Live at Cultural Enterprises Conference with Richard Paterson

In this live episode of Skip the Queue, recorded at the Association of Cultural Enterprises Conference, Andy Povey is joined by Richard Paterson, Chief Operating Officer at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, to explore the delicate balance between commercial performance and heritage protection.Richard shares practical, real-world strategies for running sustainable cultural attractions in a challenging post-Covid landscape from improving ticket yield to rethinking discount strategies.Key Topics Discussed:Post-Covid financial pressures on cultural attractions Increasing income yield without increasing footfallSimplifying ticket structures at the Shakespeare Birthplace TrustReducing and rationalising discountsEncouraging online booking vs on-the-door salesUsing ticketing data to test and track performanceRe-engaging local audiences within drive-time marketsGrowing repeat visitationCommunicating conservation impact to visitorsTurning restoration work into part of the experienceLeveraging cultural moments like Hamnet to refresh storytellingShow References: Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey Richard Paterson, Chief Operating Officer at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trusthttps://www.shakespeare.org.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpaterson1/ Cultural Enterprises ConferenceBirmingham on 9-11 February 2026https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/conference/ Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey. Credits:Written by Emily Burrows (Plaster)Edited by Steve FollandProduced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwistle (Plaster) Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop’ — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth. Download your FREE copy here