Shaping 2026. What the sector is really talking about and why it matters

This past year has been a real reminder of the depth of talent and resilience across our sectors. I have seen teams doing everything they can to deliver brilliant experiences with limited resources, and suppliers working hard to cut through in a market where many offerings feel increasingly alike.

Guests, visitors, or fans are walking through our doors with higher expectations, more complex needs and far less patience for friction. Across attractions, arts and culture, live entertainment and leisure, there is a shared desire to create experiences that feel meaningful and joyful and that are supported by good commercial choices. I hear the same themes whether I am speaking with venue directors, front of house teams, ticketing or marketing leads, technology founders, or those quietly trying to keep the wheels turning behind the scenes.

It still surprises me how many organisations are held together by manual processes, Excel spreadsheets and systems that are not fit for purpose. These workarounds consume time, create risk and place unnecessary pressure on teams who want to focus on their audiences rather than patching gaps. This continues to be one of the most persistent challenges we face. It is also one of the reasons organisations are beginning to look for more independent support when reviewing technology, reshaping workflows or deciding where investment will genuinely make a difference.

These ten themes are not predictions. They reflect the conversations I've been part of throughout 2025. They come from project work, pricing/system reviews, procurement processes, sector panels, conference coffees. As well as the conversations that carry on long after the sessions finish, often over a glass of wine with people who want to do the right thing yet feel squeezed from every direction. They also reflect the perspective of suppliers who genuinely want to serve the sector rather than simply sell to it.

A belief runs through all of them that better experiences, more sustainable revenue and smoother customer-focused operations can sit together when the right choices are made.

1. Higher prices must feel personal, supportive and worth it

People will spend more when they feel guided, reassured and confident they are making the right choice. Hosted welcomes, thoughtful upgrades, meaningful communication and clearer reassurance help guests, visitors, or fans feel informed and looked after rather than let down. I have been reminded this year that premium price points should signal a premium experience from the first enquiry to long after the visit takes place. My recent experience of purchasing West End tickets fell short of that expectation, and many guests feel the same across our sector. Operators who map the emotional journey as carefully as the transactional one are building confidence rather than anxiety/frustration.

This often requires advisory support because it draws on behavioural insight and market awareness seen from an independent perspective, rather than those who work within their own silos.

2. AI should elevate human roles rather than replace them

AI has been everywhere this year, although the organisations gaining the most from it are those using it to free people to do the work only humans can do best. It depends on people who can sense-check the output and recognise where human judgement still matters. Workflows, reporting, planning and communication all improve when AI carries out the repetitive tasks, and people stay focused on the parts of the experience that rely on human connection. Independent support is becoming increasingly useful for organisations unsure how to adopt AI with meaningful results, especially when paired with specialist expertise rather than the generic insight AI often produces.

3. Guests, visitors, or fans want choice in how they engage and feel comfortable on site

Sensory needs, confidence levels and interaction preferences vary widely. Some customers enjoy immersive storytelling while others need calm or clear structure. Some prefer kiosks and QR codes while others feel more comfortable with a human welcome. Voice interaction is gaining traction for those who find typing overwhelming. Audiences vary in their needs, so both the on-site experience and the technology that supports it must adapt to those dynamics rather than expect everyone to behave in the same way. It is my feeling that some operators have leaned too heavily on replacing staff in customer-facing roles, and many customers are beginning to feel worn down by it. A push back from this is coming.

4. Operational ease is becoming essential for stretched teams

Teams are tired, staffing levels are lean, and expectations continue to rise. Workflows must feel logical, and onboarding new systems must feel achievable and supported. Misconfigured systems, unclear training and cluttered interfaces create friction for people who want to do their jobs well. The operators gaining momentum are simplifying journeys, reviewing processes and selecting tools that reflect real behaviour because they speak directly with staff and customers about what helps and what hinders. Suppliers are responding with more intuitive systems, thoughtful automation and technology shaped around the realities of frontline teams. The challenge for operators is to ask whether their systems genuinely support both their customers and the people delivering the experience. Many organisations have sought external support this year to relieve pressure on teams and give operations the clarity that only an independent perspective can provide.

5. Human interaction is shaping visitor sentiment and spend

Audiences notice when staff are confident, warm and present. They also notice when systems place people in awkward positions or when processes get in the way of authentic interaction. Human connection influences spend, membership conversion and likelihood to return. The right tools create space for generosity and storytelling, yet the wrong tools erode confidence quickly. More organisations are recognising that system design shapes how well teams can deliver service, which is encouraging suppliers to focus more deliberately on clarity and usability. Are your technology partners proactively helping you so that you can shift the time and effort to human-led initiatives?

