Help and Support

What is the difference between a web app and a native app for theatres and audiences?

A native app is downloaded from an app store and installed on a phone. A web app opens through a browser link, usually from an SMS, email or QR code, and works without the audience needing to download anything. For theatres and arts venues, this difference really matters. Most audience members are not going to download a new app for one visit, especially if they only attend a few times a year. A web app removes that barrier. The visitor taps a link, opens their ticket, pre-orders drinks, shares tickets, views membership details or makes a donation without needing to create another app account or search an app store.

Native apps can be useful for organisations with very frequent users, but they often require more effort from the customer and more maintenance from the venue. A web app is usually more flexible for theatres because it works across different phones, supports one-off visitors and can be branded to the venue or production. VisitOne uses a web-based app approach so audiences can access secure mobile tickets, interval ordering, donations, memberships and venue messages from one simple digital journey, without the friction of an app download.

How can a venue increase theatre interval revenue?

Theatre interval revenue can be increased by making it easier for audiences to order before the rush begins. The biggest barrier is often not demand, but time. A 20-minute interval gives people a short window to leave their seat, join a queue, order, pay, collect drinks and get back before the second half starts. Many customers simply decide it is not worth the effort.

Pre-ordering helps solve that problem. If audiences receive a branded message before curtain-up, they can order drinks or snacks in advance and collect them at the interval. This spreads demand, reduces queue pressure and gives the venue more time to prepare orders. It can also encourage customers who would otherwise skip the bar altogether.

The key is to make the process feel simple. The order journey should be mobile-friendly, linked to the customer’s visit and easy to complete without downloading an app. Payment should be quick and collection instructions should be clear. VisitOne helps venues increase interval revenue by connecting ticketing and EPOS systems, so pre-show and interval ordering becomes part of the wider audience journey rather than a separate, manual process.

How can theatres reduce queues at the bar during the interval?

The most effective way to reduce theatre bar queues is to move some of the ordering activity before the interval begins. When every audience member arrives at the bar at the same time, queues are almost unavoidable. Even a well-staffed bar can struggle when hundreds of people only have 20 minutes to order and return to their seats. Pre-ordering allows customers to choose and pay for drinks before the performance starts. The venue can then prepare orders in advance or manage collection points more efficiently. This reduces pressure on front-of-house teams and gives audiences a smoother experience.

Good communication is also important. Audiences need to know that pre-ordering is available, when to order and where to collect. A well-timed SMS or email before curtain-up can be far more effective than relying only on signage inside the venue. For theatres, the benefit is twofold: audiences spend less time queuing and the venue captures revenue that may otherwise be lost. VisitOne supports this by sending branded pre-order messages linked to the customer’s visit, helping venues make interval ordering easier, faster and more joined up.

What is the best EPOS integration for theatres?

The best EPOS integration for a theatre is one that connects smoothly with the venue’s ticketing system and supports the way the audience actually behaves. A theatre EPOS system should not work in isolation. It needs to support pre-orders, interval drinks, hospitality, reporting and customer experience, while giving venue teams accurate operational data.

For many theatres, the challenge is not just taking payments at the bar. It is linking ticket buyers to spend, recognising when people are attending, encouraging advance orders and making sure the EPOS journey does not create more manual work for staff.

A strong integration should allow audiences to order from their phone, pay securely and have that order passed through to the venue’s EPOS or operational workflow. It should also be flexible enough to work with different ticketing platforms, because arts venues often have long-established systems that cannot easily be replaced. VisitOne connects ticketing systems such as Spektrix, Tessitura and Tixly with EPOS systems including pointOne, Tevalis and Square. The aim is not to replace the venue’s existing setup, but to make ticketing, ordering and audience engagement work together more effectively. Read more in our insights page: Choosing the right EPOS

What are shadow bookers and why do they matter to theatres?

Shadow bookers are people who attend a performance but are not known to the venue because someone else bought their ticket. This is common in theatres, concert halls and festivals. One person may book tickets for friends, family, colleagues or a group, leaving the venue with only one named customer in its database.

Shadow bookers matter because they represent a major missed audience development opportunity. They may attend regularly, spend money at the bar and enjoy the experience, but the venue has no direct way to contact them afterwards. That means they may miss future show recommendations, membership offers, donation asks, surveys or important visit information.

