How Stage Entertainment builds loyal fans for life

From ticket sales to total experience

Stage Entertainment handles ticket sales for its productions in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain entirely in-house. Van Zandwijk is internationally responsible for the website platform and works closely with local teams in content management, UX, CRO, analytics and development.

Working with different teams, markets and systems led to fragmentation for a long time. 'There was fragmentation on all fronts: data, technology, teams', says Van Zandwijk. 'Everyone was working with the best intentions, but not always together. Yet that collaboration is exactly what's needed to deliver a consistent customer experience.'

This fragmentation became particularly visible in website visitor behaviour. While some visitors purchase a ticket with clear intent, others still need to be convinced that a night out is worth it. 'We're not just competing with other musicals', Van Zandwijk explains. 'We're competing with all forms of entertainment, even a night in with Netflix.'

One team, one way of working

To make this shift, Stage Entertainment is working with iO on a new way of working. No longer separate projects per discipline, but integrated teams focused on customer impact.

Judith de Groot-Pagrach, Head of Operations at iO: 'A strategic session two years ago forms the foundation for Stage Entertainment's entire digital strategy. We're still reaping the benefits of that today.'

A key component is the dual-track approach: alongside building and delivering solutions (delivery), there's structural space for research and validation (discovery). De Groot-Pagrach: 'In the discovery phase, we test ideas on a small scale first. Does it work? Then we build it out further. Doesn't work? Then we pivot. Still no positive result? Then we stop in time. This prevents technology from becoming a goal in itself. What it does deliver is impact.'

Two people smiling, standing beside a wooden table in a well-lit office with plants in the background.

Test, learn, scale

A concrete example is improving seat selection on mobile devices. Van Zandwijk: 'We have a mobile-first strategy. We see that our traffic is increasingly mobile-driven. We're also attracting more new audiences; people who have never been to the theatre before. They often find it difficult to choose the best seats, with the best view, at the right price.'

By interviewing visitors and combining those insights with data, the team discovered where the frustration lay and why people dropped off during seat selection.

The solution: conversational guidance. An interactive way to help website visitors make their choice. 'What we're testing now is having well-known characters from our shows, like Olaf from Frozen or Rafiki from The Lion King, guide you online when choosing a musical or seat', says Van Zandwijk. 'By solving it in a playful and smart way, we improve both the experience and conversion.'

The result: a roughly 5 percent increase in click-through rates and fewer customer service contacts. 'Without the collaborative approach with iO, we could never have tested and rolled this out so quickly.'

Technology as a means, not an end

The transformation primarily requires something from the organisation. Van Zandwijk: 'The biggest challenge isn't in systems, but in people. You need a shared vision and a culture that supports it. Otherwise, it stays at the planning stage.'

That vision centres on an ongoing customer relationship: before, during and after the performance. Think personalised content, practical travel information or exclusive extras around a show. 'It's about everything you do contributing to the visitor's experience', says Van Zandwijk. 'Data, content and technology need to come together. Only then do you create real value.'

From local optimisation to international impact

By organising data centrally and making it transparent, Stage Entertainment can now make faster and better decisions across markets. Van Zandwijk: 'Together with iO, we've built a single data foundation. This allows us to see where opportunities lie and tackle them together. It makes it possible to move faster and work consistently.'

The results:

+7%
Conversion rate
+9%
Number of tickets sold
+21%
Click on ‘Book now’ button
+167%
Musical trailers viewed (engagement)

Building the organisation, not just solutions

Van Zandwijk sees iO as an extension of his internal organisation. 'iO doesn't just help us build solutions, but helps us build the organisation behind them. Think training people, developing capabilities like CRO and UX, and establishing a way of working that works across all countries.'

'What really makes the difference for me is that iO has become a seamless part of our organisation. They bring not only the right expertise, but also a mindset that fits us: daring to try, to challenge and to look ahead. At the same time, they help me translate that vision internally and get buy-in. It's precisely that combination of substance and cultural fit that's crucial to making real progress.'

Advice for marketers

The collaboration between Stage Entertainment and iO shows that digital transformation only delivers real value when technology, organisation and customer needs come together.

De Groot-Pagrach's advice: 'Start with the customer's problem, not the solution. And make sure your organisation is set up to learn fast.'

Van Zandwijk adds: 'Dare to start small, but think big. And above all: make sure everyone is moving in the same direction. Only then can you truly make an impact.'

Stage Entertainment & iO

In addition to the digital transformation of the platform, we also support Stage Entertainment with digital strategy, user research, UX design, conversion optimisation, SEO and the implementation of HubSpot for marketing automation.