6. Trust, clarity and fairness matter throughout the buying journey

Pricing, availability, fees and communication shape trust from the moment people begin to plan a visit. Dynamic pricing, resale and transparency have been emotionally charged topics this year. Families want certainty. Cultural organisations want alignment with mission. Live entertainment audiences are vocal about fairness. Operators also expect honesty from suppliers regarding what is possible today and what is genuinely on the horizon. Clear, values-led communication is becoming a differentiator. Independent procurement support is increasingly used by organisations that want clarity, strong benchmarking and confidence that they are selecting partners who can deliver what matters to them. It brings the kind of insight that only an independent perspective can provide, irrespective of whether there are IT or procurement teams in place.

7. Belonging and emotional connection drive repeat visitation

People are navigating loneliness, financial pressure and emotional fatigue. Experiences that nurture belonging offer something deeper than entertainment. Community moments, pre- and post-experience engagement, accessible interpretation and safe, welcoming environments create emotional anchoring. Booking journeys and digital touchpoints influence belonging because they can calm or escalate anxiety. The organisation's thinking carefully about how people arrive emotionally will strengthen their repeat audiences. This means moving away from the assumption that everyone arrives as a family or a couple. Many people visit alone and use these spaces to feel connected, grounded or lifted out of difficult feelings at home. For some, a museum, attraction or venue offers a sense of community when life feels isolating. Operators who recognise this wide emotional range and create environments that feel safe, welcoming and human will build deeper loyalty over time.

8. Customers expect venues to care for their spaces and help them do the same

Audiences notice care. Overflowing bins, tired toilets, unnecessary packaging and littered outdoor areas erode pride quickly. This is about how a place feels and whether it is looked after. Operators are rethinking cleaning routines, waste flows and the small cues that help visitors do the right thing. Some suppliers are supporting this through tools that make it easier to maintain tidy, well-managed spaces, although the biggest impact still comes from operational choices on the ground. Spaces that feel cared for shape how people experience their visit, how they feel about the money they spent and whether they want to return.

9. Guests want visits that grow into a richer experience rather than a quick in and out

Dwell time has always been important for attractions, although theatres, galleries and live entertainment venues are embracing it with greater intention. Pre-show build-up, hosted welcomes, partnership dining, participation opportunities and post-show reflection extend the emotional feeling of a visit. These moments deepen connection, create a stronger sense of occasion and turn a single activity into a meaningful outing. Operators who think beyond the core offer, i.e. the performance/event, towards the experience that wraps around it are seeing higher engagement, greater spend and visits that feel more complete.

10. Technology must feel effortless, intuitive and designed for real people

The next phase of technology adoption is being shaped by how well systems support teams and audiences rather than how many features they offer. People want tools that reduce training time, build confidence and make daily tasks feel manageable. Customers want booking journeys and onsite interactions that feel smooth and predictable. Software works best when it focuses on key functions and integrates cleanly rather than trying to be everything to everyone, which rarely works in the long term. AI will accelerate development behind the scenes, although human experience will always shape clarity, language and interpretation and usability. The suppliers standing out are those who design with real operational behaviour in mind. Independent expertise is becoming crucial for organisations that want to choose systems that genuinely support their people and their ambitions, and for suppliers wanting to stand out in the crowd.

Looking ahead

Growth will come to those who place human connection at the heart of decision-making and use technology to support confidence rather than add weight.

The conversations shaping 2026 point towards a sector that wants experiences to feel easier, warmer and more intentional. Growth will come to those who place human connection at the heart of decision-making and use technology to support confidence rather than add weight. The organisations that thrive will be the ones willing to look beyond their own walls, speak with consultants and suppliers and work less in silos. Tech providers will become stronger at saying no, improve pre-qualifying processes and prioritise fit over volume. I expect the rate of technology acquisitions to reach a ten-year high in ticketing, which will bring challenges but also opportunities for many operators/suppliers.

There is one more thing. This is more of a hope than a trend. I would love to see more organisations reframe the role of systems. They are not simply a cost centre, they are the backbone of revenue, operational ease and guest, visitors, or fans connection. When treated as strategic assets and approached collaboratively, they unlock value that far outweighs their fees. This often requires skills, insight and market understanding that many teams do not have the space or experience to hold in-house.

A final reflection. The partners I have collaborated with this year remind me how much innovation is emerging across our sector. From stronger customer journeys to richer in-the-moment insight to operational automation and more flexible solutions, there is a wave of practical creativity helping operators move with greater confidence. Their influence appears throughout the themes above, even if not named directly.

The organisations that thrive in 2026 will blend empathy with commercial focus, innovation with purpose and technology with genuine human understanding. The work ahead is significant, although it is full of opportunity for those willing to shape it with intention by going out there and seeking out what’s new, what’s borrowed and what we want to keep.

About the author

Sarah Bagg is the Founder of ReWork Consulting, helping visitor attractions, heritage sites, arts and entertainment organisations maximise their growth through best-fit systems and helping technology suppliers align with market needs and opportunities.