Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra: inside a data‑driven ticketing transformation

Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) Publicity Rep, Sophie, talks to us about SPO’s success over the years with selling tickets to their performances.

The turning point: recognising the need for change

Back in June 2016 we did a concert and during my bars rest I counted the audience – it was dismal. There were more people in the orchestra than the audience! We worked so, so hard preparing that programme, and it was in that moment that I decided that things needed to change. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to increase our reach. I’m pleased to say we’ve seen a 59% increase in ticket sales.

Harnessing people power: members drive ticket sales

In my experience, the single biggest driver of ticket sales is our members – people power is key. When members share events online, distribute flyers, and invite friends and family, that builds the core of our audience. Everything else that I do from a marketing perspective supports and amplifies that, but it’s the members who make the biggest difference.

Building a multi‑channel ticketing strategy

When we put concerts on sale we start by creating an event on Ticket Tailor and generating unique referral links. These allow us to track exactly where ticket sales come from. We then list the event across multiple platforms, each with its own referral URL, including:

•    Our website
•    Classical Events
•    Classical Sheffield
•    Welcome to Sheffield
•    Making Music, and
•    We create a Facebook event

Using artwork, QR codes and print to boost visibility

Alongside this, I commission artwork which includes a QR code linked to a referral URL. This is used across social media and print (posters and flyers), and which our orchestra members help distribute. We also make sure artwork is ready in advance so we can promote the next concert at the current one.

Paid ads and email campaigns: supporting the core effort

We typically spend £50 to £100 on Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram), again using trackable links, and send one to two email campaigns via Mailchimp to our newsletter subscribers.

The value of a growing mailing list

Our mailing list has been a particularly valuable asset. Since GDPR came in (May 2018), we’ve steadily built it by asking ticket buyers to opt in at checkout, and it continues to grow with every concert.
Why ticket tailor works for us

We’ve been using Ticket Tailor since June 2015. While it was originally chosen by my predecessor, I’ve continued with it for three key reasons:

1.    It gives us historic ticket data going back to 2015, which is invaluable for tracking trends and understanding our audience
2.    It’s reasonably priced (we receive a charity discount)
3.    They are a B Corp, and their ‘Penny for the Planet’ initiative means our sales contribute to climate charities

The ability to track referral links and analyse data has been fundamental to improving our approach over time.

Using discounts to engage specific audiences

We run a member’s discount of £2 off across all ticket bands (not everyone makes use of it, but it’s there for those who want it), and we run ad hoc discounts all the time. For example, we’ve offered discounts to members of a local youth orchestra using a dedicated code. This not only incentivises bookings but also helps us track engagement from specific audiences.

How advance pricing transformed booking behaviour

We introduced a key change in November 2019: tickets are £2 cheaper if booked in advance. This has had a significant impact. After implementing it, our average advanced tickets sales jumped by 98% from 163 to 323 and our average on-the-door sales dropped from 43 to 18.

This shift has encouraged audiences to book ahead, giving us better data and a clearer picture of expected attendance before the event. We’ve also seen a general decline in cash sales as more people book online and pay by card.