders: “It is very nice to be able to work in this historic building in the heart of Maastricht. No day is the same and that really appeals to me.” Vicky Bruijn, coordinator UITbalie, shares that feeling: “It is indeed a wonderful place to work.”

For the Theater aan het Vrijthof team, it's all about collaboration, efficiency and visitor experience. To achieve this, a reliable and user-friendly ticketing environment is essential.

The challenge: more insight and greater ease of use

Just before the corona pandemic, the theater decided to renew its ticketing system. The organization was looking for a solution that worked intuitively, better suited the needs of the audience and provided more insight into data.

“In the beginning, we were very happy with the switch to ticketmatic,” says Cindy. “Certain things just worked a lot easier and more intuitive.”

In particular, the simplicity of the system made the difference. Where processes used to be cumbersome, ticketmatic offered a clear, simple and efficient system that also felt natural for visitors.

User-friendliness made a significant difference. Visitors can book and pay for tickets very easily and quickly in ticketmatic. The buying flow works intuitively and smoothly.
-- Vicky Bruijn
--- Coordinator UiTbalie

Online Marketer/Data Analyst George van Montfort adds: “In addition, we also easily get the essential data for data analysis from ticketmatic.”

Discounts and promotional codes are now also easier to manage. Cindy recalls: “That wasn't possible before. Then visitors had to call and provide a code word. That approach is outdated.”

The difference in practice

The choice for ticketmatic brought Theater aan het Vrijthof a clear leap forward in terms of efficiency, insight and reliability. The system proved to be intuitive to use, clearly structured and stable in daily use.

Three elements made the difference for the team:

Cindy summarizes it succinctly: “The system works, it's organized and practical. The basics are just okay.” This stability provides trust, both internally and towards visitors. “There's just a good product at ticketmatic.”

The transition was also seen as positive. “We had very nice and constructive contact with ticketmatic when we set it up,” she says. “That was really nice.”

Data that guides decision-making

With ticketmatic, Theater aan het Vrijthof has a powerful tool to better understand its audience. Data plays a major role in target group segmentations and determining marketing strategy.

George explains: “We mainly use the filters, the selection tools and the dashboard. We look at the programming, what companies have done in the past and what we can expect in the future.” Based on these insights, the team determines the necessary marketing efforts. This results in an efficient distribution of time and budget.

In major productions, such as musicals or popular shows, the theater uses a wide range of campaigns through various channels. For small-scale productions, targeted marketing actions are sufficient. Thanks to the data from ticketmatic, those choices can be substantiated with numbers instead of intuition. “You use filters and selection tools to research potential visitors,” says George. “You look at zip code area, age, gender — the basic demographic data. This is how we start with targeted analysis and segmentation.”

A connected ecosystem

Ticketmatic is part of a well-coordinated digital ecosystem. The system includes Yesplan, ticketmatic, the website, My Theater Environment and Firebase, so that information can be shared effortlessly between different departments.

“The systems are linked to each other with a hub and the performance data is exchanged between Yesplan, ticketmatic and the website. If a new show is scheduled, it is synced from Yesplan to ticketmatic and the website. The back office then completes all the necessary information, such as the hall plan, capacity, prices and any promotional codes. The marketing department places all the performance information in the website's CMS and then the show is put online,” explains Vicky. “Any changes to a show (such as price, title, time, etc.) are also automatically reflected in ticketmatic and on the website. This saves an enormous amount of time and is a lot less error-prone than before.

Meanwhile, the theater continues to invest in its digital future, focusing on digital accessibility, CRM integration and automation, among other things, always with the aim of serving visitors even better and making even better use of audience data.

Looking ahead with confidence

For Theater aan het Vrijthof, ticketing is primarily about visitors and their experience. The theater is strongly committed to inclusiveness, accessibility and connection with all target groups. ”We want to be a theater for everyone,” says George.

The team collaborates with organizations such as Quiet Community, an organization that supports people in poverty and Celebrate Life Foundation that organises cultural activities for older people. In addition, the theater offers discounts for young people and students. In doing so, the theater wants to continue to fulfill its social role: making culture accessible to as many people as possible.

Theater aan het Vrijthof looks ahead with confidence. With ticketmatic as a reliable partner, it continues to build on innovation, digital development and audience connection. As George concludes:”Ticketmatic has been a very stable partner in the field of ticketing for years. That has been invaluable.”

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