The best of 2022

Fortunately, following yet another lockdown, the cultural sector was permitted to reopen in January. The majority of the audience started returning gradually. Peppered hasn't been standing still either. We've expanded significantly over the past year and worked hard on many fantastic new features that benefit both you and your visitors. We walk you through an outline of 2022's best product updates as well as other significant developments.

Hej Scandinavia

We are tremendously pleased of all we have created in collaboration with our users in the Netherlands and Belgium, and now our software is beginning to be noticed elsewhere: this year, a number of organisations from Norway and Denmark have joined our collective! This year, a total of 12 new users have joined Peppered. Including the Norwegian Kulturhuset Ælvespeilet, the Frascati Theater in Amsterdam, and Schouwburg De Kern in Wilrijk.

New collaborations

After Digital

We have teamed up with After Digital, a strategic full-service design agency from Glasgow (UK) that specialises in more established cultural brands. By working together, we can develop websites that are top-notch in terms of performance, usability, design, and content. Our first cooperative project, the redesign of de Doelen, is nearly complete. We're excited to create the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra website together in the coming year.

New Pack Inclusion Creators

Together with New Pack Inclusion Creators, the Peppered sites are being tested based on their accessibility. Through guidance, seminars, and hands-on assistance during implementation, New Pack assists organisations with issues related to inclusion and accessibility. Through this partnership, we can create fully accessible to our sites and the cultural sector's offerings.

The top 5 product updates from last year

1. Query Builder

The Query Builder is one of the most potent tools today, which provides a major step towards data-driven working. With the help of this functionality, you can easily and rapidly gather all visitors who are relevant to your marketing campaign and use the data right away for a number of uses. The Query Builder, for instance, can be used to gather all users who have opted in, have seen a specific show, or have not been active in a while.

2. Time Slots

Together with De Kleine Komedie, we created the Time Slots functionality, which has proved to be a great success! Because customers are no longer required to wait in line to purchase tickets, Time Slots allows you to manage peak sales efficiently and in a way that is user-friendly. It becomes a much simpler and more enjoyable process for both you and the visitor. So definitely keep the Time Slots in mind when planning your presale for 2023.

3. Ambassador functionality

Your biggest fans are your visitors. Allow them to be your ambassadors as well. Using the Ambassador feature, which we created in collaboration with Stadschouwburg and Philharmonie Haarlem, makes this possible. It enables your current visitors and connections to spread the word about you. Your staff or frequent customers can promote performances with a special discount to their friends and family on a personal advice page.

4.Kiosk

With the new Kiosk technology, selling tickets unmanned on-site is really simple. Install a touchscreen in your venue, and the rest will be handled by the visitors and the Kiosk. Visitors can view more information about the events, scroll through the programme overview on the screen and use a QR code on their mobile device to directly order and pay for tickets for the event of their choice.

5. Stories and Collections

Last year, in partnership with Amare, we developed Stories, a simple, sophisticated way for you to add various sorts of media to your website. We expanded on this for TR OFFBEAT, the online publication of Theater Rotterdam, and created Collections, which allows you to gather all content into one place and showcase it in the style of a magazine.

Compliancy

Once again this year we have ensured that our users are continuously compliant. For example, we have tested our sites for accessibility, adjusted the mailing module in such a way that it is easier to comply with the GDPR, our new hosting environment guarantees privacy and security and the SEO of our sites has been given a boost. In this way we hope to have unburdened you a bit.

Events

We have travelled to various fairs, including the Ticketing Professionals Conference (TPC) and Arts Marketing Association (AMA) in Birmingham (UK), as well as the Norske Kulturhus Fagkonferenske in Hamar (Norway). In addition, we were given the opportunity to speak during the Digital Open Coffee for the cultural sector, organised by DEN.

Additionally, we organised two Peppered Events: the content edition in The Hague's stunning new cultural centre Amare, and the 'digital first' edition in Ghent's Muziekcentrum De Bijloke. Together with our users, partners and other interested parties from the cultural sector, we talked about how to make sure that the digital world is at the forefront of your organisation and how you can use content most effectively.

On to 2023

We are excited for a new year in which we hope to create more fantastic functionalities for - and together with - you.

Would you like assistance getting started with one of the product updates? Message us.

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