Digital ticket sharing can help solve this. When the lead booker shares tickets through a secure mobile journey, each attendee can receive their own ticket. This gives the venue an opportunity to build a direct relationship with people who would otherwise remain invisible. The process needs to be easy and useful, not intrusive. The audience benefit is clear: everyone gets their own ticket on their own phone. The venue benefit is better data, stronger engagement and a clearer picture of who is actually attending.

VisitOne supports shadow booker capture through secure digital ticket sharing.

How can theatres ask for donations without disrupting the ticket purchase journey?

Theatres can ask for donations more effectively by placing the donation moment where it feels natural, rather than forcing it into the ticket checkout. Ticket purchase is often a practical task. The customer is choosing seats, checking dates, reviewing prices and completing payment. Adding too many prompts at that point can create friction.

That does not mean donation asks should disappear. It means venues should think carefully about timing and context. A donation prompt can work well after ticket purchase, during digital ticket delivery, before a visit, after a performance or as part of a membership or supporter journey. These moments can feel more connected to the audience’s relationship with the venue.

The message also matters. A good donation ask should explain the value of support in human terms. It might focus on access programmes, creative learning, community work, artist development or keeping live performance available to more people. VisitOne allows venues to include donation opportunities within the mobile audience journey, alongside digital tickets, memberships, ordering and visit messages. This helps theatres make the ask visible without overloading the ticket checkout process. 

Additional insight: Helping Theatres increase individual donations

How can theatres improve the audience journey before, during and after a show?

Theatre audience experience is shaped by far more than the performance itself. A visitor’s journey starts when they receive their booking confirmation and continues through travel, arrival, ticket access, ordering, interval, post-show communication and future engagement.

A smoother journey usually comes from joining up the practical details. Audiences need easy access to tickets, clear reminders, simple ways to share tickets, helpful venue information and quick options for ordering drinks or adding support. If those actions sit in separate systems, the experience can feel fragmented. Mobile-first communication can help. A timely SMS or email can bring together the things a visitor needs for that specific attendance: secure tickets, pre-order options, membership cards, access information, parking updates or useful reminders.

The goal is not to over-message people. It is to make each message relevant and timely. A family attending a matinee may need different information from a member attending a gala evening or a group visiting for the first time. VisitOne helps theatres create a joined-up digital audience journey by connecting ticketing, EPOS, messaging, donations, memberships and secure mobile ticketing in one branded web-based experience.

Why should theatres use mobile tickets instead of PDF tickets?

Mobile tickets can offer theatres more security, better audience data and a smoother visitor experience than traditional PDF tickets. PDF tickets are easy to forward, copy or print multiple times, which can create confusion at entry and increase the risk of unauthorised resale. Once a PDF has been sent, the venue has limited control over where it goes. Secure mobile tickets are more flexible. They can be delivered closer to the event, updated if needed and linked to a specific digital journey. They can also encourage the lead booker to share tickets properly with other attendees, helping the venue understand who is actually in the building.

For audiences, mobile tickets reduce the need to search inboxes, print at home or manage several attachments. They can open their ticket from a message and keep it available on their phone. For venues, this can improve scanning, reduce ticketing issues and create more opportunities for helpful pre-visit communication. The best mobile ticketing experience should still be simple for customers who are less confident with technology. VisitOne delivers secure mobile tickets through a web-based app, so audiences can access tickets without downloading a native app.

What is the best way to manage digital memberships for theatres and arts venues?

The best way to manage digital memberships is to make membership benefits easy for audiences to access and easy for venue teams to administer. A digital membership should not just be a static card on a phone. It should connect to the wider audience journey, including ticketing, priority access, donations, offers, events and communications. For theatres, membership journeys often involve different systems. A customer may buy a membership through the ticketing system, receive emails through a marketing platform and show proof of membership at the venue. If these steps are not joined up, the experience can feel clunky.

Digital membership cards help by giving supporters a simple way to access their membership on their phone. They can reduce the need for printed cards, make renewals easier to promote and create more opportunities for targeted communication. The most useful approach is one that works with the venue’s existing ticketing system rather than forcing a full system change. VisitOne supports digital membership cards as part of the wider mobile audience journey, alongside secure tickets, donations, pre-orders and venue messages, helping membership feel more connected to each visit.

