Science Museum
Customising TNEW with timed entry functionality
Timed-entry ticketing can be a challenge for organisations to get right (particularly for museums and galleries who have multiple slots every day). There are often dozens of time slot options available for customers to choose from when they’re looking to attend a particular event on a particular day.
The Science Museum (SMG) recognised that simplifying the booking process for timed-entry tickets – especially for walk-in visitors – was a crucial step in improving visitor experience and reducing queue times.
We worked with them to implement a ‘next available slot’ feature in Tessitura Network Express Web (TNEW), ensuring that visitors could quickly and easily book the earliest available time slot, reducing friction and increasing conversions.
The challenge
For SMG
- Managing visitor flow was difficult, particularly when accommodating both pre-booked and walk-in guests.
- Capacity limits required careful attention and regulation
For customers
- Arriving without a booking often meant waiting in long queues, sometimes only to be told they’d need to wait even longer to enter.
- Being presented with too many time slots could cause cognitive overload, making it harder to complete a booking.
- Some customers, unfamiliar with the venue, struggled to understand how best to select their preferred entry time.
With the Science Museum seeing a significant increase in in-person visits, making timed-entry as frictionless as possible became a priority.
The solution
To simplify the booking experience, we introduced a ‘next available slot’ feature in the Science Museum’s TNEW purchase path:
Automated time slot selection
We used JavaScript to automatically find and display the next available entry time at the top of the booking page. This ensures visitors don’t have to scan through a long list of options when looking for the earliest possible entry.
Reduce cognitive load
Instead of displaying an overwhelming list of time slots, we wrapped them in an accordion menu. Visitors who wanted a different time could still expand the menu and choose another slot if needed.
A more intuitive booking process
The booking flow now focuses only on the essentials: selecting the number of attendees and providing access notes. This streamlined approach reduces confusion, speeds up the process, and improves conversion rates.
Better audience insights
Because all timed-entry tickets now require registration, the Science Museum can collect valuable data on visitor demographics and event popularity. This data helps inform future programming and audience engagement strategies.
The impact
This simple but effective enhancement was launched during a busy summer holiday period, a critical time for in-person visits. The improvements resulted in:
- A smoother, faster booking process for visitors.
- Shorter queues at the information desk as fewer people needed help booking tickets.
- Higher conversion rates due to the reduction in cognitive overload.
- Better audience data collection to inform future decision-making.
While a small change, this kind of customisation makes a big difference in creating a seamless visit
Interested in timed-entry or generally enhancing your TNEW?
We do lots of customisation work with TNEW, just get in touch to learn more.
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