Update: June 2004
The development of online ticketing facilities for arts and cultural organisations across the Highlands and Islands has been given the green-light by funders.
In mid-June 2004, financial support for the ambitious pilot project was confirmed from the European Regional Development Fund under Measure 1, Priority 2 of their programme. This complements funding already in place from the project’s other key supporters, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Arts Council Lottery fund.
The online ticketing project will allow cultural organisations, regardless of their size, to sell tickets directly through their own website and through a central ticketing portal. This will give potential customers across the globe access to ticket purchases twenty-four hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year.
In addition, the system will authorise payments by credit and debit cards, allowing organisations to secure more bookings in advance of events. The system will record invaluable information on event attenders across the region and beyond to assist organisations to develop more cost-effective and successful marketing campaigns.
Over two-hundred arts festivals, venues and promoters stand to benefit from the project, alongside cultural organisations and visitor attractions across the Highlands and Islands.
The pilot project will be developed by HI~Arts, the arts development agency for the region. HI~Arts have long provided events information through its website, which now receives up to 4,000 visitors every day – many of whom are tourists planning their visit to the region. The project aims to turn that keen interest in the region’s culture and events into bookings.
Marcus Wilson, Audience Development Coordinator with HI~Arts said: “This project will provide a real boost for the arts and cultural sector of the region. It will demonstrate how a sector can work effectively together to benefit the whole, and help organisations in the most rural and remote areas compete on a level playing field with their urban competitors.”
David Smillie of Highlands and Islands Enterprise said: “This pilot project is innovative in that nothing like this has been attempted in such a rural area before – London would be a more likely setting for the provision of such a service. We hope that both locals and tourists alike will use online ticketing to the full in the lead-up to the Scottish Year of Highland Culture 2007 . Most particularly, we hope that the system will help our arts organisations to grow their business.”
The project will develop an intuitive online system which can easily be adopted by event organisers and used by customers – a system that will be very familiar to anyone who has used the web to purchase airline or rail tickets.
The recent funding awards follow significant consultancy with the sector led by HI~Arts and a steering group of arts specialists from the region, and a feasibility study by project consultants Catalyst Arts .
The ticketing system is scheduled to go live in late autumn this year. The pilot project will last for two years, after which time it is anticipated that the project will have proved its value in the long term.
Update: April 2004
Following successful funding applications to the Scottish Arts Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise ), the Highlands and Islands Ticketing Project only needs to secure a small amount of additional funding before it can get the go-ahead.
The final application for funding for this project was made to the European Regional Development Fund (Highlands and Islands Measure 1.2) on 25 March 2004. If successful, the project will start to be implemented in mid 2004. This would enable the first tickets to be sold online in late 2004.
HI~Arts will soon be recruiting venues, promoters and festivals in the Highlands and Islands to help trial the system in the initial stages.
Update: December 2003
Funding applications have now been made to establish a two-year pilot project for online arts ticketing in the Highlands and Islands. Applications have been made to both the Scottish Arts Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and a decision is due during the week commencing 19 January 2004. If these funding applications are successful, HI-Arts will approach the European Regional Development Fund for the small amount of additional funding needed to commence the project.
Should funding be awarded for the project, we would hope to establish a system in late 2004 that would allow festivals, venues and promoters across the Highlands and Islands to sell tickets for their events online.
Update: August 2003
HI~Arts is pleased to report that the Feasibility Study for the Highlands & Islands Ticketing Project has now been completed. Arts marketing and box office systems experts,Catalyst Arts, have now presented their findings to the project's Steering Group.
The production of this Feasibility Study follows consultancy with arts organisations across the region, including festivals, venues and promoters. Catalyst Arts also held talks directly with potential stakeholders or funders of a collaborative ticketing resource for the Highlands and Islands.
The study is now being distributed to over 250 arts organisations, promoters and venues to solicit feedback on the solution that Catalyst Arts recommend for such a ticketing resource. The Executive Summary of the Study is available for download here.
Once the arts sector of the region have had a chance give their feedback on the Feasibility Study, HI~Arts will begin to pursue funding for the project (in late 2003). Should funding applications prove successful, a central ticketing resource for the Highlands and Islands could be in place by late 2004.
Update: February 2003
HI~Arts have appointed project management consultants, Catalyst Arts, to conduct a Feasibility Study into the development on a central ticketing resource for the Highlands and Islands. As part of its Audience Development work, HI~Arts is seeking to establish such a resource on behalf of arts promoters, venues and festivals across the region.
Catalyst Arts, a Bath-based company, have had significant experience with ticketing and arts projects across the UK, including work with the Tate and the Barbican. Catalyst was one of three consultancy companies that bid for the consultancy work. The Feasibility Study for the ticketing project has been funded by the Scottish Arts Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise .
A Steering Group has also been established to oversee the Feasibility Study. The membership of this Steering Group represents the region's arts venues, festivals and promoters, potential project stakeholders, and experts in arts marketing and finance. Members of the Group include Alison Gow, Box Office Manager of Eden Court Theatre, Morven Macleod, Administrator of the Highland Festival, Wendy Sanders, Arts Development Office for Ross & Cromarty, and William Powrie, North of Scotland Branch Manager for Lloyds TSB .
William Powrie's participation on the Steering Group was arranged through the Arts & Business Skills Bank Programme, which is supported by Deloitte & Touche .
It will be the role of the Steering Group to oversee and guide the development of the project through feasibility study, business planning, and up to the stage of submitting a project funding application to key agencies.
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