 How can arts venues use SMS without annoying audiences?

Arts venues can use SMS effectively by keeping messages timely, useful and directly connected to the customer’s visit. SMS is a high-attention channel, so it should be used carefully. The best messages help the audience do something they already need to do, such as access tickets, pre-order interval drinks, check arrival information or receive an important update. The timing of the message is just as important as the content. A reminder sent too early may be forgotten. A message sent too late may not give the audience enough time to act. For pre-orders, a message before curtain-up can work well because the customer is already thinking about their visit.

Personalisation also helps. A message should feel like it comes from the venue, not from a disconnected third-party system. Branded sender names, venue-specific wording and performance-level templates can make the communication feel more relevant. SMS should not replace every other channel, but it can be very effective for important, time-sensitive actions. 

VisitOne allows venues to send branded SMS and email messages linked to the audience journey, including digital tickets, pre-orders, membership cards and visit updates.

How can theatres connect ticketing and EPOS systems?

Theatres can connect ticketing and EPOS systems by using an integration layer that allows customer, performance and order information to flow between the two. Ticketing systems know who is attending, when they are coming and what they have booked. EPOS systems manage food, drink, hospitality and retail transactions. When the two systems are separate, venues miss opportunities to create a more joined-up experience. A good connection allows the venue to use ticketing data to prompt relevant actions. For example, a customer attending tonight’s performance can receive a pre-order link for interval drinks. The order can then be handled through the venue’s EPOS process, giving staff the information they need before the interval rush.

This helps venues move from reactive sales to planned demand. It can improve service, reduce queues and increase spend per visit. It can also give the venue a clearer view of audience behaviour beyond ticket purchase. VisitOne is designed to sit between ticketing and EPOS systems, connecting platforms such as Spektrix, Tessitura and Tixly with EPOS providers including pointOne, Tevalis and Square, while keeping the audience journey simple and mobile-friendly.

Why should theatres look beyond ticket yield when measuring audience value?

Ticket yield is an important metric for theatres because it shows the average income generated from each ticket sold. It helps venues understand pricing, discounts, seat value and sales performance. But ticket yield only tells part of the story. A customer who buys a lower-priced ticket may still be highly valuable if they attend regularly, bring friends, pre-order drinks, donate, hold a membership or respond well to future campaigns. Equally, someone who buys one high-value ticket may not have the same long-term value as a frequent visitor who engages across the whole venue experience.

This is where guest value becomes useful. Guest value looks beyond the ticket transaction and considers the wider relationship between the audience member and the venue. It can include ticket spend, food and beverage spend, donations, memberships, frequency of attendance, recency of visit and engagement with communications. Many venues use RFM-style thinking to understand this more clearly. RFM looks at recency, frequency and monetary value. For arts venues, that means asking: how recently did someone attend, how often do they come and what value do they create across the full visit?

VisitOne helps venues build a clearer picture of guest value by connecting ticketing, EPOS, donations, memberships and digital engagement into one audience journey. This gives teams a more rounded view of value than ticket yield alone.

What is VisitOne?

VisitOne is a fully customisable platform that connects your ticketing system and EPOS solution to deliver a seamless digital experience for audiences. From secure mobile tickets and F&B pre-orders to personalised messaging and membership digital cards and renewals, VisitOne brings everything your guests need into one convenient digital web-based app - fully branded for your venue and your customers.

Learn more on our Features and Benefits page.

Which ticketing and EPOS systems does VisitOne integrate with?

VisitOne integrates seamlessly with leading ticketing platforms such as Spektrix, Tessitura, Tixly, Nliven and LineUp and with a wide range of EPOS providers including pointOne, ResDiary, Square, Stripe, SevenRooms and Tevalis. If your venue uses a provider we haven’t yet got an integration for don’t worry. We can usually connect with it, and we’re very used to helping venues navigate mixed tech stacks, at no extra charge. 

If you don't yet have an EPOS or are thinking of  changing your current supplier check out our insights blog about choosing the right EPOS 

How does VisitOne help venues increase revenue?

In short: by making it easier for audiences to spend, at the right moment. VisitOne will support your drive for new and increased revenue streams without adding staff costs. Venues typically see significant uplift from pre-orders (average +20% bar revenue), targeted upsells, and table bookings. You can also add shadow bookers to your database through our secure ticket sharing feature. By connecting EPOS data with your ticketing system insights, you can track and optimise spend per visitor seamlessly.

