National Portrait Gallery exhibition room with portraits covering the walls and a skylight above, used as a case study header for Artifax.

National Portrait Gallery, London

How the National Portrait Gallery manages events and spaces with confidence using ArtifaxEvent.

Overview

When the National Portrait Gallery reopened after its extensive refurbishment, it needed a reliable, centralised system to manage a diverse range of public events, private hires, and internal activities. 


By implementing Artifax, the Gallery replaced fragmented processes with one intuitive platform — improving coordination, reducing duplication, and giving every department real-time visibility across 75 rooms and multiple event types. 

The Challenge

Before using Artifax, the Gallery relied on separate spreadsheets and calendars to manage bookings for exhibitions, hires, and internal meetings. This disjointed approach made it difficult to maintain accuracy and communicate efficiently between departments. As part of its Inspiring People transformation, the organisation needed a unified system that would bring all scheduling, planning, and reporting into one place. 

Gallery wall displaying an arrangement of historic framed portraits at the National Portrait Gallery.

The Solution

Artifax was introduced to centralise event management, room bookings, and resource coordination across the Gallery’s operations. The Artifax team worked closely with internal departments to configure the system for their specific needs — from daily operations to private event planning. 

Key features include: 

  • A unified calendar for all gallery activities, accessible across teams. 
  • Automated conflict checks for room and resource bookings. 
  • Custom templates for event types, ensuring process consistency. 
  • Reporting tools for utilisation, performance, and audit tracking. 

The Results

Artifax now underpins the Gallery’s operational planning, creating one shared, trusted view of all activity. Staff can check availability instantly, managers can generate accurate reports, and departments collaborate seamlessly without duplication or confusion. 

Key outcomes: 

  • One reliable system for every event type and space. 
  • Improved coordination between departments. 
  • Greater confidence and transparency in scheduling. 

Why It Matters

By streamlining its event management and planning, the National Portrait Gallery ensures that staff can focus on delivering exceptional visitor and event experiences — supported by Artifax as a trusted, sector-specific partner. 

See Artifax in Action

Explore how our venue and event management software helps you simplify scheduling, streamline operations, and deliver standout experiences — all in one place.