Alan Gibson and Gavin Dutch presented on monetizing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival mobile app. They discussed the history and growth of the app from 2009-2011, including increasing downloads and ticket transactions. They also covered the technical challenges of keeping listings current, optimizing the mobile experience, and integrating multiple box office systems for ticket purchases. The app resulted in over 45,000 downloads and generated over 9,000 transactions selling 21,000 tickets, providing an additional sales channel and marketing tool for the Fringe Festival.

1. Technology Solutions for Tourism Conference 2012
Thursday 23rd February
Part 5: Case Study – Alan Gibson, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Gavin Dutch, Kotikan
Monetising the Fringe Festival App
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

2. Monetising the Fringe
Apps
Alan Gibson & Gavin Dutch
Technology Solutions for
Tourism
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

3. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest,
open-access arts festival in the world.
The Fringe Society exists to:
• Advise, support and encourage all participants at the Festival Fringe
• Provide comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date information and
ticketing services, to its participants and the public
• Promote the entire Fringe as a festival in the context of Edinburgh
and other festivals.
In 2011
258 venues 21,912 performers
41,689 performances 2,452 shows
1,877,119 tickets issued
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

4. Why Invest in Mobile?
• The Fringe
programme
– Print run 400,000
copies
– Expensive to
distribute
– Environmental impact
– 68% use as their main
source of information
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

5. A Brief History
• 2009
– Festivals Edinburgh partnership
– A listings app to help navigate
Edinburgh’s summer festivals
– Cost £1.69
– 1,650 downloads
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6. A Brief History
• 2010
– Fringe branded
– Free to download
– Exclusive Half Price Hut feed
– Store favourites and planner calendar
– 22,519 downloads - 369,000 sessions
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

7. A Brief History
• 2011
– Support From Virgin Money/Arts &
Business Scotland
– Develop for Android platform to increase
reach to smart phone users
– Develop mobile ticket purchase on iPhone
and Android as additional sales channel to
edfringe and box office
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

8. The Techie Bit
• Platforms
– Why not mobile web
– Why Android?
• Challenges
– Keeping listings current
– Creating a positive user journey
– Multiple box office systems
– Transaction security
– 2 months to deliver
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

9. Design
• Usability is paramount in
delivering a positive app
experience
– Optimizing experience for
mobile
– Text input is painful on a
mobile
– No need for shopping
baskets
– Account management for
new and existing Fringe
customers
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10. 1
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11. To achieve that one tap
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12. Transaction Processing
• Box office integration
– Using Red61’s VIA box office system
– Robust handling of poor connections
• Security considerations
– PCI compliance on mobile?
– Financial partner required additional
assurances
– Critical functionality tested as early as
possible
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13. Demo
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17. Results
• Downloads
– iPhone: 32,062
– Android: 13,022
– Total: 45,084 (730,000 sessions)
• 7% Fringe attendees used it as their
main source of information –
predominantly 15–44
• 9,475 transactions sold 21,000 tickets
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

18. Added Value for Fringe
• Additional ticket sales channel
• Marketing tool to attract younger
audiences
• Fringe Society well positioned to
capitalize on the forecast rapid growth
of mobile use
• Robust mobile platform for future
years
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

19. Thank you
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

20. Technology Solutions for Tourism Conference 2012
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Audio, video and slidecast production for ETAG by creative content communications company Inner Ear: www.innerear.co.uk
Wednesday, 14 March 2012