The Cultural Enterprises Conference in Birmingham brought together commercial leaders from across the cultural sector, with a strong focus on income generation, secondary spend and commercial performance. It was less operations-focused than some of the events we attend, but beneath the commercial conversations a familiar theme emerged: many ambitious organisations are still managing increasingly complex programmes on spreadsheets.
Talks explored re-imagining space, maximising venue hire and driving revenue through smarter programming. Programming is not just creative output, it is the engine behind footfall, retail performance and long-term sustainability. Venues are diversifying, opening new types of spaces and developing new revenue streams. The ambition is clear. The challenge is that operational infrastructure is not always keeping pace.
In several conversations we heard about entire programmes living in spreadsheets, with complex room allocations, limited cross-team visibility and training that takes weeks because processes sit in formulas rather than structured systems. One organisation described onboarding a new public-facing site while reviewing how every department works, yet lacking clear oversight of who is using which spaces and when. Others spoke about moving systems in recent years and already questioning whether the change delivered what they needed. Spreadsheets feel flexible, but as organisations grow and commercial activity increases, they become fragile.
Reporting is also rising up the agenda. Not just standard outputs, but meaningful operational insight that supports commercial decision-making. As financial pressure increases, clarity becomes strategic. Teams want visibility they can trust, without relying on one person to manage a master spreadsheet.
What CEC reinforced is this: cultural organisations are ambitious and evolving quickly, but many are relying on tools that were never designed for the complexity they now manage. A true single source of event truth is not about adding features for the sake of it. It is about shared visibility, structured accountability, better reporting and confidence as you grow.
Nearly 40 years on, Artifax continues to work closely with arts and cultural organisations through a sector that has changed and diversified significantly. We’ve adapted and grown alongside our customers, and that commitment remains unchanged. With the long‑term backing of Volaris, we are focused on building solutions that evolve with our customers and support their ambitions for the long term.
If you were at CEC and would like to continue the conversation, we would love to talk. And if you are reviewing how your programme is managed in 2026, now may be the time to explore a more structured and connected approach.