Explore examples from our Client Success Stories 

Can we delay pre-orders until closer to the performance date?

Absolutely. Many venues send the VisitOne link when customers book, and follow up with an SMS on the day of the show to let customers know they can now pre-order drinks, snacks and merchandise. Some venues open up pre-ordering and table bookings the day before the show. You’re in complete control, from timing to messaging. You choose what works best for your audience and venue operations. 

How does order collection work?

VisitOne slots right into your existing operations. You can set up multiple pick-up points, assign them to seating areas, and even route preparation or "kitche" messages straight to your point of sale, so staff know exactly where and when to deliver the order. Customers also get clear instructions for collection, so there’s no confusion on the night. 

Can we offer in-seat delivery?

Yes. If you already have an in-seat service or want to develop the this for your venue, VisitOne can support it. Some venues use it for VIP guests, members, or box seats. 

Can we sell merchandise?

Yes, and it works as seamlessly as bar pre-orders and table bookings. Whether you're selling programmes or show merchandise, You can use VisitOne to put these items front and centre so customers can buy in advance and skip queues on the night. 

Can we offer special perks for VIPs or members?

Definitely. VisitOne can be used to create tailored experiences. You could offer exclusive menus, priority collection points, member-only items, or even special services like boxed champagne for selected seats. If you can imagine it, we can usually configure it. VistOne is very flexible. 

How are shadow bookers added to my database?

A “shadow booker” is someone who attends an event but isn’t the initial ticket buyer. VisitOne captures these attendee details through ticket sharing, via the app. This simple secure sharing feature helps you grow your marketing database with high-quality leads to better understand your full audience. You can then, with whatever permissions are required for your territory or country contact these previously unknown attendees for further ticket sales. 

How do individual donations work?

VisitOne makes it easy for audiences to individually give via the app. The messaging, the timing of the ask and the level of donation is .fully customisable and VisitOne offers the ability to make anonymous and recognised donations. The donor has the option to make a tribute for their donation. Gift Aid declarations are supported for Uk venues.

Check out check out our insights blog about Helping Theatres increase individual donations

How does VisitOne enhance the audience experience?

Customers love convenience and VisitOne delivers it. Tickets arrive securely via SMS that can be easily shared with others in the booking and added to their digital wallet.  Your guests can pre-order drinks without queueing, book a table in just a few taps, access their membership card, and receive updates in real time.  Branded to the venue, the production or even the performance everything feels more personal. VisitOne features have helped reduce queues, drive increased revenue and improve positive feedback enhance audience experience  

Learn more about enhanced audience engagement from our Case Studies

Can I deliver digital membership cards with VisitOne?

Yes, and it's one of our most popular features. Members get a digital card straight to their phone, with benefits, expiry dates and renewal prompts all built in. You can track engagement and make it effortless for members to stay connected. There is also the ability to integrate prompts into a non- members customer journey before and after an event to grow your membership base. Digital membership cards track attendance, helping to increase retention and has Gift Aid collection set up where applicable.

How quickly can we get VisitOne live in our venue?

Venues can go live as quickly as 6 weeks from contract, depending on integration complexity and venue requirements. Our team will work with you to manage setup, initial custom branding and data connections between systems to minimise disruption to your operations. Our implementation and onboarding has been highly praised by our partner venues with a score of 9.1/10

Contact us to discuss Implementation & Onboarding 

Can I customise VisitOne for multiple venues and spaces?

Absolutely and more. If you are managing a venue with 2 or more spaces or managing a group of venues, every VisitOne instance can be branded to match a venue’s identity. Customisation can also be applied to a specific production and performance and membership tier. From colours and imagery to personalised messaging; over 350 custom themes have already been designed for arts venues worldwide.

What kind of reporting and analytics are available?

VisitOne provides performance dashboards showing sales by event, bar pre-orders, donations, and audience engagement. You can export insights to your CRM or ticketing system, helping you understand what drives spend and loyalty..

How can I see VisitOne in action?

You can book a short demo to see how VisitOne connects ticketing and EPOS data, powers pre-orders, and personalises communication. Our team will tailor the walkthrough to your goals.