Smarter Touring: Starting the Conversation

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On Wednesday, 4 February 2026, we initiated a sector-wide exploration of how technology in touring and collaboration in theatre could help address some of the systemic challenges facing mid-scale touring. 

In a free and informal 45-minute webinar, our special guest provocateur Patrick Morsman from Tixly guided us in examining what’s working elsewhere (and what could be possible in the UK) to make smarter theatre touring a reality.

During the Smarter Touring Tech webinar, I highlighted various technical resources that can enhance collaboration in theatre by streamlining operations across planning, ticketing, website, customer experience, and epos for bars and restaurants.

Using different levels (or perspectives), I illustrated how technology in touring can be effectively employed:

High Level

At this high level, a ticketing system like Tixly serves many venue organisations, ultimately saving them money while sharing valuable expertise. A notable example is Cultuur Connect in Belgium, which caters to around 50 venues.

We can create a centralized calendar displaying what shows are booked, where, and when, fed by several planning systems such as Yesplan, Artifax, Crescat, and Eventotron.

Additionally, Eventotron has a mechanism that enables artists or touring companies to register their work for consideration by venue organisations, fostering collaboration in theatre.

Venue Level

The aforementioned planning systems can seamlessly work alongside ticketing systems like Tixly, Spektrix, and Ticketsolve, with information flowing automatically to your website through a service provider like CultureSuite or Basker. Moreover, off-the-shelf website plugins like Jeero assist in syncing a standard WordPress website with your ticketing system.

CultureSuite offers an excellent overview of this integrated approach in their case study, showcasing the impact of technology in touring.

Touring Company Level

As previously mentioned, aggregated views created by linking venue planning calendars to a centralized hub can significantly benefit touring companies, drawing data from the systems identified earlier.

Utilizing tools that generate deal sheets in Excel, like Yeplan and others, can enhance transparency in the whole accounting and payment process. At the initial meeting of LTTA, we learned how this has been a challenging pain point for touring companies, often left without adequate information regarding how financial calculations were made.

By analyzing a more comprehensive dataset at an aggregated level, we can assist with pricing, demographic matching, and more, ultimately boosting collaboration in theatre and improving the theatre touring experience.

Do you know of a good resource or tool that you'd recommend to a colleague? If so, please share it. 

Tourbook is an online marketplace and professional network tailored for theatre touring and live cultural performances in the UK and Ireland. It enables artists, producers, venues, and programmers to showcase their tours and available spaces, discover opportunities that fit their criteria, and foster collaboration in theatre by connecting directly with potential partners across the sector. The platform features rich profiles, searchable tour listings, a comprehensive venue and programmer directory, and innovative technology in touring designed to support seamless collaboration and effective planning within the touring ecosystem.