Science Museum Group
A new group bookings solution for the Science Museum Group
In May 2022, we launched a new group bookings solution for the Science Museum Group (SMG), streamlining the process for educators and tour operators to book visits to their five museums.
This custom-built platform integrated with SMG’s existing ticketing system, Tessitura, making the booking process more efficient and the administration much easier, while significantly improving the user experience.
The challenge
The existing booking process was highly manual, requiring multiple exchanges of communication between SMG and the group organisers. This led to inefficiencies and delays which caused frustration for everyone involved. SMG needed a solution that could handle the complexities of organising group visits, managing availability, and capturing essential information, while ensuring a smooth, self-service experience for users.
The solution
A user-centred online booking platform: we developed an intuitive portal that allows group organisers to self-serve, plan, and book their itineraries 24/7. The platform captures as much information about the booker upfront before only serving activities that are relevant to that specific booker (e.g. space-related activities or those suitable for their group’s age range).
This helps the booker streamline their planning and reduces the need for follow-up communications. The system also has an itinerary plotter that ensures activities fit seamlessly into schedules by preventing booking overlaps.
Handling large group bookings
The new solution addresses the complexities of organising large groups, like dividing participants into sub-groups for activities with limited capacities. This ensures that events with different capacities (e.g.IMAX with 400 vs Wonderlab with 35) can be scheduled efficiently.
Enhanced payment flexibility & auto cancellation
To ease budget sign-offs for school groups, the system includes a “hold ticket” function, allowing users to reserve spots while awaiting payment authorization. The auto-cancellation feature protects SMG’s financial security by releasing unpaid bookings after a specified period. This also removes the administrative headache of chasing up late or missing payments.
Thinking long term
Alongside the technical solution, other changes were essential to maximise the project’s impact, both operationally and for the visitor experience. This involved aligning offerings across the Science Museum Group’s five sites and adjusting how events were set up in their ticketing system, Tessitura. It went beyond just launching a platform, and we enjoyed contributing to discussions focused on ensuring the project’s broader, long term success.
“This was SO simple! I hope more organisations move to a booking system like this. It was clear to see when dates and activities were available.”
– recent booker
“We have learnt so much about what group leaders are planning to do on their visits, this has allowed us to improve our communication with groups by providing them with information ahead of their visit”.
– Caroline Stokes, Marketing Manager at the Science Museum
Conclusion
The launch of SMG’s group booking portal has transformed their visitor experience, reducing administrative time and empowering educators to plan visits independently. With over 11,500 bookings since launch, nearly 80% of group reservations are now made online, allowing SMG staff to focus on enriching the museum experience for all visitors.
“We are delighted with the outcomes of our group bookings online project and working with Substrakt has been a delight. They really understood how the solution would benefit the organisation and worked really closely with us to create a fantastic experience for group leaders to completely self-serve online.”
– Graeme Ellis, Science Museum Group
